Babble Best: Diaper Disposal Units


Baby Trend Diaper Champ Deluxe
A simple design always wins in the end. The smooth action on the diaper champ dumps the used diaper into the main chamber with a flick of the wrist. This new "deluxe" model is more compact (21") than the original (24"). Pick from pink or blue. We love that we can use any liners or trash bags in this pail. It controlled odor nicely and was solidly constructed. It should be noted the company was VERY hard to contact. Which makes us think customer service could be an issue if you have a problem with your unit. ($34.99)

  $34.99

DATE:
June 2009/July 2009

TESTER:
Nicole Feliciano

TESTING METHODS:
20 diaper pails and wet bags were unboxed and put to use. Testing consisted of putting urine-soaked and poop-filled diapers in all of the disposal units. The cloth diaper systems were tested with regular diapers to test smell control and water-soaked cloth diapers to check leakage control. All units stay with stinky matter in them for 48 hours to test the odor maintenance. Factors we took into consideration were quality of construction, functionality, odor control, mess factor and price.

NOTES:
All products were shipped by the companies for testing purposes only. No compensation was received by the tester from any of the brands. A few competitors are no longer producing models, but you may find them in stores, such as the Graco Touch-Free and Sassy's Hands Free Pail. 

BEST DESIGN: Blueberry Diaper Pail Liner

Pick from more than a dozen cheerful colors and prints of this eco-friendly sack. This machine washable bag is a favorite of the cloth crowd and fits about 20 diapers. The elastic band tightly fits over a standard 13 gallon trash bin. The pull cord can also be looped over a door handle or hook for hanging storage. Zero leaks and good odor control when sealed.

  $21.95

MOST DEPENDABLE: Simplehuman Step Can

Thanks to the 10-year warranty and quality parts you'll be using this sturdy can long after your kid is out of college let alone diapers. The mechanics are exceptional on this noiseless can. We love that the interior pail can be taken out for cleaning. When closed, this can kept all the nasty smells contained. Ideal for urban living where space is tight. While it can use generic bags, the company also sells their own expensive liners.

  $44.99

MOST ORIGINAL: Bambino Mio Diaper Pail

This new Bambino Mio system combines cloth inserts with flushable liners. They made a special pail to hold the wet inserts. The tidy pail holds about 2-3 days worth of inserts in a washable laundry bag. Simply flip the handle to close and lock. When sealed, the pail secures all the smells extremely well. When baby is done with diapers, this pail would make a nice storage container.

  $29.95

BEST NEW MODEL: Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail

Thanks to a nifty baking soda insert the Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail from Munchkin held the odors of noxious diapers for more than a week. The odor control was simply astounding. You'll rack up extra costs due to the baking soda refills and liner bags. ($29.99 and up; initial disposal includes three bags; 10-pak refills $5.99)

  $29.95

Runners Up

 

Diaper Genie II
Set up was tricky — it took three attempts to get all the plastic parts lined up. We were not impressed with the construction. The tall (26") Genie II feels flimsy and we found the pedal fussy. On the plus side, no odors crept through the bag system and we found the bags easy to cut with the interior slicer. A big improvement on the much-derided Genie Twist-Away Model that received 156 one-star ratings on Amazon. Our biggest gripe?  The pricey refill bags that cost $18-$21 for three liner refills.

  $34.99

Diaper Champ
The original model is slightly taller than the deluxe version. We are not sure why this is more expensive. It works well and controls odor just like the Deluxe.

  $49.99

The First Years-Clean Air Diaper Disposal
This unit holds a ton of diapers (about three dozen). Yes, this did keep baby's room odor free for 48 hours. And we liked the flexibility of using any standard trash bag. But this is one of the most overly-complicated solutions to a simple problem we've ever seen. Not only does this unit require batteries (which set us back an additional $9.65 for 4 "Ds") but you'll also need to refill the air filter ($18.75 for two refills). We found the "crimping" system hard to master, making changing the pail a chore.

  $49.99

Diaper Dekor
Like the newer version, this also works with a foot pedal. We like the improvements on the new model for ease of use.

  $29.99

Safety 1st Simple Step Diaper Pail
We like that this small pail worked with the tap of our toe. The designers obviously took their critics to heart when coming up with this design. It was a snap to change the liners — just pop off the lid. Works with your own disc-shaped air fresher unit — place it in the lid's built-in container. A decent value, but don't expect this generic looking pail to last a lifetime.

  $19.99

Rubbermaid Spring Top
An inner lock keeps the bags in place and the lid clicks down to keep smells inside. We found the spring action to be inconsistent and it was hard to get the lid on and off. Available at Home Depot and Kmart. Takes any standard 8 gallon liner.

  $8.50

Happy Heiney's
Pricier than the Palentwise bags, these wet diaper bags now come with a zipper. Fits 5-8 diapers.

  $12.50

Sassy Baby Disposable Diaper Bags
Each sack has built-in ties at the top — like a mini garbage bag. They also provide a fresh powdery scent. We tested these while traveling and thought they were very handy at containing messy situations. We wrapped the offensive diaper in the bag and then tossed without getting into a stinky situation at our hotel. Also works well for apartment dwellers who can make frequent trips to trash chute. 200 count bags. Sadly not very eco-friendly.

  $7.99

Swaddlebees Wet Bag
This bag is well-loved for its portability and sturdy materials. Pick from a wide assortment of colors. Worked well containing the wet mess of about four diapers. A big thumbs up for versatility — we'd also use this for swimsuits and soiled clothes.

  $10.95

Diaper Dekor Plus
This new model has been updated with some delightful features and did a superb job on odors. We were pleased that the first set of bags is already installed and we found the cutting mechanism performed well. The child lock keeps little fingers from getting pinched in the unit's trap door. We are critical of the insubstantial hinged door that releases to change the bag. To keep things green the liners ($16.99 for a two-pack; 670 diapers according to the label) are biodegradable — but again will add to the expense.

  $43.95

Safety 1st Easy Saver Diaper Pail
Simple one-hand unit. Open lid and drop in the diaper. Works with any liner. Many complaints about the lid breaking and the pail doesn't contain odors better than a standard pail.

  $29.99

Classy Kid Biodegradable Diaper Sack
Individual diaper sacks that work well for travel or at home. While not as cheap or sturdy as the Sassy version, these bags will break down in the landfill.

  $3.97

Bumkins Waterproof Quickie Bag
Green on the go. You can stash a wet diaper inside this cute 8" x 11" sack. We love the prints and think this makes a terrific gift.

  $12.95

Second Opinions*

*All "Second Opinions" data is taken from online sales.

 

TOP 5 ON AMAZON

Sassy Diaper Sacks
 

$8

Daiper Genie II
 

$40

Diaper Champ
 

$34

Safety 1st Step Pail
 

$20

Safety 1st Easy Saver
 

$24

 

TOP 5 AT BABIES R US

Diaper Genie II
 

$40

Safety 1st Easy Saver
 

$17

Diaper Champ
 

$35

Diaper Dekor Plus
 

$40

First Years Clean Air
 

$40

 

TOP 3 ON GIGGLE

Diaper Dekor Plus
 

$40

Vipp
 

$319

Bambimo Mio
 

$15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOP 5 ON TARGET.COM

Diaper Champ
 

$35

Diaper Dekor
 

$30

diaperdekorplus
 

$40

Knot-it Bag Dispenser
 

$10

Munchkin Fresh Dispenser

$4

 


“I know this is going to come across as certain way, but the best two things you can do to avoid diaper pail stench are breast feeding and cloth diapering. Disposables typically have perfumes added to them, which (when combined with baby poo) create an unbearable aroma. Diapers like 7th Gen at least don't have the added perfumes, which help, but cloth diapers are the way to go. Breastfed babies also don't have the stink of babies fed human milk substitute. Their systems don't have to work as hard to process their nutrients and there isn't as much funky (stinky) by-product leftover when they eliminate. So for the 40% of American babies who never receive breastmilk after the first week of life and the 92% who receive none after six months, maybe their mothers will reconsider opting out if they knew how much less offensive breastfed babies diapers are ;) I thought after having a baby that my house would have that spine curling baby smell that so many homes have, but it doesn't. Not at all, not even close, not even on a bad day. Most of that particular scent comes from attempts at covering up the funk (scented liners, scented disposable diapers, scented powders). Instead of covering it up, don't generate it to begin with. Breastfeed for a year or two and use diapers that aren't perfumed to high heck! I find these things much less work than the alternative, truly. That all being said, even less stinky cloth diapers need a home. The most awesome diaper pail I've found is the OXO Good Grips 10 gallon steel trash can. Retails for around $100, but I found mine at Marshall's for $70 (in cute yellow). I use a washable liner in the pail, which makes the heavy lid seal even tighter. No hint of an aroma, ever. I'll be using this metal pail for all of our children and it'll make a top notch kitchen trash can when I'm done with it. If you're going to get a diaper pail, I'd strongly recommend going with a steel trash can that you can repurpose later (with a heavy lid). I tried using a Diaper Dekor and it kept the scent in, but it was a pain and was too small.”

1
October 26, 2009

“If you just use a regular garbage can and leave the lid open all the time, there is virtually no odor.”

2
October 26, 2009

“These diaper disposal units are a huge waste of space and money. Why the smell? Maybe the problem rests in keeping a dirty diaper storage container in your home. Just toss the diapers in the trash and then toss the trash every day or two. This works even in an apartment (I know).”

1
October 26, 2009

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MEET OUR TESTERS


Nicole Feliciano is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn, New York. By her estimates, she's walked more than 50 miles this year road-testing strollers. When she's not unboxing baby gear for Babble guides, she writes about parenting style on her blogs: Momtrends and Momtrendsnyc.com.


Kate Bayless is a freelance writer, manuscript editor and sole source of estrogen in her house of two toddlers boys, husband and dog. Visit her at katebayless.com.