The 9 Best Diaper Pails
Updated by · How we research
Refill pails versus pails that take any kitchen bag: nine diaper pails compared on odor control, running cost and ease of use. The Ubbi Steel leads. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
No diaper pail stops smell completely. The lid has to open, so what counts is how well the bag and seal hold odor between trips to the trash. The bigger split is cost: some pails take any kitchen bag, while others need the maker's refills for as long as your child wears diapers. Two picks here suit adult incontinence care.
Editor's Notes
November 1, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
The Ubbi Steel now leads this list. It takes any kitchen bag, which keeps the cost of running it low for years, and its steel body won't hold onto smells the way older plastic pails can. The Munchkin Step, Diaper Genie Complete and Janibell Akord stay. The Akord is now the Janibell Akord Slim, a narrower size that fits beside a toilet, and Dekor renamed its pails, so the Dekor EKO Classic replaces the Dekor Plus.
The Creative Baby Tidy, Busch Systems Odorless and Safety 1st Easy Saver have gone off the market, and the Diaper One N Done and Skip Hop Dual Air Lock have no current listing. New picks are the steel Diaper Genie Platinum, two pails that take plain trash bags from Foundations and Momcozy, and the Ubbi Adult for incontinence care.
No lab has published a recent diaper pail test we could read, so the order rests on the makers' capacity and refill figures, a side-by-side owner comparison of the Ubbi and the Diaper Genie, parents' discussions of which pails hold in smell, and a check of every brand against federal recall records, which turned up no pail recalls.
Earlier notes
April 3, 2020, by Tina Morna Freitas:
When choosing the best diaper pail for your family, there are a couple of basic things to keep in mind. You'll want to consider the type of diapers you plan to be using, between cloth or disposable, how often you want to be emptying the unit, and whether you prefer odor control or style to be your top priority.
While many pails could serve cloth or disposable diapering needs, the Busch Systems Odorless takes into account the unique needs of cloth diapering. The wide opening can even accept the bulkiest all-in-ones, and the carbon filter in the top still allows for some air flow into the pail, instead of sealing it off completely, without air the cloth diapers are more likely to develop mold or bacteria growth.
If you're the type to put off emptying the pail as long as possible, then cloth diapering probably isn't for you, and you'll want to stick with a choice that really seals in the smells with an odor controlling bag, like the Playtex Diaper Genie Complete, or the Munchkin Step.
The Munchkin Step stays in the top spot because it excels at odor control. A lot of pails keep the smell out of the room most of the time, but parents might need to endure a brief whiff of poo every time they put in another. If you're extremely sensitive to smells, the Munchkin's bag automatically twists every time you close the lid, sealing out odors for the next changing. Plus its white with chrome trim is a neutral look that will probably just blend into the background of most nurseries.
If your baby's room is decorated to the hilt, the Ubbi Steel is widely considered the most stylish choice. There's a wide range of vibrant and pastel colors and it's one of the few pails that is made out of steel for those who consider plastic an eyesore. It can't match the Munchkin on odor control, but the Ubbi is well-sealed when not in use with a small sliding hole in the lid to help you minimize any escaping smells.
Also in this year's update, we needed to remove the Baby Trend Champ Deluxe because it's no longer available, and replaced it with the Skip Hop Dual Air Lock. Like it's name suggests, this option solves the stink issue by having a separate compartment to place the diaper in, and only when the top is closed will the inner door drop the diaper to the bin below.
Refills Or Any Bag: The Cost That Keeps Coming
Any-bag pails, such as the Ubbi, Foundations and Momcozy, rely on a tight lid and a rubber gasket instead, and take ordinary kitchen or trash bags.
Pails fall into two camps. Refill pails, such as the Diaper Genie, Munchkin and Dekor models, use the maker's own film: a tube or ring of multi-layer plastic that you twist, cut and knot. That film is part of how they hold odor, and Diaper Genie's own buyer's guide argues that standard bags may not fit snugly in pails designed for refills. The trade-off is that you keep buying refills for as long as your child wears diapers, often two or three years.
Any-bag pails, such as the Ubbi, Foundations and Momcozy, rely on a tight lid and a rubber gasket instead, and take ordinary kitchen or trash bags. They usually cost more at the start and less over time. A parent who owned both an Ubbi and a Diaper Genie compared them side by side and found the Genie quicker to use thanks to its foot pedal, while the steel Ubbi won on durability and bag cost.
If you already buy kitchen bags in bulk, an any-bag pail is the simple choice. If you'd rather never fiddle with a bag ring, a refill pail does more of the work for you.
Keeping The Smell Down
Every pail lets out a little smell when it opens. What separates them is how well they hold it in the rest of the time. Clamps that pinch the bag shut, a sealed trap door and a carbon filter all help. The Diaper Genie guide also points out that plastic can absorb odor over time, while stainless steel doesn't, and that baking soda or scented oils mostly mask smells and need to be refreshed.
The biggest factor is you. Empty the pail before it's packed, especially once a baby starts solid foods, and wipe the lid and gasket now and then. A pail in a warm room fills the room with smell faster, so keep it away from heaters and sunny windows. In parent forums such as this Reddit thread, the Munchkin and the Ubbi come up again and again as the pails that keep a nursery fresh.
Height matters for comfort too. Most pedal pails stand about knee to hip high, so check the spot beside your changing table before you buy.
Safety, Cloth Diapers And Adult Use
We checked every brand on this list against the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's SaferProducts database and found no diaper pail recalls. Toddlers are curious about anything with a lid, though, so a child lock is worth having, and spare bags and refill film belong out of reach, since loose plastic is a suffocation risk for small children.
These pails are built for disposable diapers. Cloth diapers do better in a washable pail liner or a zippered wet bag that goes straight into the washer, and any lidded bin can hold one. Dekor markets its pails for cloth as well, but a pail made for sealed film isn't a laundry hamper.
Adult incontinence products are bulkier, so adult pails are larger or use bigger bags. The Janibell Akord Slim uses its own liner and fits beside a toilet, while the Ubbi Adult takes a tall kitchen bag. A baby pail works for occasional adult use, but it fills quickly.
How we researched this
We compared 16 diaper pails, including every size in the Dekor, Diaper Genie and Janibell lines, read the makers' capacity, refill and warranty details, Diaper Genie's buyer's guide and a parent's side-by-side comparison of two pails, analyzed owner feedback and parent forum discussions, and checked 14 brands against the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall records.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a diaper pail?
Not strictly. A lidded trash can and frequent trips outside work. A pail mainly cuts down on those trips and keeps the smell in the nursery lower between them.
Is there a diaper pail that uses regular trash bags?
Yes. The Ubbi Steel, Foundations Tall, Momcozy Triple-Seal and Ubbi Adult all take standard kitchen or trash bags, so there are no refills to buy.
Is a steel diaper pail better than a plastic one?
Steel doesn't absorb odor and tends to last longer. Plastic pails cost less, but they can hold onto smells after a few years of use.
Can I use a diaper pail for cloth diapers?
It's better to use a washable pail liner or a wet bag that goes in the washer. Pails built for sealed film refills are meant for disposables.
Are there diaper pails for adults?
Yes. The Janibell Akord Slim and the Ubbi Adult are sold for adult incontinence products. They hold bulkier briefs than a baby pail.
