Best Organic Diapers 2023

Last updated on June 9th, 2023 at 03:38 am

Looking for the best organic diapers for your baby and the environment. Look no further, our guide has you covered.

Baby crawling on stomach wearing an eco friendly diaper made of organic cloth
Photo by Laura Ohlman on Unsplash

The average baby will use 5,000-6,000 diapers until the time they are potty trained, that is a lot of poopy diapers. To be more specific, every year 3.3 million tons of diapers are disposed of in landfills.

The conventional disposable diaper is made with synthetic, environmentally hazardous components that can take up to 500 years to decompose. Luckily, there are eco-friendly diaper alternatives that can minimize the negative environmental impact we cause.

In this article, we’ll discuss some of the main types of organic diapers and some of the best, environmentally friendly companies making those diapers. Lets jump right in!

Table of Contents

Types of Organic Diapers

The organic diapers can be broken down into 3 broad categories: cloth, sustainable disposable and hybrid.

Which type of diaper you choose is a personal choice depending on your unique situation. As long as you aren’t using thousands of normal synthetic diapers what will sit in a landfill for generations, you are already making a more environmentally conscious decision than most.

Cloth Organic Diapers

Cloth diapers have many benefits for your baby, your finances, and the environment, but aren’t for everyone. We will start with the benefits for your baby, as they are the most important.

A good quality cloth diaper will be softer on your baby’s skin and contain less potential sources of irritation. They help aid in potty training by raising awareness in your child. Disposable diapers have an absorbent core and babies won’t know when they have soiled the diaper.

As for the environmental impact, cloth diapers are reusable, so will significantly reduce the amount of waste in our landfills. Even the best biodegradable, disposable, organic diapers have parts of them, if not over 50%, that aren’t biodegradable. Although cloth diapers do require more water and energy use for washing them, common sense says they are better for the environment overall.

If you want to dive further into the studies comparing the environmental impact of cloth vs disposable diapers, you can start your journey down the rabbit hole here.

Although they might take a bit more upfront money, in the long run, cloth diapers will save you lots of money over disposable diapers. Lets break down the numbers to quantify the financial savings.

To get enough cloth diapers to last your baby will usually cost 400-600 upfront, which seems like a somewhat substantial amount when you consider all the money you have already spent on all the other eco-friendly baby products, but not when weighed against the long term costs of disposables.

The number of diapers your baby will use from birth until they are potty trained will vary greatly depending on the child, but midrange estimates are about 5500 diapers. The cheap, conventional diapers that fill up our landfills cost around 35 cents each for a reputable brand, which comes out to a total cost $1925.

If you decide to use disposable, partially biodegradable, eco-friendly diapers, the cost is even more substantial. The average price of the disposable high-quality, organic diapers on our list is 61 cents each, which would come out to a total of $3355.

With the environmental and financial savings, why wouldn’t every environmentally conscious caregiver use cloth diapers? The main reason is that cloth diapers are messy. Cleaning them is time consuming and can be a bit gross until you get used to it. There are cloth diaper cleaning services that will pick up your soiled cloth diapers and deliver clean ones.

The cost of paying for this service will likely offset the savings you made by choosing cloth diapers. Most large cities have this service, but many medium sized and smaller cities do not have companies offering this service. There currently isn’t a large national operator of this service, so if you choose to go this route, you will have to do a local search.

Lets jump into our list of cloth organic diapers, which we will break down into 4 categories: flats, pre-folds, all-in-ones, and hybrid.

Cloth Flats Organic Diapers

Bamboo and Organic cotton flat diapers.

Cloth flat diapers are the original cloth diaper. Their simple design will require you to learn some folding techniques, but this could be just what you need to jump start a career in origami. These are made 70% from bamboo. We will get into why we love bamboo for it’s many benefits a further down in this article, but lets just say it is the most eco-friendly material you can buy for your baby.

The other 30% is made of certified organic cotton.

Pre-fold Organic Diapers

Osocozy Bamboo Organic Cotton Pre-fold diapers. Made from 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton.

Pre-folds are similar to flats, except some of the folding required for flats has already been sewed, saving you a bit of time and effort. Osocozy Bamboo Organic Cotton Pre-folds are affordable and their simple materials are very eco-friendly.

The ultra soft bamboo cotton blend, made from 70% rayon (made with bamboo) and 30% organic cotton, grown and harvested according to GOTS International Standards for Sustainable Textile Production. These pre-folds are extremely absorbent and luxuriously soft.

All in One Organic Diapers

cloth organic baby diaper

Made in the U.S.A Thirsties Naturals modern cloth diapers offer the environmental friendliness of cloth diapers without the hassle of folding and wrapping your baby with every change. These diapers have 11 layers of natural fibers, making them very absorbent and their waterproof outer layer will help keep the mess contained.

Thirsties uses USA-sourced components in their diapers to reduce their carbon footprint and support domestic textile mills and local economies.

Material: Inside liner = 100% organic cotton. Inside absorbency = 100% organic cotton. Inside Soaker = 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton. Outside = 100% polyester with PUL (thermal polyurethane laminate coating).

Cloth Hybrid Organic Diapers

hybrid cloth diapers by Grovia brand.

Yes, you are right, that is Smokey the Bear on these beautiful hybrid cloth diapers by Grovia. Do you remember his famous catch phrase??? It was, “only you can prevent forest fires”. When it comes to choosing diapers for your baby, only you can prevent landfill waste. A portion of the sales from the officially licensed Smokey Bear merchandise will go to help further the US Forest Service’s national campaign to prevent wildfires and support the organization’s commitment to educate and empower the public to prevent unwanted wildfires.

It must be noted that these adorable diapers are made from polyester, which is not a sustainable material and is derived from oil. But they are reusable and the superior quality of Grovia diapers means they should last for the entire duration of your baby’s diaper wearing journey.

They are hybrid, meaning they have an insert that will absorb the mess you baby makes. The polyester outer can be use many times without washing, as long as the mess doesn’t get on the outer cover. This means you will have to wash them less compared to the previously discussed cloth options, reducing energy and water waste.

They sell a certified organic cotton inserts that can be reused, and a disposable bio soaker. The Bio soaker is made of sustainably harvested wood pulp fibers.

Using a hybrid with a disposable bio soaker offers many benefits. First, your baby can keep up their reputation by wearing adorable modern diapers. Being able to reuse the outer, without washing every time saves a lot of energy and water waste.

Being able to throw away the messy part, which is made with biodegradable & compostable materials, eliminates the messy cleanups that scare away many environmentally conscious parents.

Organic Disposable Diapers

For caregivers that don’t have the upfront budge, free-time, or stomach to deal with cloth organic diapers, there are some great disposable options. These are typically made out of 2 main materials; organic cotton and/or bamboo.

Our list below, that is arranged in no particular order, will list some of the pros and cons for each company we reviewed. The categories we considered are cost, customer reviews, how eco-friendly they are, and the social and environmental initiatives they support.

Some diapers had multiple sellers on Amazon, so when possible, we used the official company store on Amazon. For cost, we used size 5 being sold in a 50 pack. If the company doesn’t sell a 50 pack, we used the closest unit they had.

For value, we took the average customer review rating and divided it by cost per unit. We should note that the highest average review rating on our list was 4.7 and the lowest was 4.2. This isn’t that large of a range and for some, might not influence purchasing decisions.

Now that we have explained our methodology, lets jump right into our best organic diaper list.

ECO BOOM Boxed Plant-based Diaper Size L

eco boom plant based diaper. Large box

We will start off our disposable organic diaper list with Eco Boom biodegradable plant- based diaper.

It was the most affordable on our list at just 44 cents per diaper. It didn’t have the highest customer review ratings on our list, at 4.5 stars average, but having the combination of the lowest cost and decent rating, it offered the best value on our list.

Not only offering the best value, this also a very eco-friendly diaper. The company touts its trademarked EcoCosy fiber as being the main feature of these sustainable diapers. The plant-based premium fiber will biodegrade fully within 90 days and has obtained the Eurpoean Seedling Certification to confirm this.

This isn’t the the only certification that these diapers boast. They have the OEKO-TEX, which certifies non-hazardous end-products and all of their components. They also are PEFC Certified, which means the products comes/come from sustainably managed forests, recycled and controlled sources.

Most of these certifications are in regards to the plant-based backsheet of the diaper. These organic diapers do not contain any latex or PVC’s, but we were unable to find the complete materials list and do not know what percent of the diaper is indeed biodegradable and plant-based.

The company also makes a line of bamboo based, disposable, organic diapers. The company has no doubt helped preserve the environment selling its more eco-friendly diapers. We did not find any corporate environmental or social initiatives that they support. To conclude, this is a great product offering the best value, but there are eco-friendly diaper makers that also support social and environmental initiatives that are making our world a better place.

The Honest Company Clean Conscious Diapers

Clean, conscious, diapers by The Honest Company. The baby diapers have cute fire trucks and bananas printed on them.

Read the comprehensive Honest Company Diapers Review by clicking the link.

Honest company’s clean conscious diapers have the highest rated customer reviews on our list, with an average score of 4.7. With a cost of 56 cents per diaper, it is tied for the second most affordable and stands alone as the second best value.

Many organic diaper makes opt for plain, simple, often boring designs, but not Honest Company. By far, the cutest diapers on our list, box above includes bananas and firetruck prints.

The diapers are made with sustainably managed wood and made into pulp using a totally chlorine-free process. They contain no latex, fragrance, or parabens. The diapers are cruelty-free, never tested on animals, and have a plant-based backsheet.

Although these diapers are more eco-friendly than your conventional diapers, they still contain some petroleum-based plastics and are not biodegradable. You can read the full list of ingredients below, but there are much more eco-friendly diapers on our list.

Ingredients: Absorbent Bio-Core [Totally Chlorine-Free (TCF) Wood Pulp From Sustainably Managed Forests, Sodium Polyacrylate Containing Renewable Materials & Odor Inhibitors Including Citrus Extract & Liquid Chlorophyll], Outer Layer(Plant-Based PLA), Inner Layer (Polyethylene & Polypropylene), Leg/Waist System (Polymer Spandex & Polypropylene), Polyolefin Adhesives in the Seams & Joints, Super-Cute Design on Backsheet (Inks)

Bambo Nature Eco-Friendly Diapers

Eco-friendly diapers by Bambo Nature brand. The oldest producer of natural, eco-friendly baby diapers.

READ THIS COMPREHENSIVE BAMBO NATURE REVIEW FOR AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE FEATURES.

Bambo Nature diapers are tied for second place for our most affordable diapers, at 56 cents per diaper, and are definitely one of the most eco-friendly diapers on our list.

They have been making sustainably manufactured diapers for over 35 years, making them the original. We should give bonus points to the company that blazed the way for organic baby products. They have been making eco-friendly diapers way before it became fashionable, so you know they aren’t just a brand trying to cash in on the wave of environmentally conscious shoppers.

These diapers are sustainably made, produced with 100% wind power and sourced with materials certified by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). They are dermatologist approved and free from all known harmful chemicals, dyes and allergens.

Winner of the 2021 Best Diapers of the Eco Excellence awards, they come with many certifications including Eco-Cert, meaning that at least 99% of ingredients come from a natural origin. It is the first ever baby diaper to receive the Nordic Swan Eco Label.

Bambo Nature is the original eco-friendly diaper maker and one of the best. They get use 100% wind-power to operate their plants, which really blows us away. We were unable to find any information about any environmental or social causes they support, which would have been they cherry on top.

Mum & You Nappychat Eco-Diapers

Eco-Diapers by Mum & You brand. The bag the diapers are packaged in is made form organic sugarcane.

Mum & You company was designed “for moms, by moms”. They realize this promise by donating a pack of diapers to a mom in need for every subscription sold. They are also a flexible working employer that supports moms back into the workplace after a career break.

Not only diapers, they create an amazing, award winning, organic baby wipe. As for their eco-friendly diapers, they are tied for second most affordable on our list at 56 cents per diaper and have an average customer review rating of 4.4, which is about average on our list.

What makes these diapers eco-friendly? The soft as cotton core is made using chlorine-free wood pulp from PEFC certified sustainable forestry. They’re made using 100% renewable energy, and the packaging is 100% recyclable and contains 30% recycled contents.

The cotton core is said to be biodegradable, although we couldn’t find how long it would take for them to decompose or what % of the diaper is biodegradable. The diapers are hypoallergenic, dermatologically tested, and contain no added chemicals, lotions, perfumes, or latex. We were unable to find the complete list of ingredients, leaving the true eco-friendliness of these diapers shrouded in mystery.

Organic Diapers Made of Bamboo

Bamboo is an extremely eco-friendly material for most products. First of all, bamboo grows extremely fast. Some species of bamboo can reach full maturity in just 90 days, compared to decades for many trees.

Bamboo generates 30% more oxygen than most other plants and trees. So buying products made out of bamboo, will cause an economic incentive for more bamboo farms, which will in turn help to clean our planets air.

Bamboo is a fabulous material as it relates to organic diapers. Bamboo is 70% more absorbent than cotton, so bamboo diapers are going to do a better job of keeping your little one dry. Bamboo is extremely soft, so it will be less likely to irritate your baby’s sensitive skin. Bamboo also has antibacterial and deodorizing properties.

It is also biodegradable. With all of these benefits, environmentally conscious consumers should use as many bamboo products as possible to help save our planet.

Little Toes Natural Disposable Bamboo Diapers

Natural bamboo biodegradable diapers by Little Toes brand.

Little Toes brand costs 56 cents per diaper and has a 4.2 customer review rating. The cost is a bit cheaper than many diapers on this list. The 4.2 review rating was a bit below average for our list. Most of the negative reviews complained about the tabs ripping.

Although they did receive some negative reviews on Amazon, they were able to secure a Mom’s Choice Awards Gold Award. They are a small business brand, which it always feels good supporting small businesses, especially when they are trying to make a positive impact on our environment.

These diapers are naturally hypoallergenic; 100% free of chlorine, alcohol, perfumes, latex, PVC, TBT, antioxidants, phthalates or preservatives. They have a bamboo front and back sheet that will fully decompose in just 180 days, compared to hundreds of years for many conventional diapers.

They get a mark against them for not having recyclable packaging. They also have no mentions of environmental activism on their website, combine this with the relatively low score on Amazon, and you may be able to find better eco-friendly diaper solutions.

Dyper Bamboo Baby Diapers

Dyper brand Bamboo baby diapers.

READ THE THE COMPREHENSIVE DYPER DIAPERS REVIEW HERE.

Dyper brand bamboo diapers are a bit on the expensive side, at 79 cents per diaper, but if you are willing to spend a bit more to protect your child and save the environment, these might be the organic diapers for you.

We will start with what they don’t have. They are free of chlorine, latex, alcohol, lotions, TBT or Phthalates. They’re unprinted, unscented, soft to the touch, yet extremely durable and absorbent.

What they are made of is an inner and outer layer of responsibly sourced viscose bamboo fibers. They contain Certified OEKO-TEX chlorine free pulp. Unlike many other eco-friendly diaper companies, they are extremely transparent of what goes into their diapers, you can read the complete ingredient list at the end of this section.

They offer their own in house REDYPER™ service, that will come to your door to pick up your used diapers and wipes in their compostable trash bags. The diapers will then be shipped back to their facilities, processed and composted on your behalf, avoiding the landfill. The finished compost is used for landscaping, sod growing, and roadside plantation projects.

This amazing service does come at a cost. At the time of writing this, the REDYPER™ service is $50 for a monthly box. Saving the planet isn’t cheap. Their green initiatives don’t stop there. For every delivery of their eco-friendly diapers, they will purchase carbon offsets on your behalf.

Their diapers are biodegradable and they are more transparent than any other company on our list about this process. 40% of their diapers will decompose by the 15th day and 61% by the 75th day.

While you purchase their organic diapers to keep your family and our environment safe, they give a 10% discount to military personnel that are trying to keep the country safe.

These diapers check all the boxes in what to look for in the best eco-friendly diapers, so as long as you have the finances to support the purchases, they make a fabulous environmentally conscious choice.

TEXTILE CONTENT: Outside Cover, Inside Cover: 100% Viscose From Bamboo Fibers, Legcuffs: 100% PP, Inner Film: 100% Bioplastic, Elastics: 100% Elastane, Others.

COMPONENTS: 22% Sodium Polyacrylate, 35% Elemental Chlorine-Free Wood Pulp, 4% Paper, 9% Polypropylene, 18% Viscose, 6% Bioplastic, 2.3% Adhesive, 3.7% Elastane

Believe Bamboo Diapers

Bamboo diapers by Believe brand. Biodegradable diapers made of bamboo. For every diaper sold, the company will donate a diaper to a family in need.

Believe Bamboo Diapers are the most expensive on our list at 80 cents per diaper. Part of the premium you are paying for these diapers goes to a very noble cause.

1 in 3 U.S. families struggle to afford diapers. Through Believe Diapers 1 for 1 diaper matching program, for every diaper sold they will donate one to a family in need. This is our favorite socially responsible for any organic diaper maker on our list.

These are also pretty eco-friendly diapers. They contain no chlorine, latex, alcohol, TBT, PVCs, lotions, fragrances, or phthalates. They are made from sustainably harvested bamboo and Chlorine free US virgin wood pulp.

We were unable to find any information regarding how long it took these diapers to decompose. The packaging seems it be plastic and, at the time of writing this, we were unable to find any information about this plastic being recyclable or from recycled sources.

They have a 4.2 customer review rating on Amazon, which is low compared to other options on this list. The customer complaints were mostly about the fit. These diapers run a bit small, so if ordering, consider ordering a size bigger than your baby typically wear.

Ingredients: bamboo fiber, Chlorine Free fluff pulp from U.S. virgin wood, elastic leg and waistband, nonwoven BASF, 3M Velcro tape.

Conclusion

Whether you choose the various types of cloth organic diaper options, or disposable eco-friendly diapers, you will be doing mother nature a favor by helping preserve her for future generations. If you want to clean your baby, in the most eco-friendly way, after a diaper change, please check out our complete organic baby wipes list.

If you enjoyed this article or found it helpful, please share it with others that might find it useful. We will continue to update it to feature any new products or changes that happen in the organic diaper industry. If you are looking for other great environmentally conscious items for your baby, we have a great eco-friendly baby products guide that might help.

Thanks for reading!!!