We tested four money-saving squeezers that help get every last drop of product out of various toiletry tubes
The Xykeey Toothpaste Squeezer was one of four tube squeezer products we tested. We paid attention to how much product each dispensed and how easy it was to use and clean.
By Lisa Fogarty
I used to follow a 10-step skin care regimen that was predictable, comforting, and so expensive that my bank account still doesn’t trust me. I’ve since switched to using fewer, simpler products, many of which are packaged in tubs, not tubes. I’m loyal to tubs because they’re cost-saving: I can see the amount of product in them and use a beauty spatula to scoop up every last drop.
As many of us search for innovative ways to tighten our belts, our attention may turn to details we once considered minor, like how products are packaged. Rather than complain about how much product I’m leaving behind in these tubes, I decided to try tube squeezers, which aim to remove every bit of product or food from tubes, helping to save you money.
I may prefer tubs for skin care, but I don’t always get to choose: Most toiletries like toothpaste, lotions, sunscreens, boxed hair dyes, and lip balm come in tubes. Groceries like tomato paste and other condiments at the supermarket are often packaged in tubes.
“Toothpaste tube squeezers,” as they’re often called, can be used for more than just toothpaste (you can even use them with groceries). Although they come in a few different designs and materials, they all exist to ensure you get your money’s worth for the products. But how well do they work, and are they convenient and comfortable to use?
We tried four different squeezer designs with various squeezing mechanisms on a full 6-ounce tube of toothpaste, a 1.89-fluid-ounce tube of moisturizer, and a small lip balm to help you find one right for you. One model dispensed a full half-ounce less toothpaste than the others.
Akt The Assistant
Akt The Assistant is the most attractive, discreet, and expensive pick on this list. The metal squeezer, which looks like a sleek key and comes in plastic-free packaging, is designed to be used with Akt The Deodorant Balm tube, but we tried it with a regular tube of toothpaste, moisturizer, and a lip balm.
Although we discovered that it removed more of the product from the tubes of all the squeezers we tested, two primary application and storage issues got in its way.
Effectiveness: Akt The Assistant removed minuscule amounts more of the product from tubes than the others (for example, it dispensed 0.2 fluid ounces more moisturizer than the LoveinUSA squeezer). But every ounce counts when you’re trying to remove something like an expensive skin care serum or moisturizer from its packaging.
Storage and cleaning: Inserting the tubes into the slit on the base of the squeezer was effortless, but keeping them there was another story. As soon as I started manually twisting the squeezer around the tube to dispense product, the tubes slipped out of the slit. I inserted the bottom of the tube into the slit again but moved the squeezer up more, and that helped keep it in place.
When I dispensed the product, the squeezer unrolled and dropped to the bottom of the tube. For that reason, I didn’t find it to offer an elegant solution for seamless storage. But I think it’s great if you only have a few, expensive products in tubes and want to get the most out of them.
Xykeey Toothpaste Squeezer
The Xykeey Toothpaste Squeezer is one you may have seen on TikTok. It’s larger than the others and stands upright without falling, but squeezing it together with one hand and then turning the wrench on its side with your other hand to dispense product from tubes feels a bit archaic (the aluminum even makes a grating noise as you open and close it and turn the screw).
But it efficiently removed the second-most amount of product (Akt The Assistant, above, removed slightly more). The brand claims it can be used on tubes of paint, but we didn’t test this.
Effectiveness: This was the simplest tool to use. Thanks to its roomy, adjustable opening (which looks kind of like a crocodile mouth), I was able to clamp down large tubes like toothpaste and small ones like lip balm and they mostly stayed in place while I turned the screw to dispense them.
I had to adjust the tube a few times to keep it in place, but not nearly as much as I did with the LoveinUSA squeezer, below. It may be challenging for anyone with hand strength issues to hold the bottom of the clamp together and turn the screw at the same time. The Lamy and Akt The Assistant required less wrist and hand strength to dispense product.
Storage and cleaning: This was the only squeezer that truly, effortlessly stayed upright while storing a larger tube of toothpaste and a smaller lip balm. You can also store it on its side with the product still intact, but check its dimensions—it is a little bulkier than the others, which is something to consider if you want to keep it out on your counter.
The manufacturer doesn’t provide cleaning instructions, but CR recommends cleaning aluminum with a soapy, non-scratch scouring pad.
Lamy Toothpaste Squeezer
Lamy Toothpaste Squeezer comes in a pack of three and features a two-piece design with a base and a separate screw that inserts into the base. Slide the bottom of a tube into the slit on the screw and then turn the screw to dispense product. This can be done while your product rests on the base or without the base. It requires far less strength than the LoveinUSA squeezer.
Effectiveness: In terms of the amount of product it dispensed, this one fell between LoveinUSA and Akt The Assistant.
Storage and cleaning: The design is excellent in theory, but it didn’t work for all products. My heavier toothpaste was too large to sit upright in the base without toppling over (but as more toothpaste was dispensed, it became light enough to rest in the base). I stored smaller moisturizer and lip balm tubes in the base without issue. You can rinse the screw and base clean or place it in the dishwasher.
LoveinUSA Toothpaste Tube Squeezer
The most cost-conscious tube squeezer we tested comes in a pack of four and is made of plastic. Out of the four we tested, the LoveinUSA squeezer feels the most cheaply made, but if you think it exists to squeeze product out of tubes, not impress house guests, that probably won’t be a significant issue for you.
It doesn’t come with directions, but it’s easy to figure out how to use it: Slide the bottom of a tube into its slit and slide the squeezer upward toward the tube’s opening to dispense product. It works, just not as well as the others we tested.
Effectiveness: This squeezer dispensed less of each product than the others we tested. It dispensed only 5 ounces of toothpaste, compared with 5.3 to 5.5 ounces for the other brands. So even though you’re saving more money up front, it isn’t doing as good a job saving you money in the long run on products.
Storage and cleaning: Lamy and Xykeey, above, are designed to provide a base for products to stand vertically or horizontally on your sink or shelves; the LoveinUSA has a hanging hole for storage on a hook. It’s easy to clean with soap and water, but the manufacturer doesn’t mention whether it’s safe in the dishwasher.
Major cons: If your tube is filled with a generous amount of product (like toothpaste), the squeezer doesn’t effortlessly slide up or down the tube; I had to wiggle it a little to the left and a little to the right to get it to move, which took some strength.
It was difficult to remove the squeezer from the toothpaste and impossible to remove it from the lip balm tube once all the product had been dispensed. It got completely stuck on the lip balm, and I had to throw it away with the squeezer still attached.
Are Tube Squeezers Worth It?
I would use a tube squeezer to remove more product from pricey skin care products and cosmetics. It’s satisfying to see the tube completely flattened from the bottom up, in a way I’ve never been able to do with my hands. Most of the squeezers aren’t very expensive, and they can be washed and reused, so I think the cost benefits over time will add up.
If you have grip or strength challenges in your hands and wrists, I found that the Lamy Toothpaste Squeezer and Akt The Assistant required the least amount of strength, the LoveinUSA squeezer was the most frustrating, and the Xykeey Toothpaste Squeezer fell somewhere in the middle.
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