Consumer Reports ranks best and worst 13-gallon trash bags

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When taking out the trash, the last thing you want is for the bag to split open.

However, buying more expensive or name-brand trash bags doesn’t always mean better quality.

To help avoid a kitchen nightmare, Consumer Reports tested unscented 13-gallon trash bags from nine bestselling brands.

“Our testers used a special tool called a force gauge, which measures force against the bag. It was fitted with sharp and blunt tips to see how the bags resisted puncture,” said Angela Lashbrook of Consumer Reports.

To test the wall and bottom strength, bags were tied by the neck to the force gauge. Water was added until the bags ripped through the bottom or the top.

The strength of the drawstrings was tested by tying the handles to the gauge, adding water, and lifting them until they broke.

“The bags that came out on top in our tests, Simplehuman Tall Trash Bags and Walmart’s Great Value Trash Bags,” Lashbrook said.

The Reli Super Value Garbage Bags also performed well in testing and were the least expensive.

Glad ForceFlex, Amazon Basics Tall Kitchen Drawstring Bags, and Holdon Compostable Tall Kitchen Bags were among the worst performers.

“If you compost, you can consider these, but you’ll pay top dollar for them, and the quality is far below others in our tests,” Lashbrook said.