Diaper Pails - Diaper Genie vs Ubbi Diaper Pail Comparison
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People try and warn you, but as a new parent, there is no way to be prepared for just how many diapers you will change in the first few months. Or how bad they will smell, which is why a diaper pail is a must for disposable diapers!
There are a lot of choices to make when it comes to diapering: whether it is disposable or cloth diapers? Store-bought or delivery service? Traditional or organic? My husband and I knew that we did not have the time in our busy schedules for cloth diapers so one item on our list that we spent a fair bit of time researching was diaper pails. I wanted our nursery to be a warm and inviting space and did not want to get hit in the face with the smell of dirty diapers every time I walked in. After doing some research we narrowed our diaper pail choices down to the Ubbi Diaper Pail or the Diaper Genie. Here are the things that we considered and why the UBBI DIAPER PAIL was the winner for us
Functionality and Durability
The first thing that I noticed when I began comparing the Ubbi to the Diaper Genie was the design of the pails. The Diaper Genie is made of durable plastic and offers a double airtight clamp that keeps odors locked in. As an added measure against bacteria and the smell they also have an antimicrobial carbon filter. To operate the Diaper Genie you simply have to step on the foot pedal and the lid opens, allowing you to drop the diaper into a trap door, which keeps the smells trapped inside without having to actually touch the pail with your hand.
The Ubbi Pail is made of sleek steel with rubber seals. This makes it heavier, more durable, and does an awesome job of keeping in the smell (athough it hurts like a mother when you kick it during a middle of the night diaper change!) To operate the Ubbi there is a small door on the top of the pail that you have to slide open and insert the dirty diaper. Unlike the Diaper Genie, the Ubbi does not have a double clamp system so when you open this door some of the smell does escape, and it is not a hands-free diaper pail.
As far as ease of use the Diaper Genie wins with the hands-free design, but the Ubbi Pail wins in the durability category due to its steel construction.
Diaper Pail Design
How a product functions is incredibly important, but I think we would all be lying if we said the design of a product didn’t steer some of our decision-making. The Ubbi Pail comes in 12 finishes that include rose gold, wood grain, and marble. In my opinion, the overall design is sleek, polished, and modern-looking, and with so many color/finish options you can find whatever you are looking for for your nursery.
The standard Diaper Genie comes in 5 different solid colors. If you’re looking for something more than a solid color you could consider the Diaper Genie Expressions collection which has a slightly different shape and allows you to decorate the pail with interchangeable fabric sleeves in different designs. These sleeves are sold separately.
I prefer the sleek look and the variety of color/finish options that the Ubbi provides, but if you are planning on having multiple children and want to be able to change the color/pattern of your diaper pail to match different nursery themes then the Diaper Genie Expressions is a good option.
Cost
One of the biggest considerations when making any purchase is the cost. Both pails can be ordered on Amazon (if you’re anything like me I get Prime deliveries almost daily) and at most major retailers. The Diaper Genie and the Diaper Genie Expressions are considerably less than the Ubbi Pail. The Diaper Genie retails for $36.99 and The Expressions retails for $24.99 with the fabric covers ranging in price from $6-$10. The Ubbi retails at double the cost. Initially, my mind went to "why would I pay double the price for a tool that does the same exact thing?" After digging a little deeper I found out that to continue to use the Diaper Genie you have to purchase specific refill bags that cost $20 for a three-pack, while the Ubbi can be refilled with any kitchen-sized garbage bag that you have at home.
When looking at the upfront cost the Diaper Genie is a clear winner, but when you look at long-term cost the Ubbi diaper pail actually ends up being the better deal.
Additional Features
Both options have a few small features that may not seem that important initially, but you realize quickly when you’re changing 15-20 diapers a day that these small details make your life significantly easier. When emptying the Ubbi Pail you have to open the top of the diaper pail and pull the bag out through the top, and while it’s not terribly difficult the bag does get heavy and can be difficult to remove. The center portion of the Diaper Genie opens forward and allows you to easily slide the bag out. When you have to empty the bag as frequently as you do during the first couple of months you want the process to be as easy as possible.
The Ubbi offers a unique feature that hasn’t come in hand yet in our household, but I’m sure will be very useful in the years to come. Ubbi has a child safety lock that will prevent wandering little hands from getting into the diaper pail. I can imagine this will be super helpful once my little one gets to walking.
THE DIAPER PAIL WINNER
After looking at all of the pros and cons between the two options, my husband and I decided the Ubbi diaper pail was the best choice for us. I loved the sleek and simple look of it, which doesn’t detract at all from the nursery, and my husband loved the durability of the steel manufacturing. The deciding factor for me was the replacement bags. I did not want to have to remember to buy the Diaper Genie refills or be running out to the store at 10 pm because we needed more. I can just walk into the kitchen, grab a garbage bag and I’m done.
We have been using the Ubbi Pail for over a year now and I have almost no complaints. I will say that when you open the door to place a new diaper in the smell does escape momentarily, but the seal does a great job of containing it once it's closed again. Because it uses a kitchen-sized garbage bag it holds a lot of diapers. I would say that we only empty the bag once a week to once every other week. I also love how it looks in the nursery. The biggest downfall that I have found is that steel has no give (I know, right?) My suggestion would be having some kind of night light to ensure you don’t stub your toes during those late night diaper changes.
