I tried fabric conditioners from Aldi, M&S, Tesco & five more—one was much better than Comfort (Image: Sophie Harris)
While fabric conditioners aren’t a necessity, they are more than just adding fragrance and softness to your clothes. They also help clothing to retain its shape, add protection against bobbling and protect against colour fading. Whilst it is an essential in my bi-weekly shop, I was finding them creeping up in price, with my favourite Comfort Pure nearly £5 for 80 washes.
Due to having sensitive skin, I can only use this one, but I started to notice supermarkets having their own sensitive version. So, I recently tested sensitive fabric conditioners from Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco to see if any of them could compete against Comfort. I was looking at how nice the scent was, and if it lasted, the softness of my clothing, as well as, of course, the price.
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Lidl and Morrisons fabric conditioners (Image: Sophie Harris)
Lidl Doussy Sensitive Fabric Conditioner – £3.85 (120 washes)
The Lidl fabric conditioner only came in a larger bottle in my store, giving me 120 washes. It smelled subtle but fresh, although the bottle was way too big to pour.
My clothes felt soft and clean, but the scent was a little too artificial for me. Saying that, it’s good value for money and it didn’t irritate my skin.
Score: 5/10
Morrisons Pure Fabric Conditioner – £1.29 (40 washes)
I found this liquid quite runny and watery compared to other fabric conditioners. I didn’t find that this affected the end result other than a slight film on the clothing, but this could have been because more liquid was poured out than needed.
Although it had a spout, I found it slightly hard to pour, and the bottle was made of quite soft plastic, which became easily misshapen over time.
Score: 4/10
ASDA Pure Cotton Sensitive Fabric Softener – £2.78 (80 washes)
This bottle is two litres, making it quite hard to pour, but it did smell great, and it’s a very good value for money.
It smells nice and fresh, and my clothes seemed less creased than usual, which was handy. However, I did have to decant this into a smaller bottle as I found it kept spilling in the larger bottle.
Score: 8/10
Asda and Sainsbury’s fabric conditioners (Image: Sophie Harris)
Aldi and Waitrose fabric conditioner (Image: Sophie Harris)
Sainsbury’s Fabric Conditioner Gentle Pure – £1.29 (40 washes)
This fabric conditioner had a light and fresh scent, but this didn’t translate to my laundry, especially when dry. Saying this, this is when the clothes were dried inside, and they did have more of a scent when dried outside.
For the price, I would definitely purchase this again, and it didn’t irritate my skin or have a slimy feel on the clothes.
Score: 5/10
Aldi’s Almat So Soft Fabric Conditioner – £1.35 (40 washes)
I was surprised to see that this fabric conditioner in my local store was more expensive than Sainsbury’s alternative, which, in my opinion, performed better.
Whilst it did have a fresh scent, it didn’t last long, and my clothes didn’t end up smelling of anything at all.
Score: 4/10
Essential Waitrose Fabric Conditioner Gentle – £2.95 (75 washes)
I thought this fabric conditioner was quite expensive, but it was pleasant to use. It left my clothes soft, smelling great, everything you want in a fabric softener.
Would I buy this again? I think only if it were on offer, as the price is not that affordable compared to other ones I’ve tried.
Score: 6/10
Comfort, Tesco and M&S fabric conditioners (Image: Sophie Harris)
Comfort Pure Gently Fresh Sensitive Fabric Conditioner – £1.85 (31 washes)
My go-to fabric conditioner, Comfort Pure, smells great and leaves my clothes nice and soft. Whilst it is easy to pour and comes in a sleek bottle, I do tend to find my clothing doesn’t stay smelling fresh for very long.
This means I often couple it up with scent boosters, which aren’t the best for sensitive skin. It’s also slightly more expensive than other fabric conditioners in the test, and I personally think they worked better.
Score: 7/10
Tesco Pure Fabric Conditioner – £1.61 (50 washes)
Lightly fragranced with a delicate pear and a hint of apricot, this fabric conditioner smelled delicious, and my clothes had a long-lasting fragrance.
They were also left feeling soft, and the softener didn’t irritate my skin at all. This was my favourite I tried, and found it better than Comfort as the smell lasted much longer.
Paired with the affordable price point, I’d highly recommend trying out this fabric conditioner.
Score: 10/10
M&S Sensitive Concentrated Fabric Conditioner – £3.50 (50 washes)
This sensitive, plant-based conditioner softened my clothes well, and it’s also fragrance-free to help reduce irritation.
The bottle, although very aesthetically pleasing, is quite chunky and hard to pour as it doesn’t have a grip, which makes it hard to use.
It’s also quite expensive, and although I’m not sure I’d buy again at this price point, it did soften my clothes well.
Score: 7/10
