Diaper Genie or Diaper Champ?

If you're a mother-to-be who is planning to use disposable diapers, you might be wondering which of the two leading diaper pails is best: Diaper Genie or Diaper Champ. I have both. Read on for the pros and cons of each.

Playtex Diaper Genie

The Diaper Genie has been around awhile, and there are three different models. I used one of the Twistaway Diaper Genies for my first baby. The newest model is the Playtex Diaper Genie II Elite, which retails for about $40.

How it works. All the Diaper Genies work by "sealing off" the soiled diapers in special plastic film inside the Diaper Genie. With the original Twistaway Diaper Genie and the Diaper Genie II, you need two hands to lift the lid and insert a rolled-up diaper. This was a problem -- I was always worried the baby would roll off the changing table while I dealt with the diaper. The new Diaper Genie II Elite boasts a foot pedal for "hands free" operation.

Emptying. To empty the Diaper Genie, you cut the film and tie a knot, so you're ready to insert your next diaper. Then you open the bottom (Twistaway model) or the top (Diaper Genie II and Diaper Genie II Elite) and empty the film-encased soiled diapers into a separate trash bag. This operation is never as easy as it looks in the diagram. I needed a pair of scissors to cut the film, instead of the "child-safe" cutting tool that is built in to the Diaper Genie.

Supplies. All three Diaper Genie models require special plastic film that you load into the pail. The Diaper Genie refills cost about $6 each, and you just keep shelling this out. The ongoing cost of these refills is the biggest disadvantage of the Diaper Genie.

Odor. There's a very faint faint odor when you open the lid to load a new diaper into the Diaper Genie. There is a definite stink when you're emptying the pail.

Baby Trend Diaper Champ

The Diaper Champ retails for about $30. I bought one for my second baby because I liked the one-hand operation and the fact that you can use any trash bags with it.

How it Works. The Diaper Champ works by allowing you to drop a diaper into a trash bag inside the pail, without opening the lid. You drop the rolled-up diaper in the top of the Diaper Champ and flip the handle. The diaper (hopefully!) disappears and the plastic piston drops, ready for your next diaper.

If the piston doesn't drop on its own, you can push on it lightly. (This is not very hygienic, so keep some hand sanitizer around.) If the piston still won't drop, the Diaper Champ is probably full. Putting loose wipes into the Diaper Champ can cause it to get stuck. (Always roll them into the diaper). Your other hand is free to hold the baby on the changing table. This is a big advantage over the Twistaway Diaper Genie or the Diaper Genie II.

Emptying. To empty the Diaper Champ, you lift the lid, tie a knot in the trash bag, and and lift out the load of soiled diapers. This can be difficult if the pail is very full, since the hinge of the lid sometimes gets in the way.

Supplies. You can use almost any trash bag in the Diaper Champ.

Odor. As with the Diaper Genie, there is a faint odor when you flip the handle to drop a diaper into the pail. There is a strong stink when you open the lid to lift out the trash bag of soiled diapers. Some reviewers write of an overpowering stench in their nurseries all the time with Diaper Champ, but I never experienced this. Unless the Diaper Champ hasn't been emptied in awhile, our nursery smells fine. I'd have to wonder what kind of trash bag those reviewers were using.

And the winner is . . .

Diaper Champ, just barely. My babysitter and I prefer the Diaper Champ, while my husband thinks the Diaper Genie is easier to use and controls odor better.

I like the one-handed operation of the Diaper Champ and being able to use regular trash bags. It also holds more diapers than my Twistaway Diaper Genie. Also, you don't have to mess around cutting and tying off the special plastic film when emptying the Diaper Champ.

On the other hand, odor control is a little better with the Diaper Genie. Playtex notes that while a trash bag provides only a "single layer" of odor protection, they have "combined the barrier properties of different films into our seven-layer film to provide the best odor protection" for the Diaper Genie.

Plus, the newest model of the Diaper Genie says it has "hands free" foot-pedal operation, which could be even better than the one-handed operation of the Diaper Champ -- and more hygienic, since (in theory) you don't touch the diaper pail at all. Both Diaper Genie and Diaper Champ can definitely benefit from some disinfectant spray after emptying.

Overall, the thrift and convenience of using regular trash bags in the Diaper Champ trumps the (minimal) extra odor protection of the expensive Diaper Genie refills. If the nursery has a persistent odor when using the Diaper Champ, GLAD makes Odor Shield trash bags, or you can use two trash bags at once.