PoopPot - Product Review

*EDIT* Since writing this blog, we've got a few updates on the poop pot, and they're not great i'm afraid. See the bottom of the article.

---

This week, Cheryl and I have been struck down separately with lurgy. Whilst Cheryl had a small, trifling cold, I had a ferocious case of the man flu and nearly required the last rites, no matter what she tells you.​

So to cheer ourselves up, we bought two things. A Top Gun Blu-ray so we could safely enter the Danger Zone, and a PoopPot, so we could safely dispose of the mess that comes out of our dogs' danger zones. 

---

The Growth of Poo Trees

In recent years, the UK has been slowly invaded by a new species of tree: the Poo Tree.

How sick are you of seeing this?

How annoyed are you when the fruits of the Poo Tree drop and we get this?

Yeah, it annoys us too. Whilst we applaud people picking up their dog’s mess, hanging them onto trees like the worst Christmas decorations ever or leaving them in the middle of the path doesn’t really help matters and is somewhat missing the point. 

Very British Poo Problems

Cheryl and I enjoy long walks in the country, meaning zero chance of bins most of the time. But as we have dogs, we believe we have the responsibility to leave nothing other than footprints and that includes our dogs’ poos. We don’t like kicking it off to the side of the path, because often it is off the path we like to walk and have our adventures, especially when foraging for our mushrooms and wild garlic. ​

​We're also concerned about the dangers poo bags can be to horses, as seen in the image, who are attracted to the smell of the bags, ingest them, and could potentially die. 

So we’ll tend to carry the poos tied round our fingers; in a bag or slipped inside a pocket.

However, there are few moments more grotesque than reaching in for your gloves only to find…er…something a little more squidgy.

​We had been looking for something we could use to avoid this happening again.

---

The PoopPot

The PoopPot in all its glory.

So this led us to buying a PoopPot*, which we bought in an effort to be more responsible. It claims to be “…the hands free, odour free solution to carrying dog poop”. Oh really? We’ll be the judge of that, thank you. 

Claiming to have an air tight lid which keeps the smell inside, it attaches to your belt or bag for ease of carry, and is made of a soft plastic so it only needs to extend as big as you need it. ​

---

The pot we bought is the large version, and comes in at around 5cm thick when fully collapsed, and around 14cm tall when extended. Empty, it weighs 194g, including the carabiner it comes with.

It’s probably worth noting that the PoopPot is designed for you to put your bagged-up poo into. Please don't have your dog poo directly into it. I mean, can you imagine cleaning that out? Don't be that guy.

​No no, get some nice eco friendly poo bags*, pick it up and tie it in as usual, and pop it in the pot so you can hands free carry it to the nearest bin without smelling anything. Well, that’s the idea, let’s see if it works.

A Pot Full Of Poo

Here's Cheryl showing the glitz and glamour of our lives by modelling a pot to put dog poo in.

So off we went on out nice river walk. There is a path next to the river which is quite narrow, meaning any poo left on the ground is liable to end up on your wellie/bicycle/dog, so any opportunity to stop this from happening is good.​

Before long the pot was called into action. Whilst Sprocket is used to have his photo taken (Cheryl being the Edinburgh Dog Photographer), he's not used to being papped in compromising situations. 

To action! Well, Sprocket had clearly been enjoying his Easter break because this was a right ponger.

So into the PoopPot it went without any mess or fuss. The lid came off with little effort, and went back on with a satisfying click very easily and was secure once in place. The lid is attached to the main pot, so no danger of dropping it on the ground.

Then Indie wanted in on this action as she is a diva.

So two poops up and off we carried on with our walk. We were quite happy that not a smell could be smelled. The lid was air tight and the carabiner that came with the pot was suitably strong for carrying it. It wasn’t heavy, but I guess if your dog poos a heavy poo then it will be. Because that’s how science works.​

We added another couple of poo bags to the pot as we went, managing four in total but we could probably have slipped another couple in if need be.

​Once back at home, with the poo pot a suitably far distance from the nostrils, in the bags were tipped to the deepest depths of our bin, and it was a jobbie done.

Please enjoy this photo of our bin responsibly.

Buy Or No Buy?

So, whilst I can’t comment on the longevity or sturdiness of the PoopPot over time (yet), we were really happy with our first outing and meant no more squelchy surprises in our pockets. I'll update this blog with any relevant info as events warrant.

We’d happily recommend a PoopPot of these for anyone who likes to get out of the parks and other areas with bins already supplied. Handy and lightweight, we’ll be taking this out with us again for sure. It's a buy from us! **EDIT: After using this regularly, we have decided we wouldn't recommend it, or buy one again. See Edit 2 below.**

We bought our PoopPot from Amazon and it cost us £14.99 + £3.99 UK delivery. You can view and buy the same PoopPot we have by clicking here.* Other sizes are available. 

Do you use a PoopPot? Or something similar? Perhaps you carry a plastic bag for the same purpose, or have a handy gizmo of your own. Let us know in the comments below.

UPDATE 1, 22/06/2017: We've been using the pot daily for a few week now. It still holds up very well and certainly keep the smell in, but it's not great when it reaches capacity as the lid often pops open. We feel it could be better secured somehow, perhaps with a simple clip or similar. With many of the dogs we board, it doesn't take long for this bad boy to fill up, so knowing you're safe from a faceful of fecal ferocity if it pops open would be rather welcome.

UPDATE 2, 18/07/2018: Alas, we've given up on the poop pot. Some time ago the hingey bit attaching the lid to the pot itself started to crack and, not long after, it broke. We've been holding off posting an update as we've been trying to get in touch with Poop Pot to let them know, as it's a pretty serious design flaw. We were using it every day, sure - but isn't that the point? Either way, they never responded to our emails or DMs on social media, so gave up and bought a competitor product.  Shame, really. 

Would we still recommend buying a PoopPot?

Nope.

We are easily pleased at Happy Home Dog Boarding.

No poos were harmed in the making of this blog - all that we saw and photographed were safely delivered to the comfort of our wheelie bin.

Poo count: We have used the word poo or poop, including those two, 35 times in this blog which, as a grown man, I am delighted about.