The 5 Best Touchless Kitchen Faucets of 2024, According to Testing

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Cook and clean hygienically with these top touchless taps.

Marcus Reeves is an experienced writer, publisher, and fact-checker. He began his writing career reporting for The Source magazine. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Playboy, The Washington Post, and Rolling Stone, among other publications. His book Somebody Scream: Rap Music's Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power was nominated for a Zora Neale Hurston Award. He is an adjunct instructor at New York University, where he teaches writing and communications. Marcus received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

In This Article

Better Homes & Gardens / Frances Crouter

Adding a touchless kitchen faucet to your sink might seem like a luxury, but once you’re privy to its convenient perks, you’ll wonder how you lived so long without one. Hands covered in dirt from cleaning or gardening? Enveloped in flour from baking up a fresh batch of bread? Simply put your hands under the faucet and clean them with ease.

“There are several benefits to having a touchless kitchen faucet, but the most important is hygiene,” says Tyler Del Vento, the founder and principal designer of TDV Design. “You’ll no longer be spreading bacteria, and greasy fingerprints, from handling raw meat as you turn your faucet on.”

To find the best touchless kitchen faucets, we spent over 200 hours testing 14 different faucets at home, noting how easy each faucet's setup, ease of use, performance, durability, and quality.

To learn more about how we tested touchless kitchen faucets, check out our testing process below.

It looks great, has a lifetime guarantee, and faucet offers strong water pressure for effective rinsing and cleaning.

The chrome finish isn’t fingerprint-resistant.

The sleek design and ease of use of the Moen 87233EWC Adler Single-Handle High Arc Pulldown Kitchen Faucet made it the best we tested, and after months of use, we still think it performs like it's in a design showroom.

The instructions were clear and understandable, and installation took 45 minutes without the help of a professional. During testing, the single sensor immediately detected our hands approaching and turned the water on, a feature we found especially helpful with greasy hands in the kitchen.

We also liked that it was easy to change the temperature from hot to cold. All you had to do was just move the lever handle situated on the side of the spout forward for cold, and back for hot.

This stylish faucet is available in either matte black or chrome. While they’re both stylish, we found that the chrome option showed fingerprints and water marks from a sponge. These could be removed easily with a paper towel, however, which we appreciated. What’s more, there’s a five-year warranty on the faucet’s digital components, and a limited lifetime trim warranty.

The hose retracted smoothly, making it easy to clean all edges of the sink. The sprayer function was easy to switch off, and we found that the he water pressure was strong and we found that it rinsed well.

The faucet’s design makes it great at filling pots because you don't have to move the spout to maneuver the full pot out of the sink and onto the stove. However, since the faucet has a high arch keep in mind that water could spatter onto the counters if you have a shallow sink.

Product Details: Flow Rate: 1.5 GPM | Spout Height: 14.58 inches | Power Supply: Battery/plug-in| Mounting Type: Deck mount

Better Homes & Gardens / Frances Crouter

It was easy to switch between modes and it has a spot-resistant finish.

We thought the temperature adjustment sensitivity could be better as we found that it changes drastically with a minor adjustment and takes a while to reach desired temperature.

During testing, the Moen Arbor MotionSense Wave One proved to be a convenient, efficient, and durable faucet, making it one of the best choices to splurge on. After six months of regular use, we'd recommend this faucet based on the easy-to-use motion sensor alone, but the faucet has more features we appreciated during testing, too.

We tested the spot resistant stainless steel faucet which certainly lived up to its name as we did not notice any fingerprints on the faucet at all. In addition to stainless steel, it’s also available in three other finishes: oil rubbed bronze, matte black, and chrome.

Overall, we thought the faucet was easy to install without the help of a professional. While the instructions were helpful, just keep in mind that there were a lot of parts to put together in order to get the motion sensor setup.

This unit features both a handle and a motion sensor, each of which is easy to use. When using the sprayer, we found it easy to switch back and forth from streaming to spray. We also appreciated that you can use the same button to turn off the water.

We like that it was easy to turn the sprayer on or off, as well as pull it out and put it back. Though it might not be long enough to reach the far corner of a larger sink, we found that it offers a lot of power, and the water pressure was strong enough for everyday tasks. For example, we were able to easily fill a large pot and remove it from the sink without the faucet getting in the way. However, after months of use, we wished the faucet had a wider arch; in our large kitchen sink, the faucet didn't reach the middle, though this issue might not arise with smaller sinks.

While testing this model, we did find that the faucet temperature changed drastically with very little adjustment, and also took around five seconds to reach the desired temperature, something to keep in mind while using it. Even after months of use, we still found the temperature settings to be sensitive and tricky to get just right.

Product Details: Flow Rate: 1.5 GPM | Spout Height: 15.5 inches | Power Supply: Battery/plug-in| Mounting Type: Deck mount

Better Homes & Gardens / Cathy Fallone

It's compatible with an Amazon Alexa and features a light that changes hue to show you the water temperature.

We noticed there was a slight delay in water flow, and the sprayer hose didn’t slide smoothly in and out.

The Moen 7594EVC Arbor Smart Faucet Touchless Pull Down Sprayer is the best option if you prefer a style with smart features. During testing, installation took just over 20 minutes thanks to detailed instructions that included helpful pictures.

To turn the faucet on, you either have to wave your hands in front of the sensor or simply pull the lever outwards. We noticed there was a minor delay in the water coming out, but we didn’t think it was a dealbreaker. After months of testing the faucet, using the motion sensor has become second nature and we've barely had to clean the faucet because we rarely touch it. It's not overly sensitive either—in six months of testing, there were only a few occasions when we accidentally activated the faucet.

We found the app instructions quite helpful as we set up the smart features and connected the unit with our Amazon Alexa. We liked that we could say, “Alexa, tell Moen to dispense two cups of water” and the faucet provided the exact amount of water without needing a measuring cup.

The faucet features a light that indicates the temperature of the water. If we turned it on for hot water, it would start out with a solid blue light then start blinking as it warmed up, slowly transitioning to a purple for warm, then red for hot. Keep in mind, we noticed that the water turns hot much faster than with our previous faucet.

The nozzle is handy and easy to change between sprayer and steady stream though we thought the sprayer could have been a little easier to pull out. The pressure is excellent and, all in all, we were left quite impressed by this smart faucet’s functionality and features.

Product Details: Flow Rate: 1.5 GPM | Spout Height: 15.5 inches| Power Supply: Battery/plug-in | Mounting Type: Deck mount

It has strong water pressure, easy operation, and a durable finish that doesn’t easily show fingerprints.

It took a few minutes for the temperature to update and adjust, and the sprayer was slightly tough to pull out.

After testing the Pfister Stellen LG529ESAS Touchless Kitchen Faucet with Pull Down Sprayer, we found that it was convenient, easy to operate, powerful, and durable, making it one of the best options to consider.

The faucet is available in matte black, stainless steel, and polished chrome. We tested the black option and found it to be fingerprint-resistant, easy to clean, and hardy. After six months of use, it looked just as good as new.

Thanks to helpful instructions, we found it fairly easy to install this faucet. Once setup, using the faucet was effortless, whether we were operating it manually with the handle or automatically by with the sensor. It took a few minutes for the temperature to update and adjust, however, when changing from hot to cold.

The sensor in the touchless feature worked very well and was easily activated within seconds. The faucet has two buttons on the handle that switch the water from a stream to a spray.

The sprayer was a little tough to pull out and shove back in, but there’s a locking click that could be heard and felt when we put it back in that holds it securely in place. And despite months of use, this hasn't loosened.

The water pressure was powerful, so rinsing dishes was efficient and swift. We did notice some slight dripping when using the touchless feature, but it wasn't persistent so we didn’t think it was a dealbreaker.

Product Details: Flow Rate: 1.8 GPM | Spout Height: 8.44 inches | Power Supply: Battery/plug-in | Mounting Type: Deck mount

The faucet responded instantly to motion, and it featured a handy technology that automatically shuts the water off when you return the sprayer.

Installation proved to be rather tricky and we had to call in a professional.

The Bio Bidet by Bemis FLOW Motion Activated Single-Handle Pull-Down Sprayer Kitchen Faucet is one of the best choices for its ease of use. We thought the accuracy of the sensor was very impressive, and we like that it responded instantly to motion. Despite its strong sensitivity, the only member to accidentally turn the faucet on is our cat.

We ran into a few issues with installation, so we hired a professional to set it up. Once the faucet was up and running, we were pleased with its performance and found it very easy to use.

The sprayer head features both spray and stream modes that are operated via a button on the faucet head, and there’s also a pause button. The length of the sprayer hose was adequate and we were able to get it around the whole kitchen sink with ease.

The high arc spout design prevents splashing and provides superior clearance for filling pots or cleaning large items. The temperature is controlled with a separate handle, and only a slight adjustment is needed to notice a change in the temperature.

In addition to motion activation, this faucet features technology that automatically turns the water on when you pull down the retractable sprayer head, and shuts it off again when you return the sprayer head into its starting position. The faucet also features a magnet that guides the sprayer and hose back into place then clicks it securely in place.

After testing the faucet for six months, there weren't any scratches or stains, and we haven't had any issues with the faucet dripping or clogging.

Product Details: Flow Rate: 1.8 GPM | Spout Height: 10 inches | Power Supply: Battery | Mounting Type: Deck mount

Our top recommendation for the best touchless kitchen faucet is the Moen 87233EWC Adler Single-Handle High Arc Pulldown Kitchen Faucet. The option has a sleek and minimal design, strong water pressure, and technology to detect incoming hands and immediately turn the water on. Its sprayer is effortless to pull out and put back in, and it’s reasonably priced, with a good limited lifetime warranty.

To come up with our list, we tested 14 of the most popular and best-selling faucets on the market in our homes over the period of a few weeks. We followed the manufacturer’s instructions when installing the faucets, noting how difficult or easy it was to do so. In some instances, we had to hire a professional for installation.

To evaluate each touchless kitchen faucet’s performance, we conducted several tests, including washing kitchenware, the sink basin, and produce, filling a large pot with water and noting how much clearance the kitchen sink provided, and testing how far we could move the spraying head. We also checked the ease of switching between the streaming water and sprayer and back, and of rotating the faucet, noting whether it ever squeaked or got stuck.

We noted factors such as how easy it was to turn on and activate the faucet and change the water temperature noting all temperature ranges from hot to cold, the sensitivity of the temperature changes, and all water intensity levels. Finally, we checked whether the faucet ever dripped when fully turned off, whether it leaked, how much water buildup we noticed on the spout, if the faucet’s finish was fingerprint resistant, if it got scratched with regular use, and its general durability.

Better Homes & Gardens / Cathy Fallone

Many touchless kitchen faucets are offered in several finishes, so you can choose which suits your kitchen best. “Chrome, nickel, a gradient scale of brass shades, polished, brushed, black, white, glossy, matte… there is no shortage of fabulous options that will enhance your current kitchen design or be the style star of your renovation,” Del Vento says.

If a faucet also has a handle, you may want to consider that some finishes, like stainless steel, show fingerprints more than other options. Those who have small children at home, or entertain often, may find themselves having to clean certain picks more than others.

A kitchen faucet’s flow rate is measured in gallons per minute (GPM) and is typically around 1.5 to 2.2 GPM. The water pressure in your house will be dependent on what the water supply is like in your area. If it’s low, a good faucet can help increase this somewhat.

“The federal government sets [faucet flow rate] regulations to conserve water and protect the environment,” Del Vento says. “The law states that kitchen and bath faucets have a maximum flow rate of 2.2 GPM. Most faucets are made with an aerator that restricts the flow of water and makes the pressure more like 1.8 GPM.”

The spouts of touchless kitchen faucets, just like regular faucets, are varied but typically range between 8 and 15 inches. “When considering spout height, it’s important to think about your cabinetry placement for clearance and if you prefer a flexible, retractable hose which should have a solid locking mechanism so it stays docked,” Del Vento advises.

Touchless kitchen faucets are typically either powered by electricity from a nearby GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) outlet or a battery. When choosing a touchless kitchen faucet, it’s imperative to know the specifications and installation requirements.

“Some models use an AC adaptor that plugs into a standard GFCI outlet, but if you don’t currently have an outlet near the faucet location, you’ll either need to work with an electrician to install one, or purchase a battery-operated model,” Del Vento says.

The downside of this option is that during a power outage, the touchless capability will not work, but you can still use the manual option. “Plan ahead on what power source will work best for your lifestyle and if any electrical work, such as a new GFCI outlet, needs to be installed prior to the plumber installing your new touchless faucet,” Del Vento adds.

When it comes to assembling and installing a touchless kitchen faucet, most of the same rules apply as with regular kitchen faucets. The main difference is that the power source needs to be catered to, as well as syncing any smart faucets with the relevant apps. If your touchless faucet is battery-operated, you might need to sort out a special rack under the sink to house the battery pack, or you can get this mounted to save space.

“Assembly and installation are slightly more complicated than manual faucets, but as more people are moving towards touchless faucets, any seasoned plumber with install directions will be able to get the job done,” Del Vento says.

Kitchen faucets can require any number of mounting holes, usually between one and four. If you’re replacing an older faucet, consider purchasing a touchless faucet that requires the same amount of holes as your old one or less. Any old holes can easily be covered with an escutcheon plate (or cover plate) in the same finish as the faucet for a more streamlined look.

The best touchless kitchen faucets are backed by the manufacturer’s warranty—with many offering limited lifetime warranties—but these vary depending on the company and model.

“Customary certifications include, but are not limited to, WaterSense, NSF/ANSI, ADA, and UPC,” Del Vento says. These certificates ensure the faucets are leak-proof, do not exceed flow rate limit regulations, can withstand stress over time, and do not leach harmful contaminants into your home’s drinking water.

Better Homes & Gardens / Ashley Jacobs

In addition to increased hygiene and the fact that you won’t have to spread bacteria and greasy fingerprints around, a touchless kitchen faucet also makes for a more enjoyable time in the kitchen, notes Del Vento.

“Your kitchen tasks will be more pleasant due to the convenience and customizations,” she says. These include being able to set the water to your desired temperature, having flow styles, i.e., rain, and setting your ideal soft or high water pressure.

Some models can be connected to smart devices, allowing the homeowner to turn it on or off via voice command, and ask for a specific measurement such as two cups of water or a change in temperature. Other models are even equipped with LED lights for a more ambient experience and convenience to see in low lighting settings.

The lifespan of a touchless kitchen faucet depends on several factors, such as the quality of the faucet, usage, maintenance, and water quality. “Touchless faucets have more mechanical parts, so there is a likelihood for more problems, such as the performance of the sensors diminishing over time as they become affected by mineral buildup or processors malfunctioning,” Del Vento says.

While having to change your faucet’s battery is adding yet another thing to the never-ending to-do list, thankfully these are quite easy to change. “Depending on the frequency of use and the type of faucet, a battery can last anywhere from three months to two years," Del Vento adds.

Touchless kitchen faucets using an AC adaptor that plugs into a standard GFCI outlet will only allow you to function the faucet manually during a power outage, but battery-powered models will work during a power outage.

The cost of touchless kitchen faucets typically ranges between $100 to $1,000, and Del Vento says that some of the high-end options retail for $1,200 or more. “The overall cost depends on several factors, such as brand, style, and finish,” she notes.

Taking into account both parts and installation, a touchless kitchen faucet could set you back, according to Del Vento, approximately $500+ more than what you would pay to purchase and install a regular manual kitchen faucet.

“While the initial cost for both material and labor is more expensive than their manual counterparts, touchless faucets can save the homeowner money over time by conserving water,” Del Vento notes.

Del Vento cautions against getting ‘touch’ and ‘touchless’ faucets mixed up. “As the name implies, touchless faucets don’t require physical contact,” she says. “There’s a sensor that is activated by motion or sound, and processors that translate and process the information to activate the faucet.”

Touch faucets, on the other hand, require you to tap the faucet one or two times to turn it on and off. Both options, however, offer standard manual operation, which can be helpful if the connection is delayed from your voice command device to the faucet, or if you have guests who prefer a traditional method.

This article was written by Kat de Naoum, who has over ten years of commerce writing experience. Kat is also the commerce editor-at-large at Thomas-Xometry, the leading U.S. online platform for supplier discovery and product sourcing. For this article, we reviewed and tested multiple touchless kitchen faucets, evaluating factors such as each item's finish, flow rate, spout height, power supply, ease of assembly, warranty and certifications, cost, and overall value for money. Kat also spoke to Tyler Del Vento, the Founder and Principal Designer of TDV Design.

Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed our BHG Recommends seal of approval. Products that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make sure they're worth a spot in your home. We buy most of the products we test ourselves, but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if buying isn't an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products.