I tried Kudos diapers! I found out about the company when researching the best diaper brands to know about, and this was one I actually didn’t know about (yet).

In this review, I’ll go through everything I’ve learned, so you don’t have to do the extensive research nor comparisons I took the time to break down. I’ll also show you how Kudos worked out for our family, and why I’d buy them again (oops—that’s the secret!).

By the end of this review, you’ll know about the benefits of Kudos diapers, the background, a comparison against Coterie diapers and you’ll find out if they’re worth it (and how the price stacks up to the competition, on the whole). Let’s dig in, and not get too dirty!

What is Kudos?

In short, Kudos is a diaper brand I’m excited about. Their marketing is cool. Their website is fun. Their newsletter is informative.

The company is new; Kudos was founded in the 2020s by an MIT grad and mom named Amrita Saigal. I learned all about her here, at the Kudos website. (It’s a fascinating story, by the way: she’s obsessed with “sustainable products that do not compromise on style” and that’s how Kudos came to be.)

Plainly put, Kudos takes diapers (a highly disposable product) and makes them into the world’s first disposable diaper made with 100% cotton liners—not plastic ones. The liner of a diaper is what touches the baby’s skin, so it’s pretty important.

From there, Kudos has been talked about as the cleanest diaper in the industry, as well as the safest diaper in the industry. There’s a lot to discuss here.

Because of all the measures taken to create a safe diaper, Kudos holds a lot of certifications and awards, and I’ll get to those as we review the product in this article.

Want to see all the parts of a Kudos diaper up close? You can see the details in my YouTube video, below!

What I tried

I wanted to try Kudos diapers and the company’s wipes, which are environmentally responsible. I received:

  • Diaper Box and Wipes - 4 / White / One-month (for our toddler)
  • Diaper Box and Wipes - 1 / White / One-month supply (for our baby on the way)

Main things to know

In a rundown format, here are the main takeaways that I’ve learned about Kudos diapers—the things I want to relay to you.

Benefits

  • 100% Cotton-Lined (no plastic!) and a TruCotton breakthrough process of cleaning it sustainably
  • Totally chlorine-free
  • OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified
  • No fragrances, lotions, parabens, phthalates nor natural latex
  • 2 absorption layers instead of 1 (DoubleDry™ technology)
  • Designed to absorb liquid over 12 hours (overnight) with no leaks
  • Ways to bundle and save on purchasing with the monthly subscription box at the website.

My experience with the Kudos diaper

At first feel, it is very silky soft. I was not expecting that (I’m not sure what I was expecting), so that’s a nice surprise. The closure tabs are solid, and the back has a lot of stretch. The flaps for the sides are also wide, which I like in a diaper.

You’ll notice that there are specks in the inside liner of the Kudos diaper in the photo here. Kudos notes that these are the “Natural specks,” from “non-chlorine-bleached cotton.”

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How does the Kudos diaper work out for overnight? So, it definintely can handle a 12+ overnight, is what I found after my testing. However, when I took it off, it felt exceedingly “heavy”–heavier than DYPER Charcoal Enhanced diapers feel when I dispose of them in the morning after 12-13 hours of sleep. I think this has to do with the thickness of the diaper itself, and DYPER’s Charcoal line, which we’ve also used for overnight sleep, are really thick.

There’s nothing wrong with the Kudos diapers, though: there are no leaks, the diaper stays on for a 12-hour night without slipping, it keeps my child’s pajamas dry and there’s no fuss (also no rashes). The Kudos diaper does its job; I’m just being a harsh critic.

Is the Kudos diaper perfect?

For a diaper, it’s near-perfect. If I want to be hyper critical, which is why you likely came to this review, it just doesn’t score a 10/10 everywhere (no diaper does).

Kudos diapers are routinely tested, certified with certifications like OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 and EWG verified requirements (for the wipes) and made without parabens, alcohols, fragrances, chlorine or Propylene Glycol. And they replace that inner diaper liner (the one that touches a baby’s behind) with cotton, rather than plastic.

So where do they fall short? They are made with compostable fibers, but are not fully compostable. The only (and I repeat: the ONLY) diaper company that offers to fully compost diapers is DYPER, through their REDYPER composting service that I mention in my DYPER review.

But that’s about it, in my opinion, having researched a LOT of sustainable diaper options. According to the Kudos website, Kudos diapers are sustainable to a point where even the “TruCotton fibers used in Kudos diapers are cleaned with a breakthrough process that utilizes zero water, chemicals, or process heat.” Pretty incredible.

How are the Kudos wipes?

Kudos also sells wipes, and just like the diapers, they do away with plastic ingredients. Instead, they are made with “premium wood-based VEOCEL™ Lyocell fiber.” As for sustainability, they’re both compostable and biodegradable.

How do they perform?

The texture: they are textured, and they feel nice ‘n wet. They’re a bit slippery, but not as slippery as Pampers wipes (my least favorite because of how often they BREAK during use).

I’m including a photo close-up here so you can really see the texture, size and thickness.

Kudos vs. Coterie: What’s the main difference?

You may be relieved (one way or the other) to find out that Kudos and Coterie nearly fall around the same price.

Again, this is TOTALLY dependent on the size of the diaper you purchase (Coterie makes diapers NB-7 and Kudos makes sizes 1-6). It is also dependent on how you buy the diapers, wether via a one-time purchase, or a monthly subscription box. You’d likely even save more, if you tacked on each brand’s wipes with your diaper purchase.

Regardless of how you buy, what’s the difference between these two brands of luxury diapers? I can give you a few:

  • Kudos uses cotton liners. Coterie does not.
  • In sizes 1-3, Kudos offers fun diaper prints and patterns. Coterie diapers are all white in every size.
  • Kudos does not offer sizes NB nor size 7.
  • Coterie diapers come out at just a LITTLE bit “taller.”
  • Coterie makes a “Pant” product that can be compared to a Pull-Up for older babies in size 3-6.
  • While Coterie has been around as a company for a while longer, Kudos is a newer brand that’s more of a disruptor (see its first big pitch on Shark Tank!)

I think these two upper-tier diaper brands may be easier to compare with what is the same:

  • They’re both designed for sleep, and to last 12 hours for liquid absorption.
  • Both are clean-ingredient plant-based diapers
  • Both have wetness indicators used to show if the diaper is wet.
  • Both are made of materials that are kind to a baby’s skin: Coterie so much so that Coterie claims you won’t need diaper cream, and Kudos claims its extra absorption comes from two layers, not the regular one.

If interested, you can learn more about Coterie diapers at my Coterie brand review.

Are they worth the price?

Here’s the thing: I don’t find Kudos to be all so much more expensive than diaper brands that are one level up from the basics (Huggies, Pampers, Amazon).

Kudos might only be marginally more money per diaper, when I’ve compared prices to brands like Hello Bello, Honest, Millie Moon and DYPER. And to be honest, they may come out to even less than Coterie (it all depends on the volume or the size of the box you purchase).

It’s a bit hard to compare diaper prices if the packages don’t come in the exact same numbers of units, but I will say that “on the whole,” Kudos diapers are priced on par with the main players in the sustainable and responsibly-made diaper end of the diaper market.

Kudos diapers are not excessively more expensive than any other brand. I’m sure the company did a lot to price them on par with the competition, especially given the edge that Kudos has when compared to all the other brands, and that’s the cotton liner. You can see how Kudos stacks up in my list of the best and worst diapers for your baby.

Where to buy Kudos diapers

The best place to buy Kudos diapers is at the Kudos website. And because of the simplicity of the company’s offerings, shopping is pretty straightforward. Do you want diapers, or wipes, or both? Those are the options. And you can also get a gift card.

The next option is Target, where Kudos diapers are now available in the lowest denomination of diapers, per size. For size 1, that means a 76-count box, and for size 4, a 54-count box (and so on). By shopping for Kudos at Target, you can also choose In-Store Pickup from your nearest location (if supplies are available). Target carries all sizes of Kudos diapers, although availability can appear different depending on stock in any given city.

And guess what? Those are currently the only options, so pick your favorite of the two! 😊 You can also use the Store Locator at the Kudos website (which will give you a list of Target stores where Kudos products are sold).

Currently, Kudos is NOT sold on Amazon (and that’s OK!).