Bambo Nature Review
Pros: Great for health, eco-friendly, comfy
Cons: Average for leaks and durability
Bottom line: Healthy, eco-friendly choice that gets the job done
| Editors' Rating: |
Chlorine-Free: Elemental , Chlorine-free
Perfume-Free: Yes
Manufacturer: Bambo Nature
The Skinny
Bambo Nature is a green diaper with a high-end feel. This diaper earned the highest score out of 24 products for health tying with Seventh Generation, a less expensive green diaper. This makes it a notable diaper for parents who are concerned with health and limiting chemicals. This diaper performs well enough for absorption and leakage and has impressive eco-friendly aspects that helped it stand out in the crowd. Bambo is a healthy eco-conscious diaper and is a diaper we suggest families consider when looking for a baby healthy, green, disposable diaper.
RELATED REVIEW: The Battle for the Best Disposable Diapers
Our Analysis and Hands-on Test Results
Review by:
Juliet Spurrier, MD & Wendy Schmitz
Juliet Spurrier, MD & Wendy Schmitz
Last Updated:
Friday
July 28, 2017
Friday
July 28, 2017
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Bambo is a family owned business run by parents dedicated to creating eco-friendly baby products that are healthy for your baby. Bambo believes that choosing safe, healthy, and environmentally responsible products shouldn't mean sacrificing performance. The company works hard to achieve and maintain environmentally responsible certifications working with Abena a Denmark company known for their environmentally sensitive manufacturing process. According to the Bambo website, "Bambo Nature was the first baby diaper in the world certified with the esteemed Nordic Ecolabel and EU Flower ecolabel." They are also members of the United Nations Global Compact.
This chart provides a quick comparison of the overall scores earned by each diaper we tested in this review. Bambo earned an impressive 4th place out of 24 products tested with the highest score for health in the group.
The sections below outline the details of each metric we tested and how Bambo performed compared to the competition. Overall scores are based on metric results with a stronger emphasis on absorption and leakage because that is what a diaper needs to function properly.
Bambo earned a 6 of 10 for absorption which is just above the average of 5 for the group. In our previous disposable diaper review, Bambo earned a higher performance score for this metric. This could be a result of changes made to the diaper recently.
This diaper had some moisture transfer to the test paper. It isn't a significant amount and is better than many of the diapers we tested, but any wetness on the paper indicates wetness that could be against baby's skin. Wetness on the skin could lead to irritation or diaper rash, especially if your baby has sensitive skin prone to irritation. That being said, only seven diapers of the 24 tested earned higher scores for this metric, making Bambo's results better than you might have thought on their own.
This diaper earned an average score for leakage with a 6 of 10.
This diaper had a small amount of run-off during tests for leakage. Run off indicates that liquid didn't absorb as quickly as some of the other diapers resulting in a potential for leaks. Also, some online reviewers indicated they experienced leaks as well.
Being able to absorb liquids and prevent leaks is what a diaper is all about so it would have been nice to see higher scores here. However, only nine other options scored higher out of 24 diapers, so it isn't that your Bambo diaper will fail to perform. We think the trade-off of the occasional leak is worth it given the impressive health and ecology scores of this diaper.
Bambo earned a 7 of 10 for comfort which is average for the group. The high in this metric is 9 with about nine other diapers scoring higher. However, within the top four products, only Babyganics earned a higher score for comfort with an 8, indicating that comfort doesn't translate to functional.
Bambo uses bamboo for the back fabric and inner liner. The fabric is soft, and the motion points are skin-friendly with no roughness compared to the competition. The elastic on the sides and back aren't our favorite, but the rest of the diaper is cozy.
Bambo earned the highest score in our tests for health with an 8 of 10. Only Seventh Generation diapers earned as high of a score with Nature Babycare coming in second place with a 7. This is pretty impressive for 24 diapers tested.
Bambo has made strong efforts to provide a baby friendly diaper with as few additives and irritants as possible, so you get the safest disposable diaper possible going against your baby's skin. Bambo also provides one of the most transparent ingredient lists we have seen, and we are impressed by the amount of knowledge they provide to help consumers make informed choices.
This diaper is free of chlorine, latex, lotions, perfumes, dyes (though it uses pigments on the waistband), deodorants, phthalates, organotins, heavy metals formaldehyde, PVC and more (see video below at 0:55). If knowing what is in your baby's diaper is your thing, you'll be more than pleased with the disclosure and clarity provided throughout the Bambo website.
Bambo earned a 6 of 10 for ecological, which is 2 points higher than the average. Only three products scored higher.
Bambo is a "green diaper" that is making greater strides than the average diaper to create a product that is easier on the Earth than most disposable options. They do offer a full disclosure list, and they include what best practices they use during the manufacturing process. Bambo uses a Denmark manufacturing company that has the coveted Nordic Swan endorsement which is hard to earn and keep and means they are living up to a certain standard that limits their impact on the environment. We love this!
Bambo earned a 6 of 10 for durability, which is the average score for the metric and group.
This diaper isn't the most durable in the group, but given the lifespan of a diaper, it doesn't necessarily need to last forever. Online reviewers had complaints of faulty tabs and the diaper falling apart. We didn't experience that during testing, but we also recognize our testing period and the number of diapers is lower than the average time your baby will be in diapers, so it is important to consider outside experience.
Information on how Bambo diapers and made and what they do and do not contain.
Bambo diaper is a green option that earned the highest score for health in our tests.
Performance Comparison
This chart provides a quick comparison of the overall scores earned by each diaper we tested in this review. Bambo earned an impressive 4th place out of 24 products tested with the highest score for health in the group.
The sections below outline the details of each metric we tested and how Bambo performed compared to the competition. Overall scores are based on metric results with a stronger emphasis on absorption and leakage because that is what a diaper needs to function properly.
Bambo earned an average score for absorption indicating it can get the job done, but there are options that work better.
Absorption
Bambo earned a 6 of 10 for absorption which is just above the average of 5 for the group. In our previous disposable diaper review, Bambo earned a higher performance score for this metric. This could be a result of changes made to the diaper recently.
This diaper had some moisture transfer to the test paper. It isn't a significant amount and is better than many of the diapers we tested, but any wetness on the paper indicates wetness that could be against baby's skin. Wetness on the skin could lead to irritation or diaper rash, especially if your baby has sensitive skin prone to irritation. That being said, only seven diapers of the 24 tested earned higher scores for this metric, making Bambo's results better than you might have thought on their own.
The Bambo diaper had some run-off in the pan and more moisture absorption on the test paper than some of the competition.
Leakage
This diaper earned an average score for leakage with a 6 of 10.
This diaper had a small amount of run-off during tests for leakage. Run off indicates that liquid didn't absorb as quickly as some of the other diapers resulting in a potential for leaks. Also, some online reviewers indicated they experienced leaks as well.
Being able to absorb liquids and prevent leaks is what a diaper is all about so it would have been nice to see higher scores here. However, only nine other options scored higher out of 24 diapers, so it isn't that your Bambo diaper will fail to perform. We think the trade-off of the occasional leak is worth it given the impressive health and ecology scores of this diaper.
The inner liner and back of the Bambo are soft and very skin friendly.
Comfort
Bambo earned a 7 of 10 for comfort which is average for the group. The high in this metric is 9 with about nine other diapers scoring higher. However, within the top four products, only Babyganics earned a higher score for comfort with an 8, indicating that comfort doesn't translate to functional.
Bambo uses bamboo for the back fabric and inner liner. The fabric is soft, and the motion points are skin-friendly with no roughness compared to the competition. The elastic on the sides and back aren't our favorite, but the rest of the diaper is cozy.
Health
Bambo earned the highest score in our tests for health with an 8 of 10. Only Seventh Generation diapers earned as high of a score with Nature Babycare coming in second place with a 7. This is pretty impressive for 24 diapers tested.
Bambo has made strong efforts to provide a baby friendly diaper with as few additives and irritants as possible, so you get the safest disposable diaper possible going against your baby's skin. Bambo also provides one of the most transparent ingredient lists we have seen, and we are impressed by the amount of knowledge they provide to help consumers make informed choices.
This diaper is free of chlorine, latex, lotions, perfumes, dyes (though it uses pigments on the waistband), deodorants, phthalates, organotins, heavy metals formaldehyde, PVC and more (see video below at 0:55). If knowing what is in your baby's diaper is your thing, you'll be more than pleased with the disclosure and clarity provided throughout the Bambo website.
Ecological
Bambo earned a 6 of 10 for ecological, which is 2 points higher than the average. Only three products scored higher.
Bambo is a "green diaper" that is making greater strides than the average diaper to create a product that is easier on the Earth than most disposable options. They do offer a full disclosure list, and they include what best practices they use during the manufacturing process. Bambo uses a Denmark manufacturing company that has the coveted Nordic Swan endorsement which is hard to earn and keep and means they are living up to a certain standard that limits their impact on the environment. We love this!
Some online reviewers indicated faulty tabs on the Bambo diapers.
Durability
Bambo earned a 6 of 10 for durability, which is the average score for the metric and group.
This diaper isn't the most durable in the group, but given the lifespan of a diaper, it doesn't necessarily need to last forever. Online reviewers had complaints of faulty tabs and the diaper falling apart. We didn't experience that during testing, but we also recognize our testing period and the number of diapers is lower than the average time your baby will be in diapers, so it is important to consider outside experience.
Manufacturer Video
Information on how Bambo diapers and made and what they do and do not contain.
—
Juliet Spurrier, MD & Wendy Schmitz