Description

Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail Odor Locking

This simple and easy-to-use Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail effectively locks and blocks stinky diapers/ nappies with a combination of factors that make it one of the most efficient pails we have tested. What is unique about it is that it takes regular trash bags, making it one of the most, if not the most cost-effective and convenient pail in the market. It is compact in size, yet it can hold up to a week’s worth of diapers. In addition to this, it also works well for cloth-diaper users. It has a sleek metal construction which is notably of better quality than most plastic pails you will find. You also get a wide range of choices, colors and patterns available to you.

The fact that you can use regular trash bags gives the Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail several advantages over the competition. The setup is very simple and straight forward. You simply use it as any garbage can nad you are ready to go. No need of complicated locking. All there is to it is for the bag to go through the ring and under the front tab,. So simple that you don’t really need instructions. The added benefit to using regular bags means emptying the pail is as easy as emptying a trash can. Now, think about the savings you will be making. You could easily spend over $145-300 over three years using other proprietary diaper pails refills. That alone gives me shivers. It is more expensive upfrnt, but the savings are long term, plus trash bags are readily available anywhere so you avoid the risk of running out at the worst time. If you, however, struggle with the thought of using normal bags, Ubbi does offer dedicated plastic liners made with 20 per cent recycled materials.

The Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail‘s trash bag setup is one of the few diaper pails designed to work with cloth diapers as well as disposables. This is a big selling point. Pails that use proprietary inserts can’t handle them. Ubbi also makes its own cloth-diaper insert bag expressly for this purpose, should you need it.

Setting up the pail

The Ubbi’s metal body and lid, rubber seals, and sliding hatch door do a very good job of keeping in odors locked in. This is noticeable if you happen to have it in the room. What is unavoidable is that there is some smell that does escape when you put diapers in and when you empty the pail, but this happens with pretty much every diaper pail we have tested, so nothing out of the ordinary. Filling up the Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail is much easier than many of its competitors. To operate it, you simply slide the Ubbi’s hatch across the top of the pail, this will allow you to put the pail right up against the wall until it is ready to be emptied. The big white knob that opens the hatch is easy and simple to use, even if one-handed with your baby on your arms. You can easily slide it with the back of your hand or the wrist, even if holding the soiled diaper. That oversized knob is a life saviour, especially during the night, as it is easy to find, even if half asleep. On top of this and for peace of mind, the Ubbi has an optional, easy-to-use childproof lock.

The Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail itself has a narrow profile so it will sit neatly anywhere you want without drawing much attention to itself. The Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail makes it easy to reach into the pail and move the diapers aside with your hand or with the diaper you’re holding. Other models’ smell-isolating mechanisms have physical barriers that make that difficult. To some extent, you can see and feel inside the Ubbi when you throw a diaper in, so you will know when it is ready to change.

The well-constructed Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail is built to last, with few weak points ins its manufacturing compared to other models. It is made almost entirely of powder-coated steel, which lasts longer (and makes it sturdier too) than the plastics used in most models. The components fit well together, the lid closes snugly, and the hatch slides neatly and quietly into place. What more do you want, really.

Things we wished it had

The Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail does not entirely eliminate odors from diaper changing. Unfortunately, it will smell sometimes when you open the pail to throw away a diaper and when you empty the pail. Unavoidables as it is, there will be times, depending largely on your kid’s output, when opening it will release a truly nasty stench. But this is true of all the pails we tested except for the Munchkin Step and the Tommee Tippee. You should consider any of those two if smalls are a real issue for you.

The Ubbi design can be a little baffling at first. The lateral push/pull opening is not intuitive and it lacks a foot pedal which many people expect. However, the knob the Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail has instead allows for an easy, one-handed use so we feel this is not too much of a problem. Additionally, taking the bag out when the Ubbi is stuffed to maximum capacity can be a little demanding and require a fair bit of force. We highly recommend that you use strong trash bags, otherwise, do not wait until the pail is full or else you will be in the middle of a potentially nasty surprise.

Verdict

Sturdy as the pail is, it is not designed for abuse. The steel can get dinged or dented if struck hard enough. You might be able to fix some dents by pushing them back out but best not to make the dent in the first place. The Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail is more expensive upfront than most diaper pails. But as noted above, this is offset over time, given the fact that it uses regular trash bags. The lifetime cost of using this diaper pail is among the lowest of all the pails we considered.