If you have never had a garbage compactor, then now is the time to get one. Our family really loves ours as it helps us compact the trash down and make it easier for the sanitation workers in my city to pick up and haul away our trash each and every week.
Plus, my city charges if you have excess garbage bags put out by the kerb, so it is in your best interest to minimize the amount of trash you’ve placed outside. Plus, who doesn’t want to be greener in their lives?
These best trash compactor reviews will put you on the right path and help you keep your house tidy and clean. We just love our trash compactor and we are confident you will love it too. We are a family of four and we live in a two-bedroom, ranch style home, to give you an idea of how much we use ours.
What Are the Main Benefits of Having the Best Trash Compactor?
Getting yourself a residential trash compactor is a great deal and mega value add for your house, because it will save you a trip outdoors when you have to take out the trash. You are also going to save valuable space inside your bin.
When spring cleaning rolls around and you need to conserve all the trash bags you can, this is going to be a huge helper in making sure you max out your precious garbage bags and throw away as much old stuff as you can to make way for the new.
You can even use this in many other applications, too.
For example, if you know you will be recycling lots of old clothes or helping out a friend who needs to clean their house, this thing will be a lifesaver. I once knew a man who was a hoarder and his family got us all together to help him and get his life turned around. We did not have an electric trash compactor at that time, and I know the situation I described is a little extreme but imagine the possibilities that these great little trash cans can have on your life.
You can also buy some that are of the electric variety and they will crush the garbage for you. However, I personally like the idea of a manual one. Why? Well, when it breaks, that’s one less thing you have to fix. Plus, a manual compactor keeps you on your toes and gives you that little extra bit of exercise. Everything we do in this world is automated anyway!
Besides, these are not like the trash compactors of the old days. Many of you may remember trash compactors that were smelly and noisy, or heard from parents and grandparents that you should not buy one. However, we think that after you get your hands on one of these beauties, you will simply love what you got and wonder how you did without it.
After all, the best ones on the market make the world a greener place. The best of the best ones can change six bags of trash into one simple 30-pound bag. Therefore, you only take out that trash once per week and not each and every day.
Besides, who really loves taking out the trash, especially when it is cold? And who loves hoisting heavy bags into the dumpster? Not me, that’s for sure. Plus, when it gets hot, yuck! I don’t want to go near the trash can outside at all.
Freestanding units can be plugged right into the wall and you can start using them right away. Many of the newer models you will encounter of kitchen trash compactor take care of the smells by way of a charcoal filter, and these things typically cost only about $5 per piece. One company we found out about through our research makes a model that features an odor reduction disc and it cycles through automatically every six months or so.
And if people do complain about the smell, just throw a piece of newspaper over your trash. This is a simple and easy fix that nobody will tell you, but we sure will! Plus, it helps keep your manual compactor clean as it will just press down on the paper instead of any sticky, smelly stuff you have in the trash can.
Also, I would not worry so much about buying the bags that the company recommends. We found that using our own worked well, plus some of these companies want one dollar per bag. I think this is a little steep in the grand scheme of things.
If you are in this for the green aspect of things, you’re on the right track, some people think that trash compactors are so tightly packed in that it will slow down the process of decomposition. However, this is not so-and by the way these things are stellar for compacting down recyclables.
Some people even buy two of these great little machines, one for the trash in their home and then one for the stuff they plan on recycling. Do not, however, use it to crush glass! That’s simply not safe and we don’t think any of you would do it, but we have to put it in here because somebody might not know any better.
Just take those back to the bottle return stations.
This is definitely one of those things that you can do without, don’t get us wrong. Our goal here is not to make you rush out and buy a compactor, and then tell your friends about the fabulous new purchase you just made.
But if you are unsure about it, just think of all the good things. They definitely make for a very convenient tool in the kitchen, and you get to contribute less to the local landfills. Also, you are spending more on trash bags when you do not compact the trash!
If everybody in the USA had a trash compactor, we could reduce our landfill consumption by more than 75%. That is huge, and a great win for the environment. Chances are you and your family are already doing things that help make our world a better place to be, so this would just be icing on the cake.
By and large, it’s guys that are taking out the trash, so us ladies can convince our man to pick one up-it will make his job much easier to do when it’s only one bag instead of two, three or four.
No matter which trash compactor you end up with it is a good idea to make sure it stays in good condition. Protect the investment you and your family have made. If you bought a mechanical trash compactor, follow all manufacturer’s usage instructions and clean it regularly. Do any preventative maintenance that you can when it is time, as this will make sure your investment is properly cared for and keeps serving you well for years and years.
Reviewing the best compactors you can use
✔ Halo Easy Trash Compactor Trash Can with Automatic Sensor Touchless Lid
We got a few good trash compactors for testing, and this one was first on our list. When we first took it out of the box, we were very impressed, it is a 13 gallon or 49-liter trash compactor. I really liked that it was only made of stainless steel and plastic. I could easily take some cleaner and a soft cloth or some paper towels to clean it off.
My kids love to touch everything so fingerprints would be an issue, but they are four years old after all, so that is just something they do at that age. Moms and dads rejoice, this is going to be an easy to clean machine for your home.
It also came with three odor filters too. This is ideal because we do throw away some smelly stuff from time to time; my children have a guinea pig and when the bedding is changed it can get really stinky! Plus, you have the general food waste from the kitchen, like the leftovers that sat in there way too long and were forgotten (yikes!).
You definitely do not have to worry about smells from the trash permeating your house. I recommend this trash compactor to parents whose kids are still in diapers, because we all know those nappies can get very stinky from time to time. This one will save everybody’s sanity, especially if you live in a place where you cannot put them outdoors while you wait for the trash collection.
These filters can be a sanity saver for busy parents.
The design of the can is also one that will be enjoyed by those of you living in tight quarters. Heck, even if you live in an open space, you will enjoy this can. The design is nice and compact with a smooth rectangular design.
We loved the fact that the lid is automatic. You do not even need to touch the lid to get it to open. You just wave your hand over the lid and the sensors do the work for you. I was really pleased with this, and my kids thought it was magic (they also asked if the trash can was by chance a robot). This is funny and all, but not spreading gross germs that cause everybody to get sick is a very serious value add to this particular product.
Again, it is a huge time saver as a parent, as we’ve all had to chase our kids around with hand sanitizer after they touch the trash can. This is just great when you are scraping food off also-we’ve all had to hold the can lid open, hold our noses and gingerly scrape off the food into the trash can. This just takes away part of that yucky factor and makes life much easier.
The batteries for the automatic trash can lid last about one year from the time you put them in. We use ours all day long as we are a family of four, so heavy usage will not be an issue. A family of eight for instance might have to change the batteries twice a year, still a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.
The trash can is not loud or obnoxious in its operation, either. It just opens and closes quietly. You can throw away your secret treats and nobody will hear you do it! And buying bags for this particular home trash compactor is not a big deal at all. You can simply buy your favorite 13-gallon trash bags right at your favorite retailer. Although thanks to the way this thing works, you will not be buying many of these bags.
It really does a great job of pressing down that trash and conserving bags, resulting in less waste and less money spent. My sister lives in the country and she and her husband have to take their trash to the transfer station each and every week. They must purchase dump tickets depending on how many bags they have. If you have to do the same thing with your trash, I recommend this particular compactor as it will cut down on the number of tickets you have to purchase.
I would also like to add that this freestanding trash compactor is dent resistant. I am a clumsy individual by nature, and the children do run around inside the house. They do bump into the trash can once in a while, and no dents, dings or other imperfections have appeared, which helps it look very nice and clean. So, if your family is as crazy as mine, go ahead and get it.
My two kids haven’t destroyed it yet!
We do not have a dog or cat at our home, but this would be a perfect solution for those of you that do. I was reading reviews prior to testing this can and one user reported that the can is totally dog proof. So, if your pooch enjoys eating out of the trash (but you don’t want him to) you can get this and rest easy. No worries about pets eating food that is not good for them makes for an easier life.
I would also like to note that this is a manual trash compactor. You can’t press a button, and have it done automatically. You won’t have to touch the can, but you will have to manually press down the trash in order for it to compact. This may be off putting to some, but we do not mind the manual operation. I just wanted to advise you ahead of time before you bought it.
Pros
- Stainless steel body for easy cleanup and durability
- You can use standard trash liners from any store
- You can enjoy odor free operation thanks to the odor filters
Cons
- I could not find where to get replacement odor filters- may have to call Halo direct
- This is a manual trash compactor which may not be suitable for all users.
- Can does not have wheels so it is hard to move around.
✔ Joseph 30030 Intelligent Waste Titan Trash Can Compactor, 8 gallons
Now I will start by saying that this is a really great little trash compactor. Emphasis on the “little” part of it. I will say that I think this trash can is great for small families like two people, or even people who live by themselves. If you own a second home or apartment, then you could even put it in there. The one we bought ended up going to my college age niece, who lives with a girlfriend while attending university.
This is not to say the quality of the can is bad. It is just rather small in my opinion. The one we got for testing purposes was of an 8-gallon capacity. It does a great job compacting trash, too-we just found that it filled up rather quickly the week we had it.
We threw away a guinea pig bedding that week, also threw out some old junk that was not salvageable (paint-stained clothing, water damaged paper products). It may have just been a busy week for my household, but I found that it was just going to be too small.
However, this stainless-steel trash compactors has many good qualities about it. You can reduce trash volume by more than half-that is, 66%, when you use this can. That means 24 gallons of trash becomes 8 gallons of trash.
We did find that we used less trash bags which is always great-saves your money in the long run. The odor control is also great on this. I could not smell that guinea pig bedding at all which was a great relief. It is a very sanitary trash can to use. Only the inside of the trash bag touches the trash while it is compacting, so you don’t have to worry about getting your hands dirty.
You are left with a nice clean trash can, too.
The trash liners do not tear, either. The anti-tear design does not stretch or even pinch the liner. You will also enjoy a foot pedal on the bottom so that you don’t have to touch the yucky trash liner. It was tested to be pressed over 100,000 times. Plus, you get a ten-year guarantee, so you can have peace of mind using this trash can.
Joseph does want you to buy their kind of pricey trash liners, but we found that the Hefty Flex N Seal worked pretty well for the purpose. The extra tough IW4 liners are custom-fit and do a good job but do cost more than the grocery store brands.
It is also worth mentioning that the compacting is done manually. You simply press down the compactor and the trash just press right down easily. It really does a great job and is not gross or displeasing to touch or use. One other thing that I really liked was the fact that this stainless steel was fingerprint proof and was very easy to clean.
My daughters both touched the can often and there were no fingerprints left on the can. My husband bumped into it while transporting some chairs from our dining area to the kitchen, and there were no dents left in the can. So, I stand by its toughness, too.
Another concerning thing I would like to bring to the light is the amount of reviews that were not so favorable. Our family was one of the lucky ones I think; we had good luck with it and it was fine. My niece likes hers so far. She reports that it looks lovely and smart sitting inside her kitchen and is the right size for the small home she shares with her friend.
However, many families reported some not so good stuff about this can, so I feel it is important to discuss them. Personally, I think Joseph made a great product, but you should know all the opinions before you go and buy one for yourself.
For example, one user stated that the can looked really great, but did not perform the way they wanted. The push down handle, they said, was a waste. They also said that the pedal that you step on to pop open the lid to the trash can is not wide enough to dump in whatever it is you’re trying to dispose of.
The user also expressed frustration over having to use the bags that came with the trash can, stating that they did not help the performance of the trash can. The user also indicated that it would be rather frustrating to order bags upon bags from the company.
We used the Hefty Flex N Seal bags and found those to work just fine. Another user reported that it was a pain to use other bags as they seemed to rip and tear when it came to put them into the trash can. Another user indicated that the lid is rather slow to close, which defeated the purpose of getting it. She had a dog that stuck his nose into the trash can on an almost constant basis, so it became a game of guarding the can for a few seconds, waiting for it to close.
All in all, it’s a pretty good can, but not for us. The quality is there, but it struck me as rather small.
Pros
- Looks great sitting in your kitchen
- Works with any bag
- Great for smaller spaces, has odor filter
Cons
- Manual compactor for compressing trash
- Lid closes slowly, not good for pets
- Bags that don’t come with the can rip easily
✔ Household Essentials TK10XL-1 Trash Krusher 50L
This was another great one in the realm of trash compactors. Every bag we put into this thing held twice the trash and I really liked the size of this one! Unboxing it was a joy for all of us. This is a great 13 gallon can that suited our family well when we had it here for testing, and I think it will be just great your you bunch too. We got the black stainless steel one, and it looks very sharp sitting there in the kitchen.
We eventually decided to leave the silver one in the kitchen and placed this one in the garage, where it looks even more suitable. My husband throws his trash in there while hanging with buddies watching television or even doing projects on his workbench and it is no trouble at all.
In fact, it is rather handy to have such a nice durable trash can in a place where we park our car and such; it makes cleaning out the car a breeze. Plus, we can dump the shop-vac into it when that gets full, too. It’s so durable but slick looking and you will love how it looks in your home.
Not only is the size of this portable trash compactors good, but you do get a nice manual trash compactor with it so you can press it down when it gets too full. Also, you will enjoy the nice foot pedal that comes with this particular bin. There is no need for you to put your hands on the lid of the trash can when you use it, which is a huge relief when you want to prevent the spread of germs.
I really love this as a parent, and when it’s time to scrape off the food from the dinner plates into the garbage I don’t have to do that balancing act of holding the lid open and scraping food at the same time.
When it comes to buying trash bags, you can use the same old 13-gallon bags you always use from the grocery store. Our favorite is Flex N Seal from Hefty, but you can really use whichever one you find to be the best.
I also liked that there is a lever you can use to keep the bin open when you are changing out the bag. It’s a handy feature that is rather small but really gives you a huge amount of value in what you do.
The trash compactor used inside this great little can is pretty nice.
It is built right into the lid and it crushes the trash down into the can, and so each bag holds twice the trash-great for a busy family like ours. This means less trash is taken out and put into the landfills or incinerated. Plus, if you are like my sister and have to take your trash bags to the dump and get tickets for your bags, this will cut down on those ticket sales. Plus, you can afford to buy better quality garbage bags because you are using less of them.
Parents, you will love this particular garbage can because it is fingerprint resistant. Yes, your kiddos can touch the trash can and you do not have to worry about the fingerprints getting left behind. Even if your little ones do leave behind some prints, you just need a wet cleaning wipe like Clorox to make it go away or even some Windex and paper towels.
It’s very durable, so you need not worry about using a soft cloth versus paper towels to clean it. Plus, dents and dings are not a worry here. We have ours in the garage where things can get rough and no dents have appeared in our trash compactor.
The magnetic portion of this particular trash can is a bit of a learning curve. I noticed this when learning how to use it, and other users reported the same thing. You have to practice getting the magnetic crusher part to sit securely inside the lid. This is no big deal, but it gets a little awkward in trying to push down the presser into the garbage can, and then get it re-seated into the lid.
One user who was using this home trash compactor for the purpose of getting cans and plastic bottles recycled stated that this was problematic. It was easier to put the pusher into the can itself and then open the lid and actually stand on the crusher, they reported. This seems like a lot of work and may not be the solution you seek when you just want a green way to recycle the cans and plastics that are generated by your household.
Altogether, it is a solid trash compactor, but do think twice if cans and plastics are your main concern.
Pros
- Looks really great and comes in black-matches all decor
- Fits with any garbage bag that is 13 gallon
- Good size for big families
Cons
- Not great if you seek to recycle plastics and cans
- No wheels to move it around easily
- Some users reported the plastic lid breaking after only a few uses.
How Does a Trash Compactor Work?
These things work by keeping a lid on the household garbage and keeping things nice and sanitary, clean and tidy. Of course, there’s more to it than that, but that’s the basic gist of what these great machines can do for you!
These trash cans go right in your kitchen. When it comes to the electronic ones, the garbage receptacle is equipped with a hydraulic powered ram that will crush your refuse into a tiny and dense package. If you’ve ever worked retail, you probably had to use a box crusher that compacted down the boxes after the staff had broken them down.
In some thrift shops, the unsold clothing is compacted into bundles. And if none of these examples make sense, think about the Hydraulic Press Channel on YouTube.
It’s kind of the same idea!
The crushed-up garbage is then easily packed up and disposed of in your outdoor garbage or at any place where waste is accepted for disposal. It just gets nicely compacted and is oh so easy to pack up and get rid of.
The trash compactors you can buy today are easy to operate and made of simple parts. The metal ram that compresses the trash, the bin that contains the waste, and, depending on what model you buy, a switch that controls the compactor. Many of the high-end mechanical models feature safety features such as a buzzer that will go off in the event the bin has been loaded incorrectly or a malfunction is taking place.
I do not like these particular varieties and I advise against them for a few different reasons; for one thing you would never want your children to play in or around the trash compactor, and you should never use hands or feet to compress the trash.
You run the risk of something really bad happening, and besides, a manual one like the cans we reviewed today are a lot nicer because you don’t need to bring in a repair person to fix it and watch those dollar bills fly out of your wallet in the process.
Plus, you can teach your older kids how to compress the manual ones down and give them a chore to do. My little ones are just four, but they like helping to push it down. The ones we reviewed today have a manual arm that you press down and the trash compacts in that manner. It’s very easy to use and fun, too.
Indeed, a trash compactor is a simple device, but buying a manual one can be rather dangerous. Of course, you should never allow it to be unsecured around young children. And furthermore, you will always want to lock the compactor when it is not in use by using the key and keeping said key in a safe spot.
Don’t ever fill your automatic trash compactor past the limits, as this can damage the unit or even cause it to jam up. And NEVER, ever touch any of the moving parts or operate an already damaged machine. This is an appliance that requires a lot of power and for this reason you should not use an extension cord with it.
Sound like a handful? Yeah, that’s what we said! Nothing’s wrong with these great machines, but you’ve probably got enough to worry about. That’s why these manual trash compactors are the bee’s knees if you will!
Why bother about what kind of trash compactor to buy?
The cans we reviewed today come in a variety of sizes and each have their own great features. For example, some of the ones we reviewed today have foot pedals that make it much more sanitary to work with. You can get freestanding models, convertible kitchen trash compactor and also under the counter models too.
The freestanding ones have finished tops that can be used for some extra counter space, and the under-the-counter models are installed between kitchen cabinets, so they fit right in with the rest of your decor.
The benefits of these great machines, whether you choose a high-end model or one of our fairly priced cans, are really something to be proud of. You reduce your household waste by over 75%, and you will cut back on the frequency of trash bag changes as well as the number of trips you make to the garbage bin or dumpster outside.
Compacted trash will take up less space in dumps in your local municipality and also help reduce the environmental footprint you and your family are leaving. Plus, these great machines help you encourage recycling. Some people even just use theirs to compress down those plastics and such that households are prone to producing-milk jugs, juice bottles, aluminum cans and foil, and all those other waste products.
If you love to shop online chances are you are getting a lot of cardboard boxes or mailing envelopes sent to your home, so recycle them and do the right thing!
It is easy when you have a nice trash compactor to do the work for you. This is a great way to compress down the recyclables. Some people even sell them for scrap metal money. It is generally a good idea for you to fill your trash compactor until it is only about 50% full. When it comes to the mechanical ones, some people don’t even put food waste in there because of how smelly it can get. So, if you plan on using yours for just common trash, you are among friends.
Conclusion
Our Best trash compactor reviews hopefully helped you out in deciding which one of these garbage compactors is best for your family. They are all great in their own way and we just love how it feels to take the trash out less. We are fortunate enough to own two and love how much less trash we have to worry about.
Using a trash compactor will really make a positive impact on your family, your home and your environment. So, get out there and get ready to crush it!
