5 best toilet paper products in Australia 2021 | Finder
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Toilet Paper Finder

Aussies have chosen their favourite toilet paper brands when it comes to value for money, strength and quality, softness and packaging options.

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Best Toilet Paper

Best Rated Toilet Paper Brand: Quilton

With Aussies thinking more about toilet paper than ever before, Quilton deserves accolades for taking out this year's Finder Award for the best toilet paper brand. It topped the list for strength and quality as well as softness.

The best toilet paper brands in Australia

  • Top-rated toilet paper brand: Quilton
  • Best toilet paper brand for value for money: ALDI Confidence
  • Best toilet paper brand for strength and quality: Quilton
  • Best toilet paper brand for softness: Quilton
  • Best toilet paper brand for packaging options: Who Gives A Crap

How did we choose the winners?

The 2020 Finder Retail Awards recognise brand sentiment from customer feedback on different retail product categories. Finder worked with leading data, insights and consulting company, Kantar to conduct thousands of customer interviews around their product purchasing history and satisfaction with their purchased products.

Check out our full methodology.

Top-rated toilet paper brand: Quilton

Quilton

  • Wide range of options including 4-ply, 3-ply and king-sized toilet papers
  • Hypoallergenic and recycled toilet papers available
  • Packaged in Australia

Where to buy

Buy at Amazon

Coles
Woolworths

Aussies chose Quilton as the top-rated toilet paper brand in the country, scoring 8.20. It beat Kleenex, ALDi's Confidence and Sorbent, which have scores of 7.95, 7.91 and 7.90, respectively.

Quilton is an Aussie made and owned brand, manufactured by ABC Tissue Products. It has facilities in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.

The brand offers a wide range of options, including 4-ply, 3-ply and king-sized toilet papers. Quilton products are made from both local and imported ingredients. These are then packed here in Australia. The brand also has hypoallergenic and recycled toilet papers.

Best toilet paper brand for value for money: ALDI Confidence

ALDI Confidence

  • FSC Certified
  • Hypoallergenic options available
  • Made without inks or dyes

Where to buy

ALDI

When it comes to value for money, consumers selected ALDI's Confidence as the best toilet paper brand. It has a score of 4.48, while Coles' So Soft and Woolworths Select both rated 4.34. The other runner-up was Quilton at 4.30.

Supermarket chain ALDI has been in Australia since 2001 offering quality products at discount prices. ALDI's Confidence toilet paper products are FSC certified and source pulps from sustainable plantations.

The brand offers a wide range of options, including 2-ply, 3-ply and 4-ply toilet papers. Hypoallergenic and perfume-free options are available too. You can also get toilet papers with shea butter or quilted softness from the brand.

Best toilet paper brand for strength and quality: Quilton

Quilton

  • Unscented options available
  • FSC Certified
  • 100% biodegradable and recyclable

Where to buy

Buy at Amazon

Coles
Woolworths

Consumers picked Quilton as the best toilet paper brand for strength and quality, scoring 4.40. It won over Kleenex, which rated 4.35. Both Sorbent and ALDI's Confidence scored 4.25.

The brand is FSC certified, which means that its products support forest protection. ABC Tissue Products, the brand's manufacturer, also commits to buying forest products from legal sources that adhere to ILO Conventions.

Quilton's toilet papers are 100% biodegradable and can be recycled as part of the REDcycle program. The brand uses a light and powdery scent on its toilet paper products, but unscented options are also available.

Best toilet paper brand for softness: Quilton

Quilton

  • Comes in various pack sizes from packs of 2 to 30
  • Facial tissues and paper towels available
  • Recyclable packaging

Where to buy

Buy at Amazon

Coles
Woolworths

For softness, Aussies chose Quilton as the best toilet paper brand. It scored 4.44, while Sorbent and Kleenex came in second, both scoring 4.43. The other runner-up was Purex at 4.16.

Quilton toilet paper products come in various pack sizes, from packs of 2 to 30. The brand also offers toilet papers made of 100% premium quality recycled paper. Quilton's box packaging is recyclable as well.

Apart from toilet papers, the brand sells facial tissues and paper towels. Quilton's facial tissues can be used to remove makeup or small spills, while the paper towels are suitable for cleaning cooktops, bathrooms and windows. The brand also offers facial tissues for those with sensitive noses.

Best toilet paper brand for packaging options: Who Gives A Crap

Who gives a crap

  • Free from inks, dyes and scents
  • Wide range of selection including 100% premium bamboo toilet papers and forest-friendly tissues
  • Reusable and washable paper towels available

Where to buy

Who Gives A Crap

When it comes to packaging options, consumers chose Who Gives A Crap as the best toilet paper brand. It scored 4.30, beating Quilton, ALDI's Confidence and Kleenex, which have ratings of 4.24, 4.19 and 4.18, respectively.

Who Gives A Crap started in 2012 as a crowdfunding campaign. The brand has since grown, offering more than just toilet papers. Who gives a crap donates 50% of its profits to help build toilets and improve sanitation in developing countries.

The brand offers various products, such as 100% premium bamboo toilet papers and forest-friendly tissues. In addition to being plastic-free, Who Gives A Crap products have no inks, dyes or scents. It also offers reusable and washable paper towels suitable for soaking up spills, cleaning appliances and countertops.

Methodology

The 2020 Finder Retail Awards recognise brand sentiment from customer feedback on different retail product categories. Finder worked with leading data, insights and consulting company, Kantar to conduct thousands of customer interviews around their product purchasing history and satisfaction with their purchased products.

Disclaimer: Please refer to our methodology for more information on how we scored and judged Finder Retail Awards candidates. While we endeavour to assess the majority of product providers in the market, this is not always possible and it may be that not every brand in the market was included for judging.

Best rated toilet paper brand award breakdown

Total Score Overall rating Value for Money Strength and quality Softness Packaging options
Other 8.24 4.49 4.63 4.44 4.42 4.28
Quilton 8.20 4.54 4.30 4.40 4.44 4.24
Kleenex 7.95 4.31 4.04 4.35 4.43 4.18
ALDI Confidence 7.91 4.29 4.48 4.25 4.14 4.19
Sorbent 7.90 4.30 4.19 4.25 4.43 4.13
Purex 7.76 4.22 4.08 4.14 4.16 4.14
Who gives a crap 7.75 4.30 4.18 4.20 4.03 4.30
Coles So Soft 7.61 4.12 4.34 4.06 4.06 4.10
Naturale 7.55 4.16 4.13 4.13 4.09 4.09
Woolworths Select 7.38 3.96 4.34 3.94 4.02 4.00
Vevelle 7.28 3.92 4.12 4.12 4.08 3.84
Delsey 7.07 3.90 3.95 3.70 3.85 4.00
Data: Finder Retail Brand Survey, 2020, Kantar. Metric out of 5 stars unless indicated. Methodology and more information. Kantar logo

How to compare toilet paper

Toilet paper typically costs from 10 cents to 75 cents per 100 sheets depending on the brand, the ply count and how the paper is made. When buying toilet paper, remember to consider the following:

  • Roll and package size. How many sheets are in each roll? How many rolls are in the pack? The bigger the roll, the less often you'll be rushing out to buy more toilet paper. You can often order toilet paper in bulk online, which can reduce the cost.
  • Ply count. Ply count refers to how many layers of paper there are per piece. 3-ply means three layers. The more layers, the tougher and softer the toilet paper.
  • Plumbing. If you're having a problem with toilet blockages, it may be your toilet paper. While thicker toilet paper may be more comfortable, it is worse for your toilet. The quicker toilet paper dissolves, the gentler it is on your plumbing.
  • Sensitive skin. Some people have very sensitive skin, which can be irritated by rough toilet paper or by the products used by certain manufacturers. There are hypoallergenic options available on the market, which are designed especially for sensitive skin.

Types of toilet paper

There are three main types of toilet paper to choose from.

  • Virgin. Virgin toilet paper does not use recycled paper and is made from trees. The term comes from the virgin fibres in newly cut trees. The trees are chipped, pulped, bleached and then turned into toilet paper rolls. Many people elect to use virgin toilet paper as they are often cheaper, softer and more readily available.
  • Recycled. Recycled toilet paper is better for the environment as the manufacturing process has a smaller environmental footprint. It's made from used office paper or newspaper – not from used virgin toilet paper. Old papers are collected and mixed with warm water to form a pulp. Processes are applied to the pulp to remove ink, bleach the paper, dry it out and turn it into rolls.
  • Bamboo. Bamboo toilet paper is made from a similar process to virgin toilet paper, but using bamboo stalks instead of trees. Bamboo is a grass that regrows after it is cut and therefore does not need to be replanted. This is considered to be a more sustainable option than virgin toilet paper.
What does elemental chlorine-free (ECF) mean?

ECF does not mean that toilet paper is chlorine free; it actually means that the paper has been bleached with chlorine dioxide, rather than elemental chlorine gas. Chlorine dioxide is gentler on the environment and skin than chlorine gas.

Most toilet paper, including recycled toilet paper, is bleached to give it a white appearance. If you want to avoid bleach altogether, you'll need to use brown toilet paper, which often isn't as soft.

Environmental impact

Any single-use paper, including toilet paper, has an environmental impact. The practice of producing toilet paper often involves deforestation and chemical bleaching. There are a number of options on the market as developers and manufacturers are now producing recycled toilet paper that can compete with virgin products in the areas of comfort and strength. Bamboo toilet paper is also gentler on the environment. Growing bamboo can also have positive impacts on oxygen emissions, degraded land and erosion control. However, bamboo toilet paper typically costs more than other options.

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification

The FSC is an international non-profit organisation that has created a certification process for forest products that champion sustainability. Look for the tree-tick logo on your toilet paper that indicates it is made using trees from an FSC-certified forest.

Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)

PEFC is an international organisation that promotes sustainable forestry practices. It aims to ensure that timber and paper goods are produced in line with ecological, social and ethical standards. It has two classifications: PEFC Certified, which means that 70% of a product has come from PEFC-certified forests, and PEFC Recycled, which means that 70% of a product has come from recycled sources.

There are many ways we can "go green" and think about the environment.

Alternatives to toilet paper

  • Bidets. Bidets rely on washing rather than wiping. This drastically cuts back on paper waste, making it far more environmentally friendly than toilet paper. Keep in mind, getting comfortable with a bidet may take some time.
  • Wet wipes. While some people think using single-use wet wipes is more efficient and hygienic than toilet paper, they are more expensive and are even worse for the environment and your plumbing system. Wet wipes can come in handy in case of an emergency, or for use in public spaces that may not provide toilet paper.

Where to buy toilet paper online

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