Simplehuman Deluxe Rectangular Recycler – Review

This is a review post.

Rubbish. Not the most exciting subject in the world but we all need somewhere to recycle it. My old recycling bin was looking more than a little tired (as is my entire kitchen) so when I was given the opportunity to review a Simplehuman Deluxe Rectangular Recycler I was more than happy to relegate the old bin to the cellar for gardening purposes.

I was going to be in good company with my choice of bin as they’ve made appearances in Ugly Betty, Heroes, Lost and Desperate Housewives. Well, if it’s good enough for Hollywood….

The husband was slightly more excited than he should have been at the prospect of breaking testing the bin. He was like a child on Christmas Day when it arrived, quickly unwrapping it in a flurry of cardboard and plastic and getting started on the task of trying to disprove any claim Simplehuman made.

First up was the finger print test. Simplehuman claim that their stainless steel is fingerprint proof. The husband was having none of this. He prodded the poor bin into submission but left no mark. He called Big E in with his sticky cakey fingers but any marks left on the bin would wipe away without a trace. No streaking, no prints just good as new stainless steel.

His next move was to see if it fitted in the rather small corner we have allocated for it. Our old bin had a smaller capacity yet oddly took up more room. The Simplehuman bin has invisible hinges so when opened the lid is flush with the wall. It also has a switch to flick so the lid can be locked open when emptying and replacing liners. All looking good so far.

Then came the lid slam test. No-one likes a noisy slamming bin lid and the Simplehuman bin says it has lid shox® technology, which to you and me means air suspension so the lid closes slowly and silently. Once again the bin did exactly what it claimed to do. The husband found the action of the lid quite pleasing (yes, he’s odd, I think it’s a boy thing).

One of the things he really liked was the integrated wheels so it can be moved easily and the dual large capacity plastic inner buckets (one 30L and one 16L). Since he’s the chief bin emptier (he’s so proud) this means a lot less journeys made and a lot less bin liners wasted.

He did find a couple of niggles.

Firstly the lid seemed a little flimsy given the sturdiness of the rest of the bin. It is very easily depressed and could be bent out of shape by an over enthusiastic husband toddler.

Secondly, the price. The Simplehuman Deluxe Rectangular Recycler retails at £124.99. Now that to me is a whole lot of money. I could have a 4 night break in the UK for all four of us for a similar price. I don’t think I could justify the expense on my income.

Overall the husband and I are really pleased with it. Simplehuman are so confident in their design that it even comes with a 10 year guarantee, which I suppose does help soften the blow of the price a little. It’s obvious a lot of work gone into the design and manufacture of the bin and it is certainly contemporary, ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing.

Would we recommend the Simplehuman Deluxe Rectangular Recycler? Yes, but only to those whose wallets can stretch so far.