We tested out the Tommee Tippee Nappy Bin to see how it compared to others available and to ascertain whether it was a genuinely useful piece of baby kit.
The Tommee Tippee Nappy Bin promises to lock away nasty odours and germs using a clever twist and click lid mechanism. It's a popular nappy bin amongst new parents and especially suits those who live in flats and don't want to be taking nappies up and down stairs to dustbins - or those with pets who need nappies safely locked away.
This nappy bin is certainly a newborn essential for many parents, but check out what else is on the list.
The Tommee Tippee Nappy Bin has been designed to help parents who don't want to be constantly running out to a dustbin to dispose of soiled nappies.
It uses a clever twist-and-click system so that the nappies are twisted into a plastic lining and stored like sausages, locking the nappies and any smells away, underneath its lid.
Once the nappy bin is full, the lining is ripped off and the used nappies can be disposed of in one go in a dustbin. The new plastic lining is then fed into the system and the bin is ready to be used again.
Price and availability
The Tommee Tippee Nappy Bin is currently being sold as a starter set with six cassettes on Amazon for £28.66, a discount of 33% on its usual RRP of £42.99.
Anna had no qualms over the price. "It’s the must-have item of its kind and has a better design and price point than other competitor products," she said.
As well as the initial outlay, it's important to remember that you will need to buy replacement cartridges which work out at about £15 for three.
"It’s an added expense having to keep buying replacement cartridges," admitted Anna.
While she thought you could buy nappy bins that were cheaper, she thought that this Tommee Tippee Nappy Bin deserved our 'best buy' award for its design appeal and clever functionality.
Design and features
Weighs: 2.5kg | Age: Birth to 3 years (or when out of nappies)
The Tommee Tippee Nappy Bin has a sleek look and comes in both standard and extra-large sizes.
"I like the modern, minimalist, and functional design," said Anna. "It's great if you want to avoid a cluttered look and it doesn’t look like your typical bathroom bin - so it wouldn’t look out of place in a nursery or bedroom. We had the white version, which suited our decor - but it comes in a range of colours."
This is a manual bin that locks nappies away with a simple turn-and-click system. You just open the lid, pop the nappy inside the basket and turn the cartridge around (there’s a little handle), which twists the nappy bag to seal in germs and odours.
"When you close the lid, the plunger pushes the nappy down and out of sight. When you empty it, you’ll find a row of nappies - a bit like a string of sausages - all attached but twisted up between," added Anna.
"When I heard it had cartridges, I thought it would have some kind of electrical element - but it doesn’t. No main power or batteries needed."
The nappy bin is a decent size so you don't have to be constantly emptying it - plus, as it locks away the smell, you can leave it for several days.
How we tested
- Tested out the nappy bin for several weeks of naily (and nightly) nappy changes
- Noted how easy it was to use and how often we needed to empty it
- Tested how easy the cartridges were to replace
Things you won't find on the box
Anna found the nappy bin "really easy to use" and said it easily lived up to its promise of locking up odours after nappy changes.
"We have ours upstairs, and only use it a couple of times at night as we mostly change Freddie downstairs during the day," she added.
"Leaving nappies around (even for a few minutes) isn’t an option for us, as we have a very nosy dog who has free rein of the house 24/7 and is interested in everything. The nappy bin has saved so many trips downstairs in the night."
While Anna found a lot to recommend this bin, she did find the lid could be irritating.
"The only inconvenience is the lid, which can be quite tricky to open - especially one-handed," she said. "In an ideal world, it would be great if you could somehow open it hands-free."
Who's it best for
Anna said she'd definitely recommend this nappy bin to friends for its stylish look and how effective it was at locking away odours.
"This nappy bin is suitable for anyone who loves a clean and clutter-free home and is looking to make life easier with a baby," she added. "It’s especially useful if you live in a flat and not on the ground floor, or you often change your little one upstairs, as it saves endless trips outside to the dustbin after every single nappy change."
Need an alternative?
If you prefer a more environmentally friendly option than disposable nappies, check out our Reusable Nappies Buying Guide.
Shopping for more baby equipment? Take a look at our guide to choosing the best cot mattress or have a look at our roundups of the best travel cots and Moses baskets.
