There I was – very pregnant and expecting Baby Number 3 – in late July when I saw a link to the website of The Honest Company on my Facebook newsfeed. You know how Facebook bombard you with products that are related to the posts and shares you made? That was most probably the reason why the diapers and other baby products of The Honest Company appeared on my screen. As with other things in this land of milk and honey, the company – in which Jessica Alba is one of the co-founders – offers free samples and I only need to pay about six dollars for shipping cost. The sample package, the post said, comes with seven diapers, 10-count baby wipes, and five trial-sized bottles from the essentials bundle: shampoo/body wash, face/body lotion, healing balm, hand soap, and multi-surface cleaner.
The diapers were in cute designs and somehow gives a non-boring take on the diaper-changing landscape. I gave in. I paid the shipping fee with our debit card and excitedly waited for my discovery kit.
The kit arrived within a week. I placed it on a pile of baby things I’ve purchased since my nesting instinct kicked in. I gave birth mid-September but decided to use time-tested baby products and home remedies first: Huggies for diapers, cornstarch and baby powder for diaper rash, Human Nature baby oil for rashy cheeks. I waited three weeks before I used the Honest diapers, afraid that the material may not agree with my baby’s sensitive skin. But then I opened the package and the cute designs floored me again. Each of the seven newborn diapers were in different designs and it’s exciting to see that each diaper is different. As I said, it breaks the monotony of changing diapers filled with pee and poop. Let’s be honest – pun intended – the changing diaper task is not something we parents are all giddy about. But somehow, in my sleep-deprived state, I found happiness in colorful diaper graphics.
Verdict
But lest I’ll be judged for sacrificing aesthetic obsession with functionality, I’m reviewing the diapers based on comfort, durability, and absorption. I won’t talk about the price here since I only got a trial pack and did not proceed to a monthly subscription ($79.95 per months for six packages of diapers and four packages of baby wipes; a friend who subscribes to this said that means 186, size 3 diapers and 288 wipes as there are 72 wipes in one package).
The company promise is that they provide eco-friendly, plant-based diapers and biodegradable, botanically-infused wipes. The same promise resonates in the other products; that of being natural, organic, and sustainably-harvested.
I don’t mind paying for products which are a bit pricey as long as they deliver premium results which I expect. But the Honest diapers fall short of my expectations. The newborn diapers were not absorbent; they actually leaked after six hours. They were blowouts too! Big mess! My son didn’t experience any diaper rash with Huggies but his bottom went all red when I switched to Honest diapers . The healing balm didn’t work so I stuck with our time tested diaper rash remedy: cornstarch and baby powder.
Aside from being wide, the wipes did not impress me at all. The quality, on face value, is like that 70-count Snoopy wipes you can buy for a dollar at Dollar Tree Store.
It’s not all that bad though. I like the multi-surface cleaner as it comes in handy when cleaning the changing pad whether I’m inside or outside our home. The face/body lotion smells like the Human Nature baby lotion that we are used to so that was our alternate product for a week. Same thing goes with the shampoo/body wash; it’s mild for Jeff Junior’s newborn skin, and the powder smell is not overpowering.
Very Important Reminder
The diapers and wipes are deal breakers for me. I would have subscribed if there were no leaks and blowouts from our use of the first seven diapers. Unfortunately, I wasn’t impressed so I stayed with Huggies.
A very important reminder: you only have seven days following the receipt of your sample package to cancel your subscription. Yes, you provide details of your credit/debit account when you pay for the shipping cost. So… if you don’t have any plans of availing the monthly subscription, then immediately call their hotline (1.888.862.8818) and tell them you don’t want to subscribe and just please cancel your card. If you don’t do that, they’ll automatically charge you for the full-sized bundle. This is the part I don’t like about this company. It’s misleading and quite frankly, a sly marketing ploy.
But I’m glad I tried it out. I was curious and I addressed that curiousity. It was worth the six dollars shipping fee. Let it be known that I tried different products to check which ones work best for my child. As it turned out, it looks like we’re sticking to Huggies and my favorite organic brand, Human Nature.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
