Touch or Touchless – Which is the best type of faucet for your kitchen?

I bet you have heard of touchless and touch kitchen faucets. Maybe you alreday have one of those.

If you are looking for a new faucet for your kitchen and struggling to decide between a touchless faucet and a touch type one, I am pretty sure this article will help you make a learned decision.

Touch vs. Touchless kitchen faucets

Working

As you might have guessed easily a touch faucet turns on water when you touch a particular part of it. This area uses capacitance of our body (Yes, our bodies carry a small amount of electricity) to sense touch. This faucet will keep running untill you touch it again.

Also note that a touch faucet can distinguish between a touch and a grip, so you don’t need to worry about it turning on while cleaning.

On the other hand a touchless/motion-sensor faucet uses an infrared motion sensor to detect movements. Once a movement is detected the faucet turns on. Most touchless faucets keep running for a few seconds even after you remove your hand. Usually a touchless kitchen faucet comes with 2 sets of sensors; one on the top of the head, and the other near the base.

Both touch and touchless faucets run either on battery or on A/C power. There are hybrid versions as well, which run on both.

Pros

Touch faucets are easier to use than regular ones that come with handles. They need only minimal contact with our hands to operate. This prevents any need of grabbing it with your icky, dirty fingers. In short, you don’t have to worry about getting the faucet dirty.

If touch faucets need only minimal contact the touchless ones don’t need any contact at all! Wave your hand infront of the faucet and it is on. This means touchless faucets need only minimal cleaning.

Also the water saving ability of touchless faucets are commendable especially if you have children who likes to play with water. They turn off after a few seconds once you remove your hands (or pots), this saves water. Studies show that over a long term period touchless faucets save a
considerable amount of water.

Having minimal contact also helps the faucet it to preserve its finish. It only takes a wet cloth to clean both touch and touchless faucets.

The batteries of both touch and touchless sink faucets last for more than two years. That’s a pretty big battery life considering their regular usage.

Cons

No product is without some cons.

Both touch and touchless kitchen faucets cost more than traditional faucets. Sometimes you may get faucets with sensors that are too sensitive. In this case, the best option would be to ask for a replacement. But also note that the sensitivity of some touchless faucets can be adjusted so just go through the manual before sending it back.

Another con both types of faucets share is temperature control.The temperature control of both touch and touchless faucets are not easy, it will take some time to get the temperature right. If you are using a manual faucet the temperature control is easier.

The installation of these faucets are a little different from the traditional ones. Unlike a traditional faucet, their ON/OFF mechanisms are located below the sink. This means installing additional hoses and wires.

Popularity

Touch kitchen faucets are more popular than touchless ones. One reason for this is, they are more convenient. Touch faucets offer a better control over water, I have myself turned off my touchless faucet accidentally. This rarely happens with a touch faucet.

Another reason is touchless faucets are relatively new while the touch ones have been in the market for some time. Maybe in a few years the touchless types will win the race but for the time being touch faucets are the popular option.

Conclusion

I prefer a touch faucet for my kitchen because I feel a little more control over it than the other. But choices are subjective, and I hope you are now well informed to make your choice.

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