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    4 Best Facial Tissues From Our Tests

    We put 10 facial tissues from brands like Kirkland, Kleenex, and Puffs to the test in our labs. Our top performers were the softest and toughest.

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    various facial tissues
    Four facial tissue brands we tested came out on top for softness, strength, absorbency, and abrasion resistance.
    Photo: Consumer Reports

    Cold season has arrived and allergy season never seems to leave. Everyone around you is sneezing and reaching into their pockets, purses, and diaper bags for that all-important hygiene staple: facial tissues. At first glance, all tissues seem the same. But as anyone who has had a tissue make their noses red and dry or fall apart in their hands can tell you, there are significant differences among brands.

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    That’s why CR’s José Amézquita brought 10 best-selling tissue brands into our lab to evaluate their tensile strength (how resistant they are to break under tension), softness, absorbency, and abrasion resistance (how much friction and rubbing a tissue can handle).

    We left no popular tissue untested, from well-known picks like Kleenex to eco-friendly Caboo tissues that cost more to money-saving brands at Sam’s Club, Walmart, and Costco.

    CR's in-house tester José Amézquita performed several tests on facial tissues, including strength, absorbency, and abrasion resistance.

    We’ll even let you know which tissue is the easiest and which is the most difficult to pull out of its box (because we understand that frustration). Here are our top picks—and the tissues we don’t recommend.

    Become a member to read the full article and get access to digital ratings.

    We investigate, research, and test so you can choose with confidence.


    Lisa Fogarty

    Lisa Fogarty is a senior multimedia content creator at Consumer Reports. She studied journalism at Columbia University and has written numerous health, parenting, fitness, and wellness articles for The New York Times, Psychology Today, Vogue, and NPR. Lisa is passionate about mental health and is a co-creator of The Hunger Trap Podcast, which focuses on eating disorders. In her spare time she surfs, plays the guitar, and kickboxes. Follow her on X: @lisacfogarty