Is more expensive toilet paper better? Price per unit varies by up to 2x

[Financial News] A comparison of 11 toilet paper products for bathroom use on the market found that all performed well in absorbency, but quality varied by product. Prices per 10 m also differed by as much as 1.9 times.
According to the Korea Consumer Agency on the 8th, tests and evaluations of 11 toilet paper products for bathroom use from 8 brands commonly used by consumers found that 4 products—Kleannara’s “Kkaekkeuthan Hwajangji,” Mona Lisa’s “Botanik Pore Sopheuteu,” Jalpulineunjip’s “Sunsu Naechureol,” and Comet’s “Koji Paudeo Hwajangji”—were relatively superior in burst strength, which measures how well a product withstands tearing. The remaining 7 products were rated good.
Kleannara’s “Kkaekkeuthan Hwajangji” and Comet’s “Koji Paudeo Hwajangji” performed well in producing little dust when unrolled. By contrast, Comet’s “Hwaiteu Roll Hwajangji” and Mona Lisa’s “Nokcha-ga Joeun” produced relatively more dust and were rated average. All products separated properly along the perforations.
All 11 products absorbed at least 4 times as much water as the KS standard of 2.0 g/g, and all performed well. Water dispersibility also improved compared with the test conducted 4 years ago. Ten of the 11 products dispersed completely after being placed in water and stirred for 30 seconds. Cody’s “Bidet & Clean” dispersed by 98.2% in 30 seconds and 100% in 2 minutes. In the Korea Consumer Agency’s 2022 test, 77% of products dispersed completely within 30 seconds; this year, the share rose to about 91%.
Kirkland’s “Premium Hwajangji” and Mona Lisa’s “Nokcha-ga Joeun” had relatively high bulk softness when crumpled by hand, while No Brand’s “Seopeuraijeu 3-gyeop Hwajangji” and Kleenex’s “Clean Care” had relatively low bulk softness. However, people’s preferences for softness may differ.
No safety issues were found with any of the products. All products met the relevant standards for formaldehyde, and no lead, cadmium, or mercury was detected in tests of the 2 colored products. Three persistent perfluorinated compounds (PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS) were also not detected in any product.
Per 10 m, Comet’s “Koji Paudeo Hwajangji” was the least expensive at 114.8 won, while Kleenex’s “Clean Care” was the most expensive at 226.0 won; the latter cost more than 1.9 times as much as the former.
A Korea Consumer Agency official said, “Toilet paper for bathroom use is a widely consumed staple product. It is used frequently and comes into close contact with the skin, so consumers have a strong interest in its quality and safety.” The official added, “When buying it, consumers should check quality factors such as burst strength and how little paper dust it produces, and carefully compare value for money before choosing a product.”
[email protected] Kim Hyun-ji Reporter