In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician

Dekor Plus Review

Good looking pail that struggles with odor containment and consistent ease of use
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Dekor Plus Review (The Dekor Plus Hands-Free Diaper Pail)
The Dekor Plus Hands-Free Diaper Pail
Credit: Dekor
Price:  $55 List
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Manufacturer:   Diaper Dekor
By Juliet Spurrier, MD & BabyGearLab Team  ⋅  Aug 27, 2018
48
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#5 of 7
  • Odor Control - 60% 4.0
  • Ease of Diaper Disposal - 25% 7.0
  • Ease of Bag Change - 15% 4.0

Our Verdict

The Diaper Dekor is an interesting plastic pail with a trap door, and a step to open design that should mean a hands-free diaper deposit with little escaping odor. This pail contains odor resistant ABS plastic that shouldn't absorb odor or yellow, and is scratch resistant. However, despite its good looks and theoretical ease of use, the Dekor failed to contain smells well, and the trap door didn't always work, especially when the dirty diaper in question wasn't very heavy, or the pail was almost full. While we wanted to like the Dekor and admired the innovative trap door but its inability to prevent odors from filling a nursery means it is hard to love. If you change the bag frequently and clean the pail regularly, is can manage odors and retain its hands-free design, but honestly, we don't think the price or effort are worth it given the better options on the market.
REASONS TO BUY
Hands-free
Child-proof
Refills made of 20% recycled materials
REASONS TO AVOID
Poor odor control
Scented refills smell bad
Trap door doesn't always open

Compare to Similar Products

 
dekor plus
This Product
Dekor Plus
Awards  Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Diaper Pail
   
Price Check Price at Amazon$74 List
$59.99 at Amazon
$40 List
$39.95 at Amazon
$50 List
$45.29 at Amazon
$25 List
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Bottom Line Innovative design that doesn't contain odors or work all of the timeSuperior odor containment that is easy to use makes the continuing liner expense worthwhileColorfully designed, these convenient bags have limited odor control and durabilityPoorly designed clamp makes this a no-go diaper pailUnique diaper pail system keeps things neat and tidy
Rating Categories Dekor Plus Munchkin Step Planet Wise Hanging... Playtex Diaper Geni... Diaper One-N-Done
Odor Control (60%)
4.0
9.0
5.0
6.0
1
Ease of Diaper Disposal (25%)
7.0
8.0
3.0
2.0
10.0
Ease of Bag Change (15%)
4.0
7.0
10.0
7.0
7.0
Specs Dekor Plus Munchkin Step Planet Wise Hanging... Playtex Diaper Geni... Diaper One-N-Done
Dimensions 13.5"W x 9.5"D x 22.2"H 12"W x 10"D x 27"H 16"W x 26.5"H 9.4"W x 12"D x 27"H 6"W x 6"D x 11"H
Type of Refill Proprietary Liner Proprietary Liner No Bag Proprietary Liner Proprietary Liner
Refill Cost $8 $8 $0 $7 $3
Estimated Lifetime Cost of Refills $156 $292 $0 $260 $182
Estimated Total Cost of Ownership $201 $357 $34 $300 $201
One-Handed Operation Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Foot-Pedal Opener Yes Yes No Yes No
Material Plastic Plastic Cotton/PUL Plastic Plastic
Childproof Safety Lock Yes No No No No

Our Analysis and Test Results

Dékor is a European company created for the North American market. Dekor has been a proprietary brand of Regal Lager Inc since 2000 and is the only distributor of the Dekor Diaper Pails in Canada and the United States. Other brands distributed by Regal Lager include Love to Dream, Qdos, and Lascal.

Performance Comparison



dekor plus - the dekor main compartment door locks when closed to prevent...
The Dekor main compartment door locks when closed to prevent children from accessing the main compartment.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Likes


This pail claims to be hands-free for diaper disposal which is true for the most part. The foot pedal works well to lift the lid, and under the lid is a trap door that you set the diaper on. If the diaper is heavy enough, the trap door will open, the diaper will fall through, and the trap door will close. Yay! However, we found that lighter diapers need to be pushed through because they aren't heavy enough to activate the trap door. This process can lead to the diaper contents spilling on your hand or the door.

dekor plus - diaper dekor plus kolor has a trap door for odor containment when...
Diaper Dekor Plus Kolor has a trap door for odor containment when adding new diapers. It usually works, but lighter or smaller deposits will require pushing the diaper into the bag which can get messy.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

The Dekor system has several child-proof features including a trap door lock, a button to keep the top lid closed, locking closed bottom access door, and childproof door-mounted cutter. However, all this great childproofing translates to a two-hand operation to unlock the pail and throw diapers away.

dekor plus - diaper dekor plus kolor has several child-proof features to prevent...
Diaper Dekor Plus Kolor has several child-proof features to prevent little ones from accessing dirty diapers or making toy deposits.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Dislikes


Despite three levels of odor defense system that include a trap door, sealing lid, and scented bags, this product has disappointing odor control. Part of the problem is the trap door system allows a giant cloud of stank to float out with each deposit, and the hands-free sealing lid fans the odors into the room as it closes. So even if the door works as it should, you can expect a puff of poop to hit your nostrils with each deposit. Dekor claims that the strong ABS plastic they use to make the pail body is less likely to absorb and retain odors like the competition. However, the overall smell coming from this product is so strong that you aren't likely to notice if the ABS plastic smells or not.

dekor plus - the trap door on the diaper dekor plus works best when diapers are...
The trap door on the Diaper Dekor Plus works best when diapers are heavy. If they aren't heavy enough to activate the trap door, you'll need to push them inside.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Interestingly, the 3rd level of defense, the powder scented refills are part of the problem with odor containment. There are two different kinds of refills including regular (white, $15 for a 2-pack) and biodegradable (green, $16 for a 2-pack). Both have a strong powder scent that, in our opinion, exacerbates the poop odor instead of improving it. The combination of powder and poop is more than we can stand and brings up a strong compulsion to vomit. We suspect the bags would be easier to handle if they weren't scented or at least offered an unscented version for people sensitive to smells. Personally, we think it is better to neutralize odors (like with baking powder) than to make attempts to mask them, which is all a scented bag can offer.

dekor plus - removing the diaper trap door turns the diaper dekor plus into an...
Removing the diaper trap door turns the Diaper Dekor Plus into an ordinary trash can
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

Changing refills on the Dekor is difficult and requires paying special attention to the directions and videos to help you install them correctly. If the refills become unruly on the dispenser, they can bunch up making it difficult for the trap door to open and close properly. It is hard to remedy this situation once it occurs and we frequently got frustrated and had to start over with a new refill (which is a waste). If the trap door gets stuck open even a little, then you end up with a pail that has almost no odor containment, and you might as well use a simple trash can.

dekor plus - the dekor refill liner can be tricky to get on right without...
The Dekor refill liner can be tricky to get on right without following instructions and videos. If you get it wrong, as we often did, you will be frustrated and tossing the whole refill to start over.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

The bag refills are 20% recycled materials (a mixture of post-consumer and commercial) which is kind of cool. The biodegradable refills theoretically break down quicker, making them seem like a no-brainer to buy. However, from an environmental standpoint, the biodegradable refills are unlikely to break down as quickly as you think. In a typical landfill, biodegradable materials aren't exposed to the dirt, oxygen, and microbes that are necessary for the aerobic breakdown, meaning that decomposition is a much slower process. Additionally, we found many user reviews citing their opinion that the biodegradable refill does not contain odor as well as the regular white refill.

dekor plus - cutting and tying off new portions of the refill on the dekor is...
Cutting and tying off new portions of the refill on the Dekor is easier than changing the refill itself and it helps prevent waste as you can change the bag as often as you like without having a half-full bag.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff

The Dekor claims a cost-saving compared to the Diaper Genie systems citing that the Dekor refills hold more than the Diaper Genie refills. One Dekor refill will hold up to 580 newborn diapers which Dekor estimates is almost twice the number of newborn diapers than a Diaper Genie refill. They cite a cost savings of up to $70 with the Dekor Plus. The estimated lifetime cost of this product is $203 which is very reasonable compared to the Diaper Genie with a lifetime estimate of $308. Given its poor odor control and vomit-inducing scented bags, we feel the added cost buys you nothing but smells.

Conclusion


While some people are fans of the trap door system and the fun color options, we believe you can get a better quality system for a lower lifetime price. With issues like odors wafting from the trap door, its cumbersome design and the bag issues make this pail last on our list and one we don't recommend.

Manufacturer Video


Diaper Dekor Plus Demo


Changing Refills

Juliet Spurrier, MD & BabyGearLab Team
 

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