Best toilet plunger
Which toilet plunger to buy, why a soft 6-inch head beats flat cups and plastic accordions, and when a holder is worth having.
Buy the Korky BEEHIVE Max. It cleared a packed toilet paper clog in two plunges, the fewest of the 15 bestsellers in mybest's test, and it needed little force and splashed little.1
If the plunger will sit in plain view, get the Clorox with its caddy instead. If you want a lighter one to hang up in a second bathroom, get the NEIKO 60166A. Skip flat sink plungers and hard plastic accordions. And if anyone has poured drain opener into the bowl, don't plunge at all, because the splash can burn skin and eyes.2
Our picks
How they compare
| Korky BEEHIVE Max | Clorox with caddy | NEIKO 60166A | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Most toilets, old or new | A plunger kept in view | A second bathroom |
| Head | Beehive, 6 in. | Flange, 6 in. | Stepped flange, 6 in. |
| Plunges to clear the test clog | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Weight | About 1 lb 6 oz | About 13 oz | About 14 oz |
| Holder | No | Self-opening caddy with drip tray | No, but it hangs up |
Korky BeehiveMAX Universal Toilet Plunger
Good fit if: most toilets, old or new
Model 99-4A
- Fewest plunges of 15 models
- Needs little force
- Low splash
- T-grip takes both hands
- Big and heavy
- No holder included
- Plastic handle of unknown life
In mybest's test, a hard wad of toilet paper went into a clear pipe fitted to a standard toilet bowl, and plunges were counted up to 15. This one took two. Its thin lower edge seals easily, and the large head moves a lot of water with each push.1 Wirecutter's review, updated in July 2026, also picks the 99-4A version. On its clear drain mockup, none of the other plungers could budge a foam ball jammed in the pipe, and this one conformed best to irregular bowl shapes.3
Owners agree, in small numbers. Two posters in one forum thread and two Reddit commenters name it or its beehive shape as the one that works, though a few buyers mention splashing.1 4 5 6
It's awkward to carry at 1 pound 6 ounces, and nothing comes with it to catch drips.1 Korky says it fits both old and new high-efficiency toilets, but Bob Vila cautions that it might not seal every bowl shape.7 8 The version in the test was the 96-4AM, with a collapsible handle. Korky lists it and the 99-4A as versions of one plunger.1 7
Verdict: Buy this one first. Skip it only if the plunger has to stay out in the open, where the Clorox or Korky's own Hideaway case suits you better.
Clorox Toilet Plunger with Hideaway Caddy
Good fit if: bathrooms where the plunger sits out
Model 621225
- Cleared the clog in four plunges
- Caddy opens and closes itself
- Drip tray keeps floors dry
- Some buyers report a poor seal
- Slippery handle
- Caddy closes loudly
- No brush included
This is the plunger to get if you want the head hidden. It sealed with little force and splashed little, and it needed far fewer plunges than the covered models from OXO and simplehuman. The caddy opens when you lift the plunger and closes when you put it back, and its vented drip tray earned mybest's top hygiene score.1
The handle's broad top doesn't dig into your palm, but the material is slippery, and the caddy closes loudly.1 ShopSavvy's summary of buyer reviews lists complaints that the soft head seals poorly and needs reshaping, so one clean test isn't the last word.9
Verdict: Buy this if the plunger will sit beside the toilet. If you don't care about the caddy, the Korky clears clogs in fewer plunges.
NEIKO Toilet Plunger with All-Angle Design
Good fit if: a second bathroom, hung out of the way
Model 60166A
- Very little splash
- Much lighter than the Korky
- Rust-resistant aluminum handle
- Hangs from its hook
- End hook digs into your palm
- No rubber grip
- No holder
The head steps down in four rubber tiers and is sold as a fit for outlets of about 4 to 6 inches. It sealed well on mybest's toilet, though Bob Vila cautions that it might not seal every elongated bowl.1 8
The handle is the trade-off. It's light and it won't rust, but the end hook dug into the reviewers' hands, and there's no rubber grip. It also costs about the same as the Korky, so it won't save you money.1
Verdict: Buy this for a second bathroom if you like to hang the plunger up. For your main plunger, the Korky is the better tool.
How to choose
Get a soft head about 6 inches wide
A plunger only works if its head seals over the outlet at the bottom of the bowl. For a toilet, that means a flange, which is a soft rubber sleeve that sticks out below the cup and goes into the outlet, or a beehive, which is a stepped rubber cone that does the same job with a larger body. Flat sink plungers are made for flat drains and struggle in a curved bowl.1 10 11
Width mattered in the one published test. Rubber flange and beehive plungers with 6-inch heads cleared the clog in 2 to 11 plunges, while narrower flange heads took 11 or more or never cleared it.1 So don't assume a narrow tip suits a modern toilet. Some high-efficiency toilets do have oblong or squarish outlets, and owners say a plunger that doesn't cover one just pushes water back into the bowl.7 12 Look at your outlet before you buy, and choose a soft head that covers all of it.
Skip hard plastic accordions
All three accordion plungers in mybest's test failed to clear the clog in 15 plunges, and two had weak joints.1 Their plastic makes a good seal harder to get. A few owners still like a bellows for the water it moves, but start with rubber.4 11 13
Choose the plunger first, then the holder and handle
A holder keeps drips off the floor, but it does nothing to clear a clog. Holders scored well on hygiene in mybest's test even when the plunger inside did poorly. Price didn't predict results either: a store-brand Mainstays set took eight plunges, while two other flange models failed.1
A T-grip or broad end is easier on your hands. Nobody has measured handle life, so don't pay extra for metal. Avoid wood near a toilet, because mybest says it absorbs bacteria and is prone to mold.1
Check any plunger the last owner left
Rubber ages. Owners report hardened and cracking heads, one after 10 to 15 years, and a stiff head won't conform to the bowl. If yours feels stiff, replace it.4 14 15
Plunge for 30 seconds, then change tools
Tip the head into the bowl so it fills with water, not air, and work it for 20 to 30 seconds. Put your effort into the pull. Pushing can pack the clog deeper into the narrowing passage, while pulling tends to break it up.10
If that doesn't work, stop forcing it. Hard plunging may damage the wax seal under the toilet, so look for leaks afterward.16 Use a closet auger next. It's a hand-cranked cable with a guard that protects the porcelain, while a regular hand snake can scratch the bowl.10
Call a plumber if water comes up in a sink or shower, because the blockage is farther down the pipes.17 If a toilet clogs every few weeks, a better plunger won't fix it. Look up its MaP score, which shows how much waste it can move, and have a plumber check the drain line if the score is fine.18
Never plunge over drain opener
Consumer Reports' guide says not to use Drano on a toilet clog, and Bob Vila warns against plunging with drain chemicals.2 17 These products can contain lye or sulfuric acid, and a splash in the eyes can cause permanent vision loss.2 19
If someone has already poured some in, don't plunge. If it gets on skin or in eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes and get medical help right away. The Poison Help line is 1-800-222-1222.19
Others we looked at
- simplehuman Toilet Plunger and Brush Set (BT1108)Wirecutter calls this runner-up less powerful but prettier.3 It took 12 plunges in mybest's test, the most of any plunger that cleared the clog, because the 5.5-inch cup was a little too small for the outlet. It splashed a lot, and it costs several times as much as the Korky.1 20 Buy it only if looks come first.
- Korky BEEHIVE Max Hideaway (97-4A)The beehive head in a concealed case. It wasn't in mybest's test, but it's the one to get if you want the Korky head hidden.1 21
- OXO Good Grips Toilet Plunger With HolderThe holder scored top for hygiene, but the plunger took 11 plunges and forced water over the bowl.1
- Air-burst and CO2 plungersSkip these. One commenter warns they can shatter pipes, and with a closet auger available, there's little reason to take the risk.22
How we picked
We haven't tested these plungers ourselves. We found no peer-reviewed study or government test of household plungers, so the picks rest on mybest's 2023 clog test, Wirecutter's clog test, plumbing guidance and owner comments. The mybest test used one bowl and one paper clog with no repeats, and the head-width pattern is our reading of its table, so your toilet may behave differently. We found no durability data. A CPSC recall search on November 5, 2026 for plungers and these brands showed no plunger recalls.[s1,s36]
Sources
- 15 Best Toilet Plungers [Tested and Reviewed] mybest, 2023-09-11
- How to Use a Plunger Bob Vila, 2024-07-26
- The Best Toilet Plunger Wirecutter
- Toilet plunger thoughts and experience? SIGforum
- First home essentials Reddit r/FirstTimeHomeBuyer, 2024
- First time home buyer: what are your must haves? Reddit r/BuyItForLife, 2026
- BEEHIVE Max Toilet Plunger Korky, 2026
- The Best Plungers Bob Vila, 2022-05-18
- TLDR Review: Clorox Toilet Plunger with Caddy ShopSavvy, 2026