The Best Eco-Friendly Diapers

One of the hardest parts of finding an eco-friendlier diaper is sorting through brands’ claims around sustainability, ingredients and manufacturing process to try to discern truth versus marketing lingo. Kudos is one of the most transparent diaper brands on the market; they’re straightforward about what’s inside their diaper, why it’s there and how they’re working toward moving away from petroleum-based plastics in diapers to make the most sustainable product possible.

Unlike many eco-friendly disposable diapers that use various plastics or bamboo viscose, Kudos topsheet—the lining of the diaper that’s the closest to baby’s skin—is the only one on the market that’s made from 100% cotton. The cotton is sourced in the US and dry processed without water, chemicals or process heat, making it less harmful for the planet. And they use total chlorine-free fluff pulp in the diaper’s core that’s made from sustainably harvested wood pulp. (This means it’s not bleached or processed with chlorine, but instead uses hydrogen peroxide.)

Kudos also uses a material called polylactic acid for their backsheet. Recognizing why this is a big deal requires a quick chemistry lesson 🧪 :

• Many mainstream diaper brands contain plastics like polypropylene or polyethylene. These materials are petroleum-dependent to produce, sit in landfills and release microplastics.  

• Some more sustainable diaper brands have turned to bio-derived plastics: materials like plant-based polyethylene that use plant-based materials (often sugar cane) in lieu of petroleum. Because no petroleum is needed, this is a step in the right direction and a huge reduction in the carbon footprint; however, polyethylene does not biodegrade and still forms microplastics.

Polylactic acid, the material in Kudos’ backsheet, is a plant-based material that does biodegrade—so you get the plant-based benefits on the carbon footprint and a material that decomposes.

Performance-wise, Kudos also shines. I used them on and off with my younger son throughout his first year and was really happy with them. They also nabbed a top spot in our best disposable diaper face-off for overall performance, including absorbency and softness. The only area they fell (slightly) flat was in dryness; the topsheet was a bit wetter than many other brands after a few minutes. (This is because the diaper’s topsheet material, cotton, can retain some fluid.)

Like many eco-friendly diapers, the other downside of Kudos is cost. To get the best price, you’ll want to sign up for the monthly subscription box—but you’ll still be paying more than you would for most mainstream diaper brands.

Dyper is one of only two truly compostable disposable diaper brands on the market. (Nest is the other; more on them below.) Only portions of the diaper are compostable and you’ll need to pay extra for the service—composting human waste requires specialized conditions and safe handling procedures, so it’s not possible to do at home—but it’s an impressive undertaking and a big step forward in the ultimate goal of keeping diapers out of landfills.

Called ReDYPER, Dyper’s composting program provides families with special compostable bags and an every-other-week doorstep pickup service for soiled diapers. (The service costs $20/week plus the cost of the compostable bags.) After they leave your home, it takes Dyper about 14 weeks to turn the compostable portions of the diaper into commercial topsoil that’s used for landscaping, sod growing and roadside plantation projects.

“We love having the convenience of disposable diapers and the satisfaction of knowing they are being composted instead of incinerated or buried in a landfill,” one Babylist parent commented in our annual favorite products survey.

Dyper’s disposables are unprinted, unscented, soft and absorbent. The company is transparent about its processes and the diapers’ materials, a definite plus, and the diapers contain several different plant-based materials. 

I used Dyper diapers for several months with my second son and found they fit well and did a solid job of containing messes, although we did experience some leaking after a few big blowouts. (Other parents mention the same.) They’re also much more expensive than conventional disposables, with a unit cost about double that of more mainstream brands like Pampers or Huggies.

The other sustainability downside of Dyper is one of the diaper’s components. Both the diaper’s topsheet (the part of the diaper that’s closest to baby’s skin) and the backsheet (the diaper’s exterior) are made from bamboo viscose. While bamboo is a natural fiber and its usage reduces the carbon footprint, bamboo viscose is not; it’s made by taking the natural bamboo fiber and chemically modifying it to make it into a commercial fiber by undergoing a harsh chemical process during extraction. This process can be harmful to both the environment and to local communities.

*Editor’s note: At the time of this writing, Nest diapers are currently facing stocking issues (available on their website but limited elsewhere, and no availability on Amazon) and increased customer service complaints about the brand’s response time. Their composting service is now only available in San Francisco, not Minneapolis. Despite these challenges, we've included Nest on our list due to their eco-friendly innovations. We'll monitor the situation and update accordingly.

Similar to Dyper, Nest’s disposable diapers are partially compostable and a good option to consider if you’re looking for a more eco-friendly diapering option and want to support a sustainable brand that’s working toward getting plastics out of diapers. 

Nest’s composting service is quite limited; they’re currently only partnered with one diaper compost provider in the San Francisco area. Some components of their diapers are biodegradable and, per the brand’s third-party testing, have been shown to biodegrade at a faster rate than conventional diaper materials. And like Kudos, they use total chlorine-free wood pulp.

The brand is also very transparent about its diapers’ materials and their impact on the environment. Every diaper material and ingredient is listed on the Nest website, along with its function and environmental impact—including the materials that don’t biodegrade and aren’t as sustainable.

Most parents report that Nest diapers are very absorbent, but some families do experience some leaking. (Most parents agree they run small, which may factor in.) They’re also expensive, with one of the highest unit costs on our list at just over 60 cents a diaper. And they’re not widely available at this time.

Naty, a Swedish brand founded by a mom, has been working toward developing a more eco-friendly diaper for almost four decades, and their Eco diapers have a lot going for them.

Like Kudos, Eco diapers don’t have any oil-based plastic touching baby’s skin. Unlike Kudos, though, they don’t use cotton—they use plant-based polyethylene. (Reminder from our chemistry lesson above: this material is derived from plants, not petroleum, so it greatly helps the carbon footprint but doesn’t biodegrade.) Several other components of the diaper are made from plant-based PE as well, including part of the elastic cuffs and the backsheet. They’re also fragrance-free. 

The brand is very transparent about its process, mission and ingredients. The diapers are available in single packages or via a subscription service, and their packaging is recyclable. Sizes zero to two are extra soft for delicate newborn skin.

Some parents report leakage issues when using these diapers, but it seems dependent on how the diaper fits your particular baby. (This is often the case with many diaper brands—fit determines how prone they are to leaking, and each brand fits each baby differently. The consensus from parents is that Eco by Naty runs on the smaller side.) They’re not as soft as the other diapers on our list, and some parents say the tabs are flimsier than more mainstream brands. And they’re also more expensive than many non-sustainable options, but in line with other eco-friendly picks.