Looking to get the best diaper for your baby while supporting a greener, better Earth? You’ve come to the right place.
We recognize that parents want the best for their children. And we believe that just about every parent has loaded up on several boxes of super-soft, plush Pampers. Can never have too many of those, right?
But regular ol’ diapers can be a seriously detriment to the Earth. Diapers are, by design, supposed to be highly absorbent and hold together despite a child’s uncoordinated movement.
They are tough and don’t break down easily, which is great for the baby. But these same attributes mean that diapers take hundreds of years to even begin breaking down.
And that’s in ideal conditions. In a landfill where air doesn’t have a chance to help break down stuff, diapers will continue to fill those landfills for decades to come.
Eventually, the pollution will overwhelm the Earth and cause some pretty disastrous events to occur, which will probably be just in time for your children to experience it.
We want to avoid that. How can we do that without sacrificing the convenience of a disposable diaper? Well, consider using eco-friendly disposable diapers instead.
These diapers are good for the environment in two distinct ways:
- They aren’t made with wood, which obviously saves the trees. And if they are, they are responsibly sourced in accordance to environmental conservationist guidelines.
- They can degrade into the environment, reducing the impact on landfills and other waste areas.
Since these diapers are more natural and less exposed to chemicals, they are also better for your baby’s health. Eco-friendly materials are very similar to organic materials, both of which promote good baby health and help reduce diaper rashes.
But be warned. Some companies slap a “green” label on their diapers and claim that they are eco-friendly despite doing nothing to meet that claim. It’s important to do diligent research to ensure the validity of diaper companies’ claims.
That’s where we come in!
To make it easy for you and save you time, we scoured the internet to research, review, and compile our list of the top 10 best eco-friendly disposable diapers.
You can choose any of these brands with the satisfaction that you are taking a step towards a greener Earth while supporting a healthier future for your child.
Let’s jump right in!
Note: We are committed to extensively researching and recommending the best products on the market. We are partnered with Amazon’s affiliate program and may receive commissions from affiliate links within our content, which comes at no extra cost to you.
Top 5+ Best Biodegradable Baby Diapers of 2022:
1. Nest Baby Diapers
Key Features:
- Made from bamboo and other organic plant-based materials
- Cotton-Like softness
- No harmful chemicals including phthalates and dioxins
- Degrades in dedicated composting facilities
Our #1 pick for this list are Nest Baby Diapers.
They are one of the best eco-friendly/compostable brands out there. And when it comes to your baby’s health, you can rest easy knowing that Nest Baby Diapers are as good for your child as they are for the environment.
These diapers are made for an eco-minded generation. The diapers are made from bamboo and other organic, plant-based materials. These sustainable materials are compostable and will break down in dedicated composting facilities.
Bamboo is easy to grow and grows very quickly, making it perfect as both a sustainable resource and a replacement for trees.
The diapers are free from harmful chemicals like phthalates and dioxins. They also don’t use any lotions, fragrances, or known allergens.
These hypoallergenic diapers are made with the baby’s health in mind, so you can use them without worrying about potential issues down the road. Plant-based diapers are the brand of choice for babies with sensitive skin since they are so chemical-free.
You won’t have to be concerned about unnecessary chafing from the diaper to the baby’s skin. Nest Baby Diapers are made with cotton-like softness and outfitted with fully breathable materials, which reduces the likelihood of a diaper rash sneaking up on you.
The core is ultra-absorbent and also made of plant-based materials. As the name suggests, this core is beloved for its ability to hold a lot of moisture without compromising the diaper’s integrity.
Whether your little one is sitting still or moving about, this diaper is sure to stay snugly attached.
On the environmental front, Nest is continuing to refine its diaper’s biodegradability and (hopefully) create a diaper that is 100% biodegradable. They are always looking to do more for the environment and are receptive to the public, which is a lot more than what big corporate brands are willing to do.
Nest Baby Diapers only have 1 review (which is a well-spoken 5-star review) on Amazon at the time of writing this, but don’t let that fool. Families across the internet have tried and loved Nest Baby Diapers.
The biggest praises are the diaper’s great leak protection, sturdy closures, simple and easy-to-use design, and eco-friendly composition.
The most common complaint is that the price for these diapers is a bit on the pricier side, but the quality speaks for itself. Those who decided to bite the bullet loved them so much that they never looked back.
So if you are looking for a premium, eco-friendly diaper that goes above and beyond for both the environment and your child’s health, we wholeheartedly recommend checking out Nest Baby Diapers.
2. Andy Pandy Biodegradable Bamboo Disposable Diapers
Key Features:
- Made from bamboo and other eco-friendly materials
- Very soft and TCF (Total Chlorine Free)
- Mostly (86.5% according to the manufacturer) Biodegradable
Andy Pandy Biodegradable Bamboo Disposable Diapers are the solid choice for eco-friendly diapers. But let’s first address that, despite the name, these diapers are not 100% biodegradable.
According to the company’s FAQ section, they are 86.5% biodegradable, meaning that while most of the diaper should degrade without lasting negative impacts, some will not.
These diapers are still relatively eco-friendly (as some degradation is better than none), but it’s something to keep in mind all the same.
The diaper is primarily made from bamboo and other eco-friendly materials. This helps keeps our trees standing tall and working to support a healthier Earth.
They are also free from perfumes, alcohol and preservatives, latex, PVC, TBT, phthalates, and chlorine.Yep, you read that right! Andy Pandy’s diapers don’t use any chlorine in processing their diapers; it’s TCF (Total Chlorine Free), meaning no nasty chemicals are lurking in the lining of these diapers.
You can count on good absorbency, proper moisture-wicking, and thermal regulation with these diapers. Combined with the softness provided by the bamboo fiber, your baby is protected from painful irritation and rashes.
No need to be concerned about leaks, either. These diapers are backed by a lifetime “no leak” guarantee. The company behind this product is so confident that their diapers won’t blow-out on you, they’ll give you a full money-back refund if you aren’t in love with their diapers.
Considering that these diapers are made by a mother for four who hated having to deal with her children’s diaper rashes, we’re pretty confident that these diapers will serve your baby’s needs well.
Don’t just take our word for it! Recent user reviews have been highly positive. Many people praise the diaper’s softness and its color-line indicator (this tells you how much moisture is in your baby’s diaper).
The most common complaints are that the diaper size is too big for newborns and that it tends to leak if it’s not snugly fitted. We also aren’t a fan of the fact that they use aloe-liner in their diaper but claim that it’s lotion-free.
So if you are looking for a less expensive, quality eco-friendly diaper that comes with a helpful moisture indicator, we recommend checking out the Andy Pandy Biodegradable Bamboo Disposable Diapers.
3. Mum & You Nappychat Eco-Diapers
Key Features:
- Made from wood sourced from sustainable, certified forestry
- Extremely soft
- Highly absorbent
Mum & You Nappychat Eco-Diapers are one of the few wood-based diapers on our list.
We consider these diapers to be eco-friendly because they are responsibly sourced from certified forestry. The diapers are designed to use less wood pulp when compared to other diapers, leading to fewer trees being cut down.
The diapers are free from harsh chemicals and only made from biodegradable wood pulp from sustainable forestry.
Although the company doesn’t state which chemicals are absent, they do claim that the diapers are dermatologically-tested and considered hypoallergenic. That means no perfumes, dyes, or lotions, at the very least.
The diapers are remarkably soft, partly in thanks to the wood pulp material (which is typically softer than plant-based fibers). And thanks to the highly absorbent biodegradable core, you can expect to enjoy up to 12 hours of dryness after use.
The core locks in moisture and guards against leaks, keeping the acidic waste away from your baby’s sensitive skin. That’s less time having to change soggy clothes/beds and more time available for your needs.User reviews have been overall positive.
Common praises highlight the softness of the diapers (one person described it to be like a cloud) and the powerful absorbency of the core.
Several people wished that the diaper had an indicator line, and some others had issues with leakages during a blowout.
So if you are looking for an eco-friendly diaper that emphasizes softness and absorbency, we recommend checking out Mum & You Nappychat Eco-Diapers.
4. ECO BOOM Baby Bamboo Biodegradable Diapers
Key Features:
- Made from bamboo and other eco-friendly materials
- Very soft and TCF (Total Chlorine Free)
- Absorbency core is ranked top in the world
ECO BOOM Baby Bamboo Biodegradable Diapers is another brand of diaper that is impressively eco-friendly.
These diapers made from bamboo fiber and use TCF (Total Chlorine Free) pulp, which is widely considered to be the most advanced bleaching treatment since it uses no chlorine.
No chlorine = no dioxins or other harmful chemicals hiding in the diaper linings. And since the diapers use bamboo, no trees need to be cut down to make them.
The diaper also has no alcohol or preservatives, no latex, no PVC, no TBT or antioxidants, no perfumes, no lotions, and no phthalates. As a result, the diapers are considered naturally hypoallergenic and suitable for babies with sensitive skin.
It helps that the primary material is biodegradable bamboo, as bamboo requires little processing before becoming diaper-ready.
The diapers are described as “silky to touch” and “extremely soft”. They also have good absorbency and are sturdy; it’s not likely that these diapers will fail in the event of a blowout.
This is one of the very few brands to use SUMITOMO SAP, which is imported from Japan. This SAP (which is the gel-like, absorbent material found in the base of the diaper) ranks in the top one of the entire SAP industry.
That’s how you know that you are getting premium absorbency from these diapers! And remember, the better the absorbency, the less likely you’ll need to deal with diaper rashes and clothing/bed sheet “accidents”.
The big-ear side tape allows you to take advantage of its triple elasticity while providing maximum flexibility. This is to make sure that the tape won’t be too tight on the baby’s waist and prevent the tap from cutting into the tender skin.
Even the packaging is biodegradable. It’s made from materials designed to biodegrade within 18 months.
User reviews have been highly positive. Common praises highlight the great absorbency, soft material, and the eco-friendly nature of the material. Users also enjoyed the wetness indicator line and the lack of blowouts.
One user pointed out that the packaging doesn’t make a claim that the product is 100% biodegradable, which assumedly throws its complete eco-friendliness into question. There was no other evidence to support this, however.
Other users noted the higher price of the diapers but stated that the price was worth the value.
So if you are looking for an eco-friendly diaper that performs well, puts the baby’s health above all else, and is still pretty darn good for the environment, we recommend checking out ECO BOOM Baby Bamboo Biodegradable Diapers.
5. Aleva Naturals Bamboo Baby Diapers
Key Features:
- Made from bamboo and other eco-friendly materials
- 3-line wetness indicator
- Ultra-soft and unbleached (A very rare combination!)
Aleva Naturals Bamboo Baby Diapers is optimized for the baby’s needs while also retaining eco-friendly components.
They are made to be breathable, absorbent, and sensitive to your baby’s skin. Unbleached bamboo fibers make up the primary material for these diapers. While unbleached fibers tend to result in coarser material, these diapers are ultra-soft and gentle on tender skin.
And since the diapers are made from bamboo, you can use them with the satisfaction that no trees were cut down to make them.
These diapers are don’t have any chlorine, latex, or dyes. And while the company doesn’t state whether or not there are no added fragrances, user reviews have confirmed that there were no obvious fragrances in their packages.
This makes the diapers naturally hypoallergenic, perfect for babies with sensitive skin or allergies. It also means that your baby is far less likely to experience diaper rashes, which saves you the mental toll a crying baby can take on you.
During the day, the diapers use a 3-line wetness indicator so that you can easily tell when it’s time to change the diaper out.
And for those evenings where you can’t keep an eye on the diaper, there are deep gusseted pockets with leak guards designed to capture any nighttime leakage. You won’t have to worry about waking up to soiled clothes and ruined sheets with these diapers.
Recent user reviews have been fairly positive. Common praises highlight the high-quality design of the diapers and comment on the premium, useful features that go above and beyond for the baby. Many users reported that their babies did not experience rashes when using these diapers.
Some users noted that the absorbency isn’t the best, especially in the case of a blowout (when the poop and pee overloads the diaper). They also comment on the price, saying that it’s a tad high for the perceived value.
So if you are looking for diapers that make the baby the #1 priority with eco-friendliness being a close #2, we recommend checking out Aleva Naturals Bamboo Baby Diapers.
BONUS: Dewor Baby Premium Bamboo Disposable Diapers
Key Features:
- Made from 100% bamboo and other eco-friendly materials
- Designed to be compostable
- Soft, chemical-free, thin core, and has a wetness indicator
Dewor Baby’s Premium Bamboo Disposable Diaper is one of the better eco-friendly brands in terms of compostability.
The diapers are made with 100% biodegradable bamboo fiber. Both the back and the top sheet of the diaper is made from this bamboo material, unlike some other brands that only choose to integrate bamboo into smaller areas.
As a result, the diapers are plant-derived, sustainable, and very compostable. According to testing done by the company, Dewor Baby diapers start composting within 75 days as long as its sitting in a dedicated composting facility.
Compared to the 500 years it takes for non-bamboo diapers to start composting, this is a huge step in the right direction.
You can expect these diapers to be fragrance-free, dye-free, chemical-free, and lotion-free. The only thing they use is natural Aloe oil liner to minimize the risk of diaper rash.
Since the diaper is naturally hypoallergenic, even the most sensitive of babies’ skins will do just fine in these diapers.
The core is made of specially formulated, chlorine-free wood pulp fluff sourced from sustainable forests. This means that while this diaper requires trees to be cut down, only the bare minimum is needed.
Moreover, the trees are replaced and the forest is maintained so that there isn’t a net negative number of trees in the long run.
The core itself is thin but still provides good absorbency. It’s designed to be breathable and not have the bulk commonly associated with diaper cores. Instead, this core aims to maximize the wearing comfort and leave your baby dry.
The diaper itself uses a breathable back sheet to let air circulate, helping dry the baby long with the core. Combined with the high-breaking sturdiness and moisture-wicking ability, you can count on this diaper sticking to the baby once it’s put on.
This diaper also comes with a wetness indicator so that you always have an idea of when it’s time to change your baby’s diaper. It’s incredibly convenient for busy parents who don’t have time to peek into their baby’s diaper every other moment.
Recent user reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. Common praise highlights the surprising absorbency despite the core size, the ease of use, the ability to fit a wide variety of baby sizes, as well as its sturdy nature and ability to handle even the toughest blowouts.
Some users report that the core tends to fill up in certain areas and not easily disperse to the rest of the diaper, leading to leakages if the baby continues to urinate in the same spots. This makes it not as good for overnight use depending on how much your baby leaks during the night.
So if you are looking for diapers that reach high standards for eco-friendliness while also continuing to be a quality pick for babies, we recommend checking out Dewor Baby’s Premium Bamboo Disposable Diaper.
What to Look Out for When Picking Eco-Friendly Disposable Baby Diapers:
Composition
When choosing the perfect brand of eco-friendly diapers, always make sure to check out what materials are in the diaper.
Be on the lookout for brands that use plant-based fibers, as these brands do not need to cut down trees in order to make their product. This makes them inherently eco-friendly.
The most popular alternative to wood pulp fiber is bamboo fiber, which grows much faster and more easily than wood. Bamboo is a sustainable resource, meaning that you can be confident that there is no harmful done to the environment during production.
Diapers that use wood and/or synthetic materials can turn a bad diaper situation into a worse one. These diapers are not eco-friendly at all; in fact, most diapers end up in landfills where they won’t break down for hundreds of years. The chemicals can also cause some major reproductive health issues down the road (mainly for guys, but girls aren’t off the hook either).
It’s best to avoid those non-eco-friendly diapers (yes, that includes popular brands). It’s better for the environment and better for your baby’s health!
Presence of Non-Healthy Chemicals
Always check to make sure that questionable/concerning chemicals stay off your baby’s diapers.
Here are the two biggest things to look out for:
- Phtalates – found in glues, fragrances, dyes, and the plastic component lining a diaper. Responsible for directly disrupting hormones and causing early puberty, autism, obesity, and birth defects.
- Irritants/Allergens – comprised of parabens, TBT, latex, and other hidden chemicals. Found in fragrances, dyes, and lotions. Can cause diaper rashes as well as other unpleasant allergic reactions.
- Chlorine – used during the bleaching process. Makes the diaper softer. Is responsible for creating dioxins, which are harmful at high concentrations.
Make sure to do your research. Plenty of brands advertise themselves as “organic” or “eco-friendly” while avoiding any evidence that can support these claims.
Of the three, phtalates are the biggest problems. Make sure that the product label explicitly says “phtalates-free”. If a brand doesn’t outright claim to be phtalates-free but otherwise looks like a reputable product, you’ll probably be safe as long as everything else about the product looks safe.
To add, you might see acronyms like ECF and TCF. ECF stands for Element Chlorine Free and TCF stands for Total Chlorine Free. When diapers are bleached, they can be bleached with chlorine or chlorine derivatives. Chlorine derivatives are a safer alternative to chlorine, but the safest is TCF where there’s almost 0% chlorine.
Chlorine itself is questionable, but the real problem are the dioxins that come from it. Those dioxins can cause a host of health issues when someone is exposed to a high concentration of them.
Does that you mean you should run from ECF and only buy TCF? Well, not exactly.
Other green bloggers might condemn us for this, but there’s not much of a difference between the two types for diapers. You will consume a far higher concentration of dioxins just from the food supply; the number is negligible for both bleaching methods.
So, feel free to chose ECF or TCF. Your baby won’t be affected either way.
And if you are ever concerned and want to know more, you can reach out to the company and ask them directly. Seriously, that’s a thing that you can do!
And yes, SAP is completely safe.
SAP or Superabsorbent Polymer, is that gel-like stuff you find in the core in your baby’s diaper. It’s one the best absorbing materials ever, which is why you see it in just about every diaper brand. Previous studies claiming that SAP wasn’t good for your baby were either debunked or misquoted.
To give you an idea of how safe it is:
- It has a GREEN assessment from the MBDC – the leading US-based design firm. That’s the safest rating a material can get.
- The FDA put it on the PAFA list, meaning that it can be added to food and eaten.
- It has an oral LD50 of 40g/kg. Your baby would have to consume about 45-55 diaper inserts to reach that level. It’s less toxic than table sugar, which has an oral LD50 of 10-20g/kg.
So don’t worry about SAP in your diaper or SAP that ends up on your baby’s skin. It doesn’t have any harmful affects whatsoever.
As for the environmental impact SAP can have, there is very little research to support whether its actually a problem or not. Of the few sources we found, however, none of them claimed that SAPs were bad for the environment.
Here are a few of the sources that we found:
- [Environmental safety assessment on the new super absorbent polymers applied into a soil-Chinese cabbage system].
- I’ve always wondered: are water crystals bad for the environment?
- [Characterization and soil environmental safety assessment of super absorbent polymers in agricultural application].
As for us, we believe that SAPs are relatively harmless to the environment until definitively proven otherwise.
Biodegradability/Compostability
In our opinion, the best kind of product is one that is biodegradable. They are convenient because you can throw it away knowing that it’ll decompose back into the environment. Biodegradable products don’t require you to make any habit changes, meaning that it’s far more likely that you’ll stick with them.
But try as we might, we couldn’t find any diapers that were 100% biodegradable.
Some brands (included in our list) are compostable, meaning that they’ll break down in a commercial composting facility. No brand could be composted at home, however, due to the lack of power needed to eradicate bacteria found in used diapers.
And while others had a biodegradable core, other parts of the diaper were not so eco-friendly. There’s little point in having just one part be eco-friendly since it’s the whole diaper that gets thrown away.
So when it comes to the best eco-friendly disposable diaper choices, we recommend these types in the following order:
- Compostable diapers.
- Diapers made with eco-friendly materials.
- Diapers made partly with eco-friendly materials.
Even if the diaper doesn’t degrade very well, it’s still worth purchasing.
“Biodegradable” diapers tend to use less petroleum in production. Buying them also sends a powerful message to these companies: the demand for eco-friendly products is here!
Conclusion
That concludes our list of the top 5+ biodegradable & eco-friendly disposable baby diapers of 2022. We hope that you enjoyed it and found it useful for picking out the best diapers for your (and your baby’s) needs.
As always, feel free to leave a comment or ask a question. We want to talk to you guys!
Until next time, let’s continue to strive towards a greener way of living.