Consumer Reports Test Top Toilet Paper Brands

 

According to a report that aired Wednesday on Chicago, Ill., USA’s ABC Channel 7 (WLS-TV), Consumer Reports (CR), based in Yonkers, N.Y.,  just tested a wide variety of toilet paper and is reporting brands they believe are the softest and/or the strongest.

It's all science at CR when it's time to test toilet paper. The latest tests covered 21 different traits of paper performance. A test begins with a roll of Scott toilet paper, which says it's extra soft. In a special room, trained sensory panelists feel each sheet. The area is carefully controlled for temperature and humidity so each product is tested by different people under the exact same conditions.

In this test, it turned out the Scott Extra Soft wasn't one of the softest. But it did the best in another CR ranking measuring how fast toilet paper disintegrates. "That's important if you have trouble with plumbing that clogs or with your septic system. If that's your house, Scott Extra Soft is a good choice," said Celia Kuperschmid-Lehrman, an employee of CR’s tissue testing division who spoke to ABC’s Chicago affiliate.

The television report went on to highlight additional well known brands of toilet tissue. "How about Quilted Northern, which says its ultra soft and strong?" asked the reporter.

"It is pretty soft, but our tests found that it wasn't particularly strong," Lehrman responded.

The report explains that CR’s testing engineers use a machine to determine exactly how strong toilet paper is by measuring how much force it takes to tear it. Another test checks how easy it is to rip off a sheet. In the end, White Cloud Ultra Soft and Thick from Walmart earned top ratings, earning high scores in all the tests.

But don't confuse it with White Cloud Ultra Strong and Soft. It was soft, but not strong in the tests.

"Well, it cost less than any of the other toilet papers we tested. But it wasn't strong, it wasn't soft and it didn't disintegrate very quickly," Lehrman said. CR also ranked Walgreen’s Nice Premium Ultra at the top of the rankings in both value and one of the key quality aspects. It's not all that strong, but it was indeed very soft according to CR’s experiments.

Consumer Reports is a not for profit organization which accepts no advertising. It has no commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor. More information about this organization is available online.