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Tired of that bar of soap melting away into a pile of goop before your very eyes? We researched over 40 of the best soap dishes available today before purchasing the top 8 to put through our rigorous side-by-side testing. We washed our hands hundreds of times for this review; they're literally glistening. We also subjected each model to a number of tests, assessing their performance in two main realms. One, how dry and clean does the dish keep the soap bar? And two, how clean does the dish keep the surface it rests on?
The Passionier Lofekea Ceramic has an intuitive, well-thought-out design that puts the competition to shame. This dish has three parts — a ceramic holding container, a metal rack that holds the soap bar, and a silicone pad that acts as a catchment for excess water and keeps the dish from slipping. These elements work in unison to keep the counter clean and the soap bar dry and allows for easy drainage of excess water whenever the ceramic dish gets full. We especially liked the metal holding rack that sits inside the ceramic container because it stays clean and provides an elevated surface for the bar to rest on. It's also super affordable, adding to the long list of why we love this soap dish.
There was a bit of confusion among our testers about the purpose and usefulness of the included silicone pad. In theory, it keeps the dish from slipping, but in practice, we didn't find the silicone pad to be all that useful.
The star of the review, this one has a classic look and keeps the countertop clean.
The Onwon Hawaii Style Wood Soap Dish set is a good choice for a simple wooden set of soap dishes. For the price, it's a fairly durable and well-made product. This set seems to have a more solid finish than the other wooden soap dishes we tested, and the design keeps soap dry and allows for ample drainage.
There are a few issues with this dish design, though. First, there is no catchment system, which means water will drain out onto countertops and create a mess. For this reason, the Onwon dishes may be better suited for the shower. We were also a bit concerned with its overall construction. The slats are simply glued together, so it's possible the dish could come apart after prolonged exposure to water and soap.
The Onwon was much more durable than the other wooden option we reviewed.
If you're looking for a straightforward soap dish without any bells and whistles, look no further than the AmazerBath Bamboo 2-Pack. This set is a simple bamboo design made from a single piece of wood. This is an important distinction between the AmazerBath and other wooden options we tested, which are constructed using glue to attach individual slats of wood. Because the AmazerBath is all one piece of wood, it is easier to clean and much more durable. The slats keep the soap bar dry, but excess water drains out onto the counter or side of the sink since this dish doesn't have an integrated catchment system.
Though the AmazerBath keeps the soap dry and fresh, our main gripe is that it doesn't have a great drainage system. If used in the shower, water can just drain out into the tub, but it makes a bit of a mess on a countertop. For these reasons, this dish gets lower scores in both drainage and versatility.
We liked the simplicity of the AmazerBath dishes - a single piece of bamboo keeps the soap dry.
Aesthetically, the mDesign Decorative Ceramic is one of our favorite soap holders in this review. We love its antique glaze and its timeless shape. This is an excellent option for sink-side use since it keeps excess water off the counter. It can also be used in a shower or bath and will perform similarly. Small ridges keep the soap bar elevated for drying, though they are not high enough to keep the bar entirely out of water.
The biggest design flaw with this dish is there is no drainage. This keeps water contained and off of the counter, but it means your soap can turn into a gummy mess. The only way around this is to drain and clean the dish regularly or to purchase an aftermarket product like a Soap Saver that elevates the soap in the dish and allows it to drain.
The classic shape of the mDesign is reminiscent of an old-fashioned bathtub.
Some soap holders contain excess water and have to be drained frequently. Others are simple designs that allow water to drain from the bottom with no catchment. The final category is the self-draining soap dish, which directs water back into the sink. The Yamazaki Self Draining dish is our favorite of this style. It is subtle, has an intriguing design, and is made entirely of silicone, making it durable and easy to clean. The silicone pegs keep soap elevated and dry, while an angled surface underneath directs water back into the sink or tub.
The self-draining design meant that this dish had to be on the sink itself to drain effectively, which can make the sink area feel overcrowded. Ideally, this dish would probably have its own catchment system, but we liked the aesthetic and materials a lot.
The silicone pegs suspend the bar of soap above the bottom of this soap dish - a clever design in our eyes.
Won't adhere to surfaces that are not entirely flat
Those who prefer bar soap in the shower will appreciate the chrome-plated, wall-mounted HASKO Suction Soap Dish. This dish suctions onto bathroom surfaces (it works best on tile or plastic shower walls) and holds a single bar of soap, though the basket is rated to hold up to 22 pounds. It is easy to install, even if you aren't incredibly handy. We appreciated the grid pattern of metal that makes up the bottom of the basket, as it can hold a bar of soap until it's paper-thin and almost disintegrating.
As mentioned above, this dish is pretty much only useful for the shower. It also only adheres to specific surfaces, so make sure to check your shower before installing. If the surface it is applied to is porous or uneven (very small tile or wood), then the HASKO won't stick.
The HASKO was our favorite wall-mounted option. It is easy to install and accommodates a range of bar sizes.
This fun, flexible, and durable three-pack is an excellent option for a guest bathroom, a kid's room, and other high-use areas. The Aimaiaimai Silicone 3-Pack soap dish is one of two self-draining options in this review. This means it has to be placed on the edge of the sink or tub to drain excess water back into the sink instead of onto the countertop. We liked the shape and feel of this dish, and it is big enough to accommodate large or oddly shaped bars of soap. Since it is both inexpensive and durable, we felt this was a solid option for anyone to outfit multiple sinks with soap dishes.
Perhaps it is the silicone material that the Aimaiaimai is made of, but this dish seemed to attract grime and soap residue. It was the quickest to get dirty of all the dishes we tested, seeming to get covered in soap after only a few rounds of hand washing. Thankfully, it's also one of the easiest to clean since its flexible, silicone body can easily be rinsed off in between uses.
This dish has to be placed so that the spout directs back into the sink.
The third of the wooden slat-style soap dishes we tested is the Magift 2-Piece Wooden set. These dishes are simple and straightforward in terms of design and construction. Slats are stapled to two longer runners. The middle slats are carved out to create a subtle indentation where the soap bar lies. We appreciated that this wooden set comes with two dishes and a very reasonable price tag. If you are looking for a no-nonsense dish for sink or shower use, the Magift could work for you.
Unfortunately, the tradeoff for affordability is durability. We encountered some issues with the overall quality leaving us less than impressed. One of the dishes failed to hold up as a few of the slats started to come off only after a few days of use. The staples holding them together appeared to detach after very little use/handling. We were also not crazy about the finish of the wood, which was rough and somewhat spotty. It looked like some of the wood had been varnished, while other parts had not. These dishes work decently, but their construction is disappointing.
A good option for the shower, the Magift keeps soap from sliding around and getting soggy.
Credit: Jane Jackson
Why Trust GearLab
We started this review off with hours of online research to study up on the various types of soap dishes on the market. We then selected the top 8 options available online for hands-on testing. Luckily, we've been washing our hands a lot recently, so there were plenty of opportunities to test these soap dishes. Hundreds of rounds of handwashing later, we have selected our top picks and our least favorites among these soap holders.
Installing one of the shower soap dishes during testing.
Credit: Jane Jackson
Our lead soap dish tester, Jane Jackson, has done extensive reviews on household products from bath towel sets to mixing bowls. She has spent almost half a decade assessing the performance of all matter of products. As a trained historian, Jane is no stranger to research. She applies the same attention to detail on her journey through the universe of bathroom products as she does to examining primary documents.
Analysis and Test Results
We considered the following four metrics when testing these dishes. The first and most important was assessing the drainage capabilities of each model. Next, we assessed the ease of cleaning of each. Finally, we compared their versatility and holding ability since some are designed specifically for shower use or for square soap bars rather than round ones.
Drainage System
Out of all the different soap dishes we tested, we found four distinct drainage designs. The simplest is the wooden slat-style dish, which holds the soap and allows water to run off between the slats. Our favorite dish with this design is the AmazerBath Bamboo because it is made from one solid piece of wood rather than several smaller pieces glued together. Next is the container-style dish. These holders keep the soap and soapy water contained as a solution to soapy run-off. Our favorite is the Passionier Lofekea Ceramic. Next is the self-draining style dish, which channels water into a sink or away from a countertop. We liked the Yamazaki best. The final design is the wall-mount style dish, which is designed for use in a shower; we preferred the HASKO Suction.
The Passionier had the best drainage system of any dish we tested. Water collects in the ceramic container while the soap rests on the metal rack above.
Credit: Jane Jackson
We tested the dishes in this metric by using them a lot. We noted how much water ran off from each use and how long it took for the container-style dishes to fill up. We also documented how much water ran off from the designs that come without a catchment system. The worst performers here were the wooden slat-style dishes, like the Magift, which seemed to spill water everywhere. Similarly, the Aimaiaimai Silicone was finicky to place since the drain spout is narrow.
If placed correctly, this silicone dish drains directly back into the sink - a great design.
Credit: Jane Jackson
Overall Cleanliness
Everyone knows what a messy, grimy soap dish covered in old gooey soap residue looks like. Yuck, not the look we are going for in our bathroom. That is why overall cleanliness is the next metric used to assess the performance of these soap holders. We found the Passionier Lofekea to be the cleanest one in this review. Its stainless-steel rack holds the soap while excess water drains below. This keeps the soap dry and limits residue build-up. The mDesign also stayed fairly clean during our test period since it holds excess water above the countertop.
This stainless steel rack keeps the soap dry and away from the gunky water below.
Credit: Jane Jackson
Like the Onwon and the Magift, the wooden models seemed to get dirty the fastest. They are also the most challenging to clean since the slats create numerous small gaps where grime can collect. The silicone options, like the Yamazaki and the Aimaiaimai Silicone get grimy fairly quickly but are also easy to clean. The hanging metal dishes don't get very dirty because they are constantly draining back into the shower after every use. Be careful where you place it, though, since you don't want water to be pounding on the soap bar all the time.
This silicone dish seemed to attract gunk - not the cleanest option we tested.
Credit: Jane Jackson
Versatility
This metric was a bit tricky to test as it's somewhat subjective. Based on design and manufacturer information provided, we had to decide what each dish was intended for — shower-only use, sink-side use, or kitchen use. Some worked well in all washing environments, while others were clearly designed for specific uses. Dishes that worked for showers specifically got lower scores than those that work in a variety of applications. The AmazerBath Bamboo is a great versatile option — we liked using it in both the bathroom sink and the shower. We even placed it in our kitchen for testing and liked having it there too. The award-winning Passionier Lofekea Ceramic is super versatile and looks great in all handwashing settings.
We loved using the AmazerBath in the shower and sink-side, making it one of the top contenders for versatility.
Credit: Jane Jackson
The HASKO is a suction-mounted, wall-hanging holder, which is less versatile because it's really only designed for use in the shower. The self-draining options are versatile in that they work in both settings, but they have to be placed carefully so that they drain back into the sink or tub. The Aimaiaimai Silicone has such a narrow spout that it has to be directed into the sink with care, while the Yamazaki has a wider run-off spout to manage.
Holding Ability
Soap bars come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. This metric assesses how each dish works with varying size soap bars. Many of the dishes we reviewed have an oval-shaped indentation in the middle; this works well for small bars but creates an awkward, teetering situation for round bars and oversized soaps. Like the Passionier Lofekea Ceramic, some are rectangular and can accommodate a wide variety of bar sizes. The Yamazaki also worked well with both our round and square test soaps. The HASKO suction dish is big enough to contain a wide range of soap sizes.
The wide Yamazaki can accommodate large bars of soap since there is no lip or indentation to dictate soap size.
Credit: Jane Jackson
The wooden dishes didn't do as well as their silicone, ceramic, and chrome counterparts. Both the Onwon and the Magift have a very small indentation where the soap is meant to lie. Unless the soap is very small, it doesn't fit in the indentation very well. This isn't a huge problem for some, but for others, the wobbling soap bar is a bit of an annoyance.
We found it annoying that round bars of soap didn't fit snuggly into the indentation on the Magift and Onwon dishes.
Credit: Jane Jackson
Conclusion
If you are tired of soggy bars of soap and gooey soap build-up on your sink, it's an excellent time to invest in a soap dish. This simple object keeps countertops clean and soap dry and preserved. Some are great for showers, while others are perfect for sink-side use. This review is meant to guide you toward the proper dish to suit your bathroom accessory needs. Hopefully, we've shed some light on the differences between the wide variety of soap dishes available for purchase.
