Customer Reviews

iTouchless Fully Automatic Stainless Steel Touchless Trashcan NX

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

This is a follow up to my review of 8 days ago (see below) -- I'm here to report that after some three weeks of standard use (single person household), the lid no longer works -- neither with battery nor with power adapter -- rendering the trash can useless. I'm contacting Amazon for a refund. Very disappointed with this product (first it arrives slightly dinged; then you have a hard time getting the sticker off; only the bottom part is brushed stainless steel -- the top is plastic pretending to look like chrome -- and now it's dead. Not worth the prize.

<original review>
I bought this item to replace a standard ol' trash can in my kitchen; it has the perfect size for a one-person household, and it works. However, the mechanism looks rather flimsy, and I'm not sure this can will work for several years under normal usage. The can itself is brushed stainless steel, but the removable top part is not. When the can arrived, the metal had a slight dent -- but I can live with that since it's around, in the back, near the seam, so one can't see it unless one looks. However, the reason I give this can one star is this: It took me over an hour to remove the sticker that the company puts on the can, and I even used Goof Off remover. It's really not that hard to find and put on easy-to-remove peel stickers, but this company chooses not to. really bothersome; I wouldn't buy this brand again just for that reason. (Plus, I simply don't trust the mechanism has a long life-span -- I'll see if it's true that you always get what you pay for.)

Ok, so it works as people have described it. Here are 2 things to consider from an ease of use perspective.

1. most people use 13 gallon bags, this can is 12 gallon. however, that doesn't mean that a normal trash bag doesn't fit in it, it fits well enough, as a matter of fact, the can is longer than the length of standard bags. this is a problem because the bag sags down when trash is put into it.

2. there is a metal ring that you are supposed to use when fitting the trash bag 'inside' the can, i guess the idea is that the trash bag doesn't show from the outside. using this metal ring is a pain, if takes a lot of fiddling to put a trash bag into the can and more fiddling to take it out. i consider this a serious drawback. now, normally, i would just put the trash bag like in ordinary cans, the problem is that the can is not that wide, so you can't really fit it tight. moreover, as described in (1), the bag will sag under weight and fall into the can.

3. forget about putting in a crumplied pizza box into it, it has a small opening, a 1 gallon milk bottle is the most it'll take.

The trash can lid failed under normal operation within 5 months. The plastic hinges broke of the black part of the lid. Very disappointing. Also, the bag fit issue is significant and can cause frustration. There are a few sharp edges inside the can as well that would make holes in the bag when pulling it out.

Never buy this product. You'll regret it., November 23, 2009
By Olivia (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
I bought this automatic trash can because I thought it would be more sanitary since I would not need to touch the lid. However, as other reviewers wrote, it's so badly designed, and is full of problems.
I bough this two months ago and am planning to get a step-on trash bin this weekend and "trash" this piece of garbage. If you want to know more, here are the main problems I had with this product.

Problem #1: Extremely bad design.

You can't get the trash out smoothly, and almost all the time, the trash bag gets ripped, so you end up leaning the trash can, yourself and kitchen floor.

Problem #2: Frequent battery change.

The trash can itself is not cheap, but you have to keep buying 4 D-size batteries every 2-3 months. It adds up. Also it's really hard to take off the panel to change the battery. I always end up asking my husband to do it after so much struggles trying to open the panel.

Problem #3: Too sensitive sensor.

The sensor is so sensitive and it opens up everytime you pass by and it takes 4 seconds to close it. It means the odor of the trash comes out and fills up your kitchen.

Problem #4: Bad for children.

The height is about the same height with my 1-year-old and he is amuzed by this trash can. He can open it so easily, so he tried to put things into the trash can. Also you don't want your 1-year-old to be exposed to the smell and possibly touch the trash inside.

Hope this helps. I decided to write a review because I feel tricked by good reviews for this product. I read them prior to purchasing this product and feel betrayed by them. I regret that I bought this so much.

It's great. There are a few drawbacks, fortunately I am able to overlook them... 1) the can itself is a bit narrow so you can't really pack your trash down before removing it. Any items buldging through the bag may get hung up when trying to pull the bag out. 2) DO NOT put this can in a high-traffic area. Everytime you walk past it, it will open... gets a bit annoying.


Those are the only issues I have with it. Other than that, it looks great, especially if you have to leave your trashcan out due to limited space under your cabinets.

My lid worked GREAT for about 13 months (seems longer than most, but comically just missed the warranty period), and then the small, thin, flimsy, single plastic piece that controls the raising and lowering of the lid (a very important part of this product!!!) broke. I am a handy guy, and it is NOT possible to fix the piece. Purchasing a new lid is $40 + $10 shipping from iTouchless. No thanks. I'm a germaphobe and gadgetphile, but I'm putting my money into a step trash can. Trust me, look elsewhere.

This is the second itouchless trash can my husband and I bought. The first one was the 13-gallon rectangular model with the plastic ring for the bag. Worked great for awhile, no sensor issues, but then the plastic parts involved in keeping the lid up and attached started breaking or coming off. After securing the lid with a twist tie for awhile, we finally decided to get this newer model. It seemed more cost-effective than getting the expensive replacement lid for the old one.

This model functions fine as a trash can but has its own set of quirks and problems. The metal ring to keep the bag up is a joke (we even tried strong magnets underneath it to keep it from sliding down inside the can) so we no longer use it, just put the bag hanging over the sides of the can. Each time we change the trash bag, the sensor goes a bit funny for several hours. It refuses to open, so we have to leave it alone and it eventually rights itself and works fine again. Aside from that, the can worked as it should for nearly a year. Then just a few days ago, the part involved in raising the lid and keeping it open broke and now it won't open. The motor sounds so pathetic because it still does its part in opening and closing the lid, but nothing actually happens.

Now we're pondering just getting a step can and forgetting about all the hassle with touchless cans.

We had the original I Touchless Trash can which worked fairly well just had sensor problems, etc.

We purchased this "New and Improved" one around April 2009 and this is the worst trash can we have ever had.....it is extremely hard to remove trash bags from it as they constantly get stuck on the insides of the can.

Its sad but almost comical to see my wife pulling on the bag at top and me (quite a big guy) bear hugging the bottom of the can and still both straining to remove the 13 gallon bag to throw it out.All this results in almost all of the removed bags tearing and having to be rebagged!Stay Away! this is a bad product with a very bad design.

If you don't believe, buy it and try....but be aware I just contacted ITouchless (the manufacturer) and they will not do anything for the consumer past 30 days.

-Be Well...Archer

I have purchased three of these and after less than one year none of them are working. On one can the plastic gear that operates the hinge broke. On another, the plastic lid broke where the hinge attaches. And on the third, it has never worked on battery power - only on a/c. iTouchless has agreed to honor their one-year warranty, but only if I pay shipping both ways. That means I will have paid shipping charges three times.

Brand new batteries, then different ones.....SORRY, does not work unless you wanted to spend 2 minutes and play "magician" to throw out a lousey piece of paper or whatever you're holding. The can itself looks "nice" but forget about the magical sensor. You will end up doing it manually every time. Then, what really is the point of buying this?? Really disappointed. Contemplating returning this item, it was not inexpensive. Blahhhhh!!! Frustrating to the max!