Touchless Trash Cans

The best touchless trash cans under $100

A sensor lid is the cheapest luxury in a kitchen, and under a hundred dollars you can have it in almost any size. The one thing the bracket does not buy is a lid that waits for you.

By Ryder M. · Last reviewed November 10, 2026

Kitchen counter with open shelving and a stone splashback

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The short answer

Buy the iTouchless 13 Gallon SensorCan with AbsorbX Odor Filter. It is a full-size stainless sensor can with an activated carbon filter fitted in the lid as standard, which is the feature most likely to change how the kitchen smells, and it runs on ordinary 13-gallon bags. The budget pick is the Ninestars 13 Gallon Rectangular Motion Sensor Trash Can, the cheapest sensor can here and the only one in the bracket with a published battery figure. If size is the problem, the Ninestars 21 Gallon XL is a genuinely large sensor can under a hundred.

#	Product	Best for	Price
01	iTouchless 13 Gallon SensorCan with AbsorbX Odor FilterThe touchless can that ships with a carbon filter in the lid and takes ordinary 13-gallon bags, at a fraction of the premium price.	Best touchless value	$79.97 · View on Amazon $89.99 · 11% off · Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
02	Ninestars DZT-50-9 13.2 Gallon Motion Sensor Trash CanThe sensor can with the best published battery figure in the category: about 10,000 cycles on three C cells.	Best battery life	$133.10 · View on Amazon Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
03	Ninestars 21 Gallon XL Automatic Touchless Trash Can (80 L)The biggest sensor can most households will consider: 80 liters, a wide opening, and a manual mode that locks the lid open.	Best XL sensor can	$89.99 · View on Amazon Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
04	EKO Mirage-T 50L Motion Sensor Trash CanA plain rectangular sensor can on standard 13-gallon bags, with no app, no voice control and nothing proprietary.	Best simple sensor can	$89.99 · View on Amazon Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
05	iTouchless 13 Gallon Sensor Can with WheelsAn indoor sensor can on wheels, which sounds odd until you have carried a full one down a hallway every week.	Best for moving to the curb	$98.99 · View on Amazon Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money
06	Ninestars 13 Gallon Rectangular Motion Sensor Trash CanThe rectangular Ninestars, and the only sensor can in this price class that publishes how long a set of batteries lasts.	Best published battery life	$46.99 · View on Amazon $51.85 · 9% off · Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money

This page is the price-led cut of the category. If you would rather see the budget bracket ranked on specification instead - battery figures, body shape, liner size - the best affordable touchless trash cans does exactly that and reaches a different top pick.

The one thing $100 does not buy

An adaptive sensor. Every can in this bracket closes on a fixed timer - the lid opens when your hand enters range, waits a set number of seconds, then shuts, whether or not you have finished scraping the plate. A premium can holds the lid open while something is still in front of it. That is the single difference people notice, and it is worth knowing before you buy rather than after.

Manual mode is the workaround. Most of these hold the lid open on a button press. You learn to use it within a week.
Usable capacity is less than nominal. The lid mechanism occupies the top of the can. Ninestars publishes 10.2 to 11.6 usable gallons on a 50-liter body, and the gap is similar across the bracket.
Batteries are the running cost. A can that eats D cells every two months costs more to own than the gap to a premium model. Touchless trash can batteries and power covers AC adapters, which are worth it on a busy can.
A filter is not standard. The iTouchless models ship with one; most of the bracket does not.

If none of that sounds acceptable, the honest alternative is not a more expensive sensor can - it is a step can with no batteries and no timer. Step can vs touchless trash can lays the trade out, and are touchless trash cans worth it? puts the running cost in front of you.

Who each pick is for

Pick	Who it is for	Capacity	Filter
iTouchless 13 Gallon SensorCan	The all-round best buy under $100	13 gal / 50 L	AbsorbX carbon, included
Ninestars DZT-50-9	Longest published battery life in the bracket	13.2 gal / 50 L	No
Ninestars 21 Gallon XL	A large household that fills a 13-gallon bag fast	21 gal / 80 L	No
EKO Mirage-T 50L	A brushed steel can that does one thing properly	50 L / 13.2 gal	No
iTouchless 13 Gallon with Wheels	A can that has to move to the curb or across a room	13 gal / 50 L	Carbon filter slot
Ninestars 13 Gallon Rectangular	The budget pick - sits flush to a wall	13.2 gal / 50 L	No

Capacities, battery figures and filter fitment are the manufacturers' own published specifications.

The picks in full

01 — Best touchless value

iTouchless 13 Gallon SensorCan with AbsorbX Odor Filter

The touchless can that ships with a carbon filter in the lid and takes ordinary 13-gallon bags, at a fraction of the premium price.

Capacity: 13 gallons / 50 liters
Dimensions: 12.7" L x 10.7" W x 27.3" H (35.7" with the lid open)
Power: 4 x D batteries, or an optional AC adapter
Odor control: AbsorbX natural activated carbon filter
Lid lock: Yes
Warranty: 1 year

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.

What we'd flag: the warranty is one year, against ten on the Brabantia. That is a short warranty for a product with electronics in it.

$79.97 · View on Amazon

$89.99 · 11% off · Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money

02 — Best battery life

Ninestars DZT-50-9 13.2 Gallon Motion Sensor Trash Can

The sensor can with the best published battery figure in the category: about 10,000 cycles on three C cells.

Capacity: 50 liters / 13.2 gallons nominal
Usable volume: 10.2-11.6 gallons (manufacturer figure)
Dimensions: 16.5" L x 11.5" W x 28.4" H
Weight: 7.8 lb empty
Body: Oval, 430 stainless steel
Power: 3 x C batteries
Battery life: ~10,000 open-close cycles (manufacturer figure)
Bag retention: Removable interior liner

Ninestars states roughly 10,000 opens per set of three C batteries, which on normal household use is the better part of a year, and nobody else in this bracket publishes a figure at all. The body is 430 stainless rather than a painted steel skin, the lid opens and closes on a silent mechanism rather than a spring, and the interior liner lifts out so a bag change does not mean reaching down the inside of the can.

What we'd flag: the sensor runs a fixed timer rather than an adaptive one. If you pause mid-scrape it will close on you, and that is the behaviour people return sensor cans over. Be careful with the capacity too — Ninestars rates the body at 50 litres but the current listing quotes usable volume as 10.2 to 11.6 gallons, which is what a bag actually holds once the lid mechanism is in the way.

$133.10 · View on Amazon

Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money

03 — Best XL sensor can

Ninestars 21 Gallon XL Automatic Touchless Trash Can (80 L)

The biggest sensor can most households will consider: 80 liters, a wide opening, and a manual mode that locks the lid open.

Capacity: 21 gallons / 80 liters
Opening: Infrared sensor, soft-close lid
Manual mode: Yes — holds the lid open
Power: Batteries — check the compartment (see flag)
Bag retention: Removable liner ring
Body: Fingerprint-resistant stainless steel, non-skid base

A large family fills a 13-gallon can before dinner is cleared, and the failure mode is a bag stacked beside the bin. Eighty liters ends that. The throat is wide enough for a pizza box or a gallon jug without folding anything, the infrared lid means nobody touches it with cooking hands, and a manual mode holds the lid open when you are clearing the fridge. A removable liner ring hides an oversized bag, which is the usual problem at this capacity.

What we'd flag: Ninestars publishes two different battery specs for this model — 2 C cells on its DZT-80-4 product page, 3 D cells on its own CAP-4 replacement-cap listing — so open the compartment and look before you buy cells. A can this size gets opened constantly either way, so expect to change them. It is also genuinely large — measure the floor and the lid swing before you commit.

$89.99 · View on Amazon

Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money

04 — Best simple sensor can

EKO Mirage-T 50L Motion Sensor Trash Can

A plain rectangular sensor can on standard 13-gallon bags, with no app, no voice control and nothing proprietary.

Capacity: 50 liters / 13.2 gallons
Opening: Infrared motion sensor
Bag compatibility: Standard 13-gallon bags
Finish: Brushed stainless steel

The lid opens when your hand comes into range and closes a few seconds later. That is the entire feature set, and for a lot of kitchens that is correct — every extra feature on a sensor can is another thing that can stop working.

What we'd flag: fixed close delay, same as the Ninestars. There is no way to hold it open for a long job short of propping the lid.

$89.99 · View on Amazon

Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money

05 — Best for moving to the curb

iTouchless 13 Gallon Sensor Can with Wheels

An indoor sensor can on wheels, which sounds odd until you have carried a full one down a hallway every week.

Capacity: 13 gallons / 50 liters
Wheels: Yes
Odor control: AbsorbX activated carbon filter
Lid lock: Yes

Wheels on a 13-gallon can are for the fifteen feet between the kitchen and wherever the bags go — a garage, a back door, a bin store. Full kitchen bags are heavier and more awkward than people expect, and this removes the carry entirely.

What we'd flag: wheels on a kitchen floor mean the can moves when you lean into it. On tile it will creep away from the wall over a few weeks.

$98.99 · View on Amazon

Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money

06 — Best published battery life

Ninestars 13 Gallon Rectangular Motion Sensor Trash Can

The rectangular Ninestars, and the only sensor can in this price class that publishes how long a set of batteries lasts.

Capacity: 13 gallons / 50 liters
Dimensions: 15.24" L x 11.22" W x 25.04" H
Weight: 6.75 lb empty
Shape: Rectangular, sits flush to a wall
Power: 2 x D batteries — up to 9 months (manufacturer figure)
Bag retention: Removable liner ring
Warranty: 2 years

Two reasons to take this one over the round original. The first is geometry: a rectangular body sits flush to a wall or an island and wastes nothing in a corner, where a semi-round leaves dead space. The second is that Ninestars publishes a battery figure for it — up to nine months on two D cells — which is more than anyone else in this bracket is willing to commit to in writing. The lid is a precision fit that closes softly and seals odour in, and the liner ring keeps the bag edge out of sight.

What we'd flag: square internal corners are harder to clean than rounded ones, and a leaked bag pools in those corners. Expect to get a cloth into them. Nine months is also a manufacturer figure on normal household use, not a tested one.

$46.99 · View on Amazon

$51.85 · 9% off · Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money

Making a budget sensor can behave

Watch what is in front of the sensor. A cupboard door that swings into range makes the lid cycle all day and flattens the batteries - a touchless trash can that keeps opening is the fix list.
Keep the sensor window clean. Cooking grease reads as a permanent hand to an infrared eye.
Use alkaline cells and change them as a set. Mixing an old cell with new ones causes most of the erratic behavior people report.
Use the liner ring. Every can here has one. A knotted bag hanging over the rim is what makes a cheap can look cheap.

If the can is destined for a bathroom rather than a kitchen the sizing logic changes completely - the best touchless trash cans for bathrooms. And if you want a big sensor can specifically, the best large touchless trash cans goes above this bracket as well as inside it.

The two we would buy here: the iTouchless for the filter, the rectangular Ninestars if the budget is the constraint.

Best touchless value

iTouchless 13 Gallon SensorCan with AbsorbX Odor Filter

The touchless can that ships with a carbon filter in the lid and takes ordinary 13-gallon bags, at a fraction of the premium price.

$79.97 · View on Amazon

$89.99 · 11% off · Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money

Best published battery life

Ninestars 13 Gallon Rectangular Motion Sensor Trash Can

The rectangular Ninestars, and the only sensor can in this price class that publishes how long a set of batteries lasts.

$46.99 · View on Amazon

$51.85 · 9% off · Price as of November 14, 2026. #ad How we make money

Common questions

What is the best touchless trash can under $100?

The iTouchless 13 Gallon SensorCan with AbsorbX Odor Filter. It is a full-size stainless sensor can with a carbon filter fitted as standard, running on ordinary 13-gallon bags.

Are cheap touchless trash cans worth buying?

Yes, with one compromise: the lid closes on a fixed timer rather than an adaptive sensor, so it will shut while you are still scraping unless you use the manual hold.

Can you get a large touchless trash can under $100?

Yes. The Ninestars 21 Gallon XL is an 80-liter sensor can that sits inside the bracket, which is unusual - most large sensor cans cost considerably more.

Do budget sensor cans need special bags?

No. Every pick here takes standard tall kitchen bags and has a liner ring to hide the bag edge. Coded liners are a premium-brand feature.

How long do the batteries last?

Where the maker publishes a figure: up to nine months on two D cells for the rectangular Ninestars, and about 10,000 open-close cycles on three C cells for the DZT-50-9. Most brands in the bracket publish nothing.

Why is usable capacity lower than the stated gallons?

Because the sensor lid mechanism takes up the top of the can. Ninestars quotes 10.2 to 11.6 usable gallons on a 50-liter body.

Sources

Every specification on this page traces to one of these, checked at the time of writing. Where a manufacturer does not publish a figure, the page says so rather than estimating it.

The short answer

The one thing $100 does not buy

Who each pick is for

The picks in full

iTouchless 13 Gallon SensorCan with AbsorbX Odor Filter

Ninestars DZT-50-9 13.2 Gallon Motion Sensor Trash Can

Ninestars 21 Gallon XL Automatic Touchless Trash Can (80 L)

EKO Mirage-T 50L Motion Sensor Trash Can

iTouchless 13 Gallon Sensor Can with Wheels

Ninestars 13 Gallon Rectangular Motion Sensor Trash Can

Making a budget sensor can behave

iTouchless 13 Gallon SensorCan with AbsorbX Odor Filter

Ninestars 13 Gallon Rectangular Motion Sensor Trash Can

Common questions

What is the best touchless trash can under $100?

Are cheap touchless trash cans worth buying?

Can you get a large touchless trash can under $100?

Do budget sensor cans need special bags?

How long do the batteries last?

Why is usable capacity lower than the stated gallons?

Sources

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