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Which faucet is the best?

Decorly LLC
2 years ago

I want to know which is the better option between the touchless kitchen faucet or the regular one I'm worried if the touchless sensor may go bad and which brand is the better buy?

Comments (35)

  • 3katz4me
    2 years ago

    No personal experience with the touchless but I have a friend who disabled hers because it was a PITA. I don't recall exactly what they didn't like about it. I love the Moen Arbor pulldown faucets. I happened to move into a house that had one and wanted to buy another one for a different house but couldn't tell what it was. A friend who is a CMKBD informed me that it was a Moen Arbor and that she recommends that faucet for many of her clients. So I now have three of them including a smaller bar/prep sink version.

    I did have a problem with the new one I purchased for a kitchen sink - handle became loose and rattled. Moen customer service was excellent. They sent me a new faucet when we determined nothing could be done to tighten the handle.

    Decorly LLC thanked 3katz4me
  • dedtired
    2 years ago

    Just dont get anything made by Kohler. Ive had problems with all their stuff. Myplumber recommends Moen. The touchless seem gimmicky to me, but Ive never had one.

  • Fori
    2 years ago

    Faucets aren't a big deal to replace--don't get too caught up in the search.


    If you like the idea of touchless, consider a "Tapmaster" which is a mechanical foot pedal that attaches to any faucet for handsfree use. I've been using them for over 10 years and never had an issue that a simple crayon removal couldn't solve.

  • jojoco
    2 years ago

    I had a tapmaster (learned about it here in 2004). It was fantastic. Just tap the plate at the base of the sink and the water comes on. Great for cooking and as a way for my kids to impress their friends.

  • millworkman
    2 years ago

    "Which faucet is the best?"


    Why do you ask? It appears you are a remodeler.

  • Lars
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    I like Hansgrohe, and my brother likes Grohe. I have used Hansgrohe for our kitchen and my bathroom sinks, and I have Hansgrohe for my bathtub.

    I personally do not like the pull-down faucets for kitchen sinks - they are awkward for me to use and sometimes sag. I also especially dislike the look of goose-neck faucets.

  • graywings123
    2 years ago

    I visited a friend who had a touchless kitchen faucet and the thing drove me crazy. You can't change the temperature nor the volume of water without touching. No thanks.


    Off to investigate the Tapmaster foot pedal.

  • Springroz
    2 years ago

    I can tell you that Elkay really stands behing their products! I ordered directly, so any retail stock MAY be different. Mine are going on 11 years.

  • Fori
    2 years ago

    "Why do you ask? It appears you are a remodeler."


    Aren't remodelers the ones who need new faucets?

  • blfenton
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    My niece renovated their house about 8 years ago and put one in. They are building a new house and NOT putting one in.

    Here, they are more expensive.

  • User
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    I think touchless faucets are gimmicky too, and adds an aspect that can shorten the faucet's life. just get something with a single handle that you can flip on with your wrist. if you accidentally touch it with dirty hands, wipe it off.

    I love smart home features, but only when they make tasks more convenient. a touchless faucet does not.

    Decorly LLC thanked User
  • bbstx
    2 years ago

    DD’s MIL put in a touchless when she remodeled her kitchen a couple of years ago. It drove her crazy. DD often helps her cook and she didn’t like it either. The issues were the same as graywings pointed out. If you need to change the flow of water or the temperature or move it to the side, you have to touch the faucet which will turn it off/on.


    MIL finally either disabled or replaced. I can’t remember which. They convinced me not to get one.

  • redlodger123
    2 years ago

    I’d stick with a good quality regular function faucet. Less to go wrong. While they may be easy to replace, a quality kitchen faucet isn’t cheap so it’s not something I’d want to be replacing every couple years.

  • carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Touchless faucets are great for public places where many people are washing their hands. I really appreciate them in public restrooms.

    I can certainly imagine how such technology could be problematic in a kitchen.

    And I do like goose neck faucets for kitchen/utility use. They make filling large vessels much easier.

    Decorly LLC thanked carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
  • Annie Deighnaugh
    2 years ago

    I don't have one, but I have to run the water awhile to get it really hot or really cold. Often I'll turn on the tap and turn to do something else for a half minute...with touchless, I guess you have to have your hand there all the time to keep it running. That would be a PITA. Also in restrooms, I find myself waving my hand around to find the spot where it triggers the faucet...that too would be a PITA.

  • Julie K
    2 years ago

    We love our Tapmaster and have multiple units in our home. You can use them on any faucet, so aren't limited to a particular touchless model. The units are easy to install, don't require electricity (we live in an area prone to power outages), and require absolutely no maintenance.


    We had the kick plate version in our prior home before they offered the Euro model and now have multiple Euro foot activators in our current home. We purchased cabinet activators for our new floating vanities but haven't installed them yet.


    The only faucet that doesn't have a Tapmaster in our home is the guest bathroom off our kitchen, in case a guest can't figure out how to operate the faucet and is too embarrassed to ask how to turn on the water. ;-)


    You can get a 10% coupon at Conservastore when you sign up for their mailing list or wait until their annual Earth Day sale IRC for 20% off.


    Helpful installation tip for cabinet installations - install them offset to the cabinet door instead of centering them. That way it's in the proper position relative to your feet. For example, we're right-handed so we find it's most comfortable to install the activator to the right. Stand at the cabinet and do a mock-up where you foot feels most comfortable using the activator.


    Hope that helps!

  • Lars
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Looking at the Tapmaster faucets reminded me that I do use my feet to adjust the water flow and temperature in my bathtub. My Hansgrohe has separate controls for temperature and water flow, and the previous one handle faucet would start out cold, and if I wanted hot water, it had to be turned on full blast. The Hansgrohe controls are much better, and I have them in my show in Cathedral City as well, but I cannot control those with my feet.

  • Fori
    2 years ago

    The Tapmaster does have the ability to be locked into "normal faucet use" position in case you don't want to torture guests. :)

  • always1stepbehind
    2 years ago

    We have a sensor one here at work, the sensor is on the left side of the faucet towards the base of the faucet. Never used it to turn on the faucet but its a pain when you try to wipe the counter around the faucet, it turns on on you.

  • Trudy P
    2 years ago

    A friend of mine loves her touchless faucet so much I thought long and hard about buying one. But the faucet I liked seemed to have so many problems with the touchless technology that they created a dedicated call in center for touchless faucet problems. What finally convinced me to purchase a regular faucet was reading reviewers say that when the touchless feature doesn't work or the battery dies, they don't have water at their kitchen sink.

    Decorly LLC thanked Trudy P
  • gsciencechick
    2 years ago

    Just a Delta pullout. It's done very well for 10+ years of everyday use. I think it's called the Saxony.


    Decorly LLC thanked gsciencechick
  • maddie260
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    I had a touchless faucet disabled- drove me crazy! I'd never have another or recommend it to anyone. I like the pull-out feature; I think you just want the magnetic return feature so that it doesn't 'sag'?

    Decorly LLC thanked maddie260
  • User
    2 years ago

    my (Moen) faucet rarely sags. sometimes it helps to play around with the weight on the hose under the sink.

  • nicole___
    2 years ago

    My house came with a touchless faucet. Hated it! Every time your soaping up a pan...get in the way of the sensor and your flooded with water. I replaced it with a Grohe. But I do LOVE Kohler too!

    Decorly LLC thanked nicole___
  • tvq1
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    I don't have a touchless faucet, but a Delta touch faucet, and I LOVE it! Just a quick, light touch and the water goes on. So no worries about it going on when you just have your hands near it. Initially I chose it to solve a prolem: We were always turning the faucet off with wet hands, and were getting mineral deposit/etching on the granite. Now we can touch the faucet with our hand (or wrist or an elbow would work!) OVER the sink, so no water on the counter. It has worked flawlessly for 6 years.

    We just bought a new home, and will definitely be changing out the kitchen faucet to a touch model.

    Edited to add: the model name is "Leland"

    Decorly LLC thanked tvq1
  • Karen Eagle
    2 years ago

    I have same as Toni, going on 5 years. I love mine. We did have to replace a part, which Kohler sent us.

  • mtpo
    2 years ago

    Read the studies on hands free faucets. I was considering one until I read that a hospital that had installed them pulled them out. Water got trapped and mold collected. They turned out to be less healthy than regular faucets. I ended up buying a Brizo articulating kitchen faucet (a Delta brand) and absolutely love it.

    Decorly LLC thanked mtpo
  • Lars
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Here are photos of my kitchen faucet:





    I like that it pulls out instead of down and that it does not get in the way of the window. I've had this faucet since May 2014.

  • PRO
    Decorly LLC
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    Thank you @Lars

  • llitm
    2 years ago

    Another vote for Tapmaster. Both DH and I love it and he isn't a "gadget" guy.

  • nhb_6 ( she/her)
    2 years ago

    Tapmaster owners, would robotic vacuum create any problems by bumping into control?



  • Julie K
    2 years ago

    I use a cordless Dyson to vacuum our floors so can't say for certain, but my guess is that a Roomba would/could easily activate the Euro model but not the kickplate model.

  • palimpsest
    2 years ago

    We have some touchless faucets in operatories at work and they would not always turn on. Then when they did, they would subsequently turn on and off buy themselves for the next half hour or so. The newer operatories have knee activated faucets.