Australia's Best Toilet Paper Revealed in Comprehensive Consumer Test
In a detailed evaluation of 42 different toilet paper varieties, the consumer watchdog Choice has identified the top performers for home use in Australia. The rigorous testing process assessed key factors including softness, ease of sheet separation, durability, and disintegration time, culminating in an overall score out of 100 for each product.
Top Performers and Price Considerations
Quilton's 4 Ply Softness Gold emerged as the highest-rated toilet paper, achieving an impressive score of 78%. This premium product was closely followed by Quilton's Shea Butter in Gold 4 Ply variety, which scored 77%. However, both options come with a significant price tag, costing $0.69 per 100 sheets, making them the most expensive choices in the test.
In contrast, the next best-rated roll offered a more budget-friendly alternative. Woolworths exclusive brand Vevelle's Luxury Soft Double Length variety matched the second-place score of 77% but at less than half the price, costing only $0.29 per 100 sheets. This highlights a notable trade-off between quality and affordability in the market.
Eco-Friendly Options and Performance
Chris Barnes, a project manager at Choice, noted that eco-friendly toilet papers generally face challenges in achieving high softness scores. "There's a bit of a challenge when using recycled paper to refine it to a very sort of soft level," he explained. Despite this, some recycled products performed well. For instance, Naturale 100% Recycled 3 Ply Softness scored 80% for softness and had an overall score of 75%, priced at $0.28 per 100 sheets.
Yarn'n 100% Recycled Aussie Manufactured Deadly Dunny Paper, which donates 50% of profits to Indigenous education organisation Yalari, received a softness score of 70% and an overall score of 74%, costing $0.43 per 100 sheets. On the lower end, profit-for-purpose company Who Gives A Crap's products ranked the lowest among eco-friendly options. Its 100% Recycled Classic Soft Double Length scored 71% overall with 70% softness, priced at $0.36 per 100 sheets, while its Bamboo Extra Soft Double Length Rolls scored 68% with a softness score of just 55%, costing $0.42 per 100 sheets.
Durability and Disintegration Issues
Barnes emphasized the importance of balancing strength and disintegration for sewer friendliness. "It has to be both soft and strong," he stated. Some high-scoring products were let down by poor durability, but the lowest scores were attributed to products being too tough rather than too soft. Kleenex Complete Clean and its double length version had the worst disintegration scores of just 5%, taking five-and-a-half minutes to break apart in water vortex tests, resulting in an overall score of 53%.
A spokesperson from Kimberly-Clark IFP ANZ, the manufacturer of Kleenex, defended the products, stating they undergo rigorous safety and quality testing and encouraging consumers to contact their team with any concerns.
Ply Count and Consumer Expectations
While higher ply numbers are often marketed as a selling point, Barnes cautioned that they do not always guarantee better performance. For example, Vevelle White Toilet Tissue 2 Ply scored 77% at $0.19 per 100 sheets, outperforming Sorbent's 4 Ply Thick & Soft, which scored 75% but cost $0.59 per 100 sheets. This demonstrates that ply count alone is not a reliable indicator of quality or value.
The Choice test provides valuable insights for Australian consumers seeking the best toilet paper for their homes, balancing factors like comfort, environmental impact, and cost.
