Simplehuman automatic soap dispenser July 2008

The Which? verdict

£25

The automatic dispenser aims to do away with bars of soap

Falling squarely into the ‘do-I-really-need-one-of-those?’ category of household gadgets, the Simplehuman sensor soap dispenser takes some of the effort away from washing your hands.

Slot four AA batteries into the waterproof compartment, decant about 400ml of soap into the transparent plastic reservoir, and choose one of the four amount settings. Then simply place your hand under the infra-red sensor and soap is automatically pumped out, accompanied with a slight electronic whirring sound. 

It offers an easy and hygienic glimpse of the future, where no more soggy bars of soap clutter your spa-style bathroom, and pushing on the lever of liquid soap bottles is a thing of the past.

You could also use it for washing-up liquid, moisturiser or shower gel instead. We have slight reservations about the capacity – when most liquid soap bottles are 250ml, 300ml or 500ml, the choice of a 414ml reservoir seems slightly strange, as you’ll always have some soap remaining in a bottle once you’ve filled the reservoir.

The sleek black and chrome plastic design has a high-tech look that won’t fit with more traditional bathroom décor – perhaps Simplehuman will release a white version in the future. 

We’d also like to see a wall-mounted model, as not every washbasin will have a flat surface nearby to stand the dispenser on. You’ll need to have a space 21cm high, 15cm deep and 8cm wide.

Finally, Simplehuman claims that this device can encourage children (and adults) to wash their hands more effectively. There’s a optional function where a blue LED blinks for 20 seconds after dispensing, so you know how long to lather for.

It's available at Argos, John Lewis and Lakeland, and comes with a two-year guarantee.

Pros: Hygienic and well-designed
Cons: Expensive