Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I'm not sure why there are so many bad reviews for this. I understand it's probably different than the model before and change is hard, but it's still a great diaper pail. Some of the reviews complain that the sealing mechanism at the top of the bag doesn't seal after there are a few diapers in the container. You don't have the bag adjusted right. With the refill ring, you have to knot the bottom of the bag and make sure that a couple inches of bag ABOVE the knot is touching the bottom of the pail. (SEE PHOTO.) Then the weight of the diapers is sitting on the bottom of the pail and not pulling down on the closing mechanism. It doesn't waste any bag, because you're still only cutting off whatever portion is full of diapers and then pulling the extra down to use next time. Some of the reviews complain about how this does not contain smell. Without fail, little one always poops in the first diaper after I've changed the bag in the pail. I still put the poopy diaper in the pail even though I know it's going to sit there for a while before it gets emptied again. There's never any smell. When I change the bag, I put the used portion into our kitchen trashcan (where it sometimes sits for a bit, too) and then the trash just smells like the Arm & Hammer smell of the bags - not dirty diapers. I love that both the bags and the disc help control the odor. If you buy a different brand refill ring, that might be part of the problem, too. Some of the reviews complain that you have to empty the thing a lot. Despite the fact that I don't have any problems with smell, I can imagine the probability of the used diaper smell escaping increases with every day you don't empty it. I'm glad it forces me to change the bag every couple days so I keep the smell from becoming a problem. Some of the reviews complain that you have to push the diaper through the sealing mechanism. Get over it. You're washing your hands after you change the baby anyway. Some of the reviews complain that you have to push the lid of the container down after you put the diaper in. This is how the pail closes the sealing mechanism. Pushing the lid down allows it to reseal with more force. I would rather have to push the lid down and get a good seal than not close the lid and risk dirty diaper smell. This is my first diaper pail, but I use the one at my friends' house when I babysit their kids. They have one of the old school ones where you put the diaper in this little cup thing and then pull the handle down/up to transfer the diaper to the pail. You still have to push something down (lever vs. lid) and the smell gets through on that one. (Although there's no Arm & Hammer associated with that, so maybe that's the difference too.) Overall, I think this is a really great diaper pail. It's really unobtrusive and it might cost a few dollars more than its competitors, but if I had to go back and buy a diaper pail again, I would still get this one.