After testing trash cans since 2014 and speaking with numerous experts, we’ve found a number of factors that make some cans better than others. Here are the features we focused on when selecting which trash cans to test:
Opening mechanism: One of the first things to consider when buying a trash can is how you want to access it. We tested step cans, touch-top cans, lift-top cans, in-cabinet cans, and automatic cans. We chose not to test cans with swing-top, butterfly, or fold-in lids because they don’t seal tightly and the lids tend to get dirty more frequently.
Durable materials: According to our experts, stainless steel bins with tight-fitting lids are best for keeping pets and pests at bay, as it’s one of the only materials they can’t chew through. We also avoided models with sharp edges. According to Matt Frye, PhD, an extension educator for Cornell University and New York State Integrated Pest Management, “even with stainless steel, if there’s an edge, [rodents] have very strong mouths and can just bend it.” While we prioritized stainless steel bins for testing, we also included some plastic options in the budget category.
Fits standard bags: We primarily tested full-size trash cans, which are typically 8 gallons (30 liters), 10 gallons (38 liters), or 13 gallons (49 liters). Some manufacturers sell custom-fit bags with their trash cans (looking at you, Simplehuman and Brabantia). We think that’s silly, so we made sure all of our picks could fit standard US trash bags.
Easy to clean: Even securely held bags can break, tear, or leak inside a trash can, so we searched for bins that would be manageable to clean. Some trash cans had a maze of channels and indentations that were a nightmare to clean, and we ruled those out quickly. We prefer cans with removable inner bins, which makes them far easier to clean.
Tight-sealing: We looked for trash cans with tight-sealing lids and minimal gaps, to keep odors in and fruit flies out. While most bins have some kind of cutout for handles, or openings on the bottom of the can, we did our best to find models with minimal gaps or holes. We also included lidless in-cabinet models to provide an option for under-sink storage.
Sturdy but easy to move: For step cans in particular, we wanted to find models that would be heavy enough to remain in place when you open them but light enough to move around your kitchen.
Not an eyesore: A trash can doesn’t have to look like a luxury appliance, but it also shouldn’t be unsightly if it’s going to be on full display in your kitchen. We avoided cans that were overly stylized or just plain ugly.
Accessibility: Many manufacturers will advertise their cans as “ADA-compliant.” However, according to Richard Hunt, an expert in the law of accessible design, ADA standards only apply to built-in architectural elements, and don’t cover stand alone trash cans. That means that trash cans advertised as “ADA-compliant” have not been certified by an official agency. As such, we didn’t hold much weight in this label, and instead looked to the feedback of our testers for notes on accessibility.
To test our trash cans, we started by looking at how easy they were to use. For models that had a foot pedal, we pressed it with a variety of forces and from different angles. If the trash can had a lid, we watched to see whether it had a controlled opening and closing mechanism, or if it hit the wall behind it.
We fit each of the full-size models we tested with an 8-, 10-, or 13-gallon trash bag (depending on the size of the can) to see how securely they fit. We dumped a 40-lb bag of sandbags into each trash can to see whether the weight would cause the liner bag to slip down. We then pulled out the full liner bag out to see if it got caught or was difficult to remove.
To see how easy they were to clean, we wiped down the trash cans inside and out with spray cleaner and paper towels. We also knocked the trash cans over to see if any lids remained closed (nearly all of them flew open).
Finally, we put our finalists through a stink test to see how well they could contain smells. We put hard-boiled eggs and weeks-old canned fish in each, closed the lid, and left them (one at a time) in an enclosed room for a few days to marinate.
We also asked a group of paid testers—which included people with limited mobility or dexterity, and people over the age of 65—to use our finalists and provide feedback on their experience.
We tested the small in-cabinet trash can we recommend separately, and the procedure was a bit different. We installed it in an under-sink cabinet and used it daily for several months.
