In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician

Honest Company Diapers Review

An eco-friendlier option that didn't perform as well as expected for absorbency
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honest company diapers disposable diaper review
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Price:  $0 List
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Manufacturer:   The Honest Company
By Juliet Spurrier, MD & Wendy Schmitz  ⋅  Jun 2, 2023
49
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#15 of 19
  • Absorption - 45% 3.7
  • Leakage - 25% 6.6
  • Comfort - 20% 5.5
  • Durability - 10% 5.0

The Skinny

The Honest Company diaper is a higher-priced diaper offered in various patterns. This product prides itself on being eco-friendly and good for your baby, with a lot of marketing geared toward health and eco-conscious parents. Compared to the best disposable diaper competition, it is marginally better at both than some of the diapers we tested. Still, it struggled to keep up with the higher-scoring green option in this review. Unfortunately, it also didn't perform well in our tests for absorption, one of the main requirements of a diaper. So despite its better-than-average leak protection, eco-health considerations, and improved durability, it still can't match the performance of other green options that cost less and are better for babies and the environment.
REASONS TO BUY
Eco-friendly
Better leak protection
Fun patterns
REASONS TO AVOID
Disappointing absorption results
Not as durable
Editor's Note: This Honest diaper review received an update on May 30, 2023, with new sections about our award-winners and recommendations based on testing of 13 new competitors.

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards  Editors' Choice Award Editors' Choice Award Top Pick Award Best Value Award 
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Bottom Line With poor absorption test results, this more expensive option isn't the bestImpressive absorption and leak protection make this high-end diaper a real contender if you can afford the price of admissionImpressive performance and better health nods than you'd expect make this a budget-friendly diaper parents will loveWith great absorption and leak protection, this durable and comfy diaper is a reasonably priced option for most familiesGood absorption and few leaks with a budget price that are easy to find, but no nods for eco-health
Rating Categories Honest Company Diapers Parasol Clear and Dry Kirkland Signature Hello Bello Premium Huggies Snug & Dry
Absorption (45%)
3.7
10.0
10.0
8.7
8.0
Leakage (25%)
6.6
9.4
9.0
8.4
7.8
Comfort (20%)
5.5
8.0
8.6
7.4
7.5
Durability (10%)
5.0
10.0
8.0
9.0
7.0
Specs Honest Company Diapers Parasol Clear and Dry Kirkland Signature Hello Bello Premium Huggies Snug & Dry
Type of Diaper Green/Traditional Green Green Traditional Green Traditional
Chlorine-Free ECF/TCF TCF TCF ECF TFC Not Listed
Fragrance-Free Yes Yes Yes Yes No - Strong baby powder scent
Biodegradable Not listed Not listed Not listed No Not listed
Contains SAP Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Miscellaneous Materials Details Bio-based wheat / corn blend in super-absorbent core, with less sodium polyacrylate Made with "Drylock" technology, which means less wood pulp is used for core of diaper Made with Plant Based Materials (At least 23%+ by weight) TCF fluff pulp from sustainably managed forests, a high-performance Super Absorbent Polymer, polypropylene/polyethylene/polyester nonwoven fibers, plant-derived PLA nonwoven fiber, spandex strands, and an elastomeric fill Wood Pulp
Sodium Polyacrylate
Polypropylene
Polyethylene
Adhesives
Polyester
Polyrurethane elastics
Wetness Indicator No No Yes Yes Yes
Stretchable side wings Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Stretchable Back of Diaper Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Eco-Awards & Certifications PETA Cruelty-Free and Vegan
Certified "B" Corporation
Gold Level Green America Certified Business
Nordic Swan Eco Label, PEFC Forest Sustainability, PETA Cruelty-Free and Vegan, Original Excellent Dermatest , FSC, ROHS compliant Good Housekeeping ~ "2022 Parenting Awards"
New York Magazine ~ "Best Diaper Subscription"
ptpa.com ~ "winner"
Dye-Free Not listed, does have a print Uses water-based inks Not listed, does have a print No "Printing inks are used to provide a decorative design. The colorants and pigments we use are evaluated to ensure they are safe and non-sensitizing."
Lotion-Free No Yes Yes Yes Not Listed
Latex-Free Yes Yes Not listed Yes Not listed

Our Analysis and Test Results

Actress Jessica Alba and Christopher Gavigan, former CEO of Health Child Health World, co-founded The Honest Company. Jessica says she started the Honest Company "…to help moms and give all children a better, safer start." The company makes a variety of home products, from soaps and cleaners to multivitamins and diapers. Both Christopher and Jessica were frustrated, trying to find the best products for their little ones, so they created these products themselves. Honest strives to develop effective, safe, eco-friendly, convenient, and affordable products for families.

Performance Comparison


honest company diapers disposable diaper review - honest tested above average for eco-friendliness and baby's health...
Honest tested above average for eco-friendliness and baby's health, but it wasn't at the top of the green pack.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Likes


It is hard to say what we liked about this diaper compared to the top-ranked disposable diaper competition. While it has some fun designs, and we like that you get to choose what pattern you order, it didn't score that well in most of our tests, leaving a general feeling of blah about it. However, it managed above-average scores for our ecological and health metrics, which is something we can truly get behind.

honest company diapers disposable diaper review - the honest diapers come in a variety of patterns you can choose from...
The Honest diapers come in a variety of patterns you can choose from for a more custom look.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

It is totally chlorine-free (TCF) and uses plant-based plastics and pulp from sustainably managed forests. It also has a plant-based inner and outer layer, but Honest doesn't mention its biodegradability. Honest offers a partial disclosure list for their diapers, and we wish it were a complete disclosure because we've caught them in "greenwashing" fibs before, which now makes most of their claims a little suspect, in our opinion.

honest company diapers disposable diaper review - the honest diapers are super cute with lots of available patterns to...
The Honest diapers are super cute with lots of available patterns to choose from and they fit our little testers well.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

The Honest diaper is perfume and latex-free, but it has a print and added lotion, so it isn't lotion or dye-free. Our new testing and research for Honest diapers show an uptick in its ability to control leaks, which is a big deal given their previous disappointing results in this metric. With an above-average score for leaks this go, we think there is finally a key diaper aspect to love about the honest diaper.

honest company diapers disposable diaper review - honest earned below average scores for leakage and absorption making...
Honest earned below average scores for leakage and absorption making it a poor performing diaper where it counts.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Dislikes


The Honest diaper didn't perform that well in our absorption tests, making it a tough diaper to love overall, as this is one of the two main objectives of a diaper.

honest company diapers disposable diaper review - honest diapers didn't perform well in our tests for absorption with...
Honest diapers didn't perform well in our tests for absorption with more moisture on the test paper than competing diapers.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

If a diaper can't lock moisture away in the core, there is a high probability that the baby's skin is in direct contact with wetness. This moisture can lead to discomfort, skin irritation, and diaper rash over time. It can also lead to wet clothing or leakage because it doesn't absorb fast enough and could run off the surface and past the leg cuff or up the back. While our new testing and research indicate less leakage than our previous review, we still think poor absorption creates a situation conducive to potential leaks.

honest company diapers disposable diaper review - sensitive skin can react to chemicals used in the production of the...
Sensitive skin can react to chemicals used in the production of the diaper or from dyes, fragrances, lotions, or the leg cuff design of disposable diapers. The Honest diaper caused a repeated rash on one of our testers.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

One of our testers developed a rash when using Honest. After a three-day break, the irritation went away, but it came back as soon as they tried Honest diapers again.

honest company diapers disposable diaper review - honest diapers earned a below average score for durability with many...
Honest diapers earned a below average score for durability with many online reviewers remarking on faulty tabs and falling apart.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

We also don't like that this diaper isn't very durable. While it isn't as poorly constructed as we've seen in the past from Honest, it still didn't hit the average score for the group compared side-by-side. After much use and online research, this diaper seemed to have some issues with faulty tabs and occasionally falling apart compared to other diapers we tested. With a higher price, you expect that diaper to stay in one piece, and you don't want to have to throw away an unused diaper because the tabs don't work.

honest company diapers disposable diaper review - the honest diaper disappointed in its performance in our tests...
The Honest diaper disappointed in its performance in our tests compared to the competition.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Should You Buy the Honest Diaper?


The Honest diaper has some nice features and materials that make it eco-friendly and healthier for babies with TCF production and no perfumes or latex. However, it isn't the best at locking away liquids, a critical component of diaper functionality, in our opinion. Because it has difficulty doing the main job of a diaper, it is not a diaper we recommend. Also, we noticed that since Honest went mainstream with increased distribution, its performance decreased in our tests (comparing this year to our 2014 tests). It also performed poorly compared to similar green diapers in our tests, which makes us wonder if the mass distribution has impacted the quality of the materials used to produce this diaper. While this diaper has always had a relatively average score in our tests, it has now dipped below the average, which indicates (to us) that it is either losing performance abilities or other diapers are improving at a more rapid pace.

What Other Disposable Diaper Should You Consider?


If you want a great eco-friendly diaper, Eco by Naty is our Top Pick, with impressive manufacturing and materials all listed plainly on their website. If your goal is the best absorbency and consideration for health and the environment, then Parasol Clear and Dry is our top performer. However, this is an expensive diaper that might be out of range for many families. This is where Hello Bello Premium comes in with good absorption and leak protection but several considerations for babies and the environment with almost equal scores in these metrics to the Parasol.

Manufacturer Video



Juliet Spurrier, MD & Wendy Schmitz