Diaper pails
simplehuman Diaper Can
Our take
Beautiful, hands-free and quiet, but the split lid leaves a gap that let odors out in BabyGearLab's test, and it needs simplehuman's own liners.
Hands-freeSteelProprietary liners
Consider instead: Munchkin STEP for the best odor control.
Before you buy
Do you need it?Nice to have Some parents love theirs; others regret pails that need proprietary refill bags and fill fast. A lidded trash can emptied daily works too.
Cost per monthAbout $3.33 a month over a typical 30 months of use. Our estimate; your use may be shorter or longer.
Cheaper optionMunchkin STEP Diaper Pail: About $60, scored 78 (Good).
Secondhand?Fine secondhand. Fine secondhand after a deep clean.
TipCheck whether it takes regular trash bags before you buy.
What parents and testers say
Recurring praise
- Hands-free pedal
- Quiet, well built
Recurring complaints
- Weak odor control
- Expensive
- Needs its own liners
Our summary of patterns across the reviews and threads linked below, not quotes.
Materials & safety check
2 of 2 checks clear.
MaterialsSteel body; no artificial scent
RecallsNone found in CPSC diaper pail recalls since 2020
When to buy it
Registry
Add with the nursery furniture
By 36 weeks
Set up the changing area
~6 months+
Strap use matters more as baby starts rolling
Other diaper pails we scored
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Reports from parents who've used a product for months are the hardest thing to find. Yours goes only to our team and helps keep this score honest. It isn't published.
Sources
- BabyGearLab: Best diaper pailsbabygearlab.com
- CPSC recall database: "pail" recalls since 2020saferproducts.gov