NEWS – Are you on TEAM BUY, TRASH, BUY AGAIN, or are you on TEAM BUY ONCE, REUSE AGAIN & AGAIN? I like the idea of buying something once and reusing it multiple times and I try to do that as much as I can. That’s why I was intrigued when I saw the Matador refillable toothpaste tubes. These aren’t everyday tubes of toothpaste but are designed for travel. Instead of buying mini travel-sized tubes of toothpaste only to throw them away when you return from your trip, these tubes can be filled, used, and then cleaned and refilled again for future trips. The Matador tubes are made of 3 layers of BPA/PVC free, food-safe material that is easy to fill and secure with a slide-on clip. You get a set of two tubes for $9.99 from matadorup.com. I also have an alternative to consider… chewable toothpaste tablets. You can get a bottle of 120 Chew Brush Smile Toothpaste Tablets for $9.99 on Amazon. If you brush your teeth 2x a day, one bottle would last for 60 days. Not reusable, but also not messy and potentially less bulk for travel.
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Hmm, I use the sample tubes I get from my dentist. I use them until they are flat, so no waste. Sometimes I bring two if it looks like a mostly-used one might not last the whole trip.
If you want to refill it you would have to wash the inside it before refilling. I don’t see how you would wash the inside. Another example of a solution looking for a problem
DON
The larger end can open up and you can remove the cap. I think it would be pretty easy to clean it with a toothbrush 😉
Just the clip would suffice. Then you could use a half empty regular tube and have the exact same result.
Some TSA locations won’t let you bring through a large tube, even if half-empty – they go by the printed volume on the tube, regardless of how much is actually inside. I’ve had to throw away toothpaste and gel deodorant sticks before I wised up and got TSA precheck, but I still bring marked 3.4 oz or smaller if the airport has a rep for being draconian about it.
I tried a bottle of chewable toothpaste tablets a few months ago and came away unimpressed, so this looks like an interesting possibility for a 2-week trip I have coming up next year.
When I was traveling I used to use a small tube given by the dentists. After each trip I would refill it by putting the tip from a small tube against the tip from a large tube then squeezing from the large into the small.
These look great! There is literally one brand of toothpaste that I can use thanks to allergies. (So no dentist office samples or Target travel aisle for me. Sigh.) This one brand is only available online which makes travel ”scary” (what if something happens to my checked luggage with that 4oz tube in it?) and carry-on sizes aren’t always available. I’ve tried other refillable tubes but after awhile it just seemed a bit gross that they couldn’t really be washed, or at least, washed well. I’ll have to try these!
Are the Matdor tubes made in the USA?
I try to stick with made in USA products, even if they cost a little bit more.
thanks in advance.
Wesley, I can’t find that info on their site so it’s hard to say where they are made. If you’re interested but concerned, you can contact them through their site.