This post is in partnership with Coterie. I only endorse products I believe in.
Being a new parent is full of trials and tribulations. From feeding, to sleeping, to scheduling, there are so many learning curves to overcome. My advice: don’t make diapering one of them.
I love the idea of the Babylist Diaper Box which conveniently lets you sample three popular diaper and wipes brands: Coterie, Honest and Dyper. But why add to the stress of new parenting when I can take some of the guesswork out for you? Since my mission is to simplify the chaos of trying to do it all, I decided to put all three of Babylist’s Diaper Box brands to the test so you know what to expect before you buy and start off strong with your diapering plan.
Step 1: Babylist Diaper Box Diaper Review
Criteria: Ingredient Safety
Coterie: Total chlorine free. Latex free. Fragrance free. Lotion free. Rubber free. Dye free. Alcohol free. Paraben free. Phthalate free. Clinically proven hypoallergenic. Dermatologist-tested. No brighteners. No animal testing. They are the only brand to release a public Diaper Safety Report. Score: 5/5
Honest: Total chlorine free. Latex free. Fragrance free. Paraben free. Phthalate free. Score: 4/5
Dyper: Elemental Chlorine free (pulp is bleached with chlorine dioxide, not as safe as TCF). Latex free. Fragrance free. Lotion free. Paraben free. Phthalate free. Score: 3/5
Criteria: Eco-friendly
Note: There is a ton of greenwashing in the industry and unfortunately there really is no such thing as a 100% biodegradable diaper.
Coterie: Coterie diapers are made with 25% plant-based materials from sustainably managed forests. The brand reduces packaging waste wherever possible. I appreciate that Coterie is extremely transparent about its processes and materials. So while not an actual compostable diaper, Coterie is thinking about the environment and planning for a more sustainable diaper future. Score: 3/5
Honest: Honest says it harvests wood from sustainably managed trees, and claims its thinner diapers save 7000 trees a year. Not a ton of transparency into materials. Score: 2/5
Dyper: Dyper diapers are made with 55% plant-based ingredients, including bamboo viscose which is actually not as eco-friendly as you’d think because of the heavy chemical byproducts that are released during manufacturing. Dyper offers a pricey compost disposal service but the process releases significant amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere which is likely why they take part in a carbon offset program. Score: 4/5
Criteria: Absorbency
Coterie: This diaper absorbs liquid instantly and feels incredibly dry. Score: 5/5
Honest: This diaper absorbs slowly, gets bulky when wet and the surface feels damp upon the touch. Score: 2/5
Dyper: While this diaper absorbs quickly, these feel very wet to the touch. Score: 3/5
Step 2: Babylist Diaper Box Wipes Review
Criteria: Ingredient Safety
Coterie: Coterie’s wipes are made of 99% purified water, with just 8 ingredients. They are hypoallergenic, independently lab tested, free of alcohol, fragrance, dyes, earning them the EWG Verified status and a National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance. They are the only brand to release a public Wipes Safety Report. Score: 5/5
Honest: These wipes are made of over 99% water, with just 7 ingredients. They are free of plastic, fragrance, parabens, and chlorine processing. They are verified with the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance. Score: 4/5
Dyper: These wipes are made of 99% water, with just 8 ingredients. They are free of alcohol, latex, fragrance, PVC, lotions, parabens and other chemicals. They have not received any third party verification. Score: 3/5
Criteria: Eco-friendly
Coterie: Coterie wipes are made from biodegradable, 100% plant-based GSC Certified materials, and plastic-free fibers. Score: 5/5
Honest: Honest wipes are made from viscose, which I mentioned earlier has a manufacturing process harmful to the environment. While they are considered 100% compostable, you can’t compost them yourself if they are used for human waste or with cleaning products. Score: 3/5
Dyper: These are plant-based wipes made with 100% bamboo viscose, which again I must repeat, is not as eco-friendly as it's made out to be. These are considered compostable and can be used in Dyper’s disposal service available at a high extra cost. Score: 3/5
Criteria: Functionality
Coterie: Coterie’s wipes have a noticeable thickness that distinguishes themselves against any other wipe I’ve tried, not to mention they’re incredibly soft. The size is also striking compared to others – they are huge, so you can do more with less. I seriously never need more than 1 wipe to get the job done! I love that the custom designed pack dispenses just one at a time to minimize waste. P.S. Coterie also has convenient travel size packs to throw in your diaper bag. Score: 5/5
Honest: Honest wipes have a good grippy texture and are definitely wet, making mess clean up easier. I found them difficult however to dispense one at a time and do wish they were a bit larger. Score 4/5
Dyper: I have two big complaints with Diapers wipes. 1) they are so dry, with barely any moisture which makes cleaning up a mess very difficult. I end up needing way more wipes to do the job which detracts from any of its eco-friendliness points. 2) the packaging makes it difficult to grab a single wipe, especially with a squirmy baby. The opening is quite small and the wipes stick together. Score: 2/5
Purchase Coterie from the Start
I really don’t want to sound biased but quite frankly there isn’t much competition here between these three brands. Honest diapers were awful, leaked and caused diaper rash on my son. Dyper diapers are strong on the eco-friendly front but don't pull their weight in absorbency, and what good is a diaper without strong absorbency? For wipes, there is clearly a superior option: Coterie, and it's so easy to throw in the wipes subscription with the diaper subscription. This convenience factor makes Coterie a no brainer.