Honest Company Diapers Review

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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