The Best Diaper Pails—That Don’t Stink

Pros

• Uses regular trash bags
• Child safety lock
• Excellent odor control
• Sleek design

Cons

• Expensive
• Not hands-free
• Short for tall parents

The Ubbi is a registry favorite for Babylist parents, with 37% of caregivers in the Best Baby Products survey ranking it as their top pick. It’s beloved for its simplicity, style and superb odor control. I’ve owned one for more than two years and can confirm it excels in both form and function. It only stinks if the lid is accidentally left open, it’s low maintenance and it looks good in any nursery.

The Ubbi is made from steel, which experts say is a big factor in why it’s better at containing odors than many leading plastic diaper pails. “Plastic absorbs smells and gets stinkier faster,” explains Huff. Even with its large capacity—it holds about 20 toddler-sized diapers and 55 newborn diapers— you’ll only need to take the bag out once or twice a week at most. (Pro tip: if the bag is really full, it can get stuck or tear, so don’t overstuff it.) The steel construction also contributes to the pail’s longevity; many moms on my local Facebook parent group told me their Ubbi lasted through multiple children, with one noting it’s still going strong after five years.

The Ubbi doesn’t require any special bags, a big pro. Most parents (myself included) use standard kitchen-sized bags, saving time, money and my sanity. “Specialty bags can be more expensive and less convenient to replace, so this is a great feature to consider,” says Hunter. The Ubbi can also be used with a reusable cloth liner to stash dirty cloth diapers.

Another big pro is the pail’s lock. Unlike some diaper pails on our list, the Ubbi features a unique child safety lock to keep curious little hands from digging through the trash to retrieve the dirty diaper you just threw out and they’re crying to put back on. (Toddlers, am I right?) It’s also a great feature to have if you’re using your Ubbi with a baby and there’s an older sibling wandering around. And as a parent who cares about aesthetics, I especially appreciate the Ubbi’s sleek and modern design and plethora of pretty colors and patterns to coordinate with your nursery style.

Maintenance-wise, the brand recommends wiping any stains away with a dry cloth—stay away from spray cleaners or anything that will add moisture to the pail. And while some parents may not love the manual sliding door, it’s easy enough to use while holding a diaper in the same hand and holding your baby with the other—you just need to remember to unlock the pail prior to changing your baby for more ease of use. (If dirty diapers really gross you out, you may want to consider a foot pedal-style diaper pail that’s completely hands-free.) I also wish the Ubbi was a little bit taller—I’m 5’5” and have to bend down slightly to shove a diaper in. It is, however, quite compact so it’s great for small nurseries like ours.

Real Parent Reviews

“Unbelievable smell containment! You seriously would not believe how well this diaper pail works. So many people told us just to get a regular garbage can and not bother with a specific diaper pail, but this is so worth it! It holds a ton of diapers and the room doesn’t smell like poo. This brand has the added benefit of not requiring special trash bags—you can use any bag you want. Would definitely recommend this to anyone!” — Kimberly A.

“I love the safety lock so older kiddos can’t find their way into the dirty pail. No smells can escape because it is made of steel. Super easy to use. I love that regular trash bags can be used. Smaller than you would think, and does not take up a lot of space.” — MegAnn S.

“It is SO SMALL. I am 5’10” my husband is 6’2”, we have to bend over to open it. You need one hand free to open the pail and when your hands are occupied with a poopy diaper this is not fun or easy.” — Elizabeth M.

“It’s so sleek, fits in the nursery perfectly and equally functional. Odor control to the max. Highly recommend. Can use any bag too!” — Candice

Additional Specs

Pros

• Clamps and carbon filters lock in smells
• Durable, eco-friendly stainless steel
• Hands-free operation

Cons

• Expensive
• Requires special bags that load from the bottom
• Bigger footprint with a smaller capacity

Many parents notice a big uptick in diaper stink once their baby begins solid foods. You can dump any solid poops in the toilet first to help minimize the stench in our diaper pail, but this isn’t always possible, and some parents don’t want to deal with that, which is why the Diaper Genie Platinum Stainless Steel Diaper Pail is such a lifesaver. It’s equipped with advanced odor control technology, including odor-locking clamps to keep foul smells from seeping out and a carbon filter to absorb and lock in odors from even the most rank diapers, making it worth the investment for a pleasant-smelling nursery—or any parent with a strong gag reflex. Its durable stainless steel construction helps trap odors too, preventing them from absorbing into the pail over time.

“We use it multiple times a day and it keeps the house from smelling like diapers,” one Best Baby Product survey respondent told us. LaBracio agrees; she’s used both the plastic and steel versions of the Diaper Genie and was super impressed with how well the steel contained odors. “It held up to even the stinkiest of diapers,” she says.

If your goal is hands-free diaper disposal, this diaper pail delivers. “As a parent, you’re often holding your baby when disposing of diapers, so a pail that allows you to operate it with one hand or with a foot pedal is a must-have,” says Hunter. The Genie Platinum excels here, diminishing the ick factor of diaper changes with an easy-to-use foot pedal and a wide opening so you can just toss the diaper in and go.

The Diaper Genie Platinum does require special bags, which can be more expensive and inconvenient for parents, especially if you forget to reorder more in time. (Just keep in mind that bags designed specifically for your diaper pail may do a better job of trapping odors—but there’s no harm in experimenting!) The bags feature a durable, multi-layer antimicrobial film with odor-locking barrier technology and fit the pail perfectly to maximize the capacity (47 newborn diapers). The refills load from the bottom, which is initially awkward, but once you’ve done it a few times it’s much easier. And note that this pail stands tall at 27 inches, saving your back, but it’s bigger than the Ubbi and holds fewer diapers—so that’s something to consider.

Real Parent Reviews

“The diaper pail is great for odor control, which in my opinion, is the number one feature when looking for a pail. The size is great too. I appreciate the gentle, quiet close for late night diaper changes. The foot pedal opens the lid easily. Another impressive feature is that it is very easy to get the diaper into the pail—you don’t need to shove it in or put your hand in which can be gross. The stainless steel design is neutral and fits into my child’s decor.” — LodisLoves

“I can be honest and say I didn’t think we ever needed a Diaper Genie, but now I’m not willing to go without. It’s slim and clean looking. There is no smell from any of the diapers and easy to change bags. I do feel like we go thru bags faster then they say they should last but it’s not a big enough deal for it to be an issue.” — Alejandra R.

“The odor trapping capacity on this version is exceptional. If I hadn’t put this diaper pail in here myself, I never would have noticed it because there is no smell coming from it whatsoever. This lid has a soft close function which is great for those middle-of-the-night changes when you’re trying not to wake anyone up more than strictly necessary. Of course, this has a foot pedal to open the lid, which not all brands do, which I love because who wants to be trying to pry open a lid while holding a blow-out diaper? The only reason this is not a 5-star review is because of the way you have to load the bags. Unfortunately, I found this slightly awkward and not as easy as the older models. To load the bags you have to flip the unit over and remove the bottom to insert the box of bags and then turn it upright and open the lid and reach your arm all the way through the whole pail to the bottom to pull the bag to the top. Theoretically, you won’t have to do this very often if you leave the bags connected to each other but this wasn’t the most intuitive or easy process and I actually ended up scraping my finger on a sharp piece of plastic inside the pail because I couldn’t see what I was grabbing. Honestly, not the worst thing and not that big of a deal but I would call it a drawback in an otherwise great product.” — Bailey

Additional Specs

Pros

• Wide opening; works for cloth + disposables
• Uses regular trash bags or Dekor washable liners
• Hands-free and easy to use

Cons

• Holds 1-2 days worth of cloth diapers

Whether you’re thinking about cloth diapering or are a seasoned pro, the Dekor Plus Diaper Pail is versatile enough to meet the needs of most families. Like most products, it has its flaws, but many cloth-diapering Babylist parents agree (and disposable diaper users do, too) that it’s superior to the competition.

The Dekor Plus has a large, 60-disposable diaper capacity and a wide opening up top. Because cloth diapers are generally bigger and bulkier than disposable ones, it’s a popular choice for cloth-diapering parents. “We get about 10-12 cloth diapers [in], which is perfect because they need to be washed after that many [days] anyway,” says one Amazon reviewer.

The foot pedal design also appeals especially to cloth-diapering families who don’t want to squish—or can’t fit—a dirty diaper through a tiny hole. Simply step on the pedal, drop your diaper in and you’re done. The spring-loaded trap door is equipped with a childproof lock so tiny hands and toys don’t wind up in the trash too.

The Dekor Plus works best paired with the brand’s custom continuous liners for disposable diapers or Cloth Diaper Liners, though it can be used with regular trash bags too. With a roughly 6.5-gallon capacity, the cloth liners feature a special waterproof coating to prevent leaks and can be tossed in the washing machine with your cloth diapers for the ultimate convenience. “They fit perfectly, don’t leak and they’re easy to wash and hang dry,” writes Babylist parent Melissa. The pail makes it easy to switch between cloth and disposable diapers for families that want to do both. And once you’re done with diapers, the Dekor can be used as a regular trash can.

Real Parent Reviews

“We are using cloth diapers, so I use this with the reusable Dekor liners. Since the pail comes with the nifty plastic bags attached, we used those until they ran out–such a genius way to refill the pail! This pail is so easy to use–I love that you can open it with your foot!” — Melissa

“I have an eight-month-old [and] we have been cloth diapering exclusively for six months now. This diaper pail is incredibly easy to switch back and forth between the plastic bags for disposable diapers and the wet bag liners for cloth diapers. Love it!! Just the right size.” — Megan

“I use this for cloth diapers. Works great capturing odor, but the little door on the top (that locks in odor) is a bit small for squeezing in cloth diapers. Also, I wish the pail itself was a little bigger, as a full pail is not enough for a full load of laundry so I end up filling it twice before laundering. Have used this for disposables and loved it for that. Overall, a nice design and I like this better than competitor pails.” — Laurel

“Best diaper pail ever. We have a couple others and they are so narrow and are complicated to empty/refill. We rotate between cloth diapers during the day and disposable at night, and this diaper pail makes that transition easy. We bought a second one!” — Maddy N.

Additional Specs

Pros

• Very affordable
• Good odor control
• Easy to use

Cons

• Requires special bags, adding to cost over time
• Small diaper opening requires users to push diapers through

It’s the cheapest option by far, and the Diaper Genie Classic was the second most popular pail in our Babylist survey, with 20% of respondents ranking it as their favorite. “It’s practically no mess, hides stink, doesn’t stand out in the room and is very easy to change out bags,” said one respondent.

“I have both and even though the Genie doesn’t hold as much as the Ubbi, I prefer the Genie,” says South Bay LA mom Jenn. “It definitely secures the smell a lot more.” While the diaper pail itself is a steal at just $30, “the appropriate bags that go inside are expensive, but worth it,” says Danica McAdam, a mother of two toddlers. “We tried to use regular tall kitchen trash bags on occasion, and those just don’t fit right and end up making the room smell.” The Genie Jumbo refills feature excellent odor-locking technology and can be cut and tied at any length so if your baby has a particularly gross diaper you can take out the trash ASAP without wasting a big bag.

It’s not completely hands-free, but the pail does feature a convenient push-button lid so you can juggle your baby with one hand while trashing their dirty diaper with the other. It’s important to note that you do still have to push the diaper through the lid with a little force so you’ll want to be sure it’s wrapped up tight to avoid leaks and messes.

Real Parent Reviews

“The diaper genie is lightweight, masks the diaper smell, doesn’t take up a lot of space, and works nicely!” — Emily D.

“If you rank odor control as your top priority in a diaper pail, this is the one you are looking for. The Diaper Genie Classic scored a 10 out of 10 in that department. However, this pail fell short on other features our house highly regards. We didn’t like how difficult it was to push the diapers into the pail…if it isn’t wrapped tight, you may get some mess on your hand. Changing each bag requires you to cut and re-tie the next bag in the roll which can be time-consuming. The pail also requires you to use their specific refills, which can be pricey.” — Sean H.

“We had one without a locking lid and it leaked smells but this is the perfect solution. Doesn’t take up more room than a trash can and definitely cuts down on the diaper smells. The bags are easy to install and use and the pail hasn’t absorbed any of the stink like our old trash can did.” — Humphrey

Additional Specs