If you’re a family-about-town, chances are you’ve changed diapers on picnic tables, beachfront or maybe even in the back of your SUV.
For this reason, I’ve had a roll of baggies attached to our diaper bag since The K Man was a newborn. What we’ve been using might best be classified as doggie doo-doo picker-uppers; it’s in a fairly nondescript holster and administers bags in a fashion similar to grocery produce bags. (Actually, now that I think about it, they look and feel a lot like those produce bags.) It’s certainly nothing that shouts “look at my fabulous aesthetic!” But it does the job.
When Paradigm PR approached me to review the portable version of my beloved Diaper Genie (made by Playtex), I was excited to try something new on my diaper bag – you know, intended for human diapers and not canine waste.
THE GOOD
The Diaper Genie Portable Bag Dispenser (isn’t that a mouthful?!) looks good and attaches easily to anything with a strap using a plastic carabiner-style thingie: diaper bag, backpack, purse, whatever. It’s got clean lines and a contemporary look – about as good a design as you could probably get considering what it is, anyway.
The bags are smaller than what’s in my other contraption (which – as an aside – is curious since diapers are bigger than any dog droppings I’ve ever seen), but still fit two heavily soiled size six diapers in every bag.
Each bag is loaded with that same baby powder-y smell you know and love if you use the original stand-up Diaper Genie bags. It reminds me of old school Johnson’s Baby Powder. And I can tell you, after using them at a cottage last weekend, the nice scent really will camouflage even the worst stink. In the interest of testing these things out, I kept Miss Q’s very poopy diaper in one of the portable Diaper Genie bags beside my bed all night (!!!). The room was about the size of my walk-in closet. Sure, the bag was closed – but do you see the kinds of things I’ll do for you, people? When I went to open it the following day to deposit another stinky diaper (seriously – I should have called her Lady Caca for the purposes of my blog), the smell wasn’t overwhelmingly foul. And I definitely couldn’t smell a thing before I opened the bag. So it passes the sniff test with flying colours.
The price of the initial Diaper Genie Portable Bag Dispenser system is decent at just about $5, making the 25 bags inside about 20 cents apiece and the holster feels a bit like a freebie.
THE GAFFE
Obviously, this doesn’t really promote environmentally friendly practices. We should all be using cloth diapers, but for those of us who aren’t, perhaps we shouldn’t also be contributing to the problem by chucking our disposables into little blue plastic bags everywhere. I write this, but I will continue to use it because it’s so convenient.
The holster sometimes just opens on its own. Fortunately, the bags actually stay in, but the open holster calls to Miss Q who is compelled, eyes open wide with anticipation, to grab those little baggies and yank on them.
You have to buy refills. This is obvious, of course. But they’re nearly the price of the entire system. At about $4 for a 25-count refill, it’s 16 cents per bag. Now, I know it doesn’t cost even close to 16 cents to make a bag. Honestly, Playtex – you’d be making a fortune if you charged even $2 or $2.50 for a refill.
THE GEARS
4/5
So…where can you buy it?
- Lil Niblets
- Bed, Bath & Beyond
- I’ve also seen it at my local Wal-Mart
Melanie says
This seems like a good gadget. I especially like the hook on it. This way I would know where my bags are at all times. I’ll have to look for it the next time I’m out shopping. I am also using the little rolls of bags intended for doggie poop but they are kind of small at times. It’s funny you mention the whole idea of cloth diapers because I use them at home and I choose not to use them when we are out and about for the convenience factor. Kudos to those who do but it’s not something I want to take on right now. I can’t imagine having to leave one of those in the car in the middle of the summer or lugging one in my already overflowing diaper bag. But about the cost of the bags…they could be a little bit cheaper. The cost of disposible diaper bags is the main reason I started using the doggy poop bags from the local dollar store.
Mommy Gearest says
Oh, no – you could NEVER hang bags off of this hook. It’s plastic and just intended to hook the gadget onto your diaper bag. 🙂
Melanie says
I guess I worded it wrong. I meant I wouldn’t have to dig to the bottom of my diaper bag to find my disposable bags. If they are hooked onto the diaper bag then they will be easily accessible and visible at all times. The small roll of disposables would often disappear to the furthest crack in the diaper bag.
Mommy Gearest says
Oooohhhh!!! Gotcha. Yes, that’s one of the things I like about it… 🙂
Melanie says
This seems like a good gadget. I especially like the hook on it. This way I would know where my bags are at all times. I’ll have to look for it the next time I’m out shopping. I am also using the little rolls of bags intended for doggie poop but they are kind of small at times. It’s funny you mention the whole idea of cloth diapers because I use them at home and I choose not to use them when we are out and about for the convenience factor. Kudos to those who do but it’s not something I want to take on right now. I can’t imagine having to leave one of those in the car in the middle of the summer or lugging one in my already overflowing diaper bag. But about the cost of the bags…they could be a little bit cheaper. The cost of disposible diaper bags is the main reason I started using the doggy poop bags from the local dollar store.
Mommy Gearest says
Oh, no – you could NEVER hang bags off of this hook. It’s plastic and just intended to hook the gadget onto your diaper bag. 🙂
Melanie says
I guess I worded it wrong. I meant I wouldn’t have to dig to the bottom of my diaper bag to find my disposable bags. If they are hooked onto the diaper bag then they will be easily accessible and visible at all times. The small roll of disposables would often disappear to the furthest crack in the diaper bag.
Mommy Gearest says
Oooohhhh!!! Gotcha. Yes, that’s one of the things I like about it… 🙂
Diane Sallans says
This is a handy little gadget – anything to make the diapering process easier is a plus!
Diane Sallans says
This is a handy little gadget – anything to make the diapering process easier is a plus!
Marianne says
I completely could use a handfree pumping bra. I have a medela freestyle which is supposed to be hand-free, but it seems my breasts when nursing are somehow between the 2 sizes of straps they include. I returned to work with my daughter when she was 6mo old. My employment isn’t the best for a pumping mom (different locations daily, no access to a fridge all the time, doors that don’t lock) — so I decided to pump before and after work. My time was at a premium so I attempted to eat breakfast while pumping, make dinner while pumping, change diapers while pumping. A good fitting bra would work much better (and result in a lot less escaped milk).
Mommy Gearest says
Good luck! 🙂
Marianne says
I completely could use a handfree pumping bra. I have a medela freestyle which is supposed to be hand-free, but it seems my breasts when nursing are somehow between the 2 sizes of straps they include. I returned to work with my daughter when she was 6mo old. My employment isn’t the best for a pumping mom (different locations daily, no access to a fridge all the time, doors that don’t lock) — so I decided to pump before and after work. My time was at a premium so I attempted to eat breakfast while pumping, make dinner while pumping, change diapers while pumping. A good fitting bra would work much better (and result in a lot less escaped milk).
Mommy Gearest says
Good luck! 🙂