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We revised this guide with current information and updated picks in May 2023.
When it comes to buying toilet paper, the last thing you want to do is throw money down the toilet (literally!) by stocking up on cheap rolls that end up feeling rough or by splurging on pricey TP that just doesn't hold up.
On top of that, you want to choose toilet paper that dissolves easily in your toilet so it doesn’t clog your pipes and cause a septic disaster. From the plushest toilet papers to quick-dissolving rolls to more sustainable picks, there are toilet papers that offer something for everyone, and with so many to choose from we put them to the test to find out which ones are worth it.
In recent years, the Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab has tested more than 30 different types of toilet paper for properties like softness, absorbency, dissolvability, dry strength and wet strength. We also measure the thickness, visually inspect them for defects like pilling and ply separation and evaluate how easily the sheets tear off the roll. To make our picks for the best toilet paper, we combined our formal testing data with insight from our consumer testers who tried the toilet papers out for themselves and provided us with additional ratings and real-user feedback.
After our picks, keep reading to learn more about how we test toilet paper and for a helpful shopping guide, but first, here is the best toilet paper to buy for your bathroom. Looking to cut back on toilet paper? Check out our list of top-tested bidets.
BJ’s toilet paper is one of the best values on the market, and it stood out across the board in our Lab tests. In fact, it earned the Good Housekeeping Seal. The toilet paper aced our absorbency tests, receiving a perfect score and soaking up more water than most other toilet papers we evaluated. Despite being thick, the two-ply toilet paper dissolved within seconds in our tests, meaning it's a safer option for your septic system. Plus, both our consumer testers and our softness-testing machine gave BJ's toilet paper high scores for feeling soft, and when we inspected the rolls, they were free of defects like pills and ply separation.
The downside is that this TP wasn't as strong as some other brands when wet, but that's to be expected of bath tissue that dissolves quickly. Even though BJ's is a club brand, you can still buy the toilet paper using a one-day online guest pass.
Don't let the low price fool you; this Walmart brand toilet paper gives you good bang for your buck. The TP was a runner-up in our extensive Textiles Lab tests, earning high rankings for thickness and perfect scores for dissolving quickly. When we evaluated softness in a blind touch test, this toilet paper outperformed other more expensive rolls, and our consumer testers gave it top marks for softness during use.
The toilet paper proved strong in our dry strength and perforation strength tests (how easy it is to tear the perforated portion of the toilet paper), but it was a bit weaker when wet. If you ever find the toilet paper to be out of stock online for shipping, you may still be able to buy it ahead of time online and then pick it up from your local store. In some locations, you can even opt for delivery from the store.
Lots of toilet paper brands claim to be super plush, but nothing we've tested or tried comes close to the softness of Charmin. Both our consumer testers and specialized lab equipment designed to measure softness ranked it the softest in a blind comparison test. The two-ply construction was also strong overall and stood out in particular for having the highest strength when wet, so you don't have to worry about it crumbling while in use.
Unfortunately, its high strength means it didn't break down easily with water in our evaluations, so you may want to look elsewhere if you have a septic system or particularly old plumbing. But we still think it's a great pick if you don't have plumbing issues at home. Plus, when you buy this one in bulk packs, the price per sheet is similar to more affordable brands.
No one wants toilet paper that crumbles during use, so if you're looking for strong toilet paper that holds up, Cottonelle proved to be the best when we combined the wet and dry strength scores. It also had a perfect score in our visual analysis with no signs of pilling (so it doesn't leave pieces behind!), and the layers didn’t separate, which are two common TP issues.
It has two-ply construction with a rippled texture to help clean, and it was one of the most absorbent toilet papers in our test. It was still pretty soft despite not being super plush, and though it was slow to dissolve, it was still quicker than the plushest options we evaluated.
With more than double the sheets per roll than other toilet papers we've tested, this TP from Scott is ideal for someone looking to shop in bulk. There are 36 rolls in each pack with 1,100 sheets per roll for a whopping 39,600 sheets of toilet paper in each pack. Online reviewers describe this pack of toilet paper as "long-lasting," with some sharing that it lasts their families months at a time. The toilet paper is on the thinner side, but it is still two-ply for added durability.
Unlike most other toilet papers, this one features a small core, which means the brand can fit more sheets per roll, but this may make it more difficult to slide over your current toilet paper holder. Although we haven't tested this particular toilet paper, we have evaluated others from Scott, and they received high scores for dissolving quickly, making the TP ideal for sensitive septic tanks or homes prone to plumbing woes.
While most toilet paper is only two-ply (and some just one), this TP actually has three layers, which makes it super thick and absorbent. When we put the toilet paper through a blind test, our testers and lab equipment gave it some of the highest scores for softness, and it received high ratings for overall softness during use.
It was also one of the strongest toilet papers when wet in our tests, but not surprisingly, it didn’t break down in our dissolvability evaluations, so avoid this one if you’re worried about clogs in your plumbing system. We also tested the brand’s two-ply Ultra Soft & Strong Toilet Paper, which was still thick but just not quite as soft, strong or absorbent and it still didn’t dissolve easily.
Another option for sustainable toilet paper is made from bamboo, which touts itself as “tree free.” The bamboo toilet paper from Who Gives A Crap is three-ply instead of the usual two, and we were impressed by how soft it feels compared to other sustainable TPs we've tried. When we tested the toilet paper for dissolvability in our Lab, it dissolved more easily than some of the other toilet papers we've evaluated, so it shouldn't lead to clogging issues.
The brand skips plastic packaging and instead wraps each roll individually in eye-catching recycled tissue paper and ships it right to your door in a cardboard box. To ensure you never run out of rolls, there's a subscription service available. If you're skeptical of trying toilet paper made with bamboo, know that the brand does offer 30-day returns and a money-back guarantee — no questions asked.
When it comes to toilet paper, recycled rolls are the most sustainable option because they're both diverting waste and skipping the use of new pulp to create bath tissue. This pick from Seventh Generation was one of the top performers among the more sustainable brands we tested. The two-ply sheets were fairly soft and absorbent, and they dissolved within seconds in our test, so they shouldn't wreak havoc in your septic system.
This toilet paper wasn't as thick or quite as strong as other TPs we tested, but it still outperformed a few of the "ultra soft" branded toilet papers in our blind softness test. It is one of the more expensive brands we evaluated when you calculate the cost per sheet, but we appreciate its lower environmental impact.
At the Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab, we test all kinds of bathroom necessities including menstrual products, wipes and toilet paper. Over the years, we've evaluated over 30 different types of toilet paper from both popular name brands and value brands to determine which rolls are worth it. When we test toilet paper, here's what we look for:
✔️ Absorbency: We individually immerse five sheets of each type of toilet paper in water to measure the amount of fluid each sheet is capable of absorbing.
✔️ Strength: There are many different ways to evaluate toilet paper strength including wet and dry tests. We use our Mullen Burst Tester to measure the force needed to burst through a stack of five sheets of toilet paper.
We then layer together five sheets of toilet paper and place them in our Instron machine, which pulls the toilet paper apart to measure its tensile strength. The Instron machine is also used to evaluate perforation strength (shown here), or how easy it is to tear the perforated portion of the toilet paper. For wet strength, we use our Instron machine and a Finch Cup to wet the toilet paper while it's pulled apart.
✔️ Softness: To scientifically measure softness, we outsourced testing to NCSU. They used their EmTec Tissue Softness Analyzer to evaluate and rate each sample of toilet paper for Hand Feel Factor. We also conducted a blind comparison test of the different types of toilet paper, inviting GH staff to feel each unmarked toilet paper and provide a softness rating.
✔️ Dissolvability: To determine whether or not the toilet paper will dissolve once you flush, we evaluated dissolvability. To test, we dropped a sheet of each toilet paper into a set amount of water spinning at a set speed. The amount of time it took for each one to dissolve was recorded. The less time the toilet paper took to dissolve, the less likely it is to clog your pipes and lead to septic issues.
✔️ Thickness: We stacked 10 sheets of toilet paper on top of each other and then used a caliper to measure the thickness.
✔️ Visual quality analysis: We visually examined sheets of each type of toilet paper, noting any defects like ply separation or pilling on the surface.
✔️ Consumer testing: To better understand how the toilet paper truly performs, we placed samples in restroom stalls at GH and asked users to rate each sample for softness during use. We also shared TP with consumer testers who were able to try it out in their own homes and share their thoughts.
✔️ Ply: The number of plies in toilet paper is the number of layers per sheet. Two-ply toilet paper (i.e. two layers) is the most common, but you’ll also find one-ply, which dissolves faster, and three-ply, which tends to feel thicker and more luxurious.
✔️ Price: You don’t have to spend a fortune to get high-quality toilet paper. In fact, some of our top performers were some of the cheapest per sheet! Keep in mind that it pays off to buy in bulk. The more sheets per roll and the more rolls per package, the less you’ll end up spending overall.
✔️ Septic safe: If you're wondering what's the best toilet paper to use in a septic system, consider this: Even though some ultra-plush toilet papers were labeled as “septic safe,” some of the TP never dissolved in our tests after spinning at a high speed for over five minutes. If you’re worried about clogging, it’s best to avoid super thick options.
✔️ Sustainability: Recycled paper is the most sustainable option for toilet paper, but you can also opt for bamboo rolls. These types of toilet paper didn’t perform as well as most premium brands in our evaluations for properties like softness, durability and absorbency, but they tend to dissolve easily and are better for the environment overall than standard toilet paper.
✔️ Brand: When it comes to toilet paper, there’s no need to shy away from private label or store brands. In fact, some of them outperformed the popular name brands in our tests.
This article was written by GH Institute Textiles Lab executive director Lexie Sachs, who holds a B.S. in fiber science from Cornell University and has more than 15 years of experience in the textiles industry, including merchandising and product development for home products. Lexie joined Good Housekeeping in 2013 and has tested all kinds of paper products, including toilet paper. For this article, Lexie conducted extensive evaluations of more than 20 different types of toilet paper from popular name and generic brands.
Amanda Constantine most recently updated this article. She is a home and apparel reviews analyst who joined Good Housekeeping Institute in 2022. She worked with Lexie Sachs to review former testing data, researched popular toilet paper brands and also conducted toilet paper testing on newer brands in the Lab before updating picks for the best toilet papers.
Lexie Sachs (she/her) is the executive director of strategy and operations at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she researches, tests and reports on fabric-based products ranging from sheets, mattresses and towels to bras, fitness apparel and other clothing. She also evaluates luggage, rain gear, disposable paper goods and baby products. Lexie has more than 15 years of experience in the textiles industry and a degree in fiber science from Cornell University. Prior to joining GH in 2013, she worked in merchandising and product development in the fashion and home industries.
Amanda (she/her) researches and reports on products in the Good Housekeeping Institute's Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab, ranging from clothing and accessories to home furnishings. She holds undergraduate degrees in apparel merchandising and product development and advertising and marketing communications, as well as a master of science degree in consumer sciences from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining Good Housekeeping in 2022, Amanda was a lecturer for the fashion and retail studies program at Ohio State, where she taught fashion and textiles courses.
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