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Scooping the poop has to be the least pleasant aspect of owning a dog.
Let's face it, no one enjoys it, but even the best dog trainers haven't managed to train dogs to do it themselves.
A dog poop bag holder certainly isn't an essential dog walking accessory, but it is a great option to ensure you're always prepared and those poop bag rolls don't unravel in your pockets.
Only the best made it to this list so, without further ado we suggest you read on to find out which poo bag dispenser is the best for your dog walking needs.
OCTOBER 2023 : UPDATE After a new round of testing we've added 3 products to our review. The new and improved dispenser from Earth Rated, the fabric holder from Woof Inc. and the super cute floral dispenser from Julibees |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Buying Advice for Dog Poop Bag Holders
Our Verdict
How We Tested Dog Poop Bag Holders
BUYING ADVICE FOR DOG POOP BAG HOLDERS
Before you rush out and buy a poop bag dispenser, here's a quick look at the features that we think you should bear in mind.
Attachment
The dispenser needs to leave your hands free so should fasten to either your lead or clothes. Most include a carabiner or a velcro strap, so it really depends how you prefer to bring along the holder.
If you intend to attach the holder directly to your lead, can we suggest looking for an option that doesn't hang down and swing as this can annoy your dog (and you) !
Bag Release
This needs to be super smooth. No point struggling to release a bag or worse still pulling several bags out at once. We're looking for dispensers that not only fit a standard roll but which crucially allow the roll to spin freely.
Refill Ease
Whether it unscrews or unzips, the holder needs to be easy to refill but also secure. You don't want it to undo mid-walk and leave a trail of bags in our wake !
Material
Let's face it with the British weather you ideally want a waterproof container. Our review features plastic, fabric, metal and eco-friendly sustainable materials.
Used Bags
Some dispensers offer an integral hook to carry knotted (used) poop bags until you come across a dog waste bin. This was a game changer for us. We point out which dog poop bag holders offer this option for you.
If you're interested in a dog walking bag with an integral poop bag dispenser, why not take a look at our Best Dog Walking Bags. We've handpicked a selection of the best dog walking bags on the UK market suitable for a quick lap of the local park to a day adventuring off the beaten track. |
OUR PICKS OF THE BEST DOG POOP BAG HOLDERS
1. Best Dispenser Overall
Earth Rated
The Earth Rated leash dispenser is awarded top spot in our review due the sheer simplicity of it's design.
Sometimes, simpler really is better and this recently upgraded dispenser beat off stiff competition by dispensing the bags through a slit as opposed to a hole.
Although it's designed to be used with Earth Rated's own brand of poop bags, like most holders, it can be refilled with any standard style poop bag rolls.
The holder simply twists apart and the new roll slots inside. Line up the first bag with the wide slot, pop the lid back on, twist and hey presto!, you're ready.
With your bags in place, fasten to your lead, belt loop or coat via a silicon strap. Better still, a handy hook at the back cleverly holds your knotted bags until you find a suitable waste bin. So no more swinging those nasty stinky bags!
We've tested a lot of dispensers over the years and this is by far the best. It's the only one designed to release the bag through an opening the width of the roll as opposed to forcing the bags through a small hole.
The Earth Rated dispenser is available with either a roll of their 15 bags to get you started or a money-saving bumper box of 900 bags.
Reasons to Buy
+ Releases bags well
+ Easy to fit new rolls in
+ Hook for attaching used bag
+ Upgraded design
Reasons to Avoid
- Only available in green
2. Best Coordinating Accessories
Woof Inc
New to our Top 10 is UK company Woof Inc. We love their range of fabric poop bag holders because they offer a range of gorgeous coordinating accessories.
Let's talk about the poop bag holder first.
The roll of bags zips easily into the holder and the bags are dispensed through a rubber covered, logo opening. The neoprene fabric bag is washable and clips to your belt, clothes or lead with a matching metal carabiner.
The holder arrives with a roll of poop bags so you're all set. You can buy the dog poop bag holder on its own or take advantage of Woof Inc's great value bundles.
Their bundles include a matching set of :-
⭐️ Harness
⭐️ Collar
⭐️ Lead
⭐️ Poop bag dispenser
It's worth noting that the bundles offers a £10 saving on buying the accessories separately.
The range is available in some gorgeous patterns - tartan, floral and leopard print alongside their Pawtones collection.
Fairly new to their range, the Pawtones collection offers three on-trend solid colours like this stunning dusty blueWe recently tested the beautifully designed harness and were really impressed by the attention to detail. If you would like to read more, checkout out Best Dog & Puppy Harnesses
Reasons to Buy
+ Choice of designs
+ Roll of poop bags included
+ Great value
+ Stylish coordinating accessories
Reasons to Avoid
- If you want a used poop bag holder too
Woof Inc have kindly offered 20% off all purchases
Simply enter the discount code SMARTBARK at checkout
3. Best Used Poop Bag Carrier
Doo-Kee
A innovative alternative to a bag, the Doo-Kee simply clips to your lead to stow full dog poop bags.
Essentially an extremely lightweight tool which you can attach to your belt, lead or dog walking bag. It comes with a carabiner and a secure twist loop so you can choose which works best for you.
Doo-Kee offer a wide choice of colours and patterns so you could attach a different one to each lead or bag you use for dog walking so you never forget.
Our dog walking bag doesn't have a used poop bag holder, so we added a Doo-Kee.
Simply tie a knot in your poop bag and slip the knot through the hole and down the slot. This secures the bag well away from your nose until you can dispose of it leaving you to walk hands free.
In testing, we found the slot could easily carry five used poop bags so should happily deal with most dog walks. Sliding the bags in was simple and they felt secure (we didn't drop any).
It's worth mentioning, that the Doo-Kee is crafted using a bioplastic derived from plants so is good for your carbon paw-print.
We love the idea of walking 'hands-free' and the Doo-Kee is a simple, great value idea which works exceptionally well.
If you're interested, Doo-Kee offer compostable dog poop bags in this bright blue, so you can order your bags and Doo-Kee at the same time.
Reasons to Buy
+ Innovative, simple idea
+ Carries used poop bags
+ Great value
+ Wide range of colours
Reasons to Avoid
- If your dog walking bags already has a holder
4. Best Attachment Options
MalsiPree
The MalsiPree fabric dispenser is a close runner up. A roll of poop bags slips into the fabric pouch and it zips shut. The bags are dispensed through a round rubber slot on the side.
Generally, if you struggle tearing bags from the roll, we feel that a fabric dispenser lets you push against the roll to give you more leverage.
The dispenser has been improved considerably since the previous model.
The bag upgrade includes a design change to the dispensing hole, an extra attachment point, a hook to hang used bags from and a rubberised zip which doesn't rattle whilst walking. All great improvements to their humble holder.
So you are spoilt with three options available for attaching the bag holder - a metal carabiner, a yellow velcro strap or two velcro straps to attach to the lead itself (as shown in the photo).
We liked these straps as you have more options for positioning the holder anywhere on the lead and the velcro was strong enough to stop it moving.
The used poop bag hook works well keeping your hands free and your nose further from nasty niffs.
This clever little holder is really affordable and easy to use. Admittedly, it does have a very functional design, so if you're looking for something a bit more attractive, this may not be for you.
It's also a shame it didn't include some free bags like many of the other dispensers.
Reasons to Buy
+ Fabric is light and less rigid
+ Great redesign
+ Options for attachment
Reasons to Avoid
- Only available in black
- Over £10
5. Best Luxury Dispenser
Alessi
One for those pampered pooches out there and those of you that need a bit of luxury in your lives.This gorgeous dispenser from Alessi is designed to resemble a jewel.
It is meant to be seen and worn as an accessory, not hidden from view and it certainly brings some style to scooping the poop!
The stainless steel shell has a highly polished finish and elegant, curved edges. With a screw top and a pop stud fastening to attach to your lead or clothing, it holds a standard roll of bags.
The dispensing slit for the bags is large and the bags are easy to pull and tear from the roll (although we found that the roll did squeak as it turned inside)
The only downside is the price! But no one said style comes cheap.
Reasons to Buy
+ Stylish design
Reasons to Avoid
- Pricey
6. Best for Late Night Dog Walks
Yuchiya
If storing your bags wasn't enough, this natty little holder has an integral torch for late night walks.
Doubtless this would be a great addition if you walk late at night and struggle to locate your dog's poop or even your dog!
This pill-shaped holder comes in a lovely shade of blue with a roll of matching blue poop bags.
Even the metal carabiner in dark grey matches the grey section of the holder. The torch is bright but we're not sure how long it will last.
We felt that replacing the batteries could be tricky given such a small opening and the yellow on/off button seemed a little flimsy but admittedly it worked well in our tests.
Reasons to Buy
+ Integral torch
+ Under £10
Reasons to Avoid
- Difficult to replace batteries
7. Best Fun Poop Bag Holder
Julibee
Who says that poop bag dispensers can't be fun as well as functional ? We recently test-drove this absolutely gorgeous poop bag dispenser and coordinating, scented pink bags from Julibee.
Initially this dispenser caught our eye because it's available in a Dog Walking Set with a coordinating harness, collar and lead which we tested.
However it's a good quality poop bag holder and is available to buy on it's own if you don't want the whole set.
A simple cylinder design it's available in this gorgeous Flora green and pink or Cherry Blossom pink both with flowers decorating the top. The top unscrews and the rolls are easy to load, with a nice sized dispensing circle.
The coordinating pink scented bags smelt nice and are biodegradable. They come on a roll without handles and are a good size. Honestly though, in testing we found that they were fairly transparent so didn't hide the contents well. But did we mention that they are pink and flowery - so much more fun than plain black!
You have a choice of buying the dispenser with 5, 7 or 20 rolls of poop bags.
Reasons to Buy
+ Fun & functional
+ Choice of colours
+ Bags included
+ Coordinating dog walking set available
Reasons to Avoid
- Bags are fairly transparent
For 15% OFF all purchases
Simply enter the discount code SMARTBARK at checkout
8. Best Eco-friendly Bag Dispenser
Beco
Beco are renowned for their range of poop bags so like Earth Rated featured earlier, they should know a thing or two about carrying poop bags.
Made from plant fibre plastic, the Beco Pocket is sustainable and biodegradable, so big ticks for saving the planet (David Attenborough would be proud!)
It's not just the great eco-credentials we liked, the holder is a beautiful elliptical shape so very eye-catching.
The Beco Pocket dispenser incorporates a wrap-around elastic band style fastening and whilst Beco refer to it as 'bungee style', I'm more inclined to think cheap hair band.
The band wraps around any size of lead or belt and surprisingly it was strong enough to keep your holder in place on your lead, bag or belt as you walk.
The only flaw in the design is that we found the band tricky to re-attach you need to replace a roll.
The bag dispenser is available in four colours green, pink, blue and beige and arrives with a roll of 15 bags so you’re all set.
Reasons to Buy
+ Eco-friendly
+ Doesn’t swing on your lead
+ Under £10
+ Roll of bags included
Reasons to Avoid
- Tricky to attach
You may be interested - |
Beco Pets is one of Britain's biggest manufacture and designers of eco-friendly pet products. In their Guest Post, Beco Pets share their knowledge on the complicated subject of dog poop bags - Recycled Plastic vs Compostable Poop Bags |
9. Best Used Poop Bag Holder
Dicky Bag
The Dicky Bag is essentially a small neoprene bag designed to dispense poop bags from the lid and more importantly store used dog poop bags in the base.
Designed in Cornwall, the Dicky Bag simply attaches to your coat or belt via the integral clip or velcro loop.
It has a range of clever design features including airtight seams, unique odour protection seal, renewable fragrance discs and what's more it's machine washable.
We tested the Dicky Bag on dog walks for over a month and fell in love with it. Available in a range of 5 different sizes from extra small to extra large, there's a bag to to suit all breeds of dog and size of poops!
Reasons to Buy
+ Innovative idea
+ Carries used waste bags
+ Hands-free solution
+ Odour-free solution
Reasons to Avoid
- More expensive option
10. Best Value Dispenser
Amazon Basics
The Amazon Basics dog poop bag dispenser is supplied free when ordering 300 or more Amazon Basic poop bags.
It's the only holder featured to use a rigid plastic hook as opposed to a carabiner or velcro strap but unfortunately we found it almost impossible to undo the rigid plastic clip (hence the holder isn't pictured on a lead).
Once unhooked it’s equally impossible to reclip on your lead. So whilst it’s free when you buy Amazon Basic poop bags, we found the current fastening fairly useless.
If you persevere and attach it, we would suggest leaving it in place!
Other than that, it's a compact little pill-shaped dispenser which grips the roll of bags well with spindles both top and bottom. We didn't experience any issues either dispensing the bags or refilling them.
So if you can manage to attach it to your lead - it's excellent value. Available in black and white.
Reasons to Buy
+ Free with 300 poop bags
+ Secure
Reasons to Avoid
- Difficult to attach
OUR VERDICT
The Earth Rated dispenser is simple, does the job and is a great price. If you're more inclined towards a fabric bag holder we'd suggest the Woof Inc holders with their coordinating accessories.
Special mention goes to the Doo-Kee. We loved the simplicity of the design, the use of eco-friendly materials and the choice of colours and designs.
HOW WE TESTED DOG POOP BAG HOLDERS
There’s a whole range of products available on the market attempting to make the scooping the poop process easier and quite frankly, more hygienic.
We decided that the perfect poop bag holder is designed to store your clean bags, keeping them ready for when you need them, dispense them quickly and in some cases act as a hands free dog waste carrier too.
Many long hours were spent testing and analysing poop bag holders for this Buying Guide.
We measured their performance both at home and whilst in the field including the following categories -
🐾 Attaching holders to leads
🐾 Extracting poop bags
🐾 Refilling with rolls
🐾 Movement on lead
🐾 Noise on lead
🐾 Holding filled poop bags
We generally put all the holders through their paces on dog walks. It's nasty work, but someone's gotta do it!
Almost all our products are sent to us by the companies involved and almost always as a result of our request. We only review the products we think are worth reviewing.
We aim to revisit and update at least twice a year, so if you reckon we've missed an absolute blinder of a poo bag dispenser that we're crazy for leaving out, then give us a shout.
You might also be interested in ... |
Best Dog Poop Bags Review - The Scoop on the Poop If you haven't had enough of reading about dog poop, please checkout our review of the best poop bags on the market. |
Thanks for dropping by and reading our review of the Best Dog Poop Bag Holders.