The 7 Best Wheeled Trash Cans
Updated by · How we research
Seven curbside carts from 32 to 96 gallons, compared on truck-lift fit, wheels, lids and build. The Toter 32-Gallon Blackstone leads for stability and warranty. When users buy our independently chosen editorial recommendations, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Call your trash hauler before you buy: many cities issue their own carts, and automated trucks only empty bins built to fit their lifting arms. Size fools people too, since a 32-gallon can holds just two to four kitchen bags. These carts suit homeowners, renters and small shops that roll a heavy load to the curb every week.
Editor's Notes
October 26, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:
The Toter 32-Gallon Blackstone takes the top spot. It's the same residential Toter cart that was here before, now in a darker speckled finish, and Reviewed's side-by-side trial of outdoor cans chose it as well.
Six of the seven earlier entries are gone. The Rubbermaid Brute, the Suncast Commercial 32 Gallon and the United Solutions TB0042 can't be found anymore, and three entries weren't really wheeled trash cans: a housekeeping cart, a hazmat spill drum and the iTouch Glide, an indoor kitchen can on casters.
The new picks follow the sizes cities actually collect, from the Toter 64-Gallon Blackstone up to the Toter 96-Gallon Black, plus Rubbermaid's commercial Brute Rollout carts and a foot-pedal model. The deciding evidence was Toter's published load ratings, Rubbermaid's auto-lifter compliance, and a clear pattern of wheel failures on cheap bins, which kept most budget options off the list.
July 03, 2019:
Unless a racoon gets into it and makes a mess, you probably don’t spend too much time thinking about a household garbage can. However, they’re clearly not all built alike, when it comes to sturdiness, maneuverability, and overall design. In addition, it makes sense to get one with wheels, considering the average family of four produces around 80 pounds of trash per week. Whether you’re looking for an indoor or outdoor option that rolls, our list has something for you.
Joining the selection is the iTouch Glide, which, true to its name, can be pushed effortlessly around your home as needed. Waving your hand over its lid will activate its touch sensors to open it automatically, making it a choice that’s hygienic as well as convenient. It comes with a replaceable carbon filter to absorb trash odors. (Replacement ones are readily available in three-packs.) It requires 3 D-cell batteries, which are sold separately.
The Rubbermaid Brute moves into the top spot on our list, thanks to its easy maneuverability and durable plastic material that resists fading and cracking. Its ergonomic handle is comfortable to pull, and the snug fitting lid does a good job of keeping odors in and critters out. Leaving our list is the Toter Bear Resistant, which, as it turns out, isn’t too bear resistant after all. (If bears are an issue, the best solution just might be keeping your cans in your garage or other securely locked enclosure.)
Special Honors
Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee If bears visit your street, no ordinary cart will stop them. This interagency group, which includes federal and state wildlife agencies, tests containers with captive grizzlies and publishes a list of certified bear-resistant products, including residential carts with latching lids. Check it before buying, and ask your hauler whether it can empty the model you choose. igbconline.org
Ask Your Hauler, Then Pick A Size
Many cities and private haulers hand out their own carts, and some won't empty anything else.
Many cities and private haulers hand out their own carts, and some won't empty anything else. Automated trucks grab a cart with mechanical arms, so the bin has to match the lifter. Rubbermaid lists its Brute Rollout carts as meeting ANSI Z245.60 Types B and G, the standard for auto-lifters, and Toter says its two-wheel carts work with automated and semi-automated collection. A cheap bin with no lift rating may be fine for the garage but not for the curb.
Gallons sound bigger than they are. A 32-gallon cart holds about two to four tall kitchen bags, a 64 holds about five, and a 96 holds about seven. Toter rates its 32-gallon cart for 112 pounds of load, the 64 for 168 pounds and the 96 for 335 pounds. Packing past that strains the wheels and axle, and a very heavy cart is a back injury waiting to happen. Most households with weekly pickup are well served by a 64; pick a 96 for a big family or regular yard waste.
Wheels, Lids And Animals
Big rear wheels on a steel axle roll over gravel, grass and curbs far better than small casters. Look for a handle at a comfortable height and a body that balances when tipped back, so you aren't fighting the load. Cheap bins most often fail at the wheels, which can crack or snap off within weeks.
No cart on this list is animal-proof. In its trial of outdoor cans, Reviewed found the Toter 32 had no way to secure its lid and made it critter-resistant with a single bungee cord from the back handle to the front. Raccoons and dogs give up on a strapped lid. Bears don't. In bear country, buy a container certified by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, whose list covers hundreds of tested products, and keep it in a garage until pickup day.
Plastic, Care And Safety
Most good curbside carts are high-density polyethylene. Toter rotomolds its carts so the walls flex instead of cracking in the cold, and they contain up to half recycled plastic. Thinner polypropylene bins cost less and feel stiffer, but they're more likely to crack after a few hard freezes or a rough toss by the truck.
Rinse a cart with a hose and a splash of diluted bleach or vinegar, then let it dry with the lid open. Bag food waste, keep the lid shut and park the cart on level ground; a loaded cart on a slope can roll away. Never put hot ashes or coals in a plastic can, since they can smolder for days. We checked every brand on this list with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and found no recalls of these carts.
How we researched this
We compared 16 wheeled cans from Toter, Rubbermaid, Suncast, United Solutions and several newer brands, read Toter's published load ratings and warranty and Rubbermaid's auto-lifter specifications, used Reviewed's trial of outdoor cans, looked for patterns in owner feedback on wheels, lids and capacity, and checked every brand for recalls with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Frequently asked questions
Will the garbage truck empty any wheeled trash can?
Not always. Automated trucks need a cart that fits their lifting arms, and many cities only empty the carts they issue. Ask your hauler first. Rubbermaid's Brute Rollout carts meet the ANSI Z245.60 auto-lifter standard, and Toter carts are made for automated pickup.
How many bags fit in a 32-gallon can?
Usually two to four tall kitchen bags, depending on how full they are. A 64-gallon cart holds about five and a 96-gallon cart about seven.
What size wheeled trash can do I need?
A 32-gallon can suits one or two people or a garage. A 64-gallon cart is the common choice for a family with weekly pickup. Pick a 96-gallon cart for a large family, yard waste or every-other-week pickup.
How do I keep raccoons out of my trash can?
Keep the lid shut and strap it. A bungee cord from the back handle over the lid to the front stops most raccoons. In bear country, use a certified bear-resistant container and keep it indoors until pickup day.
Can I put fireplace ashes in a plastic trash can?
No. Ashes and coals can stay hot for days and can melt or ignite a plastic cart. Let them cool in a covered metal container first.
