Kudos Diaper Review: Are Kudos Really “Green” and Do They Really Work?

This Kudos diaper review is sponsored by Kudos. As always, all opinions expressed here are entirely our own.

Kudos disposable diapers have been getting a lot of buzz for being greener and more effective than other safer disposable diapers. After doing our research on the material and processes employed by Kudos, we determined that yes, they are toxin-free and better for the Earth! The only thing left to do was to take Kudos diapers for a test drive to see if they live up to the hype. Spoiler alert: they’re great. Read on for our full Kudos diaper review.

Kudos Diaper Review: What Makes Them Unique?

Kudos diapers have significantly more plant-based materials than other diapers, and the company is working toward a 100% plant-based diaper. The best part is that cotton (not plastic) is the only material that touches baby’s skin. This is good for all babies, and especially those with sensitive, rash-prone skin.

Not all cotton is created equal. Kudos uses TruCotton, which is grown on US farms and processed without water or chemicals. This makes Kudos cotton much safer and greener than standard cotton. I really like that both TruCotton and Kudos diapers are certified OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, which means that they’re free of many concerning substances.

But aren’t bamboo diapers better?

You’ll find bamboo fibers, rather than cotton, in some alternative diapers, including some of our our top diaper picks. Bamboo fiber is favorable to plastic when we talk about what touches baby’s skin. Unfortunately, the process of turning bamboo into fabric can be environmentally unfriendly because it requires a lot of energy and releases carbon disulfide and hydrogen sulfide as byproducts.

Responsibly grown and processed cotton is an all around cleaner alternative. I’m glad that Kudos came along and upped the ante by using more cotton where it matters in their diapers. Hopefully some other responsible brands will follow suit!

Kudos Diaper Review on Performance: Do They Work?

Kudos diapers feel luxuriously soft. But my kids are long out of diapers, so I was in no position to render judgement on their performance. I asked Colleen, one of our researchers, to give them a try on her youngest, who is two years old. Colleen has used a bunch of different alternative/green/natural/nontoxic diapers over the past eight years and four kids. She’s gone through hundreds of disposable diapers and dabbled in cloth diapers, so she considers herself to be a bit of a diaper connoisseur.

What follows are Colleen’s own notes on her trial with Kudos…

• Kudos diapers pass the “feel test”—the materials are soft and flexible. 
• I also like that they are neutral smelling. I can also see little flecks of unbleached cotton on the inner layer. 
• I was able to get a nice, snug fit on my toddler without any fuss. Unlike I’ve had to do with some other diapers that I’ve tried, I didn’t have to pull out the pleated parts around the leg openings to prevent leaks. The Kudos diaper just naturally fell the right way.
• As for performance, I found these diapers to be very absorbent. When the diaper is saturated, it expands quite a bit, but the absorbent materials hold the moisture well. It kept my kid’s skin drier than with other more natural brands I’ve tried. 
• Bottom line: I’m a big fan of the Kudos diapers I tried. These diapers seem to have zero compromise/trade-off—you get the convenience of a disposable with a lower environmental impact and fewer concerning materials compared to the alternatives. Where were these diapers when I had my first baby almost nine years ago? My toddler is almost potty trained, but I’m going to switch to Kudos for the home stretch. 

I was so glad to hear Colleen’s candid thoughts for this Kudos diaper review. We natural-product devotees are so used to sacrificing performance for safety, and here is an example where we don’t have to, it seems.

Have you tried Kudos or other natural disposables? If you’d like to try Kudos, you can take 15% off with code GIMME15. I’d love to hear what you think!

Stay sane,

Maia, Founder & CEO