Toilet paper rolls may appear to have standardized dimensions, as they seem to look the same regardless of where you purchase them. However, the truth is that the size of toilet paper rolls can differ between manufacturers and even among different types available on the market. Understanding these dimensions can help you determine the right roll size for your needs and preferences.
This post will look at the common dimensions of toilet paper rolls and what factors can affect these size measurements. Find a drawing with the specific sizes below. You can also find the main takeaways here.
- Toilet roll dimensions can vary between 3.7 to 4 inches in length and about 1.6 inches in diameter for the inner tube.
- The ply count (single, double, triple) affects the number of sheets and thickness but doesn’t significantly impact the roll’s longevity.
Toilet Roll Length
The standard length of the cardboard tube you will find inside a toilet roll is 3.7 inches, but it can vary between manufacturers, with some brands of toilet roll having a length that is closer to 4 inches. This is the equivalent of around 10cm in length, or a little over, depending on the brand you have bought.
As the toilet paper on a roll covers the same surface area of the inner cardboard tube, this means that the length of a full roll of toilet paper will also have a length measurement of between 3.7 and 4 inches or approximately 10 to 12cm.
Toilet Roll Diameter
The diameter measurement of the inner cardboard tube of a toilet roll is 1.6 inches or 4cm. This is the measurement you will get if you hold a ruler across the center of the inner tube from one side to the other.
When the toilet roll is new, and none of the toilet paper has been removed, the diameter of the toilet roll will be much bigger. This measurement can vary a lot depending on the quality of the toilet paper and how thick it is.
Single-ply, double-ply, or triple-ply options are all available, and these will affect the final diameter of a full roll of toilet paper. Typically, the more expensive brands will have a wider diameter because they will contain more paper or have a luxury quality.
Cheaper brands typically have a smaller diameter because the toilet paper will be thinner. You can find some types of toilet roll that will have a diameter of as much as 5 inches when they are fully loaded.
Understanding Ply
When a toilet roll is advertised as being a certain ply, it is referring to the number of layers of paper used in each sheet. A single-ply toilet roll will have a single layer in each sheet, while a double-ply toilet roll will have two layers in each sheet, and a triple-ply will have three layers in each sheet.
The layers are bonded together using lamination, and the more layers there are in a sheet, the thicker and more comfortable it will be. The ply will affect how many single sheets are on a roll of toilet paper, and some people think this will affect how long a single roll lasts, but actually, this is not the case.
A standard roll of toilet paper with single-ply sheets will typically contain around 1000 sheets, while a double-ply toilet roll will contain 500 sheets, but each sheet will be double-layered.
From this, you might deduce that a roll of 500 sheets is only going to last half the time of a 1000-sheet roll, but actually, because the sheets are double-layered, you will end up using much fewer sheets. For example, if a person usually uses 12 sheets at a time with a single-ply toilet roll, then they will only need to use 6 sheets at a time with a double-ply toilet roll to achieve the same level of thickness.
This means that despite containing fewer individual sheets, toilet rolls that are double or triple-ply are no less economical than single-ply.
With a toilet roll that is triple-ply, you can expect to have around 333 sheets on each individual roll of toilet paper, but you will only require a third of the number of sheets on each toilet visit that you would ordinarily use with single-ply, and therefore the roll will last you the same amount of time as usual.
How Long Does a Toilet Roll Last?
The amount of time a single toilet roll will last will be affected by several factors. Firstly, each individual uses varying amounts of toilet roll on each visit to the toilet, and secondly, the number of people in your home using a toilet is going to mean a single roll gets used up more quickly.
On average, the typical consumer will use between 10 and 20 sheets of single-ply toilet paper on each visit to the toilet, and the average person makes four to five visits to the toilet each day. This means that as many as 100 sheets will be used by one person in a single day.
If you live alone, you can expect a single toilet roll to last you for ten days because 1000 sheets on a roll divided by 100 sheets used each day equals ten days. Obviously, this timescale is going to be much shorter if you have more people in your household using the same toilet roll.
In a household with two people, a single toilet roll should last at least five days, whereas in a home with five people using the same toilet, a single toilet roll is only going to last for one day.
When calculating how long a toilet roll lasts, you should also factor in the ages and genders of the users. Some research has shown that females typically use more toilet roll sheets at each visit than males, and they may also use it for other purposes such as dabbing make-up.
Children also tend to use the toilet more frequently and use more sheets at each visit, so this will also speed up the amount of time your household gets through a single toilet roll.
Other factors can affect usage as well, for example, if someone in your house has a cold or allergies and is using a toilet roll when they cough or sneeze.
