WHEN it comes to buying toilet paper, the last thing you want to do is throw money down the toilet – literally.
Cheap rolls may seem like a bargain but if they don’t do the job or you need to use lots of sheets, it might not be as good value as it first appears.
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To help you choose, we have tested supermarket own brand rolls to see which performed best against the market leader, Andrex.
As well as testing them day to day, we also submerged them in water and checked how easy they were to then tear after applying a bit of pressure.
Here, Lynsey Hope, reveals the results:
M&S Super Soft Toilet Tissue
- £2 for 4 rolls
- 50p per roll of 200 sheets (25p per 100 sheets)
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Lynsey says: “Not the cheapest roll but it’s still better value than Andrex and it oozed quality.
“It was soft and nice to the touch and didn’t irritate even delicate skin.
“It was probably the strongest I tried and is triple-layered (three-ply) for added strength and works out around 25p per 100 sheets.
“It’s also made with at least 15% recycled paper so it’s kind to the planet too.”
Effectiveness: 5/5
Value: 3/5
Total score: 8/10
Lidl Floryalys Luxury Soft White Toilet Tissue
- £1.45 for 4 rolls
- 36.2p per roll of 220 sheets (16.4p per 100 sheets)
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Lynsey says: “A competitive price from Lidl. It definitely wasn’t the softest to touch, it felt a little scratchy.
“The sheets also seemed a little on the small side.
“But it was reasonably strong and did an ok job overall so for the price, it was ok.
“A good option if you really need to save money on your grocery bills.”
Effectiveness; 3/5
Value: 4/5
Overall score: 7/10
Andrex Complete Clean
- £2.95 for 4 rolls
- 73.7p per roll of 190 sheets (38.7 per 100 sheets)
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Lynsey says: “Soft, strong and gets the job done. I can see why this is the go-to toilet paper for so many households.
“It’s gentle on skin but durable enough to withhold tearing, even when submerged in water.
“It’s two-ply and is embossed with a unique 3D wave texture which stopped it from ripping and allowed for more efficient cleaning.
“The only downside is the price – it’s more than double the cost of most own brands per 100 sheets.”
Effectiveness: 5/5
Value: 3/5
Total score: 8/10
Tesco Luxury Soft
- £1.45 for 4 rolls
- 36.2p per roll of 220 sheets (16.4 per 100 sheets)
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Lynsey says: “This Tesco paper was quite resistant and didn’t split when soaked in water.
“It worked just as well as Andrex, although it wasn’t as soft.
“Each two-ply sheet was a decent size and there were a generous 220 sheets on each roll so it lasted well.
“Working out at just over 16p per sheet it was one of the cheapest products we tested and I thought it was great value.”
Effectiveness: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Total score: 9/10
Asda Shades Everyday White
- £1.44 for 4 rolls
- 36p per 220 sheet roll (16.3p per 100 sheets)
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Lynsey says: “Asda’s loo paper is good value but it also felt strong, not tearing easily.
“It was soft to touch, absorbed water well and I didn’t have to use much of it, so I thought it was pretty good value, too.”
Effectiveness: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Total score: 8/10
Aldi Saxon Softer Luxury Toilet Tissue
- £1.45 for 4 rolls
- 36.2p per 220 sheet roll (16.4p per 100 sheets)
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Lynsey says: “Aldi has so many bargain dupes but sadly, this wasn’t one of them.
“It felt quite thin and scratchy on the skin, it didn’t absorb water well and it ripped too easily.
“The Sainsbury’s option is better value and does a better job.”
Effectiveness: 1/5
Value: 3/5
Total score: 4/5
Morrisons Oh So Soft Classic White Toilet Tissue
- £1.75 for 4 rolls
- 43.7p per 190 sheet roll (23p per 100 sheets)
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Lynsey says: “These felt soft to use and they were strong enough, not tearing easily, but each of the two-ply sheets was quite small so you need to use quite a bit each time.
“The roll quickly disappeared, not lasting very long at all.
“One of the more expensive own brands too. I didn’t think they were worth the money.”
Effectiveness: 3/5
Value: 3/5
Total score: 6/10
Sainsbury’s Super Soft Double Rolls
- £2.80 for 4 rolls
- 70p per roll of 440 sheets (15.9p per 100 sheets)
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Lynsey says: “Not only did the Sainsbury’s toilet roll feel softer and thicker than Andrex, it is incredible value.
“The rolls are extra long, with 440 sheets each, so you are paying £2.80 for the equivalent of eight rolls.
“They work out at less than 16p per 100 sheets so these are great value.
“The two-ply tissue didn’t tear easily after being soaked in water and withstood a decent amount of pressure.
“As an added bonus, they were the only roll in this test to come in paper packaging so they are a great eco choice too. My winner.”
Effectiveness: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Total score: 10/10
Essential Waitrose Ultra Soft Bathroom Tissue
- £2 for 4 rolls
- 50p per 190 sheet roll (26.3p per 100 sheets)
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Lynsey says: “Waitrose came under fire recently for reducing the number of sheets in its roll from 240 to 190 and sadly, I don’t think the quality is much cop either.
“They felt soft and were embossed but the two-ply sheets were small and tore easily.
“They were pretty absorbent but I would have expected better from the upmarket chain. Not a fan.”
Effectiveness: 3/5
Value: 2/5
Overall score: 5/10
How to bag a bargain
SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain…
Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with.
Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks.
Sales are when you can pick up a real steal.
Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on.
Sign up to mailing lists and you’ll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too.
When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use vouchercodes.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer.
Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. Trolley.co.uk app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping.
Bargain hunters can also use B&M’s scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out.
And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you’ll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.
