Thanks to BC reader Rebecca for this review of new Broody Chick diapers.
Broody Chick diapers are a new “100% natural” disposable diaper. The company is based in Canada, and they don’t yet have a distributor in the United States, although the company Better Baby Bums now has a US location and you can order the diaper from them. Each package is $15.99.
They come in four different sizes:
- Newborn: 3 – 6 kg (6 – 15 lbs) / 36 ct
- Infant: 4 – 9 kg (9-20 lbs)/ 32 ct
- Toddler: 7 – 16 kg (15-35 lbs) / 28 ct
- Junior: 12 – 25 kg (26-55 lbs) / 24 ct
Advertised features:
- Chlorine Free
- Breathable
- Hypo-allergenic
- Fragrance-free
- Ultra thin construction
- Natural super absorbers
- G.E.-free
- Exceptional comfort and fit
- Innovative 3-layer design helps your baby stay drier, longer.
A note on “compostable”: I e-mailed the company asking if these could be composted at home, and I was told, “You can compost in a home facility if you are able to maintain the right temperature, aeration and moisture levels. It can be difficult to do this that’s why we recommend a commercial municipal facility, and if you do compost then remove the side tabs from the diapers first as they take longer to break down.” So composting may not be realistic for most individuals, and not all commercial or municipal composting facilities will accept these diapers. Tiny Tots Diaper Service in Campbell, California has a composting diaper service that uses these diapers. I threw mine into the trash
L to R: Broody Chick (as they come folded in the box), Broody Chick, Huggies Snug n Dry
L to R: Broody Chick, Huggies Snug & Dry
First Impressions
These diapers came in a card box box, instead of a plastic bag, and the inner lining in the box is compostable plastic. My first impression upon removing the diapers from the package was, “Wow, these look old-fashioned!” The solid white diaper with a thick, rectangular absorbent panel along the entire length reminded me of the diapers my younger brother wore. The diapers were soft and smooth to the touch but still papery feeling. They were softer than the Huggies Snug & Dry I had on hand to compare with, but were not soft like Pampers.
In Use
These diapers performed very well, better than I was expecting. We used them for an entire week, day and night, and tried to put them to the test with long wear times on errands and such, and did not once have a leak. I don’t know how well they would do with liquidy exclusively breastfed baby poops, though, as my baby is a toddler. They did get puffy and squishy when wet, which definitely isn’t my preference, but overall I was impressed with the performance, especially considering that these diapers don’t contain the petroleum-based super absorbent gels that are in most diapers, but use bio-based super absorbers.
My baby is about 22lbs and we had purchased the “Toddler Sized” diapers, and they had less room to grow in the waist than I was expecting based on the weight guidelines; I think this is because there isn’t much stretch in the waist. The rise was quite a bit longer than the size 3 Huggies I was comparing it to, but there wasn’t more room in the waist than the size 3s. My baby is short and round and these fit her fine, but I think they would be a great fit on tall and thin kids.
Overall
These diapers worked well and had pretty good eco-credentials, but they are pricey, even compared to other “green” diapers. I definitely couldn’t afford to use these full time on a regular basis. However, I think that they will appeal to very eco-conscious parents who usually use cloth diapers, but want a diaper they can use overnight or on an occasional basis that is eco-friendly and free of the petroleum based gels. Maybe if they are popular enough, the price will come down and more composting facilities will accept them.
Broody Chick also makes compostable wipes (which I didn’t try), and is working on compostable/disposable bibs. I assume the compost guidelines above would apply to those as well. They also have a line of natural bath and body care products.
You can see a list of all the Baby Cheapskate diaper reviews here.
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