Diaper Pail Test Drive Program ~ Munchkin Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail Review & Final Thoughts

Having a little one in diapers, I'm always looking for the best way to control odor and dispose of his diapers as easily as possible. The hard part is finding a diaper pail that offers everything I'm looking for. That's why I was excited when I learned I had been selected to participate in the Diaper Pail Test Drive Program with Mom Central...an opportunity I shared with you a couple of weeks ago when I introduced you to the first diaper pail I was sent to review, the Diaper Genie II Elite Advanced Disposal System. If you missed the review, check it out here.

As part of the Test Drive Program, I was given the opportunity to test out a second diaper pail and compare the two based on functionality, ease of use, odor control, etc! The second diaper pail I was sent was the Munchkin Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail.

Features/Benefits:

• Powered by odor-eliminating baking soda
• Comes fully assembled
• One-handed use - push diaper through seal
• Self-Sealing System - patented system automatically seals bag when you close the lid
• Snap, Seal and Toss Bags - replace bags without cutting or tying
• Contains 1 pail and 3 bags refills
• Locking Door
  

When it came time to test out the Munchkin Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail, I was very excited to see all that it had to offer. Knowing that it included an Arm & Hammer Baking Soda dispenser definitely peaked my interest!

When I pulled it out of the box I was thrilled to find that it was already fully assembled! Hardly anything comes completely assembled these days...so that was definitely appreciated. Anything that saves me time is great! All I had to do was attach the baking soda dispenser and we were ready to go.

I was immediately intrigued by some of the unique features this diaper pail offers. Since odor control is very important to me, I was very curious to see how well the Arm & Hammer baking soda cartridge would work in absorbing odors, as well as the self-sealing system....two things I hadn't seen with any other diaper pail before.

There is a built-in dispenser that sprinkles Arm & Hammer baking soda each time the lid is closed and absorbs odor even when it is not in use. I really love this added feature and think it's a great way to help eliminate odors. At first I thought the dispenser had to be replaced every time it empties, but that is not the case at all. The pre-filled dispenser lasts 9- days and is refillable! That means all we have to do once it is gone, is go into our kitchen cupboard and grab the baking soda to refill it. It's easy and inexpensive!


The Self-Sealing System is another feature to help with odor control. Each time the lid is closed, the bag seals and stays sealed even when the lid is opened again. It basically twists the bag which helps keep the odors from filling the air. I definitely appreciate not having to smell dirty diapers every time I open the pail. The only downside to this feature, is that once the bag gets more full, it is more difficult to close the lid.

Having had the chance to use the diaper pail many times over the past month, we're happy with the way it contains and eliminates odors! Even when the lid is opened and we push a diaper through, there has been no smell. I am very impressed with these two features, and together, feel that they definitely do what they were intended to do.

Overall, the diaper pail is fairly easy to use, but I've found that I often have to push the diaper down quite a ways before the lid will close. It can be done one-handed, but I'd still prefer to be able to drop it in without having to touch the bag. I would also LOVE it if it were taller and had a foot pedal like the Diaper Genie II Elite Diaper Pail. I would prefer not to have to bend down quite as much, and being able to open it by foot instead of by hand would be great.

I like the idea of having a door on the front, as it makes emptying the bag of dirty diapers very easy. However, the large locking door does not always stay locked and is a little too easy for our 2 year old to get open. It needs to lock/latch better in my opinion. I also like that there is no cutting or tying required with the bag of dirty diapers. Each bag shuts tight with a snap and can be easily tossed. This is a feature I haven't had with any other bag before, and one I wish I had been introduced to sooner. It's a wonderful idea and one that makes the whole process fast and easy!


Final Thoughts:

Having had the opportunity to review both the Diaper Genie II Elite and the Munchkin Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail, I can honestly tell you that I have been pleased with different features of both. In the end, I prefer the Diaper Genie II Elite because of its taller height, better quality and easy to use foot pedal. It makes disposing of diapers a breeze. I would, however, like to see it contain the odors better. The Munchkin Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail is lacking the quality, size, and foot pedal, but it does offer odor control that I have not found with any other diaper pail, as well as snap, seal and toss bags that couldn't be easier to use. In my opinion, the ideal diaper pail would be a combination of the two.

**I am a member of the Mom Central community and I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive campaign by Mom Central, sponsored by Diaper Genie, and received a free Diaper Genie diaper pail and a free Munchkin Arm & Hammer diaper pail to facilitate my review. All opinions are honest and 100% my own. The experiences and opinions of others may differ from my own.**