Best Diaper Pails of 2020
Nobody likes a smelly diaper, least of all 30 of them sitting in a trash bag and stinking up a perfectly pretty nursery.
That’s where a diaper pail comes in handy. These specialized trash cans employ mechanisms to seal off scent and absorb odors to keep your baby’s room from smelling like a porta potty.
Do You Need a Diaper Pail?
A diaper pail isn’t an absolute necessity. It’s true that you can use a regular trash can in your nursery. But in all honesty, you might find yourself breathing through your mouth rather than your nose.
If you want to truly minimize the smell of dirty diapers, you have two options. The first is to run every used diaper to an outside trash can. And that can get old, real fast-especially in the middle of the night. Or, you can use a diaper pail. Because they’re designed to lock in the formidable odor of soiled diapers, these containers help reduce unpleasant odors.
You’ll be using your diaper pail from day one and into toddlerhood, so it’s an investment that lasts years. Plus, some diaper pails can be used as regular trash cans after the diaper days have passed.
What to Consider When Choosing a Diaper Pail
While all diaper pails try to conquer the smell issue, different models offer various benefits. Here are some things to think about when making your decision:
- Liners: Some diaper pails require special refills, which can add up. Others let you use regular kitchen trash bags.
- How to get the diapers in: Most diapers pails have either a squeegee contraption you push the dirty diapers through, or a trap door or a simple hole that the diaper can fall through.
- How to get the diapers out: Will you need to lift a bag full of diapers out of the container? Or is there a side door for easy access to the bag?
How We Chose Our Best Diaper Pails
We asked thousands of real Babylist families about the products they love the most now that their little one has arrived. We took the top products they shared with us and added our own research and insight. Here are the diaper pails we think you and your baby will love.
Best-Looking Diaper Pail
Why We Love It
We don’t normally think attractive when we think trash can, but because the Ubbi is made from sleek steel and available in a variety of colors, it’s easy to find a handsome match for your nursery. Beyond good looks, the Ubbi’s steel construction prevents odors from seeping into the container itself (which can happen with plastic), containing the yuck factor like a champ. It also has a child lock on the lid to keep your toddler from “exploring.” The bonus? You can use a regular kitchen trash bag or reusable cloth liner with it.
Keep in Mind
Unlike other options that feature a foot lever for hands-free opening, the Ubbi requires one free hand to open the slider on top.
What Babylist Parents Say
“Love it! It’s stylish and keeps odors locked up. Plus it’s big so we change the bag about one time a week.” -Pamela S.
High-Tech Odor Fighter
Why We Love It
This classic diaper pail uses a clamping system and its own special bags to seal off each diaper you stuff into the trash. Since each stink bomb is contained, you won’t get a rush of nasty air coming up when you open the trash can or when you change the bag, which usually happens with other models.
Keep in MInd
You do have to compact the diaper through a squeezing mechanism. Be sure to seal used diapers up tight so they don’t leak as you handle them.
What Babylist Parents Say
“I never notice a smell with the Diaper Genie, and it’s easy to refill.” -Dana W.
Best Budget Diaper Pail
Why We Love It
The Diaper Champ Deluxe is a simple diaper pail with a rotating, flip-top lid that cuts down on odor. With one hand, you can deposit a diaper in the top and flip the handle over to send it into the trash bag. What parents love most though is that you don’t need specialized diaper pail liners (aka trash bags) or scent pucks. You can use regular kitchen trash bags and keep an open box of baking soda in the bottom if you like, which makes the long-term cost of this diaper pail practically zero.
Keep in Mind
This diaper pail is smaller, which means you’ll need to change the trash bag every couple of days.
Easiest Diaper Pail to Change
Why We Love It
A bag of dirty diapers is suprisingly heavy, and some pails make it an Olympian feat to lift a full bag out. But not the Munchkin. With a step-lever that opens to let you change the bag, it’s a breeze to reload. Plus, the top of the bag snaps shut, keeping nasty odors enclosed. The Munchkin also sprinkles a bit of baking powder into the trash bag each time a diaper is deposited, like your own personal diaper fairy.
Keep in Mind
While we like how the Munchkin seals the top of the bag after a diaper has been pushed through, some parents have reported getting their hand stuck in the self-sealing mechanism as they release the diaper down into it. Also, you’ll need to purchase the special pail liners (aka trash bags) and baking soda refill cartridges, making this a pricier option in the long run.
Best Hands-Free Diaper Pail
Why We Love It
Like the Munchkin, the Dekor also boasts a side door for changing a full bag of diapers. But the best benefit of this pail is that you don’t have to stuff dirty diapers through some sort of squeegee contraption. The trapdoor quickly opens when a diaper weighs down on it. And it has a foot lever for hands-free opening!
Keep in Mind
Though the Dekor has its own liner refills, know that regular trash bags will also work with it. And if you’re cloth diapering, they make special bags for that.
What Babylist Parents Say
“Keeps smells out and the foot pedal is a life saver.” -Devon
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