The best toilet plungers

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The best toilet plungers

best toilet plunger

Jacek Kadaj/Getty Images/Business Insider

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  • High-quality toilet plungers are easy to use, keep messes to a minimum, and they can unclog even the most difficult drains.
  • The simplehuman Toilet Plunger and Caddy is our top pick because it feels comfortable in your hands, cleans up effortlessly, and is an attractive addition to any bathroom.
  • See more: The best scrubbing brushes

The first couple of toilet plungers I purchased were in emergency situations where I had recently moved into a new place and, well, gave the toilet more than it could handle. In these situations, I picked up whatever the store had: the classic flat cup plunger that resembles a ball cut in half and put on the end of a broomstick. You might be able to unclog a toilet with this type of plunger, but it's mainly designed for use on drains located on flat surfaces, such as sinks or showers. There are much better plungers for forming a seal on your toilet drain.

The plunger cup is arguably the most important feature of a toilet plunger. The shape will determine whether it can form a good seal on your drain and therefore produce the water pressure necessary to clear out debris. In our guide, we look at flanged, tiered, and beehive cups. Accordion cups are also popular, but they tend not to be as effective at forming a seal.

For the most part, plungers are inexpensive. The priciest option on our list is still under $50. For this reason, you might want to have a few plungers at your disposal for a variety of different clogs. This is especially true if you have several bathrooms. If you decide to purchase multiple models, we recommend that you purchase at least one toilet auger. We will explain augers in more detail below, but basically, it physically removes debris rather than water pressure. This is a good option to have on hand for the tougher clogged drains.

Lastly, let's talk about how to use a conventional toilet plunger. Before you start jamming it up and down, fill the cup with water by angling it to the side. Do a couple small plunges to make sure all of the air is out, which will help you avoid making a mess. Then, slowly pump the plunger with increasing force to get the water moving back and forth in the drain, loosening the debris.

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While researching the best toilet plungers, we looked at hundreds of buyer and expert ratings and reviews of several models. Our guide features plungers that are effective at unclogging toilets, require minimal effort on your part, and have a track record of durability.

Here are the best toilet plungers you can buy:

Updated 10/29/19 by Jada Wong: Updated prices, formatting, and links.

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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.

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The best toilet plunger overall

The best toilet plunger overall
The simplehuman Toilet Plunger and Caddy is efficient and powerful. It also comes with a sleek caddy, making it attractive (as far as plungers go) so you wouldn't mind leaving it out in your bathroom.

The simplehuman Toilet Plunger and Caddy is unlike most other plungers in that it looks nice. The rod is made of easy-to-clean stainless steel. The handle is rounded at the top for comfort as you provide leverage.

The long and narrow profile of the plunger flange works efficiently with the toilets being installed in today's homes. The caddy has a magnetic collar that secures the plunger's steel rod so you don't need to worry about it falling over or gross liquids dripping out.

Wirecutter recommends the simplehuman Toilet Plunger because it has a nice caddy and looks great in your bathroom. Though the reviewer found the strength of the plunger to be similar to a generic broom-handle model, he noted the simplehuman handle was much more comfortable to hold, cleaned up effortlessly, and was easy to transport from one bathroom to the next. Apartment Therapy calls this a "sexy toilet plunger." The reviewer has used the simplehuman plunger for years without any issues and appreciates the comfortable handle.

About 88% of the people who reviewed the simplehuman Toilet Plunger on Amazon gave it a positive rating. The most helpful reviewer, Nurse Bex, was impressed with the plunger's appearance and found it nice enough to leave out. She liked that she could quickly extricate the plunger from the caddy and unclog her toilet.

Other buyers mentioned that the sturdy base keeps the plunger from falling over and is attractive enough that it doesn't look like you are carrying a plunger around when transporting it.

Pros: Comfortable handle, easy to clean, comes with caddy, attractive look

Cons: Average unclogging abilities

Buy the simplehuman Toilet Plunger and Caddy on Amazon for $29.99

The best affordable toilet plunger

The best affordable toilet plunger
If you're looking for a no-nonsense plunger to help clear clogs, the Neiko Toilet Plunger is the best low-cost solution at less than $20.

What sets the Neiko Toilet Plunger apart is its tiered plunging cup. There are four graduated steps that narrow at the rubber cup's opening. This design allows for a tight seal and excellent suction on a wide variety of toilet sizes.

It's also helpful for approaching the drain opening from different angles. The rod is made of mold-resistant, rustproof, lightweight aluminum. The end of the pole features a peg for hanging the plunger.

Several websites list the Neiko Toilet Plunger as their top pick, including Jen Reviews, Simple Toilet, and Top Portal Review. Best Seekers recommends this plunger because the reviewer found it to be easy to handle and lightweight. They also noted that the tiered cup could handle even difficult clogs from a variety of angles.

Wirecutter found the plunging abilities were just average, and this plunger lost points because the testers found the broomstick handle to be uncomfortable to grip.

The Neiko Toilet Plunger has more than 1,300 four- and five-star reviews on Amazon. The most helpful reviewer called this "the most amazing plunger I have owned." He found it to be reliable and even named it Excalibur. An engineer weighed in with his experience. He noted that the seal and section are incredible. Within a few pumps, he resolved a problem that he spent hours on with a standard plunger.

The biggest complaint is that the plunger sometimes comes with a chemical smell that may take weeks to dissipate.

Pros: Cost-effective, lightweight, aluminum handle, works from several angles

Cons: Broomstick handle is uncomfortable to grip

Buy the Neiko Toilet Plunger (1-Pack) on Amazon for $16.81 (originally $13.99)
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The best ergonomic toilet plunger

The best ergonomic toilet plunger
The ergonomic T-shaped handle and narrow opening of the Korky Beehive Max Universal Toilet Plunger makes it easy to use with many types of toilets.

The Korky Beehive Max Universal Toilet Plunger works well because it combines a comfortable T-handle with a large beehive-shaped cup that narrows at the opening. This allows you to pack a strong plunge.

The narrow cup opening is ideal for fitting a wide variety of toilet types, including newer high-efficiency toilets with oblong-shaped drains. The Korky 99-4A is made in the United States.

On the three different types of toilets that Wirecutter tested, the Korky 99-4A Max Performance Plunger achieved the best seal. The reviewer liked the large plunger cup, which made for a powerful plunge. To test this, he put a foam ball in a water-filled pipe and measured how far the ball went with each plunge. The Korky moved the ball two to three inches per plunge, while none of the other plungers moved the ball at all. It also comes highly recommended by Simple Toilet and Toilet Rated.

More than 490 Amazon buyers have left five-star reviews of the Korky Beehive Max Universal Toilet Plunger. The reviewer with the most helpful votes describes having a newer low-flow toilet and discovering that none of the highly-rated plungers he purchased on Amazon worked with it. However, the Korky 99-4A was the exception.

Many of the five-star commenters shared similar experiences. One buyer was upset that the plunger cup was so thin and tended to cave in when he used it. This slowed down the plunging process.

Pros: Powerful plunging cup, works with a broad range of toilet shapes, easy-to-grip handle

Cons: Quite large, several recent complaints of flimsy plunger cup

Buy the Korky Beehive Max Universal Toilet Plunger on Target for $19.99

The best automatic toilet plunger

The best automatic toilet plunger
The SurePlunge Automatic Toilet Plunger uses pressure to clear drains, making it ideal for older adults and people with back problems or other physical disabilities.

The SurePlunge Automatic Toilet Plunger is different from the other entries on our list because it works using 8g CO2 cartridges. You load the charger, insert the plunger into your toilet until it forms a seal, tilt it downward, press the button on the handle, and the burst of CO2 clears the clog.

The SurePlunge comes with a plunger stand and three CO2 chargers. The company states that this product is engineered and designed to deliver pressure that will not damage seals or pipes.

Due to the hefty initial investment and ongoing costs associated with buying more CO2 cylinders, we mainly recommend this plunger to people who have trouble using standard plungers.

The SurePlunge Automatic Toilet Plunger is relatively new and isn't on the radar of many expert sites yet. There are a couple that recommend it, though. The Toilet Zone likes it for tougher jobs that run-of-the-mill manual plungers can't handle since it's still cheaper than calling a plumber. The reviewer at Oola recommends it for senior citizens and people with disabilities that may have trouble with traditional plungers since it requires minimal elbow grease.

Approximately 80% of the Amazon buyers who reviewed the SurePlunge Automatic Toilet Plunger gave it five stars. Cathy Tigges initially left a critical review, but after contacting Amazon, a representative from SurePlunge called and walked her through the steps for how to use it, and it worked like a charm. She recommends pushing the stopper all the way into the drain and holding the handle close to the seat before releasing the CO2.

Several buyers mention how the SurePlunge was able to clear clogs that their traditional plungers had trouble with. People also recommend keeping extra CO2 cartridges on hand.

Pros: Requires minimal manual effort, incredibly strong, excellent customer service

Cons: Expensive, requires the additional purchase of CO2 cylinders, may be hard to use initially

Buy the SurePlunge Automatic Toilet Plunger on Amazon for $49.88 Buy the Leland CO2 Chargers (Pack of 100) on Amazon for $40.10 (originally $42.25)
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The best toilet auger

The best toilet auger
If a manual plunger or one that uses water pressure doesn't get the job done, the Ridgid 3 ft. Toilet Auger can reach into the drain and physically pull or push clog-producing debris out of the way.

Also referred to as a closet auger, a toilet auger consists of a flexible coiled wire with a flared end and a slight sharp barb at the tip to work through just about any debris. The wire is attached to the end of a wand that pulls the wire into a sleeve. You stick the extended unit into your toilet drain. Then, once it's secure, you push down with the wand handle, and the coil extends into the drain. Once you hit the clog, you turn the handle to push or pull the debris.

This is essentially how the Ridgid 3 ft. Toilet Auger works. As the name suggests, the coiled wire snake is three feet long, which should be long enough to reach any clog. It's made of a strong compression-wrapped inner core cable that has three wrappings around the core. This makes it stronger so it can power through tough blockages. Ridgid backs the toilet auger with a lifetime warranty.

Wirecutter recommends the Ridgid 59787 3-Foot Toilet Auger because it is what professional plumbers use to clear pesky clogged drains. The reviewer liked the durable construction, including the metal sleeve, and the comfortable handles on the wand and sleeve. He did note that augers, in general, are awkward to store and houseguests may not know how to use it. Cleaning the auger is also an issue.

Toilet Tops and The Spruce both recommend this device as the best auger available, and around 94% of the people who reviewed the Ridgid 3-Foot Toilet Auger on Amazon gave it four or five stars.

One buyer shares a story of how his tween son has not mastered "double flushing" and tends to use too much toilet paper, which leads to clogs. He found the auger easy to use, and it has cut his need to plunge down from three times per week to once a month.

An admittedly non-handy buyer said he figured out how to use the auger in a few minutes with the help of YouTube. However, he did scratch the bottom of the bowl. To avoid this, make sure you keep the wand pulled up out of the sleeve until it is fully inserted into the drain.

Pros: Tends to work better than conventional plungers, comfortable handles, durable metal sleeve, lifetime warranty

Cons: May be hard to use initially, difficult to clean, doesn't store easily

Buy the Ridgid 3 ft. Toilet Auger on Amazon for $29.08 (originally $34.47)
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