[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Okay, so maybe the title is a bit of a stretch. But when I received four rolls of Charmin Ultra Strong to review from BzzAgent, I thought to myself, how in the world can I write a useful review of this? Toilet paper usage is a highly personal and subjective experience. Still, there are certain attributes such as strength and absorbability which can be measured (in a way). This review will attempt to cover both angles.
First, the subjective experience. We typically use a low-cost, store-brand, 2-ply roll. The Charmin Ultra Strong is noticeably thicker. As one other review stated, it is almost like a nice paper-towel in thickness and feel. I am used to using (and I am estimating here) 8-10 squares per wipe. With the Charmin, I could go down to maybe 4-6 squares and still feel âsafeâ. That said, it was tough to get a fair comparison, as not every wipe situation is equal. The Charmin was âstrongerâ, but by how much? The absorbability, measured in the number of wipes needed to feel clean, also seemed to favor the Charmin, but again, how can one compare from one bathroom visit to the next?
For the second angle, I decided I would try to play amateur scientist and devise a couple simple experiments. My first go around was the traditional âsee how much weight a wet square can holdâ test. I took a square of both the Charmin and the store-brand, applied 4 drops of water (enough to wet the center, but not the edges), then applied weights until each square broke through. The results: the Charmin held 39.5 grams, while the store-brand gave out at 29.5 grams. Score one for the Charmin!
My second experiment was a âwipe testâ, something I hoped would be more representative of real-world use. For the sake of repeatability and general hygiene, I decided to conduct the test using lipstick applied to my arm (which seemed like a reasonable approximation of a heavy wipe situation). I then wiped each lipstick application repeatedly with a single square of each type until I felt it was removed.
The results surprised me, and you can see them in the attached picture. The cheap stuff tore in a few places, but that part was expected. What I didn't expect was how much more lipstick the Charmin removed in each pass! In the picture, the Charmin in on the left and the store-brand is on the right. They've both been used to remove the same amount of lipstick, but the Charmin looks like a smaller amount because of the depth of the absorption. The Charmin basically removed the bulk of the lipstick in one pass, while the cheaper stuff took around 3 passes before the bulk was removed. Again, the Charmin is clearly the better product.
So why only four stars instead of five? Well, based on all my testing, I am guessing the Charmin might save up to 33% in paper usage, but it is also significantly more expensive than what we normally buy and use. Provided you donât mind using more paper, the overall experience is very similar. In the end, I think this adds up to a very good product, but not necessarily an exceptional one.
Customer reviews for Charmin Ultra Strong 2-Ply Toilet Paper 32 rolls, 209 sheets/roll for