There’s something freeing about controlling objects with your voice. When you say, “Open can,” simplehuman’s Sensor Can with voice and motion control opens, then slowly closes a few seconds later. Sensor Can was updated in early 2019, with improved voice recognition, thanks to a new three-microphone array. You can also tell Sensor Can to stay open, or when to close. And if you’d rather stay quiet and wave your hand to prompt the lid to open, well, Sensor Can responds to that too. simplehuman views its products as “the opposite of disposable,” says founder and CEO Frank Yang, and Sensor Can was tested for 300,000 open and close cycles to confirm its durability. The 58-liter model is available for $200. —Jason Cipriani
Buy now: simplehuman sensor can with voice and motion control