Pump Sprayer or Trigger Activated?

How to Select the Perfect Dispenser for Your Bottle

Trigger-activated and pump sprayers are the two most common cap designs for dispensing bottles. Both designs have specific benefits and downsides, making it challenging to pick the right one. 

In this article, we walk you through some common differences between trigger and pump sprayers to help you make an informed decision. 

Trigger-activated Sprayers versus Pump Sprayers

1. Wastage Control

It doesn’t matter your reason for investing in a trigger or pump sprayer. You want to exercise caution to avoid undue wastage. This is especially important considering that the substances used with dispensing bottles typically don’t come cheap. 

A pump dispenser is one of the preferable options if trying to minimize wastage. 

That’s because the products being dispensed are usually of higher viscosity, such as cream and soap. Therefore, they’re unlikely to diffuse into the air or flow freely from the target surface. 

2. Scope of Use
   

A trigger sprayer provides more versatility than a pump sprayer. Trigger bottles are suitable for dispensing different products, which explains their usage in many industries. 

Some of the top industries that use trigger sprayers include health, beauty, house cleaning, gardening, and janitorial. 

Examples of products you can dispense using these bottles include hand sanitizers, hair sprays, massage oils, toilet cleaners, air fresheners, and frying oil.

3. Precision Dispensing

Trigger sprayers also excel pump sprayers in terms of precision. These bottles are designed with a sprayer engine where liquids and other less dense products are atomized before being forced up and out of the bottle. 

With trigger sprayers, it’s easier to manually control the volume of product to dispense. It all depends on the pressure you exert on the cap. 

Applying a little pressure will only force a minimal amount of the product from the bottle. Even better is that you have higher control of the trajectory of the sprayed products.

4. Output Volume
   

Pump dispensers are preferable for dispensing huge amounts of a substance. This has much to do with their construction, which usually features a less constricted nozzle and a larger pump engine. 

Remember that a higher output volume doesn’t necessarily translate to wastage. 

While trigger-activated dispensers excel pump sprayers in terms of precision dispensing, pumps still provide an excellent mechanism for controlling the number of substances to dispense. 

5. Area of Coverage
   

You don’t need to worry about the coverage area while working with hand lotion or hair shampoo on your dressing table. However, the contrary is true if you’re trying to control pests and diseases in your backyard garden. 

Trigger-activated dispensers are more efficient in terms of the area covered. 

After converting the products into a fine mist, these bottles allow you to spray them into a comprehensive but controlled pattern.

6. Nozzle Adjustability
   

Both trigger and pump dispensers are designed with adjustable nozzles. You can tweak the nozzle in a particular way to control the pressure you need to apply to force a product from the bottle. 

However, trigger dispenser nozzles are typically more adjustable than pump dispensers. That’s probably because most trigger-activated bottles are meant to be refilled. These bottles are also easier to repurpose. You can use them with various products after using up the original substance. As for pump dispensers, you’ll usually discard the bottle when the original substance runs out. 

On the flip side, pump sprayers usually have a larger opening to clean the bottle between uses quickly. The large opening may also be handy if you need to refill the bottle. 

7. Weight
   

Weight is a crucial consideration while designing both trigger and pump sprayers. As these items are typically intended to be mobile, it’s clear to see why manufacturers are continuously experimenting with lighter models. 

That said, trigger-activated dispensers are generally lighter than pump sprayers because the latter is designed with a larger pump engine for dispensing more products. 

Pumps need a larger engine to deliver a higher output of body lotion, hand sanitizers, shampoos, dishwashing soaps, etc.

8. Finger Strain

Finger fatigue is another essential factor when choosing between trigger and pump bottles. That’s especially if you regularly spend hours using these dispensers. 

Hand-operated trigger sprayers are somewhat effective at delivering substances onto surfaces. But they’re notorious for exerting an undue strain on the fingers. It’s worse, considering that trigger-operated dispensers require frequent and excessive squeezing. 

The saving grace, however, is that the pressure generated by trigger dispensers is usually significant enough to propel the substances across a relatively large radius. 

Since pump sprayers exert less pressure on your fingers, these bottles reduce repetitive finger injury and the resultant loss of productivity.

The Bottom Line

Both trigger-operated and pump dispensers excel in certain areas and are limited in others. The idea is to define your needs before choosing either product. 

For instance, if you’re looking for a bottle to dispense viscous cosmetic products like creams, you’ll find a pump sprayer worth your needs. And if you are searching for a bottle to dispense pre-formulated pesticides on your lawn, a trigger-activated dispenser will serve your needs better. 

Most importantly, it’s essential to understand how to use a trigger dispenser or pump sprayer correctly. Proper usage will go a long way in extending the bottles’ longevity.