We cloth-diapered for the first six months of J’s life. When we moved to an apartment complex with a community laundry room that was a $1 wash and $1 to dry, we realized it was neither cost-effective nor efficient to be cloth diapering anymore. I wanted a disposable that was free of chlorine, dyes, fragrances and bleach but that was also functional. A friend was using Honest at the time and loved them – so I decided to give it a try. Their “Honest Free Guarantee” is: “Honestly FREE of: chlorine, latex, lotions, fragrances, common allergens, phthalates, fragrances, optical brighteners, PVC, heavy metals, organotins (MBT, DBT, TBT) & harsh petrochemical additives.” It sounded pretty great! So I gave it a shot.
In the trial pack we received a package of wipes, 10 diapers and a set of six trial size “household essentials” (diaper balm, baby wash, laundry soap, hand sanitizer, lotion and dish soap). It didn’t take longer than a week to sign up for Honest we loved it so much. In a normal diaper bundle they say it is a month worth of diapers and wipes for $80. However I have found that by changing J 4-6x a day the diapers actually last closer to two months, although I do use the wipes up quickly because I love them so much! The amount of diapers in each bundle change depending on the size of your child, just as with any other brand.
We put J in an Honest diaper and there were no leaks or blowouts. We have now been using them for 6 months and have yet to have a blowout and have sustained only two leaks due to excessive wetness. The absorption and functionality of this diaper is just as phenomenal as any other diaper on the market, particularly among competing eco-friendly and natural diapers.
J has sensitive skin: he’s had an allergic reaction to sunscreen and a blistering rash from cloth diapers (he could only use organic cotton diapers), as well as recurring rashes and perhaps eczema. Choosing a diaper that was made for sensitive skin was a factor in deciding which disposable to use as well.
J at 5 months old trying the diapers for the first time! He loved the healing bottom balm – it worked like a charm on his bottom rashes.
One issue we had with another brand of diapers that claimed to be “pure and natural” was that when the diaper was wet, it released gel beads all over his private parts. I was disgusted and angry knowing they were a manufactured chemical in a diaper claiming to be natural. I immediately threw out the rest of the box I was so upset. I have never had that problem with Honest.
The Honest wipes are just as amazing. They never tear and I usually only have to use one for a wet diaper, and two for a soiled diaper. They are so gentle on J’s skin that I even use them to clean him up after meals and to sanitize things like his pacifier, toys and grocery carts.
I have to admit I wouldn’t ever buy a diaper solely for the purpose of being eco-friendly. I based my initial decision on my son’s health, however the eco-friendly aspect of the company is a huge advantage and I love reading their mission statement and values. I really appreciate doing what we can to preserve our environment and keep it free of man-made toxins. These diapers and their packaging are per Honest’s standards, “Sourced natural, organic, sustainably harvested, renewable, pure raw materials for our products… Use 100% renewable and/or recycled materials in all products, packaging, shipping materials, and office materials.”
The diapers and packaging are 100% plant-based materials. As a company, Honest continues to win me over. In addition to striving for the health and safety of the children diapered in Honest and the environment they are also cruelty free, vegan, and intent on using renewable energy resources. I love to see a company making a quality product and doing good for their customer base, the earth and all its occupants.
Their customer service is second to none. I have never had a single issue when dealing with Honest service. There were a few mixups with my account at one point and for a few months in a row I was being sent diaper prints I hadn’t ordered. When I called, they quickly rectified the problem for me and sent me the new packages of diapers at no additional cost. I was pleasantly surprised at how eager they were to keep a happy client base. Any other time I have had a question or concern, they were quick to respond and happy to help. I love supporting a company that works hard to keep their customers satisfied! One other issue I had was that I didn’t need to order monthly, which is what the ordering schedule was set to. They have recently implemented a calendar in each account so that I can specify which date I’d like the diapers shipped to me – even if it’s 6-8 weeks after my last delivery!
In addition to all this – these diapers are adorable! Cloth-diapering families often say that’s a huge perk to cloth diapers, and now there is a disposable diaper that is cute too! For the boys they offer skulls, lumberjack plaid, anchors and dinosaurs. Girls’ patterns consist of purple leopard, pink stars, hearts, flowers and ice cream cones. They also have two gender-neutral prints: white and nature/leaf. Occasionally they also have seasonal prints – their snowflake print for Christmas was too cute for words!
I highly recommend Honest diapers. I love everything about this company and their products. I can’t review the household essentials bundle as it isn’t in our budget to purchase those monthly as well, unfortunately. But I hope I can soon! I highly recommend trying Honest diapers especially if you identify with their mission statement and health standards!
disclosure: I was not paid to provide a review for Honest. This review consists solely of my opinions and thoughts and were not influenced in any way by the company.
Have you tried the Honest diapers?
GOLD / cantaloupe / 6843 posts
Great review! I may try it out for newborn diapers!
blogger / nectarine / 2979 posts
Just as an FYI, Honest has the same gel that you found in the other diaper. There are no disposables on the market that don’t have it. There used to be one brand, Tushies, but it was discontinued. So if anyone out there is opposed to the gel, cloth is the only option.
GOLD / persimmon / 1049 posts
$80 for a month’s supply of diapers/wipes seems really reasonable to me. But, I’m just pregnant and don’t have any kiddos. How much would disposables from brands we all see in the store run you- more or less? I guess I imagined it would be a LOT more than $80 a month? I want to CD but I don’t think I could get DH on board, but I like the idea of an item being a little more eco-friendly and skin-friendly. I am definitely adding this to my list to check out!
GOLD / pear / 1757 posts
Ok, I totally want to try these now.
blogger / apricot / 483 posts
@KJfromNJ: not sure how many are in the Honest box, but a box of 200 disposables at Sam’s is 35 dollars. As far as wipes go, we buy the Target unscented ones and a large box (19.00) lasts us around two months. So the Honest dipes are considerably more I assume than that! Still, when it comes to all that I think it depends on what you’re comfortable with spending and how you make it a priority for your family. There are some generic grocery store natural disposies that may be cheaper?
guest
Have you ever heard of gDiapers? My son is 26 months old and we have used them almost his entire life. They are a “hybrid” diaper and you can use either a cloth insert or a 100% biodegradable insert, which is what we use. They company is also super awesome in their mission to make green baby products and treat their employees and customers very very well. I blogged about gDiapers last year.
http://mariniere.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/gdiapers/
GOLD / grapefruit / 4476 posts
I did a trial and really loved them! I thought the fit was great. My husband on the other hand was not on board. :(
GOLD / nectarine / 2905 posts
We had crazy leaks :/ I like baby naty naturecare off amazon best!
blogger / apricot / 337 posts
We are an Honest housedhold as well. I tried all the other “natural” brands as well, ranging from the big names to the ones sold in Whole Foods and they ALL had beads. Honest is the only one that doesn’t. I’m also always relieved that we’re never out and we never have to make a run because the diapers are delivered to our door! We have graduated to their training pants as well as their other household items. We’re huge fans!
GOLD / persimmon / 1061 posts
I just ordered a sample! If they work out, I figure I’ll do a combo of cloth + Honest. The prints are absolutely adorable.
blogger / persimmon / 1193 posts
I love the anchor ones, they’re adorable. They definitely sound like they’re the next-best for a former cloth diaperer :)
GOLD / nectarine / 2403 posts
I’ve been thinking about trying these for a while. I just ordered a sample!
blogger / papaya / 11577 posts
@Mrs. Yoyo: The difference I’ve found is that Honest is the only one that doesn’t leak those onto my son!!
@Mrs. Marbles: I love delivery to our door as well!
@KJfromNJ: @Mrs. Sketchbook: Like I said, one bundle lasts us longer than a month so the price comes out to more like $45-$50/month. It is more expensive that regular diapers. You’re paying for the peace of mind that comes with a company using natural, vegan, plant-based materials. For me – that is invaluable!! My son’s health is my top priority and diapers free of chemicals is a personal conviction of mine so I’m willing to pay for it. Even though I’m frugal in all other parts of my life. :) But I realize this isn’t everyone’s priority (and that’s fine!!) I did this review as there were a lot of hellobee’ers asking about Honest diapers and I love them so much!
blogger / papaya / 11577 posts
@KJfromNJ: ooh whoopes! I just misread your comment and thought you said “unreasonable” haha!!! I think that $80/month is reasonable for diapers and wipes that are completely natural and delivered to your door. I compared brands by figuring out price per diaper and though Honest is more expensive at about .30/diaper (you can get most diapers for .20-.25 a diaper) I think it’s worth it :) It’s all up to the consumer on what is worth it though.
blogger / papaya / 11577 posts
@Leanne: I have heard of them. I used GroVia’s as a hybrid while cloth diapering for awhile. Personally they just weren’t for me! I preferred to go either all cloth-diaper, or all disposable :)
hostess / papaya / 10034 posts
I want to cloth diaper, but I’d be willing to try these for the newborn stage.
blogger / nectarine / 2979 posts
@Mrs. Pen: gotcha. Just didn’t want anyone to think they’re gel free, since no sposies are. The leaks are a risk of all of them.
guest
I tried them too, but didn’t like them as much as the Nurtured by Nature diapers we buy from Amazon. I’ve never had them release those gel beads, like Swaddlers did.
(Honest’s other products are terrific and smell lovely, but are too pricey for us to buy on the regular.)
GOLD / pomegranate / 3677 posts
Those really are super cute! Love the patterns.
GOLD / pomegranate / 3175 posts
Nature Babycare has minimal amounts of the gel too and I never had a problem with them leaking. They also ship right to your door via Amazon and are much less in cost.
GOLD / grapefruit / 4722 posts
I bought a few packs of their diapers and baby wipes, but have to wait to try them until she is in size 1′s and 2′s. Glad you and J love them so much!
GOLD / apricot / 382 posts
Thanks for this review. I have been trying to figure out if I want to cloth diaper or use a natural based disposable type diaper. I will definitely take a look at this.
guest
I’ve been using Honest diapers for over a year now and I love them!! The only time I’ve had problems with leaks is when we need to move up to a larger size. I hated buying diapers at the store and trying to schlep the boxes and an infant. It’s one less thing to think about when out shopping. I also worked out the price with Pampers on Diapers.com and it was the same per diaper, so it was a no brainer to me. I also love that they’re natural for my daughter’s sensitive skin. We’re trying out the other products and we really love the healing balm for her eczema as well as the lotion for me!
GOLD / persimmon / 1188 posts
Those sound so great! I headed over to their website – its a little early to start ordering now, but I’m definitely going to give them a try once baby is here.
GOLD / pear / 1533 posts
I just learned of these and LOVE the idea! I wanted to cloth diaper but we won’t have a washer/dryer in our condo. I would consider a cloth service but not sure if the effort is worth it. I’m definitely keeping these in mind!
olive / 72 posts
I’ve been noticing advertisements for these but haven’t jumped on the bandwagon just yet. I may have to give them a try, if for nothing else, the aesthetic. ;)
guest
I considered Honest Co. … but then saw this comparison by BabyGearLab. Was happy to see so many eco diapers out-performed the top name brands.
http://www.babygearlab.com/Disposable-Diaper-Reviews
blogger / apricot / 455 posts
Well… I may be sold based on those cute designs alone!
blogger / cantaloupe / 6264 posts
We use Earth’s Best. They don’t leak any beads on babies. I was shocked when I found the 7th Generation dyes their diapers brown! Like I want more chemicals touching my baby?!
blogger / papaya / 11577 posts
@Mrs. Jacks: I didn’t know that!! I was using 7th Gen for awhile but I thought that was the natural color! Shame on them. I used earths best for awhile too and was really pleased with them :)