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The short version: the best touchless kitchen faucet is the Moen Sleek 7864EWSRS. Everything in this category comes down to one question — does it turn on when you want it to and stay off when you do not — and the single MotionSense Wave sensor on top of the spout answers it better than the two-sensor designs that fire whenever something passes underneath. If you would rather tap the spout than wave at it, the Delta Essa Touch2O eliminates false triggers entirely. Both keep a normal handle, so a dead battery is not a crisis.
This roundup lives in the DIY plumbing hub. For the wider field including manual models see our best kitchen faucet picks, and if you are set on a conventional sprayer, best pull-down kitchen faucet.
Wave vs Touch: The Decision That Matters
Touchless is not one technology. The two systems on the market behave differently enough that choosing the wrong one is the main source of regret in this category.
| Wave / motion (MotionSense, Response) | Touch (Touch2O) | |
|---|---|---|
| Activation | Infrared sensor detects a hand near the spout | Capacitive tap anywhere on spout or handle |
| Truly hands-free | Yes | No — needs a wrist or forearm contact |
| False activations | Possible, especially with two sensors | Essentially none |
| Works with gloves | Yes | Sometimes not — thick rubber can block the capacitance |
| Best for | Raw-food prep, accessibility, hands genuinely dirty | Busy kitchens, small children, tight spaces |
There is a second, less-discussed distinction inside the wave category: one sensor or two. A single sensor sits on top of the spout and only responds to a hand passing over it. A two-sensor system adds a second eye at the base that watches the area under the spout so a pot moving in triggers the flow. That sounds convenient and, in practice, is the origin of nearly every complaint about a faucet running by itself. If you are new to touchless, start with a single sensor.
Top Picks at a Glance
Our #1 Pick: Moen Sleek MotionSense Wave (7864EWSRS)
The Sleek is our pick because it is the touchless faucet people stop noticing, which is the highest praise the category allows. The single sensor on top of the spout means the water starts when you deliberately pass a hand across it and does nothing when you reach past it for a colander, so the faucet never argues with the way you already work at your sink. Owners consistently describe the sensitivity as well-judged rather than twitchy — the specific quality that separates a touchless faucet you love from one you disable after a month.
Under the electronics it is a good faucet in the ordinary sense too, which matters because you will use the manual handle plenty. The Power Clean sprayer runs at meaningfully higher velocity than the older Reflex heads and its rubber nozzles wipe clean of limescale with a thumb — worth having in hard water, which the USGS defines as roughly 120 mg/L of dissolved calcium and magnesium and above. The Spot Resist stainless finish hides the fingerprints and water spots that make stainless look grubby. It runs on batteries in an under-sink pack, or on an optional AC adapter if you have an outlet in the cabinet.
The honest limitations: it costs roughly $120 more than the equivalent manual Moen, and you are adding electronics to a fixture that would otherwise be purely mechanical — the sensor module is the part most likely to need service, and it sits outside the lifetime mechanical warranty. The spout is also a modern, relatively low arch, so if you regularly fill tall stockpots, take the Arbor instead.
The Ranked Field
Best for reliable hands-free operation without accidental activations
- Single MotionSense Wave sensor on the spout top
- Power Clean spray with wipe-clean rubber nozzles
- Spot Resist stainless hides fingerprints and water spots
- Runs on batteries or an optional AC adapter
Why buy it: the single top-mounted sensor is the design that gets touchless right — it fires when you deliberately wave over the spout and stays quiet when you reach past it, which is exactly the complaint that ruins two-sensor faucets.
Best for tall pots and deep sinks with the same wave sensor
- Tall high-arc spout for stockpots and roasting pans
- Same single-sensor MotionSense Wave system
- Power Clean sprayer, Reflex docking
- Spot Resist stainless finish
Why buy it: the Arbor is Moen’s most-owned high-arc body with the wave sensor added — you get the clearance to fill a stockpot without moving it, and the same well-behaved single-sensor activation as our top pick.
Best for homes that want a deliberate touch rather than motion sensing
- Touch2O — tap anywhere on the spout or handle with a wrist or forearm
- MagnaTite docking holds the sprayhead firmly
- DIAMOND Seal valve technology
- TempSense LED shows water temperature
Why buy it: touch activation removes the false-trigger problem entirely — nothing happens until you deliberately bump the spout, which suits busy kitchens where hands and pans pass the faucet constantly.
Best for a coordinated touchless faucet and soap dispenser
- Response touchless sensor at the base of the spout
- Matching soap or lotion dispenser included
- Sweep spray with angled nozzles for clearing the sink
- Vibrant stainless finish resists corrosion and tarnish
Why buy it: Kohler bundles the faucet with a matching dispenser and a Sweep spray pattern that actually clears food off the sink floor, so the whole sink area coordinates rather than looking assembled from parts.
Best for a complete touchless sink setup at a lower price
- MotionSense Wave single-sensor activation
- Matching soap dispenser in the box
- Pulldown sprayer with a docking spout
- Spot Resist stainless finish
Why buy it: the same wave sensor as our top pick with a matching soap dispenser included, at a price below the premium sets — the value way to fit out a whole sink in one go.
Best for a slim contemporary profile in a minimal kitchen
- Slim cylindrical Trinsic styling
- Touch2O tap-anywhere activation
- MagnaTite docking, ShieldSpray option on some variants
- Arctic Stainless finish
Why buy it: the Trinsic is the design-led choice — a narrow, unfussy column rather than a bulbous commercial arch — with Delta’s touch activation behind it rather than motion sensing.
Quick Comparison
| Product | Best for | Rating | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moen Sleek Spot Resist Stainless MotionSense Wave Touchless Pulldown Kitchen Faucet, 7864EWSRS | Best Overall | 4.2437 ratings | ~$340 | Price |
| Moen Arbor Spot Resist Stainless MotionSense Wave Touchless One-Handle Kitchen Sink Faucet, 7594EWSRS | Best High-Arc | 4.31,004 ratings | ~$380 | Price |
| Delta Essa Touch2O Single-Handle Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet with Touch Technology, Chrome, 9113T-DST | Best Touch Instead of Wave | 4.47,458 ratings | ~$300 | Price |
| KOHLER K-R77748-SD-VS Malleco Touchless Pull-Down Kitchen Sink Faucet with Soap or Lotion Dispenser, Vibrant Stainless | Best Premium | 4.5226 ratings | ~$400 | Price |
| Moen Essie Spot Resist Stainless MotionSense Wave Touchless Kitchen Faucet with Pulldown Sprayer and Soap Dispenser, 87014EWSRS | Best with Soap Dispenser | 4.1698 ratings | ~$300 | Price |
| Delta Trinsic Touch2O Single-Handle Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet, Arctic Stainless, 9159T-AR-DST | Best Modern Design | 3.9365 ratings | ~$420 | Price |
Specifications Side by Side
| Faucet | Activation | Sensors | Soap dispenser | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moen Sleek 7864EWSRS | Wave | One, spout top | No | Battery or AC adapter |
| Moen Arbor 7594EWSRS | Wave | One, spout top | No | Battery or AC adapter |
| Delta Essa 9113T-DST | Touch | Capacitive body | No | Battery or AC adapter |
| KOHLER Malleco | Wave | Base-mounted | Yes | Battery |
| Moen Essie 87014EWSRS | Wave | One, spout top | Yes | Battery or AC adapter |
| Delta Trinsic 9159T | Touch | Capacitive body | No | Battery or AC adapter |
How We Rank
We never buy or install these faucets. For touchless faucets the ranking priorities are: false-activation reports, which dominate the negative reviews in this category and are the clearest signal of whether a sensor design works in a real kitchen; sensor and electronics reliability beyond the first year, since the module is the part that fails and it is usually covered by a shorter warranty than the body; the faucet underneath — spray quality, docking, finish — because you will use the manual handle constantly; and power and service access. Aggregated owner ratings are weighted toward long-term reviews. Prices were checked at the time of writing. Full method: how we rank.
The Faucets, Reviewed
1. Moen Sleek MotionSense Wave — Best Overall
Covered above. Owners praise: a sensor that responds when asked and stays quiet otherwise, a strong Power Clean spray, and a finish that hides spots. Owners gripe about: the price premium over the manual version and a modern low-arch spout that limits pot clearance. Check price.
2. Moen Arbor MotionSense Wave — Best High-Arc
The same single-sensor system on Moen's most popular high-arc body. The tall arch gives real clearance for stockpots, roasting pans and baking sheets, which is the practical reason most people choose a high-arc faucet in the first place. Power Clean spray, Reflex docking, Spot Resist finish.
Owners praise: the pot clearance, the same well-behaved wave sensor, and a sprayhead that docks firmly rather than drooping. Owners gripe about: a tall profile that can foul a low window sill behind the sink, and a higher price than the Sleek. Check price.
3. Delta Essa Touch2O — Best Touch Instead of Wave
The alternative philosophy, and the right answer for a lot of kitchens. Tapping anywhere on the spout or handle with a wrist or forearm starts the flow, so activation is always deliberate and the faucet never runs on its own. MagnaTite docking holds the sprayhead with a magnet rather than a friction collar, which is the fix for the drooping sprayhead problem that afflicts older pull-downs, and a TempSense LED at the base changes color with water temperature.
Owners praise: zero false activations, the magnetic dock, and the temperature LED being genuinely useful. Owners gripe about: needing to make contact, which defeats the point if your hands are covered in raw meat, and thick rubber gloves sometimes blocking the capacitive signal. Check price.
4. KOHLER Malleco Touchless — Best Premium
A well-made touchless pull-down with a matching soap or lotion dispenser included, so the whole sink deck coordinates. Kohler's Sweep spray uses angled nozzles that produce a wide blade of water, which is noticeably better than a conventional spray at pushing food scraps toward the drain. The Vibrant stainless finish is a physical vapor deposition coating that resists corrosion and tarnish better than standard plating.
Owners praise: the coordinated dispenser, the Sweep spray for clearing the sink, and a finish that stays looking new. Owners gripe about: a base-mounted sensor that is more prone to firing when something passes near the deck than a spout-top sensor, and the highest running cost in batteries here. Check price.
5. Moen Essie MotionSense Wave — Best with Soap Dispenser
Our top pick's sensor system on a slightly simpler body, with a matching soap dispenser in the box and a lower price than the Kohler. If you want the whole sink area done in one purchase without stretching to premium money, this is the one.
Owners praise: good value for a faucet plus dispenser, the reliable single-sensor wave system, and easy installation. Owners gripe about: a sprayer that is a step down from the Power Clean heads on the Sleek and Arbor, and a soap dispenser bottle that has to be refilled from underneath unless you buy the above-sink refillable version. Check price.
6. Delta Trinsic Touch2O — Best Modern Design
The most design-led faucet here: a slim cylindrical column instead of the bulbous commercial arch everyone else is selling, in Arctic Stainless. Behind the styling it is Delta's Touch2O system with MagnaTite docking and the DIAMOND Seal valve, so the engineering is proven even though the look is not conventional.
Owners praise: the slim contemporary profile, no false activations, and a solid magnetic dock. Owners gripe about: the price, and a narrower spout that gives less clearance over a deep sink than a high-arc design. Check price.
What Owners Actually Complain About
The faucet turning itself on. The defining complaint of the category. It is almost always a two-sensor or base-mounted design responding to a dish rack, a passing cat, a curtain, or steam. Single spout-top sensors and touch faucets do not do this. If you have a busy sink area, do not buy a base-sensor model.
Sensor failure after the mechanical warranty. The faucet body typically carries a lifetime limited warranty; the electronics module usually carries five years. Owners who lose the sensor in year six find themselves with what is effectively a manual faucet — annoying, but not a plumbing emergency. Registering the product and keeping the receipt matters more here than on a manual faucet.
Battery life shorter than expected. The quoted two years assumes a normal household. A kitchen where the sensor fires all day, or a home where the faucet is close to a walkway, will get considerably less. If there is an outlet under the sink, fit the AC adapter and the problem disappears.
Temperature set by the handle, not the sensor. Waving turns the water on at whatever temperature the handle is set to. Owners expect the sensor to give them warm water and get cold, or leave the handle on hot and get a surprise. It is how every faucet in this class works; leave the handle at a comfortable mid position.
Installation being fiddlier than a manual faucet. There is a control box, a battery pack and wiring to mount and route inside the cabinet on top of the usual supply lines. It is not difficult, but it is not the fifteen-minute swap some listings imply. Allow an hour and a half.
How to Choose a Touchless Kitchen Faucet
Decide wave or touch first, based on your kitchen rather than the marketing. Do not shop on flow rate: the EPA WaterSense program labels bathroom faucets, showerheads and toilets, not kitchen faucets. If your reason for wanting touchless is raw-food hygiene or accessibility, you want a wave sensor and you want it on top of the spout. If your kitchen is busy and things constantly move past the faucet, you want touch.
Then treat it as a normal faucet purchase: check the spout height against your tallest pot and any window sill behind the sink, look for a magnetic or firm mechanical dock so the sprayhead does not sag, prefer rubber or silicone spray nozzles if your water is hard, and choose a spot-resist or brushed finish over polished chrome. Finally, check whether there is an outlet under your sink — if there is, buy a model that accepts an AC adapter and buy the adapter at the same time.
The Verdict
The Moen Sleek MotionSense Wave is the touchless kitchen faucet we would fit in most kitchens: the best-judged sensor in the category over a genuinely good conventional faucet. Choose the Moen Arbor if you need high-arc clearance, the Delta Essa Touch2O if false activations worry you, the Kohler Malleco for a premium coordinated setup, the Moen Essie for faucet plus dispenser on a budget, and the Delta Trinsic if the look matters most. Check price on Amazon →
More from this hub: DIY plumbing · best kitchen faucet · best pull-down kitchen faucet · how to replace a kitchen faucet · how we rank.