Eco-friendly Diaper Roundup

When deciding which diaper is best for your newborn baby, it can be a little overwhelming with so many brands out there! When I was deciding what I wanted to use for our first baby, my main concern was honestly landfills. I thought about cloth diapering for a moment, but was deterred from it because of the laundry. My mission became to find eco-friendly and more biodegradable alternatives to the traditional big name diaper brands out there that honestly are loaded with plastics and chemicals and also lotions and fragrance! Did you know it can take some diapers up to 500 years to decompose? YIKES! So let’s dive into some of the more eco-friendly and natural plant based diapers on the market and what I have tried, and what I would try with our second baby coming this summer!

Dyper

We used Dyper brand for nearly 2 years once we landed on them! We have never had a diaper rash, never had major blowouts, never really had overnight leaks. We even used these as pullups for potty training with Dempsey and honestly just love them. I love that they don’t have any dyes or crazy patterns. Dyper customer service and subscription is excellent. I’ll spend more time on this brand since this is primarily what I have used, and then touch briefly on some other brands with great reviews and eco-friendly/non-toxic traits I love. 

What are Dypers made of?

• Primarily bamboo viscose, a highly renewable plant resource. 
• What touches baby’s skin? Only bamboo viscose touches your baby’s skin
• The rest of the ingredients are here:
  • Textile Content: Outside Cover, Inside Cover: 100% Viscose from Bamboo Fibers, Legcuffs: 100% PP, Inner Film: 100% Bioplastic, Elastics: 100% Elastane, Others.
  • Components: 22% Sodium Polyacrylate, 35% Elemental Chlorine-Free Wood Pulp, 4% Paper, 9% Polypropylene, 18% Viscose, 6% Bioplastic, 2.3% Adhesive, 3.7% Elastane

• Free of: Chlorine, latex, alcohol, lotions, fragrances, phthalates, or TBT
• Note on elemental chlorine-free (ECF) versus totally chlorine free (TCF):
  • Totally chlorine-free whitening is done using ozone and hydrogen peroxide. 
  • Elemental chlorine-free whitening is done using chlorine dioxide instead of elemental chlorine, which is deemed to be a less toxic and less harsh on the environment for a whitening process. This is also used by some eco-friendly bamboo toilet paper companies I also use. I am okay with this processing, especially because the final diaper product is OEKO-TEX standard 100 certified chemical free, meaning there is no residual chemicals that are harmful to my baby or me. If you want to go for totally chlorine free, there are other companies out there that are TCF. 

Dyper Brand Certifications:

• They are Certified B corporation meaning their environmental and social impact are great
• OEKO-TEXs standard 100 certified to be chemical free. This is something some are concerned about with bamboo products as the processing involved in turning bamboo pants into fabrics is chemical process intensive, but with certifications such as OEKO-TEX you know your textiles/diapers are chemical free. 
• The bamboo supply is also STeP by OEKO-TEX meaning the production is taken into consideration. 
• USDA certified 55% biobased 

Are they Biodegradable or Compostable?

So no diaper is completely biodegradable – they all typically have plastic or elastic or some adhesives for the attachments. However, some are more compostable where they can be broken down mostly. Dyper has a REDYPER program in some areas where they will pick up the diapers and bring them back to compost them in San Francisco. It is an additional cost, and haven’t used this part of their service, but I love that they are truly trying to reduce the burden that disposable diapers have on the landfills and world in general. You can see what they do with the diapers here, where they talk about composting and BIOCHAR pilot program! 

Honest

We actually really loved Honest diapers in the beginning newborn stages, we had a couple packages of them and they do a great job. I don’t like that the part that touches baby is Polyethelyne and Polypropylene, these just aren’t natural fibers. And I also didn’t love all the dyes they use in the crazy patterns which you can see through a lot of light clothing too. They also don’t have many certifications for chemical free etc – but they are totally chlorine-free in their pulp processing and more of an eco-friendly diaper than some other mainstream brands. 

What are Honest diapers made of?

• What touches a baby’s skin? Polyethylene and Polypropylene – these are petroleum based products versus plant based and although considered lower risk they are still in the plastic family. Many diapers have Polypropylene including Dyper brand, but if I can use one that has a natural plant based version or biobased plastic or natural fiber touching baby’s skin, that’s better for me. 
• Full ingredients: Absorbent Bio-Core [Totally Chlorine-Free (TCF) Wood Pulp From Sustainably Managed Forests, Sodium Polyacrylate Containing Renewable Materials & Odor Inhibitors Including Citrus Extract & Liquid Chlorophyll], Outer Layer(Plant-Based PLA), Inner Layer (Polyethylene & Polypropylene), Leg/Waist System (Polymer Spandex & Polypropylene), Polyolefin Adhesives in the Seams & Joints, Super-Cute Design on Backsheet (Inks)
• Free of: latex, fragrances, parabens
• Pulp is sourced from sustainably managed pine + spruce trees in Scandinavia

Honest certifications:

They have standards as a company to eliminate a lot of ingredients and be sustainable where they can but I don’t see any specific certifications that Dyper brand has regarding chemical free or bio-based. 

Coterie

So we tried Coterie when we were transitioning Dempsey to pull-ups since they have a training pant with tabs. At first I loved them, they were easy to use, they seemed to work well, and are deemed to be eco-friendly and non-toxic. One night she peed so much the front of the diaper disconnected from the elastic! It was a one time thing but made me question the durability overall – and when you look at the ingredients they just aren’t really as plant based as others out there, and although touted as an eco-friendly diaper, to me aren’t as eco-friendly as other diapers. 

What are the Coterie diaper ingredients:

• What touches baby’s skin? Polypropylene, similar to Honest
• Full ingredients: Core made of sodium polyacrylate (SAP) and Totally Chlorine Free (TCF) wood pulp from sustainably managed forests. Nonwoven backsheet made of polypropylene and polyester, and topsheet made of polypropylene. High loft nonwoven acquisition layer made of polyester. Hook tab fastening system made of polypropylene / polyethylene, film, adhesive. Wetness indicator.
• Free of: fragrance, lotion, latex, rubber, dyes, alcohol, heavy metals, parabens, phthalates, chlorine bleaching, VOCs, and optical brighteners. They’re third-party tested (never on animals) by independent labs, and they publish the results for transparency

What we did love: their WIPES are incredible however, they have definitely changed the wipe recently and the ingredients look different to me. So I’ll have to do more digging on this for a wipes post later. 

Other eco-friendly diaper brands we tried and did not continue due to materials or not working well:

Seventh Generation

These didn’t work well for us – felt they got full really quick and didn’t last long – also their ingredients just didn’t cut it for me as far as eco-friendliness , heavy on the dyes, and what touches baby’s skin.

Happy little camper diapers

I wanted to love these. Hilary Duff loves these and I also love Hilary Duff. I love that they use non-GMO cotton and no chlorine whitening and are free of a lot of chemicals etc – however these just didn’t perform well! I felt they got super heavy and leaked more often or maybe didn’t have the best fit. I honestly would consider giving them another try but I’ve had success with others and don’t want to risk it!

Pampers Pure

I hated these to be honest. They felt damp after every pee and bloated out so much.  When looking up the ingredients, they still contain FRAGRANCE in the core!!! Why?!? Traditional Pampers also have fragrance and petrolatum in the top layer which I just don’t think are necessary, especially fragrance. The Pampers Pure are made of elemental chlorine-free pulp which I am okay with and the rest is really polyethylene and polypropylene and polyester similar to some of the other brands I am mentioning – not much else is natural or plant based about them and I didn’t think they worked great. 

Eco-friendly diaper brands that I WANT to try with baby number 2:

What I love about the following brands is that they are also OEKO-TEX standard 100 certified, made with way more plant based materials, and are really transparent in their information they share. Both of these would definitely check my boxes for eco-friendly diapers for sure!

Kudos  – 100% cotton touches baby’s skin, mostly plant derived ingredients and also OEKO-TEX certified chemical free. This is my number one choice to try for baby boy when he arrives to compare to Dyper as they have a lot of amazing qualities I am looking for as well. 

Kudos Update 2024:

We have been using Kudos diapers for our second baby since he was a newborn and have LOVED THEM. I was going back and forth with our previous fav brand Dyper, but we ended up sticking with only Kudos for a few reasons! Their natural cotton interior, zero diaper rashes, very little plastic used, great customer service, and excellent wipes, AND less expensive! So many wins. You can see more in my comparison review here. You can also use code SARAHFAMA for 10% off your first order!

• What touches a baby’s skin? Unbleached cotton – the only one that I know of that is truly cotton!
• Full ingredients: I love how transparent and detailed they are in their ingredient list!
  • Top sheet: Unbleached cotton
  • Acquisition distribution layer: Plant-based polyethylene (from sugarcane) and plant-based polylactic acid (from starch derived from corn)
  • Core wrap: polypropylene (this is a plastic component found in many diaper brands) 
  • Absorbent core: Sodium polyacrylate and cellulose pulp (sustainably harvested and totally chlorine free)
  • Back sheet/barrier film: Polyethylene/polypropylene blend, calcium carbonate, and printed ink for the print options (CI 21108, CI 15850, CI 74160, CI 77266)
  • Cover: Plant-based polyethylene (from sugar cane)
  • Leg cuff: Polypropylene and polyurethane elastic
  • Closing system:
    • Back and Front Ears: Polypropylene, polyester, styrenic hot melt adhesive, elastomeric film.
    • Closure Tape: Polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene, hot melt adhesives (synthetic rubbers, resins + antioxidant), silicone release agent
    • Landing Zone: Polypropylene
  • Adhesives: Synthetic rubber based hot melt
  • Wetness indicator: Block co-polymer / polycyclopentadiene
• Free of: Totally Chlorine Free, as well as free of parabens, latex, lotions, fragrances, phthalates 
• All of their cotton is sourced from the US. Diapers are assembled in Germany and Mexico. 

Eco by Naty – This company has an amazing plant-based ingredient line up for nearly every layer of the diaper which is incredible, and are also OEKO-TEX certified chemical free as well. They also have a line of certified compostable materials for mom and baby as well which I LOVE! Definitely will be testing this brand out! Their wipes also compost in 12 weeks! 

Final thoughts on eco-friendly diapers:

When choosing a diaper for your little one, do what works best for you! I hope you find this helpful, and know that you are making the best choice for your baby no matter which you choose. I am okay with bamboo, you may want cotton. That’s okay! I will definitely update this review once I try out the other couple brands on my list this year with baby boy when he finally arrives. Until then, I hope this sheds a little light on the different materials used in diaper and how you can make an informed decision on what would be best for your little one!

Update 2024: We have truly loved DYPER for our first baby and for a few months we did use them with baby 2, but ultimately have been sticking with KUDOS and loving them going on 11 months now! So much so that I haven’t even tried any others!

Make sure you also check out my Ultimate non-toxic baby registry guide for more non-toxic baby essentials too!

What brands have you tried and loved? Hated? Any other eco-friendly brands I heaven’t mentioned? Let me know!

Xo – Sarah