I’ll be honest here, I should care more about the environment than I actually do, but having suffered from eczema and allergies all my life, the one thing I did care about in looking for diapers for my son was the most hypoallergenic, yet absorbent diaper on the market.   The diapers you use are touching your baby’s skin all day long!  It’s amazing to me how many parents can be so meticulous about what goes into their kids’ mouths but don’t care what’s touching them all day long.   Meanwhile, they wonder why their babies have diaper rash or eczema.   It’s no secret that what’s on your skin eventually gets absorbed into your skin!  If you are concerned about what’s going into your diaper, then the clear winner for you is Abena’s Bambo Nature Made Diapers (midi Size 3- 11-20 lbs) also available for a discount by Amazon in a 6 pack and Size 1 (4-9 lbs), Size 2 (7-13 lbs), Size 4 (15-40 lbs) and Size 5 (26-49 lbs).  

I have tried almost every diaper out there.  I’ve tried Pampers Swaddlers, Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive, Pampers Baby Dry, Huggies, Andy Pandy, Earth’s Best, Seventh Generation,  you name it — and in my experience, nothing else came close to leaving my baby’s bum dry and bead-free after 12 hours (yes, I said 12 hours) of use than Bambo Nature Made diapers.  Andy Pandy diapers were really nice in terms of comfort, but didn’t hold a candle to Bambo’s absorbency (especially given the comparable price).  Andy Pandy was decent for daytime use, but not for nighttime or extended use.

The Bambo diapers won BabyGearLab’s Editor’s Choice Award for Best Overall Disposable Diaper against both eco-friendly (Andy Pandy, Earth’s Best, etc) and traditional diapers (Pampers, Huggies, etc) scoring a 9 in absorbency and 7 in leakage.  Check out the side-by-side comparison here: http://m.babygearlab.com/Disposable-Diaper-Reviews

Moreover, Bambo diapers’ list of accomplishments and notable features include, among others:

• The most certifications in the industry, including: EcoCert, Nordic Swan, Asthma Allergy Denmark and FSC.

• The Dermatologically Tested Label gives you confidence that the diapers will not irritate your baby’s skin or induce an allergic reaction.

• The Asthma & Allergy Association certification assures you that the diapers pose the lowest possible risk of causing allergy, eczema, or skin-irritation.

• Certified free of all known allergens, perfumes and dangerous chemicals  (no additives are used in the manufacturing process, i.e. no dyes or inks — other than on the outside of diaper for design– perfumes, essential oils, preservatives,  latex, glue, odor eliminators,  plant extracts, lotion, moisturizer, etc.)

• Free of locally irritating, sensitizing, carcinogenic, or mutagenic ingredients.

• The absorbent core has less SAP.  Wheat starch is used for a substantial portion of the filling.

• Made from approximately 75%-80% biodegradable materials.

• No chlorine is used in the bleaching process.

• No chemicals or compounds from Substances of Very High Concern or SVHC.

• No Phthalates, Formaldehyde (HCHO), Colophonium, AZO-pigments or PVC.

• One of the few diapers with a breathable backsheet ensuring that the skin can breathe and stay more dry.

•  Diapers (above size 1) have a wetness indicator (the light blue writing on the surface of the backsheet will smear or blur when the diaper gets wet).

*It should be noted that I have never tried the old version of the Bambo Naturemade Diapers as those that have used it seem to believe it is superior to the newer ones.  Yet, I’ve had no issues so far with the new diapers.

My little guy is very long and fairly big for his age with chubby legs.  The Bambo diapers fit him well.  I moved up a size to get more out of the diaper and so far, no leaks — even after extended use.  We had a blow out and no leakage up the back either.  The tabs fit snug but it’s not too tight around his chubby legs.  When you remove the diaper after extended use, it’s amazing how dry the inside of the diaper feels!  The diaper is sturdy.  And overall, it just looks and feels like it would be better for your kid than Pampers or any other commercial diaper.  We use less diapers a day because they are so absorbent, so we believe the extra cost somewhat balances itself out.

Your kid is in their diapers all day long.  It’s about time to treat his or her bum with some gentle tender loving care (and not chemicals and SAP).