This smart soap dispenser works with Alexa—and it's pretty cool

In today’s day and age, you can buy a “smart” version of virtually any product. There are smart microwaves, smart coffee mugs, and even smart notebooks. The latest from Amazon is a smart soap dispenser.

The Amazon Smart Soap Dispenser
(available at Amazon for $34.99)

is designed to be paired with a nearby Alexa device, such as an Echo. When you dispense soap from the gadget, it automatically starts a 20-second timer, counting down to let you know how long to wash your hands.

Plus, when paired with a compatible speaker, it will also play music for you and say, “Nicely done!” (or another custom greeting) when the time has ended.

I was a little skeptical of the device at the beginning of testing, but after several weeks of use, I have to admit that the smart soap dispenser is a pretty cool addition to your kitchen or bathroom. Here’s what I liked about it.

What we like

The Amazon Smart Soap Dispenser is easy to set up

Right out of the box, the smart soap dispenser is pretty much ready to use. It’s already charged up, so all I had to do was turn it on and connect it to my home’s Wi-Fi network. From there, the Alexa app prompted me to sync the dispenser to a nearby Alexa device.

I chose to place the dispenser at the kitchen sink, and there’s an Echo Dot in the room. It took around 60 seconds to pair the two devices. The whole setup process took less than five minutes.

Within the Alexa app, you’re able to adjust the soap dispenser’s settings to suit your needs. You can select the music you want it to play, the timer length, the volume, and the message Alexa says at the end.

You could even change the ending message to include your child’s name if the dispenser was in their bathroom. You’re also able to designate certain times when Alexa won’t play music, preventing it from blasting tunes late at night.

It offers touchless soap dispensing

I hate that the top of regular soap dispensers get grimy so quickly from being pressed with dirty hands, so I loved that the Amazon Soap Dispenser has a touchless design. All you have to do is stick your hand underneath the spout, and it will deposit a dollop of soap into your waiting hand.

You can even control the amount of soap it dispenses with gestures. If you hold your hand higher up, it gives you less soap, and if you lower your hand, it will give you more.

I tested it both ways, and there was a noticeable difference in the amount of soap it dispensed.

Plus, the dispenser never went off when I was washing dishes in the sink—only when you put your hand directly underneath it.

It’s worth noting that the dispenser solely works with liquid hand soap—I filled it up with a seasonal scent from Grove Co., and it worked just fine. Amazon warns not to put foaming soap or an alcohol-based product, such as hand sanitizer, into the dispenser, as it could damage the product.

The touchless soap dispenser plays music while you scrub

The Amazon Smart Soap Dispenser has a circle of LED lights on the top that count down 20 seconds—the CDC’s recommended hand-washing duration—but the best part is when it plays music.

When I set the gadget up, I left it on the default setting, which was a “happy playlist” from Amazon Music, and now when I wash my hands, the Echo Dot in my kitchen plays 20-second snippets of popular, upbeat songs.

The tunes are usually something by Dua Lipa or another top-40 artist, but once it did play the explicit version of “WAP” by Cardi B, so you’ll want to select a more kid-friendly playlist if your whole family will be using it.

Having music playing while I wash my hands has definitely increased the length of time that I scrub—my partner said the same.

I can see the skill being effective if you’re trying to encourage your kids (or other family members) to wash their hands for a full 20 seconds, instead of just a quick lather.

Just keep in mind that the soap dispenser itself doesn’t have a microphone or speaker—it has to be paired with an Alexa-enabled speaker to play music.

Amazon provides a list of compatible devices, which includes the Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, and more.

What we don’t like

Sometimes it just plays ads

The Amazon Smart Soap Dispenser plays tunes through Amazon Music while you scrub, but I did notice that sometimes it injected ads in there, as well.

Namely, it will talk about Amazon Music, saying things like “Listen to more than 10,000 songs with Amazon Music.”

These ads are usually just one-liners that take a few seconds, but the other day, my Alexa gave me a whole spiel about the service for the entire 20 seconds that I was washing my hands!

It was definitely excessive, and I walked away feeling annoyed that I had to listen to an Amazon ad instead of the music that I was promised.

Should you buy the Amazon Smart Soap Dispenser?

Yes, it’s a fun way to wash your hands

Is the Amazon Smart Soap Dispenser a must-have gadget for your home? Absolutely not. Is it fun to use and a conversation piece for your home? Definitely. I don’t think anyone needs a soap dispenser that sings to you as you scrub, but everyone in my household enjoyed using it.

I can also see it being particularly useful for those with kids, as it encourages you to wash your hands for the appropriate amount of time.

Whether or not the product is actually necessary, I will say that it’s well-designed. The soap dispenser was extremely straightforward to set up, and I appreciated that it has settings that allow you to change the music and turn off the audio at certain times of the day.

The battery is long-lasting, and its touchless dispensing is extremely convenient when your hands are dirty.

Overall, it’s a quality product that works as expected, and it adds some practical fun to your kitchen.

$35 at Amazon

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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.