The best trash cans for odor control

iTouchless builds an activated-carbon AbsorbX filter into the lid rather than selling it as an accessory, which is the right call — the lid is where the smell sits. A 12-inch opening takes a standard 13-gallon bag, there is a lid lock to keep pets and children out, and the base is non-skid. It runs on four D cells, or an AC adapter sold separately.

The second-generation Totem arranges its two 30-liter compartments vertically, so a unit handling three waste streams takes the floor space of one can. The removable 3-liter food caddy is the piece most recyclers get wrong — scraps are what actually smells, and here they sit in a small container you can carry straight to the outside bin. The integrated carbon filters are replaceable rather than sealed in.

Two things separate this from everything at half the price. The first is the liner pocket: a slot inside the can that stores the roll and dispenses the next bag as you pull the full one out. The second is that simplehuman publishes a code letter for each can and sells a liner cut to that exact size, so the bag sits flush instead of hanging four inches over the rim. The steel pedal is rated at 150,000 steps and the Lid Shox damper closes it slowly and silently rather than letting it clap shut.

Brabantia guarantees the Bo for ten years, the longest published guarantee in the mainstream category, and that tells you something about how they expect the mechanism to age. There is no pedal at all — you press the lid panel — so there is no linkage to wear out. Adjustable non-skid legs let you level it on an uneven floor, and the inner bucket lifts straight out.

Ninestars states roughly 10,000 opens per set of three C batteries, which on normal household use is the better part of a year. It also has a manual mode that holds the lid open for a big clean-up — a small feature that matters enormously when you are emptying a refrigerator. The removable ring liner holds the bag by the rim, and the non-skid base keeps it off your floor finish.

This is the bin that takes odor seriously rather than venting it. The lid carries a replaceable activated-charcoal filter and seals against the rim, which is why it copes with cooked food scraps that make ventilated bins turn sour. Stainless steel does not stain or absorb smell the way plastic eventually does, and the manufacturer describes the lid as airtight and leak-resistant.