Toilet paper price comparison Australia: which pack is really cheaper?

Toilet paper price comparison: read per 100 sheets, not per pack

The quick answer: ignore the big number on the front of the pack and read the price per 100 sheets. Then compare packs at the same ply, check whether the special is a real low, and put the winner on the same list as the rest of your shop.

Toilet paper is built to be hard to compare. One pack shouts 24 rolls, the next says double length, a third says mega. The roll count tells you how many cardboard tubes you are buying. It does not tell you how much paper is on them.

We make Discount Trolley, so the bias is obvious. The app shows the unit price on each product page, and for toilet paper and paper towels that unit price reads per 100 sheets. A multi-roll pack is not priced as if it were one roll.

• Price per 100 sheets beats price per roll.
• Compare at the same ply before you compare brands.
• Check the special before you stock up.

Why the roll count fools you

Sheets per roll change from brand to brand and from range to range. A double length roll carries more sheets than a standard roll of the same brand, so a smaller pack of long rolls can hold more paper than a bigger pack of short ones.

That is why price per roll is a trap. Two packs can look close per roll and still be miles apart per sheet. The pack that looks like more paper on the shelf is not automatically the one that lasts longer at home.

The fix is boring and it works. Find the price per 100 sheets on the shelf label or on the product page, and line the packs up on that number. If a label only gives you a per roll figure, check the sheet count on the pack and do the sum, or open the product in Discount Trolley.

• Roll count is a packaging choice.
• Sheets per roll vary by brand and range.
• Line packs up on price per 100 sheets.

Ply and sheet size: what the unit price misses

Price per 100 sheets treats a thin 2 ply sheet and a thick 4 ply sheet as the same thing. They are not. Sheet size also differs between brands, so 100 sheets of one can cover less than 100 sheets of another.

So compare in two steps. First, line up packs at the same ply and pick the lowest price per 100 sheets. Then decide whether stepping up a ply is worth the difference for your house. Some households use fewer sheets of a thicker paper. Others do not. That call is yours, not the label's.

If you switch ply, give it a fair run before you judge it. A cheap pack you go through twice as fast is not cheap.

1. Same ply first, then compare price per 100 sheets.
2. Step up a ply only if your house actually uses less.
3. Sheet size varies, so check the pack if it matters to you.

House brand vs name brand toilet paper

Woolworths, Coles and ALDI all sell their own toilet paper next to the big names. House brands can be good value, but do not assume it. Put one house brand pack and one name brand pack you would happily use side by side at the same ply, and let the price per 100 sheets decide.

Name brands move on and off special, so the gap between the two can change from week to week. On a good week a name brand pack can beat the house brand. On another week it might not. The only way to know is to check the number on the day you shop.

When you find a pack that works for your house, save it as a favourite so you can reopen it fast next time instead of hunting through the aisle again.

• Test one house brand and one name brand at the same ply.
• Check the gap on the day you shop.
• Favourite the pack that works for your house.

Specials and stocking up without overpaying

Toilet paper keeps, so a real special is a good time to buy ahead if you have the cupboard space. The catch is the word real. A big yellow tag on a big pack can still work out dearer per sheet than a smaller pack at the normal price.

Before you load up, open the product in Discount Trolley and look at the price history. Dete, our koala, reads that history and holds up one sign: Good time, Wait if you can or About usual. When there is not enough history yet, the sign says Not sure yet. Tap the sign to see the chart.

Today's deals is the other quick check before you leave home. It shows what is on special now with the was-price next to it. For more on judging a deal, read how to spot a fake supermarket special and when a bulk buy grocery deal is worth it.

• Stock up on a real low, not on a loud tag.
• Check price history before buying the big pack.
• Read the was-price, not only the badge.

Compare toilet paper across stores on one list

Most of us buy toilet paper in the same trip as everything else, so it belongs on the same list. Add the pack you want to My List in Discount Trolley next to the milk and bread, and the list shows a count for each store so you can see where your lines sit before you leave.

To check the same pack at other stores, open the product page and scroll to Compare Stores. It shows the same product at other stores where data is available, and it tells you plainly when a product is not stocked somewhere, so you do not make a wasted trip.

For an example, open the Sorbent Hypo Allergenic 3 Ply 20 pack page on Discount Trolley and look at how the unit price reads per 100 sheets. For the habit on any staple, read how to use unit prices to find the cheapest groceries. To weigh a second stop, read should you split your grocery shop across two stores.

• One list for toilet paper and the rest of the shop.
• Compare Stores for the same pack at other stores.
• Check while you have signal, then shop the list.

What Discount Trolley does (and does not) claim about toilet paper

Discount Trolley helps you check the grocery price information that is available for the packs on your list. It does not promise savings, crown one brand or store as the cheapest forever, or carry the full range at all stores. Prices and specials change, so check again on the day you shop.

Woolworths, Coles, ALDI, IGA, Harris Farm, Priceline and Chemist Warehouse where data is available. Not affiliated with those stores. The shelf can differ from the screen. Live prices need a connection.

For more staple comparisons, see cheese price comparison Australia, compare milk prices on one list and butter price comparison by unit price.

• No invented savings or rankings.
• No forever cheapest brand or store.
• No affiliation with the supermarket chains.

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