Whether you've suddenly found yourself on a reduced budget or you simply can't find your usual toilet paper brand, you might be wondering which cheaper alternatives are worth buying.
Never fear: we've done the dirty work for you. We'll explain how to find the best value toilet paper, plus three bargain bog rolls that are gentle on your pocket and your bum – they perform as well as luxury options but cost a fraction of the price.
How to find the best value toilet paper
In this time of toilet paper hoarding and barren supermarket aisles, many of us aren't exactly spoilt for choice when it comes to what we wipe with.
So if your preferred brand isn't available, how can you be sure you're getting the best value? Unit pricing is your friend.
"The conventional logic is that a bigger pack is better value because of buying in bulk and economies of scale – but that's not necessarily true," says CHOICE toilet paper expert Ashley Iredale.
"Time and again I find that on a per-sheet basis, a smaller pack of double-length or even triple length toilet paper is cheaper than a big pack of single-length rolls. Not to mention that it's easier to carry home from the shops!
"So whether it's your brand of choice or brand of last resort, it pays to check the unit pricing of each pack carefully before lobbing it into your trolley."
Our toilet paper reviews include data on the cost per 100 sheets for each brand we test, so you can figure out which toilet paper will give you the best bang for your buck (or butt!).
The best cheap toilet papers
Many people seem to equate price with quality when it comes to toilet paper, and we often don't mind paying a bit more for extra softness. Perhaps it's because the stakes are high should your loo paper have a structural fail while in use.
But our recent toilet paper reviews show that you can buy budget with confidence.
Here are three budget products that perform as well as luxury options but cost a fraction of the price.
1. Woolworths Essentials White Toilet Tissue 2 Ply
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 76%
- Cost per 100 sheets: $0.12
Despite costing just 12 cents per 100 sheets, Woolworths' budget offering outperformed products that retail for far more.
It received excellent scores for disintegration (89%) and separation (81%), and a very good score for softness (70%). Unfortunately, it didn't score quite so well for puncture-resistance (60%), which is something of a drawback.
Although at this price, you'll have money left over to buy extra soap if your finger goes through the paper, so we'd say you'll probably come out even.
2. Coles Toilet Tissue 2 Ply
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 74%
- Cost per 100 sheets: $0.12
Another bargain bog roll, Coles' budget product also costs just 12 cents per 100 sheets. However, this one performed slightly better on the puncture test, scoring 67% which still isn't great but is a slight improvement on the Woolworths product.
3. Allure Luxury Soft 3 Ply White
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 73%
- Cost per 100 sheets: $0.19
A modest increase in price per 100 sheets will buy you a fancy 3-ply toilet paper. This one is another supermarket own-brand product – this time from IGA. The Allure 3-ply received the same softness score as the two other supermarkets' products, and a slightly higher puncture score.
Other good-value toilet paper options
Can't find any of the products we've named here? Here are some other good options that cost a little more but still won't break the bank:
- Purex Soft White (74%; 20c/100 sheets)
- Naturale 100% Recycled (71%; 22c/100 sheets)
- Aldi Confidence Extra Soft (71%; 24c/100 sheets)
- Coles So Soft Thick & Strong (77%; 24c/100 sheets)
- Woolworths Select Luxury Soft (74%; 24c/100 sheets)
- Aldi Confidence Extra Soft (71%; 24 c/100 sheets)
We're on your side
In more than 60 years of making a difference for Australian consumers, we've never taken ads or sponsorship.
Instead we're funded by members who value expert reviews and independent product testing.
With no self-interest behind our advice, you don't just buy smarter, you get the answers that you need.
You know without hesitation what's safe for you and your family.
And you'll never be alone when something goes wrong or a business treats you unfairly.
Learn more about CHOICE membership today
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
