The Best Toilet Plunger For 2020 | Reviews By Wirecutter

Top pick

A powerful plunger

Korky 99-4A Max Performance Plunger

In our tests, the power of this Korky plunger far, far exceeded that of all the other plungers. It also had the easiest time conforming to irregular bowl shapes.

$16 from The Home Depot$16 from Lowe's

The Korky 99-4A Max Performance Plunger easily surpassed all of the other plungers in pure pipe-clearing power. We built a transparent toilet-drain mockup and then jammed in a foam ball to simulate a clogged pipe, and while the 99-4A was able to move the ball down the pipe at a rate of 2 to 3 inches per plunge, none of the other plungers could even budge it. A plunger has to make a tight seal against the bottom of the bowl, and the 99-4A’s unique beehive design—soft, pliable rubber at the lower half, a stiff midsection, and thicker rubber up near the handle—made it notably more effective than the other plungers in our tests. Including the test rig, we tried the plungers on three toilets, each of which had a different drain shape, and the 99-4A was always the most effective. The 99-4A also has a distinctive T-handle grip that naturally aligns your arm as you plunge, making it easier to use a powerful stroke with less wrist strain than you’d get with the typical straight handle.

Best for...

A compatible drip tray

MAXClean Universal Plunger Holder Drip Tray

The MAXClean tray holds the Korky plunger and contains any drips.

$22 from Amazon

A version of the Korky plunger is available with a drip tray, but it holds the plunger too tightly and is frustrating to use. We found that the MAXClean Universal Plunger Holder Drip Tray is a better fit and can catch any drips coming off the Korky 99-4A. The MAXClean tray has a one-piece design that is very easy to wipe out and disinfect. None of the other six trays we looked at could hold the 99-4A’s odd shape. The MAXClean tray and the Korky plunger together have a basic and utilitarian look, so if you’d prefer a more presentable plunger, read on to our next pick.

Runner-up

Not as powerful, much prettier

Simplehuman Toilet Plunger

The Simplehuman plunger looks great and has a nice caddy, but it’s not the most powerful plunger we found.

$40 from Amazon$40 from Walmart

May be out of stock

$30 from The Home Depot

If the Korky 99-4A is not available, or if aesthetics are your number one concern, we like the Simplehuman Toilet Plunger. At the level below the impressive Korky model, the majority of the plungers we tested all had roughly the same plunging power, but the Simplehuman plunger stood apart as the nicest-looking plunger we tested. It comes with a stylish drip tray that conceals the plunger cup, has enough ventilation for adequate drying, and is very easy to clean. Unlike the others we looked at, this tray has a magnet that attaches to the plunger handle, so you can transport both the plunger and the tray just by holding the plunger handle.

Best for...

The ultimate clog buster

Ridgid 59787 3-foot Toilet Auger

The Ridgid auger offers a surefire way to clear a pipe, but its storage and cleaning requirements make it inconvenient for most people.

$44 from The Home Depot$44 from Amazon

Some clogs are beyond any plunger’s capabilities. To reliably bust up even the most wedged blockages, we recommend the Ridgid 59787 K-3 Toilet Auger. This kind of tool, frequently called a closet auger, is what the pros use: Instead of clearing a clog with water pressure, as a plunger does, a closet auger sends a coiled metal snake down the drain to physically push, pull, and maneuver the obstruction until it is free. We tested two augers and preferred the Ridgid model, which offers great overall build quality, handles in all the right places, and a nice sturdy clip that secures the snake section when it’s not in use. The downside of a closet auger is that cleaning and storage are more difficult than with a plunger.