We are two friends living on opposite coasts (Brooklyn, New York and Santa Monica, California) that share a passion for living a minimal, zero waste lifestyle and on a mission to help others do the same.
Harper. Lives in Brooklyn with a +1. Sassy pup. Matcha. Wine. Whiskey. Cheese. Proscuitto.
Charley. Lives in Los Angeles with a +1. Doofy pup. Coffee. Wine. Whiskey. Cheese. Pasta.
All in Toilet Paper
BUY. Cloud Paper Bamboo Toilet Paper is a BUY. The paper has a slightly softer touch and it is on the cheaper end of bamboo toilet paper. We like that you can buy one-time though the subscription is much cheaper. Also, you can buy a super-bulk option of 80ct if you have the space!
MIXED. Thrive Market Hybrid Bath Tissue is not our favorite toilet paper in terms of feel. We also do not like that it isn’t plastic-free. However, given that it is the cheapest toilet paper that we have reviewed, one which would almost pay for a Thrive Market membership, we cannot give it an outright ‘no.’
Not a buy. Unfortunately, Amazon Aware 100% Bamboo Toilet Paper is not a buy from us. The convenience of Amazon does not make up for the higher cost and the less-than-stellar softness. While the toilet paper is sturdy and strong, and made of 100% bamboo, there are better bamboo and recycled options on the market.
BUY. If you can give up the softness of the drugstore brands in exchange for sustainability, then Seedling by Grove Collaborative Bamboo toilet paper should be in your bathroom. It’s cost effective and made of super fast growing bamboo, which is much kinder to the earth than cutting down trees. Plus, the packaging is all recycled paper — zero plastic.
Note that Grove Collaborative has a membership, with a generous trial period. EVEN with the cost of membership, and if you just buy TP for one person from Grove, the cost is still below average TP prices.
MAYBE Buy. There are better options for bamboo TP out there. We like that each box saves 36 pounds of trees. We like that Bippy is thoughtful about recyclable packaging, but wish that the rolls weren’t wrapped in extra paper. We like that it didn’t shred or tear apart at all (a lot). Big plus that the TP is unbleached and the price is just below the median, t̶h̶e̶ ̶p̶r̶i̶c̶e̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶b̶i̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶o̶ ̶h̶i̶g̶h̶ but the paper is just a bit too rough.
BUY. Who Gives a Crap Bamboo Toilet Paper is a great alternative to traditional toilet paper. Bamboo regenerates more quickly and requires less resources than traditional TP. The cost is right on par with Quilted Northern, and even though it is not the cheapest normal toilet paper alternative, the rolls are decently sized. Did we mention that they were soft and strong too (and zero pilling)? Big win.
MIXED Buy. We tried Who Gives a Crap bulk packaged, zero-waste, recyclable TP. Fun and spunky, doubles as décor, this TP gets the job done (thank goodness). We loved stacking these— and playing catch in the apartment during quarantine.
MAYBE Buy. We liked How We Roll in Bamboo, and given the recent price changes, the large pack of HWR is below the average price of TP. The bamboo and recycled are dye- and chemical-free, using 100% more-sustainable-than-trees bamboo in one and 100% recycled paper in the other. However, the recycled version was not as sturdy as we would have liked TP to be. Also, we do like the added bonus of 1 planted tree per box.
Not a buy. Unfortunately, ecoHiny 100% Bamboo Toilet Paper is not a buy from us. The brand has its own website, but it is conveniently available on Amazon. Unfortunately, while the toilet paper is sturdy and strong, made of 100% bamboo, and dye-free/chlorine-free, there are better bamboo and recycled options on the market that are a touch softer and not as pricey.
MAYBE buy. We liked using Tushy bamboo toilet paper — and we love bamboo toilet paper in general, since it uses less than gallon to produce versus 37 gallons of traditional toilet paper. We also really liked that Tushy’s TP was unbleached. Big pro that the paper was decently soft and definitely strong. The wrapping adds a nice touch to the bathroom as well. We think it’s a reasonable option if you want an unbleached (yay), sustainable bamboo toilet paper and are willing to shell out a few extra bucks.
It’s a BUY! - we like Thrive Market and think its worth the membership. As a B-corporation, it houses organic, sustainable pantry (and frozen food!) items with some home goods like TP and laundry/dishwasher detergent powder.
We’ll hit you with the bad now: it seems pricey. Membership is $59.95/year and prices look expensive. That said, it is a delivery service that charges nothing for delivery >$49. We compare to Whole Foods in this review, and we think over the course of the year, you can get out ahead by just switching the dishwasher detergent to Thrive Market (details below!).
We thought Mother Earth Bamboo Toilet paper worked just fine (not super soft like most other bamboo toilet papers), but nothing to write home about. We like that there is no plastic in the packaging, made of bamboo and 100% biodegradable. But the price is pretty darn high.
Elvissmart Bamboo Toilet Paper is a Mixed Buy for us. We like that its bamboo and unbleached. We like that it didn’t shred or tear apart at all - quite thick and tough. In fact we think we used less toilet paper because of it. However it comes in plastic packaging which is a big bummer. Price is relatively reasonable!
MIXED buy. For starting on a greener journey, the Brandless Bamboo TP is fine. The paper is made out of more sustainable ingredients and it is cheaper than standard Quilted Northern. Additionally, if you are already on the Grove Collaborative site, you can pop this TP package in your cart without sacrificing much space in your home or apartment. The drawbacks are the tissue paper feel , smaller individual rolls, and plastic packaging.
If unbleached is an important feature (it makes it even more green and sustainable), then Package Free Bamboo toilet paper is a BUY. The one drawback of this toilet paper is that it’s middle of the range when it comes to price. For a comparison of all of our sustainable toilet papers, check out our Big Bamboo Toilet Paper Roundup.
The Cheeky Panda’s bamboo toilet paper is the most cost effective option we have tried so far — and we have tried many (read all about it in our Big Bamboo Toilet Paper Roundup Review) , but the size of roll leaves a bit to be desired. As with most bamboo toilet paper options, it’s also not the softest — but if you want bamboo TP at a great price, The Cheeky Panda is a solid option!
We like Grove’s mission of being a b-corporation and its curation of eco-friendly, zero-waste and natural brands —we are going to use it like our online convenience store.
Based on the money report, the fact that Grove Collaborative is a b-corp, we feel comfortable suggesting the VIP membership if recurring items are in your basket. Otherwise, there is no necessary commitment to support your favorite green brands by purchasing through Grove Collaborative — you would just need to hit the threshold for free shipping; otherwise shipping is $4.99.
We’ve tried a lot of sustainable bamboo toilet papers this year — read all about it in our Big Bamboo Toilet Paper Roundup Review! Better Way is the MOST expensive option, while less soft and a smaller roll. We’re not quite sure why you would opt for Better Way’s bamboo toilet paper over other brands!
There are a lot of options when it comes to bamboo toilet paper. Our recommendation as follows after trying 12 (twelve!) of them (Reel, Who Gives a Crap, Go No. 2, PlantPaper, Better Way, Silk ‘n Soft, Cheeky Panda, Cloudpaper, Brandless, Package Free, Grove Collaborative Seedling, Bippy) depends on whether you are optimizing for softness, value, or sustainability.
We’ve tried a lot of sustainable bamboo toilet papers this year — read all about it in our Big Bamboo Toilet Paper Roundup Review, and No. 2 came ahead as one of the softer (Silk ‘n Soft still the softest!) and cost effective bamboo TP options. BUT, No. 2 is one of the smallest rolls we tried! We also wish it was a bit softer, and not bleached.
