The Best Trash Compactor

Buying Guide

If you’re taking the trash out far too many times each week, a trash compactor could be just the solution you need. A compactor consolidates your trash so that you can go longer between trips. Large families find compactors handy every day, but even a smaller household will find it useful when friends or relatives are visiting.

At one time, if you wanted a trash compactor, you had to go with a motor-equipped unit. Having a motor automatically upped the price you’d pay. While compactors that use motors are still around, there are also trash cans that make it easy for you to manually compact. You’ll just use a tool and some elbow grease to consolidate your trash as you notice the can is beginning to fill.

One thing to keep in mind before you buy a trash compactor is that your garbage doesn’t reduce in weight because you’ve crushed it. For that reason, many compactors come with wheels so that you can more easily transport your garbage to your outdoor trash bins. If you don’t have this feature, you’ll want to at least occasionally test the weight of your bags to make sure you can carry them.

Whether you buy a trash compactor or regular trash can, sensors can come in very handy. Instead of touching the lid or pressing a foot pedal to open it, you simply wave your hand near the top. Newer trash cans also automatically close as you’re walking away. This hands-free operation helps keep your hands clean so you can continue working in the kitchen without worrying about bacteria.

By their very nature, trash cans harbor odors. This can be a problem if your can is in your kitchen, where you’re also trying to cook and eat. If you’re buying a trash compactor, you’ll be dealing with food sticking around even longer before you take it to your outdoor cans.

“I highly recommend looking for a trash compactor with built-in odor control,” says our home improvement pro Vicki Liston. Her award-winning show, “On The Fly…DIY” has tons of fun home tutorials. “Think about it — you are using this appliance so you can squeeze four to six times more garbage in per bag. More garbage means more smell and more room in that can means longer timeframes between taking it out. You are definitely going to want constant and continuous odor control so your kitchen doesn’t smell like a landfill.”

If you’re shopping for a trash can that compacts your garbage, you’re likely concerned about how much your can will hold before it needs to be emptied. Although many compactors have similar capacities to trash cans, that capacity is calculated before the trash has been compacted. So you’ll need to look at a compactor’s rate of reduction. If you can cut a full can of garbage down by 50% or more, you’ll find those trips to the outside cans are dramatically reduced.

• As popular as home automation has become, it’s especially useful with your garbage cans. Touchless technology means you keep your hands clean. Many trash cans get around this by including a foot pedal, but the iTouchless Squeeze Trash Compactor and iTouchless Stainless Steel Automatic Trash Can both let you wave your hand over a sensor to open the lid.
• The first big decision you’ll need to make is whether to go with a manual or automatic compacting process. The Gladiator Modular Garage Trash Compactor uses a 1/3 horsepower motor to break your garbage down. This motor has the power to crush 2,200 pounds of force per square inch.
• Manual trash compactors have their benefits as well. They’re more energy-efficient, and they keep things simple. The iTouchless Squeeze Trash Compactor provides a tool that you use for the compacting operation. The Household Essentials Trash Krusher Manual Trash Compactor’s tool is built into the lid. Just push the garbage down when you need to make more room.
• If you’re looking for an advanced trash can without the compactor feature, the iTouchless Stainless Steel Automatic Trash is worth considering. This trash can has touchless operation that runs on batteries. The lid opens and closes with minimal noise. Best of all, you only have to step within a certain proximity for it to open automatically. As you move away, it drifts closed again.
• The Gladiator Modular Garage Trash Compactor has an anti-jam feature to keep the motor working no matter what you’ve put inside the can.
• When it comes to compacting, the Gladiator Modular Garage Trash Compactor will require the least amount of labor on your part. The 1/3-horsepower motor can crush at a rate of 2,200 pounds of force for each square inch. That means your trash will be reduced to as much as 1/4^th what it originally was. While manual compactors do a great job, having a motor behind it does give you far more power behind your compression.
• The wide openings on the iTouchless Squeeze Trash Compactor and iTouchless Stainless Steel Automatic Trash Can make it easy for squeezing in large items, like pizza boxes. The smaller opening on the Gladiator Modular Garage Trash Compactor can make it tough to slide the trash out once you’re ready to get rid of it.
• The iTouchless Stainless Steel Automatic Trash Can has a built-in retainer ring that makes sure your bag stays in place as you drop trash in.
• Nobody likes a stinky trash can. Sure, you can buy trash bags with built-in odor control, but those often just use scents to overpower any issues. The iTouchless Squeeze Trash Compactor and iTouchless Stainless Steel Automatic Trash Can use carbon odor filters to neutralize those bad smells. You’ll need to replace the filter occasionally, but it’s a handy feature you won’t find on many other garbage cans.
• Many trash compactors hold 10 to 13 gallons, but when compacted, you’ll get much more. With the iTouchless Stainless Steel Automatic Trash Can, you’ll only get 13 gallons uncompacted, but that’s still an impressive capacity. The Gladiator Modular Garage Trash Compactor impresses with its ability to compact at a rate of 75 percent.
• Occasionally, you’ll need to clean your trash can. The Household Essentials Trash Krusher Manual Trash Compactor has a switch that keeps the lid open while you clean it out. The iTouchless Stainless Steel Automatic Trash Can is also antimicrobial to keep your family healthy.
• One of the biggest reasons to opt for a manual trash compactor is cost. Motor-driven compactors like the Gladiator Modular Garage Trash Compactor are very expensive. By choosing the iTouchless Squeeze Trash Compactor or Household Essentials Trash Krusher Manual Trash Compactor, you’ll get the convenience of trash compacting without the expense.
• Trash compactors go through a little more wear than regular trash cans. The Gladiator Modular Garage Trash Compactor is built to withstand smashing gallons of trash, week after week, year after year. The iTouchless Squeeze Trash Compactor is also durable, but the foldable rod isn’t as strong as it should be. The Household Essentials Trash Krusher Manual Trash Compactor is not only durable, but it comes with a 10-year warranty. You may need that warranty on the part of the lid that compacts, as it can break with extended use.
• Compacted trash can be heavy, especially when reducing by 75 percent. For that reason, the Gladiator Modular Garage Trash Compactor is built to move on wheels, making it easy for you to transport it outside so you can empty it into your larger cans. You’ll need those wheels, too, as this compactor weighs a whopping 150 pounds. It’s designed for garage use, so if you’re looking for a kitchen-based model, this may not be your best option.
• If you have a smaller kitchen or simply want to take up less space, look for a non-compacting garbage can like the iTouchless Stainless Steel Automatic Trash Can. The 7-pound weight and slim profile make it easier to maneuver and store. However, since it doesn’t compact trash, you’ll lose the convenience of taking the trash out less often.
• Although the motor on the Gladiator Modular Garage Trash Compactor is very powerful, you will have to deal with a little noise when it’s running. Manual compactors don’t have motors, so they operate noiselessly.
• Although attractiveness is subjective, the iTouchless Squeeze Trash Compactor and Household Essentials Trash Krusher Manual Trash Compactor have a design similar to what you’ll find with traditional garbage cans, such as the iTouchless Stainless Steel Automatic Trash Can. The Gladiator Modular Garage Trash Compactor is definitely attractive, but it has a more industrial look, making it better suited for a garage than a kitchen.
• If you’ve got kids, you have some extra trash compactor considerations to make. “Homes with small children will find compactors with hidden controls or removable knobs and child locks to be essential features,” says our home improvement pro Liston. “Trash compactors have the potential to be extremely dangerous for kids, and these features will bring valuable peace of mind.”