Honest Co. diapers are super popular, and their quality mostly lives up to the hype. Their diapers come in adorable patterns that are constantly being updated and they are free from nasty chemicals.
Honest Co.(@kaateandcarson)
Things We Love
- Chemical and Fragrance-Free: Chlorine-free. Fragrance-free. Latex-free. Hypoallergenic. The only “unnatural” thing in this diaper is the sodium polyacrylate fill*, which is the same moisture-absorbent gel fill used in all effective disposable diapers on the market. These diapers do tend to have a bit of a chemical smell straight out of the plastic packaging, and while this may bother some, it is not technically a “fragrance.”
- Environmentally Considerate: Honest Co. diaper cores are made with wood pulp from sustainably managed forests, and both their inner and outer layers are plant-based. However, know that even despite Honest Company's green intentions, these diapers are not commercially compostable and must be sent to landfill like any other diaper out there.
- Great Prints: Their prints are everything. They are always coming up with new ones, and the classics are, well, classic.
Things We Don’t Love As Much
- Moderate Greenwashing: Honest Co. isn’t particularly transparent about their actual eco-friendliness, and they aren’t as green and natural as they market themselves to be. (Their diapers still end up in landfill and nothing about them is “organic.”)
- Factory “New Diaper” Smell: These diapers have a bit of a factory “new diaper” smell coming straight out of the packaging, which for a fragrance-free diaper seems a little off.
- Stiff and Crunchy: Compared to some diaper brands, Honest Co. diapers are considerably less soft.
Compare Them To Other Disposable Diapers
Honest Co. Diaper Alternatives
- If You Want Eco-Friendlier Options… Bambo Nature diapers are softer and commercially compostable at the same price point when purchased via Amazon Prime subscription, though not available in nice prints. Naty by Nature Babycare diapers are about equally soft, less expensive, commercially compostable, and available in a nice neutral print.
- If You Love Great Prints but Want Softer Diapers… Aden + Anais, Parasol and Pampers Pure also have great, fun prints. and are all softer than Honest Co. diapers.
- If Cost is a Concern… If money is tight, less expensive alternatives include Earth's Best, 7th Generation, Target Up & Up, or even cloth.
Total Cost of Ownership**
- $2300 – $3600/child (list)
- $1800 – $2800/child (subscription with honest.com)
Gallery
*Sodium polyacrylate fill is considered safe in diapers by all current measures and standards, but has been linked to toxic shock syndrome when used in tampons and feminine hygiene products. If its use concerns you, cloth diapers may be a better option for your baby.
**Total cost of ownership was calculated using a few arbitrary averages, knowing full well that no baby is average. We used approximate weights from height/weight charts to determine how many days the average baby would be in each diaper size. These are the numbers we used:
- 30ish months as the arbitrary average potty training date, though this is “early” for some and “late” for others
- Five Newborn diapers/day on the low end and fourteen Newborn diapers/day on the high end, for 40 days
- Seven Size 1 diapers/day on the low end and ten Size 1 diapers/day on the high end, for 60 days
- Seven Size 2 diapers/day on the low end and ten Size 2 diapers on the high end, for 110 days
- Five Size 3 diapers/day on the low end and eight Size 3 diapers/day on the high end, for 160 days
- Five Size 4 diapers/day on the low end and eight Size 4 diapers/day on the high end, for 180 days
- Five Size 5 diapers/day on the low end and eight Size 5 diapers/day on the high end, for 365 days.