Are Costco's Kirkland Laundry Detergent Pods As Good As Tide? Users Weigh In

Detergent pods are a popular choice for people who don't want to mess with liquids or laundry powders, which have a few downsides, when cleaning their clothes, and Tide pods regularly top the list of consumer favorites. The popularity of Tide pods, which come in a few different scented or sanitizing versions, is supported by data from Consumer Reports, which ranks the brand number one for stain removal and odor elimination. But shoppers love a bargain dupe, and Kirkland's Signature Ultra Clean Premium Laundry Detergent Pacs is also a very popular seller that tests well for cleaning power, with users loving its nice price. But does it get laundry as clean as Tide?

While some on social media give Costco's signature brand mixed reviews, a majority of buyers are satisfied with how Kirkland pods perform. The brand gets 4.3 out of 5 stars on Costco's website among buyers. And you don't have to be a Costco member to get it. Kirkland pods are also sold at Walmart and on Amazon, and reviewers on those sites also give the detergent generally positive reviews for price and cleaning ability. While there are some areas where Tide outshines the bargain brand, on balance, Kirkland pods stand up well against the best seller. 

Online reviewers frequently cite the price as a major perk of the Kirkland brand. Costco's pods average around 15 cents per load, whereas Tide will run you over 60% more, at about 25 cents per load. Buying laundry detergent in bulk is not only cheaper, but super convenient, saving those annoying last-minute trips to the store on laundry day. The Kirkland brand, like all things Costco, comes in a huge package of 152 pods. Tide's brand is also available in bulk, but in slightly smaller packages of up to 112 pods. 

Beyond the bargain, reviewers also like the way the Costco pods clean. Costco reviewer Monica wrote, "They tackle even the stinkiest of sweat and leave our clothes smelling fresh." Other users noted that they stand up well to Tide for cleaning power, with Facebook reviewer Teal Frye saying they "couldn't tell any difference" between the two brands. Consumer Reports testing backs up these claims, finding that Kirkland's pods did just as well as Tide in removing stains from body oils and salad dressing. Like Tide, Kirkland's pods are compatible with popular high-efficiency washers, where they will get your clothes clean without too many suds.

One area where the Costco brand didn't rank quite as highly as Tide was in tougher stain removal. As tested by Consumer Reports, the Kirkland brand was just okay at removing dirt, coffee, chocolate, and hard water stains, and was not well-rated for grass and blood stain removal. Comparatively, Tide pods rated higher in removing all types of stains tested. Still, Kirkland's pods rank as a recommended brand by Consumer Reports, beating out several other detergents on the market. 

On social media, Costco's pods get some mixed reviews in comparison to Tide. Some Reddit users who tried the Kirkland brand ended up going back to Tide, finding that the Costco brand fell short in odor removal and even left a staining residue on clothes. Several reviews on Reddit as well as on Costco's and Amazon's websites noted that some Kirkland pods burst or leaked inside the packaging, blaming this issue on a switch from a hard plastic container to a less protective plastic bag. 

Whichever brand you try, be aware that there are plenty of drawbacks to washing machine pods, which use a kind of plastic coating (PVA) that may not be great for the environment. But if you are hooked on the convenience of laundry pods, and you don't have too many serious stains and odors to fight, Kirkland's pods will get the job done at a bargain price.