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How To Choose The Best Sensor Bin?

A sensor bin opens automatically when you approach or place your hand close to the lid. This allows you to dispose of waste without having to touch any unhygienic surfaces, which is especially important when cooking.

Sensor bins are also great for disabled or arthritic people who cannot operate a pedal bin, or lift a bin lid manually with their hands.

A good sensor bin should open as soon as your hand approaches the lid, and give you enough time to scrape off dinner plates before closing the lid.

In this buying guide, we recommend the best sensor bins, and explain how to choose the right sensor bin for your kitchen.

Key Considerations When Choosing a Sensor Bin

A. Ease of Use

Sensor bins are supposed to make disposing of kitchen waste and other garbage easier and more hygienic. But some sensor bins are frustrating to use.

The problem is usually a poorly designed or placed sensor. You have to wave your hand several times above or in front of the bin for it to open the lid. What was supposed to save you time ends up costing you precious seconds everytime you go to put in waste.

Look for a good quality sensor bin that works flawlessly every time. It should open as soon as you get near.

Also, make sure it’s not one of those sensor bins that close the lid too quickly, not giving you enough time to scrape off dinner plates.

We prefer sensor bins designed to stay open as long as you are there. We also love sensor bins with a manual override button that keeps the lid open until you close it. This feature is handy when cooking.

B. Capacity

Most sensor bins have a 40 to 50-litre capacity, which is adequate for the average size family. You can throw in waste for a few days before you need to remove the garbage bag.

You can also get bigger 60L sensor bins, mid-size 30L bins, as well as compact 10L bins for small kitchens.

When considering what capacity to get, check how much space you have for the bin. A larger capacity bin will be wider or taller.

C. Garbage Bag Compatibility

Check what size of garbage bags the bin works with. Usually, bags that are the same capacity as the bin will come up too short, making it difficult to use them with a retainer ring.

Get a bag that’s about 5L bigger. Don’t get one that’s too big unless you don’t mind it being visible outside the bin.

Some manufacturers sell custom liner bags that are designed specifically for a particular bin.

D. Build Quality & Style

The best made sensor bins usually consist of a tough plastic body and a rustproof stainless steel lid.

Also check if customers are complaining about the motor or sensor failing. A good quality sensor bin should last for years without a problem.

Style is also important, especially if you want a sensor bin that blends well in your kitchen. Most sensor bins come in a neutral gray or silver finish, but some companies offer bins in different colours.

Tip: Most sensor bins don’t come with batteries included. So check what kind of batteries your chosen bin uses and get some beforehand.

Best Sensor Bins: Top 5 Reviews

1. BLACK+DECKER BXBN0002GB Soft Close Sensor Activated Bin, 50L

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The infrared sensor on the Black+Decker sensor bin works flawlessly. As soon as your hand approaches the bin, it opens automatically.

Sometimes it even opens when you simply walk by, so you may want to place the bin a bit further away from where people pass.

Unlike some sensor bins, the Black+Decker bin is not in any hurry to close. As long as your hands are still over the bin, the door will stay open. It only closes 3-4 seconds after you’ve walked away.

You can also press a button to keep the lid open until you close it.

The motor is whisper quiet and runs on two DD batteries. The batteries are not included.

Build quality is pretty good. The body is tough ABS plastic, while the lid is stainless steel. A plastic liner ring keeps garbage bags secured in the bin and invisible from the outside.

Style-wise, the 50-litre Black+Decker sensor bin has a tall and narrow design that should fit easily in most kitchens. It comes in a grey/silver finish that blends well with most kitchen appliances.

What we like about it:

  • Good build quality and style.
  • Sensor works flawlessly.
  • Lid stays open for as long as you need it to.

2. Simplehuman CBS251-45 Semi-Round Sensor Steel Bin, 45L

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The Simplehuman CBS25 semi-round sensor bin is one of the easiest to use in the market.

The sensor works quickly and perfectly every time. As soon as you hand approaches the top or side of the bin, the lid opens up. The motor and gears are designed to open and close the lid without any noise.

The lid will stay open as long as your hands are still over the bin. So you can take your time scraping off plates and bowls into the bin. The lid only closes when you walk away.

One missing feature that we’d have liked to see is a stay open button. There’s no button to force the lid to stay open even if you walk away.

The bin has a 45-litre capacity, which is plenty for most families. You can get custom bags designed specifically for the SimpleHuman bin, or use whichever you have. Just make sure they are the right size.

The SimpleHuman sensor bin doesn’t have a liner ring. Instead, the lower lid clamps over the bag, keeping it in place. To empty the full garbage bag, you simply lift up the lower lid.

One thoughtful addition we really love is a liner pocket and dispenser. You put your garbage liners in a pocket on the outside, then you can pull them one by one from the inside when it’s time to put in a new liner.

The SimpleHuman bin has an all-stainless steel design, which is the main reason it’s pricey. But you can get a cheaper version with a plastic lid. You can also get the bin in several colours.

One other thing we love is the semi-round shape. It looks like a semi-circle, with one side being flat. This makes it easy to push it up against a wall or cabinet.

What we like about it:

  • Excellent style and build quality.
  • Sensitive sensor – opens quickly.
  • Available in several colours.
  • Handy liner pocket and dispenser.

3. Ninestars Automatic Touchless Infrared Motion Sensor Bin

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If you are looking for a small sensor bin, we recommend this 10-litre one by Ninestars. Measuring just 23.5cm wide and 37.2cm high, it’s perfect for small kitchens, apartments, RVs, and tiny homes.

It’s also a great choice for bathrooms, and any other space where you don’t need a large bin.

The sensor works quickly, opening the lid as soon as you approach the bin. Once it’s open, a small display shows a 5-second countdown timer, after which the lid closes automatically.. But you can press a button to keep the lid up until you close it.

The Ninestars sensor bin comes with an inner 10-litre bucket, complete with a handle. The bucket takes 15-litre garbage bags.

The removable bucket makes cleaning super easy.

The Ninestars bin has an all-plastic design, but it looks good and feels durable.

What we like about it:

  • Low price.
  • Perfect for small kitchens, bathrooms and other spaces.
  • Removable inner bucket.
  • Detection sensor has good range and sensitivity.

4. 1home 50L Stainless Steel Automatic Waste Bin

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If you are looking for a large capacity sensor bin that’s affordable, we recommend the 1home automatic waste bin.

It has a large capacity of 50 litres, so it should meet the needs of most families. It’s also surprising to find a stainless steel sensor bin at this price. Only the lid is plastic.

The detection sensor is placed conveniently at the top of the bin. Unlike bins with side-facing sensors, the 1home bin won’t keep opening every time you walk by.

With a 20cm detection range, the lid opens quickly enough when your hand approaches the bin.

The lid will close after about 5 seconds, but there’s a manual override button you can press to keep it open for however long you want.

The 1home bin has a slim oval design that takes up minimal space in the kitchen. The base measures 33cm by 26cm.

It comes with a retainer ring to hold garbage bags in place. But batteries are not included. You need three D size batteries.

What we like about it:

  • Affordable.
  • Large capacity.
  • Sensor works great.
  • Stainless steel construction – looks great and lasts a long time.

5. Morphy Richards Chroma 971519 Square Sensor Bin

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The Morphy Richards Chroma bin is another good choice if you are looking for a large capacity sensor bin that’s not too pricey. This one is also stainless steel with a plastic lid.

The Chroma bin comes with three lemon-scented bin liners and you can order a pack of 20 more liners online.

A retainer ring keeps the liner secured in the bin.

As for the sensor, it is sensitive and has good range. It opens the lid quickly when your hand approaches the bin.

Like most other sensor bins, it’ll close automatically after five seconds. Unfortunately, the Morphy Richards Chroma lacks a ‘stay open’ button that’s common in other bins.

The only way to keep the lid from closing on you is to disable the detection sensor completely using a button under the lid. But that means opening and closing the lid manually.

Other than that, the opening/closing mechanism works great. The five second open time is adequate for most of the time.

Note that you’ll need four AA batteries.

The Morphy Richards Chroma has a narrow and tall design that fits easily next to the kitchen cabinet or against a wall. The base measures 34.2cm wide and 24.6cm deep. The bin is 72.2cm tall.

What we like about it:

  • Affordable.
  • Large capacity.
  • Comes with three liner bags.
  • Detection sensor works great.

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