All 23 varieties were rated as good or even very good. There was a less encouraging trend when it came to price and size: over the decades, toilet paper has become almost entirely smaller, but more expensive, in the last six years by a quarter to almost 80 percent, depending on the type.
Tear strength, moisture absorption and re-dissolvability were examined. The results from the laboratory and practice were very positive with seven times “very good” and 16 times “good”. Sustainability was assessed for the first time. And because there are always inquiries from people who think that toilet paper has become more expensive and smaller, price and size were also examined.
Reduction by 19.2 percent
In 1991, the sheet from a well-known brand that was used as an example still had a size of 13.9 by 9.9 centimeters, but since then it has shrunk by 2.2 centimeters in length and 0.4 centimeters in width – a reduction by 19.2 percent. “People are getting bigger and bigger, but toilet paper is getting smaller and smaller,” write consumer advocates in the test magazine “Konsument” (February issue). The biggest change in size occurred between the VKI tests in 1991 and 2018. But even following that, the sheets became smaller on average: “Out of 18 comparable toilet papers, eleven continued to shrink within six years.” However, five grew larger and two remained the same.
Less in the pack
The number of tears per roll has also decreased. “30 years ago, 200 sheets was the lower limit.” Today 140 to 220 sheets were rolled up. The most common quantities are 150, 180 and 200 sheets. Sometimes there is simply less in the pack: in some cases only eight rolls are included instead of the usual ten.
Just because something shrinks doesn’t mean it automatically becomes cheaper. This also applies to toilet paper. “Over the last six years it has become 25 to 79 percent more expensive,” the VKI experts found. This cannot be explained by inflation alone; increased energy and paper prices probably also play a role. And during the Corona pandemic, toilet paper was a hot commodity at times. “Whether this can justify an almost 80 percent price increase remains to be seen,” said the testers, who said: “Many people feel like they are being left behind because of this.”
