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Photo: Mytour / Alli WaatajaWhether you're washing your hands after a long day or maintaining hygiene while cooking, a soap dispenser is an everyday essential. It not only simplifies hand washing, but it also helps reduce waste from single-use soap bottles and serves as a functional, decorative addition to your kitchen or bathroom.
With so many options available, we’ve handpicked our favorite soap dispensers in popular categories, ranging from elegant sets to sleek metal designs. To help guide your selection, we consulted Karina Toner, an operations manager at Spekless Cleaning, for expert tips on choosing the best soap dispenser for your home.
Top Picks for Metal Soap Dispensers
The OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Soap Dispenser features a soft, angled pump designed for easy one-handed operation. Its base is non-slip, and a clear window on the side allows you to monitor soap levels easily.
This sleek, cylindrical soap dispenser from Gappo boasts a monochrome chrome finish from top to bottom. With a slim profile and a capacity of about 10 ounces, it's perfect for smaller sinks.
This sleek stainless steel soap dispenser offers a minimalist design with a soft pump for easy dispensing. The top easily lifts off for quick refills, and an internal line indicates when it's full. It's designed for liquid soap, but not foaming soap.
The Gaussra Soap Dispenser offers a budget-friendly, stainless steel solution with a glass container, stainless steel exterior, and a transparent bottom that lets you easily check the soap level inside.
Top Ceramic Soap Dispensers
The BosilunLife Hand Soap Dispenser is a sleek, compact ceramic piece with a contemporary design. Available in a range of matte hues, it fits seamlessly into any decor. Its wide base, pump, and opening make it easy to use and refill.
The Estin Market Stripe Soap Dispenser is nearly a work of art. Featuring a bamboo base, hand-painted stripes, vibrant pops of color, and a sleek pump, this dispenser is sure to catch your attention every time you walk past it.
Bring a handmade charm to your countertop with the JeffersonStreetCo Ceramic Soap & Lotion Dispenser. Each dispenser is crafted by hand, showcasing unique natural variations, and you can choose from a variety of stoneware glaze colors.
While cylindrical and rectangular soap dispensers are typical, the Bechoicn Ceramics Soap Dispenser offers a unique spherical design. With a textured round shape, four color options, and an eye-catching gold pump, it's a standout piece.
Top Glass Soap Dispensers
With its vintage aesthetic and stainless steel pump, the Jasai Antique Design Soap Dispenser adds charm to any space. Made from glass, you’ll always know when it's time for a refill, avoiding any surprises.
The Grove Co. Hand Soap Glass Dispenser offers a simple, affordable, and functional solution for your bathroom. Its classic design fits effortlessly with most decors, featuring a body made from partially recycled glass and a durable stainless steel pump.
With an art deco-inspired design, the CB2 Athena Soap Pump is a glass dispenser that adds a touch of elegance. Featuring a ribbed body and a polished nickel top, this heavyweight glass piece holds up to 8 ounces of liquid soap and stays upright with ease.
The Kuishi Home Amber Glass Soap Dispenser brings warmth to any room with its amber hue. Made from 45% recycled glass, this dispenser features a matte amber color, offering a stylish alternative to traditional clear glass dispensers.
Top Decorative Soap Dispensers
For a one-of-a-kind soap dispenser, consider the handmade AviorPottery Handmade Stoneware Soap Dispenser. This unique design features a volcano blue glaze with iridescent hues that shift depending on the viewing angle, making it a true work of art.
The Topadorn Glass Soap Dispenser Bottle brings a touch of floral beauty to your countertop. This clear bottle features a delicate floral design and is built from durable glass, ensuring it won’t tip over easily.
Infuse some color into your countertop with the SDLumeiy Refillable Soap Dispenser. This set of two dispensers comes in seven vibrant colors, with a diamond-shaped glass design and a sleek stainless steel pump.
The Anthropologie Bistro Tile Soap Pump brings Parisian café style to your home with its black and white mosaic pattern. Accentuated with gold, this dispenser is sure to be a focal point in your kitchen or bathroom.
Best Automatic Soap Dispensers
Eliminate the hassle of constant refilling with the Secura Automatic Liquid Soap Dispenser. With a 17-ounce capacity, its clear container lets you see when it needs a refill. You can set it on your sink or mount it to the wall, and it features a dial to adjust the soap volume from six options.
This stainless steel Safe2m Automatic Soap Dispenser is equipped with dual infrared sensors to detect your hands. You can adjust the soap volume through three different settings located at the top. It has a 9.5-ounce capacity and can be refilled easily from the top for convenience.
Best Soap Dispenser Sets
The William Sonoma Hold Everything Soap & Lotion Dispensers feature a sleek, clear cylindrical design with durable zinc alloy and stainless steel pumps. Each dispenser can hold up to 15.5 ounces of liquid soap, and the bottles are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
The GalDal Hand Soap Dispensers are crafted from resin and natural sandstone, offering a smooth matte finish. Available in beige, white, gray, or black, these stylish dispensers are a charming and functional addition to your bathroom or kitchen.
This Rail19 Soap Dispenser Set features two sleek, low-profile glass dispensers paired with a stylish metal caddy. The dispensers boast a modern rectangular design, and their substantial glass construction gives them a premium feel.
Create a luxurious hotel-like aesthetic on your countertop with the MaisoNovo Glass Soap Dispenser set. Choose from amber, black, or white dispensers, complete with a concrete tray and six waterproof labels for an added touch of elegance.
How to Shop for Soap Dispensers Like a Pro
Type
Choosing the ideal soap dispenser depends on your preferences and the type of soap you use. Manual dispensers come in various styles, designs, and materials, making them perfect for liquid hand soap and dish soap.
On the other hand, automatic soap dispensers provide a touchless experience, offering convenience and helping to minimize the spread of germs. However, they tend to be pricier than manual dispensers and require either batteries or a power source to operate.
Additionally, keep in mind that if you want to use foaming soap, you’ll need a dispenser with a pump specifically designed for that purpose. The main distinction between foaming and regular soap dispensers? Foaming soap dispensers mix air with the soap, creating that fluffy texture, while standard dispensers simply release the liquid soap, which tends to be thicker than foaming soap.
Size
Soap dispensers are usually placed near the sink, close to the faucet, so the size you choose should be based on how much space is available.
Hand soap dispensers typically hold between 9 to 12 ounces, while those for dish soap or shower products usually hold between 16 to 32 ounces. Laundry detergent dispensers tend to be larger, often up to 98 ounces, as they are designed to replace the entire bottle of detergent.
The size you select will significantly affect how often you'll need to refill your dispenser. For hand and dish soap, choosing a larger size that still fits your space can help reduce the frequency of refills, which is ideal for convenience.
If your soap dispenser is located in a high-traffic area, such as a main bathroom, opt for a size that minimizes the need for frequent refills while still fitting comfortably in your space. The larger the capacity, the less often you'll need to replenish it.
Material
Soap dispensers are available in a variety of materials, each offering unique designs, durability, and ease of maintenance.
Metal: Metal, such as stainless steel, is strong and features a polished aesthetic that suits most kitchen and bathroom styles. This material is easy to clean and generally lightweight. However, it can be susceptible to rust if exposed to moisture over time, as noted by Toner.
Glass: Glass soap dispensers are sleek and simple, making it easy to see when it's time for a refill. While stylish, glass tends to be heavier and more fragile, with a higher risk of breaking if dropped or knocked over.
Ceramic: Ceramic soap dispensers often stand out with their decorative appeal, available in a wide range of shapes, colors, and styles. However, they tend to be more fragile, with the potential to chip or break if dropped or knocked over.
Questions You Might Ask
Does foaming soap work in all dispensers?
Not every soap dispenser is suitable for foaming soap, so it’s important to check the product details if you’re looking for a foaming dispenser rather than a standard liquid soap one. Foaming soap dispensers typically have a specialized pump designed to mix air with soap to create a lather, as explained by Toner.
"Some dispensers come equipped with foaming mechanisms, while others require pre-mixed foaming soap or dilution with water,” Toner adds. Using foaming soap in an incompatible dispenser might not generate foam or could produce very little.
Are soap dispensers difficult to clean?
Soap dispensers should be simple to clean to ensure good hygiene. "Look for models that feature removable pumps or wide openings to make cleaning and refilling easier," suggests Toner.
Several dispensers on this list, including the Grove Co. Hand Soap Glass Dispenser and Kuishi Home Amber Glass Soap Dispenser, come with dishwasher-safe bottles, allowing you to clean them alongside your other dishes. "Regular cleaning with warm, soapy water is essential to prevent bacteria buildup and soap scum," advises Toner.
How long do soap dispensers last?
While there's no fixed lifespan, all the dispensers featured here are designed for long-term use. Materials resistant to rust and durable pumps contribute to their longevity. If well-maintained, a soap dispenser can last for years. For refilling or battery replacement, you'll likely need to handle it every three months. Devices with larger capacities might go longer between refills, but most require recharging or refilling within this timeframe.
Trust Us on This
This article was authored by Lesley Chen, a contributor to Mytour with a background in writing about home and lifestyle topics. In creating this list, she conducted in-depth research on various soap dispensers, considering factors like material, size, and capacity. To gather expert insight, Lesley consulted Karina Toner, the operations manager at Spekless Cleaning, for her professional advice.
