Diaper Genie Select Vs. Platinum: A Parent’s Deep-Dive Review

Let’s be honest, when you’re expecting a baby, you’re not thinking about the “joy” of diaper pails. You’re thinking about the smell. My main intent is to cut through the marketing and tell you, as someone who has been in the “poop-calypse” trenches, which pail actually wins the war on odor.

You’re standing in the store looking at the new, tech-forward Diaper Genie Select and the high-end, fortress-like Diaper Genie Platinum. They both look good, but only one is a true “odor vault.” If you want to keep your nursery smelling like a nursery, this is the review you need to read.

A Brief Comparison Table

My Experience With The Diaper Genie Platinum

When I was building my baby registry, I was overwhelmed. There are so many “must-haves” that are really “nice-to-haves.” But the one thing every veteran parent told me to invest in was a good diaper pail. The smell, they warned, is a different beast entirely. It’s the one thing that will break you.

My sister, who is a total “early adopter” for new tech, had just had her baby and bought the brand-new Diaper Genie Select.

It looked sleek and modern. The big selling point was the “Easy Roll” refill system.

It’s one long roll of plastic film, like a giant trash bag roll, that you just pull, cut, and tie. She raved about how easy it was to change and how the roll held, like, 800 diapers. It seemed like a no-brainer.

I almost bought it, but my inner skeptic kicked in. I went to the store and looked at the Diaper Genie Platinum side-by-side. The Platinum looked… “heavy-duty.”

It wasn’t about the refill; it was about the odor mechanism. The box advertised a “CleanPail” system with a double clamp. And it had a carbon filter in the lid.

The Select, I noticed, only had a single clamp system. I had a gut feeling that the “war” wouldn’t be won by how easy the bag was to change; it would be won by the clamps. I put the Platinum on my registry.

For the first six months, I felt smug. The Platinum was flawless. It’s tall, so I barely had to bend over (a lifesaver post-delivery). The foot pedal was a dream—I could hold a squirming baby and toss the diaper in with one foot. And the smell? There was no smell. Zero. My nursery was pristine.

Then, the “solid food” transition happened. This, my friends, is the test. This is where the battle is won or lost. The smell of a newborn diaper is nothing. The smell of a baby-food-and-who-knows-what-else diaper is a biological weapon. And the Platinum… just handled it. The double-clamp system proved its worth. You step on the pedal, the top lid opens. You drop the diaper, and it sits on a second, internal clamp. When you release the pedal, the top lid closes, and then the internal clamp opens, dropping the diaper into the bag below.

This is the entire secret. The smell is never exposed to the room.

Around this same time, I went to my sister’s house. I walked into her nursery, and I could smell it. That faint, “something’s-in-the-pail” funk. She still loved her Select’s “Easy Roll” refill—it was, she admitted, faster to change. But the odor control wasn’t winning the war. That single clamp just couldn’t hold back the “solid-food” smell. Every time she stepped on the pedal, a tiny puff of “diaper-air” would escape.

Changing the Platinum’s bag is… an experience. It’s the famous “diaper sausage.” You open the front of the pail, pull down the long, stuffed “sausage” of diapers, use the built-in cutter, and tie a knot. Then you pull the new bag material down and tie another knot. It’s weird, but it’s contained. The smell is locked in that link. When my sister changed her Easy Roll, it was a simpler “pull-cut-tie,” but the entire pail was open to the room, releasing a cloud of odor that made my eyes water.

I knew I had made the right choice. The Platinum isn’t just a pail; it’s an odor vault. It’s the heavy-duty solution for parents who are serious about smell.

Pros Of The Diaper Genie Platinum

• The CleanPail Double Clamp System: This is the number-one reason to buy the Platinum, and it is the entire secret to its success. It’s an air-lock system. When the lid is closed, both clamps are sealed. When you step on the pedal, only the top lid opens, exposing the inner clamp, which is still sealed. You drop the diaper onto this inner “trap door.” When you release the pedal, the top lid closes, and then the inner clamp opens, dropping the diaper into the bag. The “puff of air” that would normally escape into your room is completely trapped inside the pail. This is what makes it virtually odorless, even when you’re actively using it. It’s a game-changer compared to single-clamp or “drop-through” pails.
• Superior Carbon Filter Integration: The Platinum has a dedicated, snap-in case for a carbon filter right on the underside of the top lid. This isn’t an afterthought. It’s the “belt-and-suspenders” approach. On the off-chance any odor particles do escape the double-clamp, this filter is the last line of defense, neutralizing them before they ever reach your nose. Pails that lack this feature (like the Select) are relying only on their clamp, which, as I’ve seen, isn’t always enough. This is a premium feature that genuinely works, especially in hot, humid summer months when odors are at their worst.
• Taller, Ergonomic Height: This is a huge quality-of-life feature that you will appreciate dozens of times a day. The Platinum is one of the tallest pails on the market. When you’re a new parent, your back hurts. You’re constantly bending over the crib, the changing table, the car seat. The Platinum’s height means you can operate the foot pedal and drop the diaper in with only a minimal bend. It’s a small detail that makes a massive difference in your daily comfort. My 6-foot-tall husband is especially grateful for this. Models like the “Complete” are shorter and force you to bend over more.
• Proven, Universal, and Cheaper Round Refills: This is a major pro for your wallet. The Platinum uses the classic, standard Diaper Genie Round Refill Cartridge. Why is this a pro? Because they are everywhere. You can buy them in bulk at Costco, on Amazon, at Target, or at your local grocery store. Even better, dozens of third-party brands make “generic” refills that fit the round cartridge system perfectly, and they are often significantly cheaper than the name-brand ones. The “Select” locks you into its new, proprietary “Easy Roll” refill, which has no generic options and is harder to find. The Platinum gives you options, and options save you money.
• Durable, Hands-Free Foot Pedal: The foot pedal is a non-negotiable for me. When you have a baby in one arm and a dirty diaper in the other, you do not have a third hand to open a lid. The Platinum’s foot pedal is wide, sturdy, and responsive. I’ve been stomping on it multiple times a day for over a year, and it feels just as strong as the day I bought it. It’s a simple, robust mechanism that just works without any fuss, which is exactly what you need at 3 AM.

Read More: Comparison Of BabyBjörn Potty Chair And Smart Potty

Cons Of The Diaper Genie Platinum

• The Infamous “Diaper Sausage” Bag Change: This is the most common and valid complaint about the Platinum. Changing the bag is a… process. It’s not a simple “pull and replace.” You have to open the front door of the pail, revealing the “diaper sausage”—a long, suspended tube of… well, you know. You have to push the top diapers down, pull the bag, find a clear spot, use the (admittedly handy) built-in cutter, and then tie a knot in the top. Then you have to pull the new bag material down from the cartridge and tie a new knot in the bottom to create the new bag. It’s a two-knot process, and it’s not “clean.” It’s your one moment of direct, unfiltered contact with the system, and it’s the one time you’ll actually smell what you’ve been containing.
• The Plastic Pail Can Absorb Odors Over Time: This is the one major advantage a steel pail (like an Ubbi) has. The Platinum is made of high-quality, dense plastic, but it is still plastic. After a year of containing the world’s worst smells, the plastic itself can start to absorb a faint, funky odor. Even after I do a deep-clean, I can still smell it when the pail is empty. The carbon filter and double-clamp hide this 99% of the time, but it’s a long-term flaw. A metal pail won’t absorb smells, but as I’ll get into, it has its own odor-control trade-offs.
• Locked Into a Proprietary Style of Refill: While it’s a “pro” that you can buy generic round refills, it’s still a “con” that you must buy the round refills. You are locked into this specific system forever. You cannot, in a 3 AM pinch, just grab a standard 13-gallon kitchen trash bag and make it work. The entire double-clamp mechanism relies on this continuous plastic “tube” from the cartridge. This means you must keep refills on hand, or the entire system is useless. This adds a “running cost” and a “mental-load” item to your shopping list.
• Tall, Narrow Design Fills Up Fast: The tall, ergonomic design is great for your back, but the narrow profile means it fills up quickly. I’m often surprised by how few diapers it seems to hold. With a newborn, it’s fine (maybe 4-5 days). But with a toddler, those diapers are huge. The pail is often “full” (meaning I can’t stuff any more in) after just 2-3 days. If I let it go longer, the “diaper sausage” becomes incredibly long and heavy, and I’m always terrified it’s going to rip the bag when I’m pulling it out. This leads to me changing it more often than I’d like.

Maintenance Tips For Your Diaper Genie Platinum

• The Monthly “Full Decontamination” Deep Clean: This is the most important rule. Don’t just wipe it down. Once a month, you must perform a full-blown deep clean. I take mine out onto the back deck, empty it, and hose it down. Then I use a scrub brush and a strong cleaning solution. A 1-to-10 bleach-and-water solution is the most effective for killing everything. If you hate bleach, a hot-water-and-vinegar solution also works well to deodorize. The key is to then let it dry completely in the sun. The sunlight (UV rays) is a natural bacteria-killer and deodorizer and is the best way to “reset” the plastic.
• Baking Soda Is Your Best Friend (Use It in Two Places): Don’t just rely on the carbon filter. Baking soda is cheap and it’s a miracle-worker for odors. Every time I change the bag, I do a two-step “baking-soda-bomb.” First, I shake a generous layer of baking soda directly into the bottom of the empty pail. This creates an odor-absorbing base. Second, I shake another half-cup of baking soda into the new, empty bag that I just tied. This neutralizes odors and absorbs moisture from the inside as the pail fills up. This simple trick has doubled the life of my carbon filters.
• Change Your Carbon Filter Religiously: The box says to replace the filter every 30 days, and I’ve found that’s pretty accurate (maybe 60 days if you use my baking soda trick). You will know when it’s dead. You’ll step on the pedal, and for the first time, you’ll get a tiny whiff of “funk” from the top lid. That’s your signal. The filters are your “canary in the coal mine.” I buy the 4-packs on Amazon and write the “change-by” date on the last one with a Sharpie so I know when to re-order. Do not skip this; it’s a critical part of the system.
• Master the “Diaper Fold-and-Roll”: This is a simple user tip. Don’t just toss the open, messy diaper into the pail. You’re creating more surface area for odor. Use the diaper’s own sticky tabs to roll it into a tight, secure “diaper-burrito.” This contains the worst of the mess inside the diaper. It also makes the diapers more compact, allowing you to fit more into the pail before you have to change the bag. A tightly-rolled diaper is a contained diaper.
• Wipe the “Business” Parts: The “diaper-facing” parts of the pail get gross, fast. This means the top lid and the top of that internal “trap-door” clamp. When I’m doing a quick wipe-down of the nursery, I use a disinfectant wipe (like a Clorox or Lysol wipe) to quickly scrub these two surfaces. This prevents any… residue… from building up and creating its own smell. A clean clamp is a happy clamp.

Comparison With Other Brands

Diaper Genie Platinum vs. Diaper Genie Select

• The Core Battle: As I mentioned from my experience with my sister’s, this is a battle of “Odor Control” vs. “Refill Convenience.” The Select has the new, fancy “Easy Roll” refill. It’s one long roll, it’s easier to change, and it feels more modern. However, the Select only has a single-clamp system. This is its fatal flaw. Every time you step on the pedal, the single clamp opens, and a puff of odor will escape. The Platinum has the double-clamp air-lock. It’s more of a “process” to change the bag, but the daily experience of using it is virtually odorless. For my money, I’ll take a more annoying bag change once every 3 days over a puff of poop-air 10 times a day. The Platinum wins on odor control, which is the entire point.

Diaper Genie Platinum vs. The Ubbi Pail

• The “Plastic vs. Steel” Debate: This is the other big choice you’ll face. The Ubbi Pail is a top-tier competitor. Its number-one feature is that it’s made of powder-coated steel. It will never absorb odors into its walls, which is a clear advantage over the Platinum’s plastic body. The Ubbi’s other monster pro is that it uses any standard kitchen trash bag. This will save you hundreds of dollars over the life of the pail. So why didn’t I get it? The mechanism. The Ubbi has a sliding lid with rubber gaskets. It’s good, but it is not an air-lock. Every time you slide that lid open to drop a diaper in, the entire pail is open to the room, and the entire pail’s worth of odor escapes in one giant cloud. The Platinum wins on odor-containment-in-use (the most important part), while the Ubbi wins on long-term pail-smell and bag cost.

Diaper Genie Platinum vs. The Diaper Genie Complete

• The “Little Brother” Option: This is the most common Diaper Genie, and it’s a fantastic pail. The Complete uses the exact same double-clamp “CleanPail” system as the Platinum. It uses the exact same round refills. It uses the exact same carbon filter. The only significant difference is the height and the aesthetic. The Platinum is several inches taller. For me, at 6′ tall, the extra 4-5 inches of height on the Platinum was 100% worth the extra $10-$15. My back thanked me every time I used it. If you are shorter, or if you’re trying to tuck the pail under a low shelf or changing table, the Complete is a brilliant way to get the exact same premium odor control and save a few bucks.

Also Read: Comparison Of Huggies Pure Wipes And WaterWipes

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion

At the end of the day, your choice comes down to a single question: what do you fear more? A slightly annoying bag-changing process, or the all-consuming, unavoidable smell of a full diaper pail? The “Select” is a convenient, modern take, but it’s a single-clamp system that, in my experience, will let you down. The “Platinum” is a true, odor-locking vault. It’s the pail I trust, the one I recommend to all my friends, and the one that has kept my nursery smelling fresh, even on the worst days. If you want true peace of mind, you buy the Diaper Genie Platinum.