Best Diaper Pails

When we looked through the What to Expect community forums, we found that the Ubbi diaper pail was easily mentioned most often. Many parents raved about how easy it is to use and how well it masks diaper smells: A lot noted that they used the Ubbi for several years (and through multiple babies) without any issues related to smell.

It has a sleek design and comes in a lot of different color choices to match your nursery, unlike most other diaper pails that are only offered in white. But one of the best things about the Ubbi is that you don’t need special bags for it, which is a convenient money saver (and means it can be used as a regular garbage pail down the line). 

“We use the Ubbi and love it, particularly that it takes normal trash bags so you don’t have to spend a fortune on special bags,” says Robin Hilmantel, What to Expect’s Senior Director of Editorial Strategy and Growth, . “It really does a good job of keeping the odor contained.” She notes that she tries to take poop diapers to the outdoor garbage can right away and occasionally uses a Munchkin Arm and Hammer Nursery Freshener in the Ubbi to keep it fresh.

Sarah Darby, What to Expect’s Senior SEO Content Strategist, also used the Ubbi with her son and really appreciated that she could use any garbage bag with it. “It also holds more diapers at a time, so I only have to take the bag out one to two times per week and it never smells when closed,” she says, noting that like Robin, she puts a Mrs. Meyer’s Essentials Oils packet in the bottom of the Ubbi to keep it fresh. She also adds that although it lacks a foot pedal, it’s still easy to use one-handed — just slide the top open and toss the diaper in. 

Parents also attested to the fact that bags were easy to change, but some noted that a very full bag creates some suction to the pail that can make it hard to remove. One other downside is that it’s still a pricey diaper pail, despite the lack of the foot pedal. However, many reviewers felt that the impressive odor-masking and ability to use any garbage bags available are what set this pail apart from the rest.

Weight: 5.15 pounds 

Dimension: 12.5 x 8.75 x 21.6 inches

Capacity: 20 larger diapers, 55 newborn diapers

Hands-free? No

Material: Steel

The Munchkin Step diaper pail is another popular option among the What to Expect community. With a self-sealing system and space for a baking soda puck, this pail was designed with odor-blocking as a top priority. The bags seal shut each time you close the pail to keep the odor out, and the lavender-scented baking soda puck keeps you from smelling dirty diapers when you open the lid. It also has a foot pad so you can open the lid and chuck the dirty diaper in without any fuss. 

I’ve personally used the Munchkin diaper pail with both of my kids and have very little complaints. Although it’s small, I found that it still holds an impressive amount of diapers. And, I like that it’s very easy to use, even when holding a newborn, although the opening to put the diaper in is a little tight. I don’t have any problems with odor, either

However, I’ve found that changing the bags isn’t the easiest. There’s no built-in cutter, so you need to have scissors on hand to cut the bags. Plus, sometimes the extra bags get tangled around the refill rings, making it hard to pull them through. It also gets expensive fast: The bags need to be purchased regularly, and you have to swap the baking soda pucks out every few weeks. If you’re looking for something budget-friendly, this may not be it, but I do love it for its impressive odor control. 

Weight: 11 pounds

Dimension: 12.44 x 11.5 x 27.5 inches

Capacity: 30 diapers 

Hands free? Yes

Material: Plastic

This Skip Hop diaper pail has a tall, slim design that allows it to easily stand against a wall or dresser without taking up too much room. It also has a built-in storage compartment on top to hold diaper essentials that you’ll want nearby, saving you even more space.

As far as odor control goes, this one has some great features in place. It has a dual air-lock disposal system that traps odors in the pail by releasing the diaper into the bag once the lid is closed tightly. It’s also made of stainless steel to really lock odors in and make it more durable and long-lasting. And, you can use your regular kitchen garbage bags inside. 

This one has pretty great reviews, with many users noting that it fits well in narrow spaces next to their changing area. They also appreciate having wipes, diapers and ointments in a convenient spot. However, some reviewers have said that the dual air-lock disposal system has some flaws: It may not let the garbage bag fill up completely since it needs room to release the diaper. Others struggled with pressing the button hard enough to release the diaper. That said, many noted that the airlock system worked well once they figured out how to use it.  

Weight: 9.35 pounds

Dimension: ‎8.25 x 27.25 x 14.5 inches

Capacity: 30 diapers 

Hands-free? No

Material: Steel

The Diaper Genie is the OG diaper pail, with thousands of great reviews and plenty of feedback from the What to Expect community. The Diaper Genie Complete is packed with features and holds a lot of dirty diapers — up to 36 newborn sized ones. This is a great option if your baby needs to be changed a lot or if you have multiples. Although it may get smelly if you don’t change it often, it has several odor-blocking designs in place including an air-tight clamp and a carbon filter at the top. 

“The Diaper Genie does a really great job of containing the diaper stench,” says Christine Mattheis, Group VP of Content & Brand Solutions at What to Expect. “I liked that it was tall enough to contain many diapers before needing to take the bag out to the trash.” She also adds that she found it very easy to use and was notably highly kid-proof — even up against her toddler who managed to get into everything but the Diaper Genie.

Grace Pan, Product Designer at What to Expect, tested both the Diaper Genie Complete and Diaper Genie Expressions and preferred the Complete. “I love the Complete because it’s tall, so adults don’t have to bend over to throw a diaper away,” she says. “It also has a large capacity to contain diapers.” She notes that the hole on the Expressions is quite small, while the hole on the Complete is large enough to toss diapers away with no mess.

One major downside of the Diaper Genie is that it requires special bags. However, they have a multi-layer film that keeps odor in and inhibits bacterial growth, so you might find that they’re quite handy. 

Although there are thousands of positive reviews on the Diaper Genie, it’s worth noting that some parents in the What to Expect community found that it didn’t hold in odors as much as they wished it would. And Christine ended up having to throw her Diaper Genie out once her child was potty trained because the pail smelled so bad inside. So, it might not be a good option if you want to use it for more than one child over time.

Weight: 8.36 pounds 

Dimension: ‎‎12.06 x 9.38 x 27 inches

Capacity: 36 newborn diapers

Hands-free? Yes

Material: Plastic

Most of the diaper pails on this list cost at least $70. In comparison, the Dekor Classic is much more affordable at just $35. If you don’t want to spend a lot but still want a diaper pail that will block odors, this is a great option to choose with plenty of positive reviews on both Amazon and in the What to Expect community. It has several important features, such as dual rubber seals to lock in odors and an easy-access door for changing the bag without fuss. 

The foot pedal makes it easy to toss diapers one handed, and the built-in cutter makes cleaning out a dirty bag so simple. The way the Dekor bag is designed is that it supplies one continuous liner without a specific length. You use the built-in cutter to cut the bag where you need it, which means you won’t waste any bags by throwing them out before they’re full. Parents who use cloth diapers can also instead opt for the reusable cloth diaper liner.

“I’ve used other diaper pails when visiting friends, but I always find my Dekor to be the one I like the most,” says Leah Rocketto, Associate Commerce Editor at What to Expect. “I like to throw out the dirty diaper as soon as it’s off, and the foot pedal makes it easy to do that without having to take a hand off my baby.” Leah adds that the Dekor holds more diapers than people would expect; she changed it two to three times a week when her daughter was at peak dirty diaper production. She hasn’t had any issues with odors, but does have to push the lid down herself. (This, however, could be because her Dekor was a hand-me-down.)

For those who do have to  change the bag more frequently, the Dekor makes it easy to do so. And, more frequent bag changes are more likely to cut down on odors. Parents found that the built-in bag cutter made changes quickly and appreciated the small, compact size that allowed them to put the pail just about anywhere.

Weight: 6.7 pounds

Dimension: 12.25 x 21 x 8.75 inches 

Capacity: 4 gallons 

Hands-free? Yes

Material: Plastic