Toilet Paper: Reviews

Updated February 2010

Toilet paper reviews range from the scientific to the scatological, but collectively they suggest that choosing the best toilet paper is a highly subjective choice. Whether you prefer eco-friendly toilet paper, flushable moist wipes, premium or budget toilet paper, ConsumerSearch has a recommendation for you.

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Best premium toilet paper

Quilted Northern Soft & Strong

*Est. $5 for six rolls Compare Prices

Unlike some super-plush toilet papers, Quilted Northern Soft & Strong won't leave lint or dust behind, reviews say. Despite its thick softness, Quilted Northern disintegrates readily when flushed, earning it the National… expandSanitation Foundation's safe-for-septic seal of approval. However, like other premium toilet papers, Quilted Northern Soft & Strong carries a premium price tag. This company also uses forest-depleting virgin wood fiber and potentially water-polluting chlorine compounds to bleach its paper white, making it less eco-friendly than Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Bathroom Tissue (*Est. $4 for four rolls) or the cheaper Marcal Small Steps Bath Tissue (*Est. $7 for 12 rolls), both of which use only recycled paper and no chlorine dioxide. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Quilted Northern Soft & Strong is one of 19 brands of toilet paper tested by ConsumerReports.org.

Natural Resources Defense Council: Quilted Northern is one of the worst toilet paper brands for the environment, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

National Sanitation Foundation: This nonprofit organization tests toilet papers manufactured by Georgia Pacific and gives a few brands its "safe for septic" seal of approval, including Quilted Northern.

RVForum.net: Quilted Northern breaks up more readily in water than toilet papers from Charmin, Cottonelle, Kirkland and even some special RV toilet papers, according to this home test by RV enthusiasts.

Drugstore.com: Customers who post reviews here like Quilted Northern better than all other toilet papers, awarding it an average of 4 stars (out of 5) in nearly 30 reviews.

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for $9.99

Best recycled toilet paper

Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Bathroom Tissue

*Est. $4 for four rolls Compare Prices

Testers find this quilted, two-ply, recycled toilet paper comfortable and absorbent. It's also more eco-friendly than the cheaper Marcal Small Steps Bath Tissue (*Est. $7 for 12 rolls). The reason: Both are 100 percent… expandrecycled, but Seventh Generation uses far more post-consumer paper (office paper, newspapers), keeping it out of landfills, while Marcal employs paper-factory scraps. Though some reviewers say Quilted Northern Soft & Strong is softer than Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Bathroom Tissue, this toilet paper is better for the environment. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Experts here rank 19 brands of toilet paper -- including Seventh Generation -- from best to worst, after lab-testing for strength, softness, disintegration and tearability.

Natural Resources Defense Council: Seventh Generation is one of the most eco-friendly toilet papers you can buy, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Grist.org: Seventh Generation wins this hands-on toilet paper test, beating recycled papers from Green Forest and Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value as well as non-recycled Cottonelle.

Amazon.com: Seventh Generation is one of the favorite toilet paper brands of Amazon.com users, averaging 4 stars (out of 5) in more than 130 reviews.

EcoHuddle.com: Seventh Generation beats toilet papers from Green Forest, Nature's Balance, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value at this review site.

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Buy from Amazon for $23.95
LuckyVitami- n.com for $9.78	VitaCost.co- m for $3.84	eBay for $57.59

Best value-priced toilet paper

Marcal Small Steps Bath Tissue

*Est. $7 for 12 rolls Learn More

Marcal Small Steps Bath Tissue is easy on the wallet and the environment -- and comfortable to use, too, reviews say. Its quilted, two-ply texture is judged just as strong (but not as soft) as Quilted Northern Soft &… expandStrong (*Est. $5 for six rolls). Unlike Quilted Northern -- and most of the store brands that rival Marcal's low price -- Marcal is 100 percent recycled and bleached without potentially harmful chlorine dioxide, although it uses less post-consumer paper than Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Bathroom Tissue (*Est. $4 for four rolls). collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org includes Marcal Small Steps in its test of 19 toilet paper brands.

Natural Resources Defense Council: Environmental friendliness lands Marcal Small Steps near the top of this list of 50 toilet papers by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Greenpeace.org: Greenpeace studies more than 100 brands of toilet paper and rates their environmental friendliness.

Amazon.com: Users who buy Marcal Small Steps toilet paper in bulk from Amazon.com rate it an average of 4.5 stars (out of 5) in a dozen reviews.

Charmin Ultra Soft *Est. $2 for four rolls

3 picks by top review sites.

Scott Flushable Wipes *Est. $3 for 51 wipes

2 picks by top review sites.

Quilted Northern Ultra Plush *Est. $4 for four rolls

2 picks by top review sites.