Diaper Dekor Diaper Pail Video and Review

One question I hear a lot from parents interested in trying cloth diapering is “What do you DO with the dirty diapers?” If you’re used to the idea of bundling up a disposable diaper and just throwing it in the garbage (did you know the package actually says to shake any solids into the toilet before disposing of the diaper? I’m guessing a lot of parents don’t do that, which is a shame when you think of all those landfills) then figuring out how to deal with your diaper laundry can be a bit of a puzzler. You’re not going to throw it in a basket with the jeans you wore yesterday and your husband’s socks.

A lot of parents who use cloth choose to keep diaper laundry in either a pail or a wet bag (a bag made of PUL with a zipper closure and generally a loop handle for hanging) until laundry day. The trouble is, most diaper pails are not made for cloth diapers. Many pails on the market are too small to handle the larger bundle of a loaded one size diaper, and plastic liner bags are not ideal for storing cloth, especially the ones with a built in scent. It can be tricky to find a diaper pail that works for you, but I’m thrilled to say we found one we absolutely love.

Diaper Dekor makes the most aesthetically pleasing pails I’ve ever come across. There are three sizes to choose from (perfect for parents of multiples) and they’ve even come out with a line of beautiful colors! I had an instant weakness for the sweet but sophisticated pale ballet slipper pink, and had to have it for Harper’s nursery (they also carry a pale blue, pale green, rich gray, white and black). The design is sleek and modern, and blends in very nicely with most décor (quite a difference from the more clinical looking bland plastic towers I usually see at the big box baby stores).

My favorite feature of the Diaper Dekor is the smell. Or should I say, the lack there of. Before I had the Dekor, when I experimented with a wet bag, and later, a more commonly known diaper pail, I dealt with a lot of stink. Even when Harper was exclusively breast fed and not yet on solid food, the odor was distinct and unrelenting. The Diaper Dekor uses a special kind of plastic known as ABS, it’s the same plastic Legos are made out of. This plastic does not fade or yellow, it does not absorb odor, and it is extremely durable. I can’t tell you how many times Harper has banged into it when she was learning how to walk and testing her boundaries, yet there isn’t even a scratch on it. And with the hidden trap door under the lid, any odor stays well contained until laundry day. I love walking into her room and sitting down to play with her, rather than rushing to tend to laundry right away to escape the stink.

The fine folks at Diaper Dekor understand our needs, and have come out with a fantastic cloth liner bag for their pail that is perfect for cloth diapering families. They actually send you a set of two, so you always have one ready to go even while the other is in the wash. These bags are strong and HUGE, I’ve yet to fill one up completely before laundry day, even when using bulky fitted diapers with boosters. They have reinforced strips along the top where the bag hangs against an interior wall, so even a heavy bag full of dirty diaper laundry isn’t going to give under pressure. A drawstring allows you total control over the grip of the bag opening, so you can easily release it on laundry day, and a panel on the front of the pail swings open to allow easy retrieval without any mess or hassle.

I love the one handed operation, I can easily tap the foot pedal to open the lid, and then gently push the soiled diaper into the trap door with one hand while holding my baby with my other arm. The trap door also has a handy lock feature, so when Harper gets it in her mind to see exactly how much can fit in this generously sized pail, I can thwart her efforts and protect her toys.

The Diaper Dekor is very reasonably priced considering the materials and design, you can pick up the classic size for just 29.95, the plus (which is what I have) retails for 39.95-44.95 (available on Amazon for 44.95–affiliate link) depending on the color, and if you run a daycare or have several littles in diapers you can pick up the XL for 89.95. The two pack of cloth diaper liners (made for the plus size bin) are just 24.95 (22.55 on Amazon and Eligible for Prime–affiliate link). They’re sold in most big box stores like Target and in most baby stores.  If you prefer not to shop online or through Amazon try Brixy to locate a baby store near you and see if they carry the Dekor.  When your diaper days are over you can pass it on as a wonderful gift to new parents (they are so strong I have no doubt they can live through multiple kiddos) or keep it to use with regular plastic liners (also available for sale, and they have a biodegradable option). I can easily imagine something this cool looking as a perfect wastebasket in Harper’s college dorm room one day, the perfect way to dispose of that old Thai takeout without any smell, even if she doesn’t get it out to the dumpster for a week.

Note from Kim:  I used the Dekor with both boys, it lasted for years without ever absorbing odors.  Our Dekor was “hacked” to be used with elastic edges reusable pail liners so I was thrilled to find out last fall that Diaper Dekor was cloth diaper friendly now and had designed a pail liner just for their product.  I also love the sage and grey colors available!  Just one more sign that cloth diapers are becoming more mainstream!