Last came the hand washing. Typically you should use about two pumps of soap when washing your hands. With a bottle of lotion on standby to save my thoroughly dried out hands, I investigated the range of the motion sensors, how responsive they were, and if they delivered that two-pump minimum (or more).
What we looked for
The point of getting an automatic soap dispenser is to make your life easier, so the set-up for the soap dispensers—powering it, filling it—needed to be easy and low maintenance. It was also better if there were no irritating soap requirements and it was big enough that it didn’t need constant refilling.
When it came to actual function, I focused on how much soap got dispensed and how quickly it responded to motion.
Other auto soap dispensers tested
I really liked the Secura’s large 17-ounce capacity and the clear container to track how close it was to empty. Considering its capacity it managed to have a small footprint on the countertop (you can also make it a wall-mounted soap dispenser if you wanted to keep it off the counter entirely). Controlling the amount of soap was also quite intuitive. The Secura used a smooth dial on the base of the dispenser to adjust how much soap comes out. Unlike the Hanamichi though, you can’t really tell what you’ll get from setting until you use it. The dial doesn’t have any markings other than “on/off” at the top and “max” on the bottom. The other problem with the Secura was the battery compartment. I had to take out little screws to open it, which felt tedious compared to models that had a compartment that simply slid open. It also had some soap limitations: It can’t use foaming soaps at all.
Secura Automatic Liquid Soap Dispenser
The Simplehuman sensor pump was the only dispenser with a rechargeable battery. The company says one round of charging with the included USB cord will last three months, helped by the fact that you can turn the dispenser on and off. In terms of which soaps you can use, Simplehuman does recommend using their in-house liquid soap (if you’ve ever bought a Simplehuman trash can, you’ve experienced similar recommendations around trash bags), claiming the consistency will prevent the machine from clogging. We tested with the included Simplehuman lavender soap, but representatives do say you can use most any type of soap though (with the exception of foaming soaps and exfoliants). There were only two soap options, but I liked the way you chose between them: If I wanted two pumps of soap, I just waved my hand directly under the motion sensor (as marked by a single drop up top) and if I wanted a more generous amount, then I just waved my hand further down the body. So what’s the catch? The $70 price tag is more than double the cost of everything else tested. Despite how well it works you just shouldn’t need to spend that much on a soap dispenser. But if you’re already into paying a lot for your Simplehuman trash can, you’ll be happy with this.
Simplehuman Rechargeable Sensor Pump Soap Dispenser
The Umbra was the tallest of the soap dispensers at 10 inches in height and was disappointing from the moment I put the soap in. The instructions say to avoid using “gel-based or thick soaps” as well as hand sanitizers, but it struggled with to dispense even the liquidy Dial Complete. Even when soap did come out it was cloudy and pale instead of clear like it was supposed to be. I tried with some Mrs. Meyers soap and a little bit of residual water, which worked better. But between the soap issues and a motion detector that was slow to respond after a few hours of inactivity, the Umbra fell short.
Umbra Otto Automatic Soap Dispenser
If you’re a reality T.V. fiend like me, then you might recognize this automatic soap dispenser from the apartment of Brett Brown in Love Is Blind season four. The PZOTRUF was relatively short at 7.4 inches high, but actually took up more space than most because its protruding spout makes it extra wide. I found the bulk disqualifying, but the large, push button interface for adjusting the amount of soap was nice.
PZOTRUF Touchless Dish Soap Dispenser
The Commercial Care touchless automatic soap dispenser was also short—7.4 inches high, same as the PZOTRUF—and had the smallest capacity of anything tested at 7.5 ounces. A bigger problem was that it was completely opaque, which meant I couldn’t see when it was running low. Actual soap dispensing went fine, but it was hard to tell how or if you could adjust the dispensing settings or if you had to just move your hand away.
Commercial Care Touchless Soap Dispenser
The takeaway
For a simple, affordable, and intuitive automatic soap dispenser, get the Hanamichi. It’s got a good soap capacity while not taking up much room on your countertop and it’s super easy to adjust the soap settings on as well. The Simplehuman is also a worthy contender if you’ve got more of a budget to work with, and the Secura also offers an alternative affordable option with an even bigger soap capacity (if you’re willing to compromise on a more ambiguous interface).
