A trash can might not be the most glamorous purchase you can make for your home, but it is an essential one.
A good trash can will serve as a reliable vessel for all the unwanted litter that passes through your home. But the best ones — the smart kind — will help minimize smells, keep you from having to get your hands dirty and can even reduce the number of times per week that you need to take the trash out (because no one likes to do that).
Shop TODAY SEO editor Amanda Fama tried different models of smart trash cans and compared how well they work, looking at a number of factors, including scent containment, design and more.
What to look for in a smart trash can
To start, you want to make sure your trash can has a lid. "Not having one increases the chance of inviting pests," shares Timothy Wong, founder of New York City-based pest management company M&M Environmental. "The smell of garbage attracts them and an open bin is an easy food source. An enclosed bin with a tight lid stops odors from leaking and keeps pests away."
Other things to look for include odor control features, which not only benefits everyone in your home but can also keep pests at bay. "And if your building has mice or rat issues, a heavy-duty bin made of steel or plastic prevents them from chewing openings," Wong says.
You also don't want your trash can to be an eyesore. That's why Elsa Elbert, professional organizer and founder of Composed Living, recommends choosing one that blends in with your current decor.
Best overall smart trash can
Best overall: Airdeer Automatic Trash Can
- Includes multiple bag refills
- Contains bright inner lights
- Rechargeable design
- Can't use standard trash bags
Size: 4 gal. | Multiple sizes available? Yes | Motion-sensored? Yes | Rechargeable? Yes | Includes garbage bags? Yes, plus ring refills | Takes standard trashbags? No
Scent containment: 5/5| Size: 5/5 | Tech features: 5/5 | Volume: 5/5 | Design: 5/5 | Overall rating:5/5
Scent containment: Fama says that when it comes to scent control, this trash can "exceeded" her expectations. "I had it packed to the brim with old food, cat food and kitchen scraps for days, and I couldn't smell anything — even after the can had been opened for a few seconds."
Size: Airdeer's Automatic Trash Can clocks in at about 16 inches tall and weighs just under 7 pounds. "This trash can works for my small kitchen, but I can see it being a bit too small for larger spaces," Fama says. Thankfully, it comes in a larger 8-gallon version for anyone who has the space for it.
Tech features: "Not only is this trash can motion-sensored and self-sealing, but it also talks to you to give you instructions on what needs to be done," Fama says. "For example, if you're trying to have the bag sealed and the trash can is too packed, it will tell you. This one also has super bright lights inside that makes it simple to see when the can is filling up. After you remove the sealed bag, it adds another one. This one vacuum seals each bag open."
Volume: While Fama shares that the can makes a slight noise as it opens and closes, it's not significant enough to be annoying. She adds, "It didn't even scare my cat, and he's usually scared of strange tech noises."
Design: Fama describes it as being "super sleek and compact."
Wet & Forget Shower Cleaner
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Other smart trash cans to try, tested by our editor
Best durable option: Numi B1 Smart Bin
- Contains 1 ring of bag refills
- Sturdy construction
- Rechargeable
- Can't use standard trash bags
- No inner lights
Size: 4.5 gal. | Multiple sizes available? No | Motion-sensored? Yes | Rechargeable? Yes | Includes garbage bags? Yes, plus one ring refill | Takes standard trashbags? No
Scent containment: 5/5| Size: 4/5 | Tech features: 3/5 | Volume: 3/5 | Design: 5/5 | Overall rating:4.2/5
Scent containment: The construction of this trash can is durable, including the lid, which creates a solid seal to help keep in odors, Fama says.
Size: It may be too small for certain rooms and households, Fama notes, and unlike the above, it isn't available in larger sizes.
Tech features: The Numi Smart Bin features self-sealing and self-changing technology as well as a motion sensor lid, but Fama says it's lacking some of the tech that the other models feature.
Volume: While Fama shares that the model is relatively quiet, because of the sturdiness of the lid, it does make a "loud-ish" sound when it opens and closes.
Design: Fama calls the trash can "sleek" and "compact," adding, "you can tell it's built incredibly well; it feels sturdy and I can see this trash can lasting for a long time."
Best basic smart trash can: Townew T1S Automatic Trash Can
- Designed with inner lights
- Rechargeable
- Lid is a bit flimsy
- Can't use with standard bags
Size: 4.1 gal. | Multiple sizes available? Yes | Motion-sensored? Yes | Rechargeable? Yes | Includes garbage bags? Yes, plus one ring refill | Takes standard trashbags? No
Scent containment: 4/5| Size: 4/5 | Tech features: 4/5 | Volume: 4/5 | Design: 4/5 | Overall rating:4.2/5
Scent containment: The lid of this trash can is somewhat flimsy, so Fama says that the scent containment didn't work as well as her top model pick.
Size: Once again, while it's a good option for smaller spaces, Fama shares that it may be too small for some people.
Tech features: While this trash can does have a range of tech features, Fama says it does not provide messages when the bag is full or being changed. Plus, the light is somewhat dim and can take a few seconds to brighten. "Once in place, the bag does vacuum seal open," she says.
Volume: "The lid on this one is a bit flimsy, and it makes a bit of noise when it closes."
Design: It has a sleek white design to easily fit in your space.
Best odor control: iTouchless 13 Gallon Kitchen Trash Can
- Contains filter for odor control
- Can be used with standard trash bags
- Not many smart features
- Not rechargeable
Size: 13 gal. | Multiple sizes available? Yes | Motion-sensored? Yes | Rechargeable? No | Includes garbage bags? No | Takes standard trashbags? Yes
Scent containment: 5/5| Size: 5/5 | Tech features: 2/5 | Volume: 3/5 | Design: 3/5 | Overall rating:3.6/5
Scent containment: "This one has a built-in air purifier," Fama says. "The lid is also tight and even has a latch that you can switch to ensure the lid doesn't open by accident when you walk by."
Size: She calls this one "the perfect height and width for a kitchen," adding "it's not too wide and it's tall enough that you don't have to kneel down to activate the lid."
Tech features: As far as tech features go, this one is pretty straightforward. Fama says it's "motion-activated (you can also manually press the open and close buttons), but that's about it."
Volume: “This one is fairly loud and creaky compared to the others, but this might be because it closes so tightly (which is good)."
Design: "I wouldn't call this one decorative, per se. It's a standard stainless steel trash can with a lid. The stainless steel is nice, though, and could likely match kitchens with stainless steel appliances," she shares.
Best trending option: Pukomc Kitchen Trash Can
- Trending brand in TikTok
- Decorative design
- On the smaller side
- Not rechargeable
Size: 3.5 gal. | Multiple sizes available? Yes | Motion-sensored? Yes | Rechargeable? No | Includes garbage bags? No | Takes standard trashbags? Yes
Scent containment: 3/5| Size: 3/5 | Tech features: 2/5 | Volume: 3/5 | Design: 5/5 | Overall rating:3.2/5
Scent containment: Because this trash can has a thin lid, it doesn't keep all of the odors inside.
Size: Fama says this one is compact, so it's likely suitable for a small kitchen or home office.
Tech features: "This one is motion-sensored, but you can opt to manually shut it and close it with the touch-control sensor," she shares. "It's also controlled via battery, which is a bit annoying."
Volume: The lid can be loud when it opens, but it's more quiet when it shuts.
Design: Fama calls this trash can "super chic," adding that she loves "the golden detail and the outer shell that conceals the trash can."
Best for families: Mbillion Automatic Trash Can
- Large size
- Arrives with extra trash bags
- Can use with standard bags
- Not rechargeable
Size: 21 gal. | Multiple sizes available? Yes | Motion-sensored? Yes | Rechargeable? No | Includes garbage bags? Yes | Takes standard trashbags? Yes
Scent containment: 3/5| Size: 4/5 | Tech features: 2/5 | Volume: 5/5 | Design: 4/5 | Overall rating:3.6/5
Scent containment: While the motion sensor automatically closes the lid in about five seconds, Fama says that odors still linger after the trash can has been opened.
Size: Unlike many of the other models, the 21-gallon size may actually be too big for some kitchens like it was for Fama's studio apartment. "If I had a larger kitchen and more people in my house, I could see this one being useful." Though, it does also come in a smaller, 15-gallon size.
Tech features: If you're looking for all of the latest and greatest tech features, this model likely isn't the best option for you. The motion sensor is its main feature.
Volume: Fama says that Mbillion Trash Can is "super quiet" when opening and closing.
Design: "If you have room for it, this one is super sleek and modern looking; perfect for a modern kitchen design," she says.
How we tested the smart trash cans
SEO editor Amanda Fama tested all of the above smart trash cans in her studio apartment's kitchen for a few weeks. The kitchen is small, so when garbage is thrown away, any odors become quickly apparent. Throughout the time span, Fama threw away food (chicken, salmon, cat food, etc.), cat litter and other common garbage items. Some of the cans are larger than others and more suitable for specific areas, but she made sure there was a smart trash can for any household room on the list.
She evaluated each trash can based on five key factors and scored them on a scale of one to five for each of the following:
- Scent containment: Can you smell the garbage after closing the can? Does it linger? Or does the trash can conceal the smell?
- Size: Is it too big for a kitchen? Too small?
- Tech features: Is there one smart feature or multiple? Did the features impress us? Were they necessary?
- Volume: Is it loud while it operates?
- Design: How does it look in the space? Is it distracting?
Why trust Shop TODAY?
Amanda Fama is an editor at Shop TODAY who oversees the Ranked series. She knows how to properly test products to produce fair, transparent outcomes and ratings. Lately, she’s been focused on home cleaning products and was able to test all six smart trash cans in her old New York City apartment (which she needs to have good trash cans for to keep rodents at bay). Throughout the testing process, she was able to discover which smart trash cans worked the best.
The writer, Emma Stessman, has been on the Shop TODAY team for more than four years and routinely covers cleaning topics, including how often to wash and replace your bedding and the best shoe deodorizers.
Meet the experts
- Timothy Wong is the founder and director of M&M Environmental, a pest control company in New York City.
- Elsa Elbert is a professional organizer and the founder and CEO of Composed Living in Los Angeles.
