Huppy vs Unpaste: Which Toothpaste Tablet is Best for You?

Over 1 billion plastic toothpaste tubes end up in our landfills every single year with some of that waste finding its way into our rivers, oceans and streams, contaminating waterways, disturbing wildlife and polluting sensitive ecosystems.

Reducing our reliance on plastic packaging is just one of the ways that we can lower our negative impact on the planet and leave a healthier, happier home for future generations. 

And, who knew that toothpaste tabs would be part of that revolution?

Wait, What are Toothpaste Tabs? 

Toothpaste tablets or tooth tabs consist of mouth-cleansing ingredients, pressed together into a mint-sized pill that you pop in your mouth, crush into a paste with your teeth and tongue, and then brush as you would traditional toothpaste.

The biggest difference is that tooth tabs:

• don’t come in pesky plastic tubes
• are super easy to portion for multi-day adventure trips 
• are liquidless and therefore mess-free and TSA friendly

… and, in the case of both Huppy and Unpaste, are made from all-natural ingredients!

Let’s examine the pros and cons between these two great brands of tooth tabs that GGG offers, so that you can choose which one is best suited for you and your adventurous lifestyle.

Huppy Toothpaste Tablets

California-based Huppy Toothpaste Tablets are made with all-natural ingredients that gently clean and scrub your teeth, tongue and gums, keeping your breath fresh and your smile white. 

Each time I crush a Huppy tab, I’m pleasantly surprised by how effervescent they are, dissolving in my mouth much more easily than most tabs I’ve tried. Thanks to a coconut-derived sulfate, the tabs also foam up more than others, which I like. 

Both the charcoal mint and peppermint tabs are flavored with essential oils and have a long lasting freshness that exceeds its competitors. The kid-friendly watermelon strawberry flavor is a fun option for something a little less ordinary and not too fruity.

 

Instead of using fluoride in their tooth tabs, Huppy includes Nano-hydroxyapatite (N-HA) — a non-toxic, biocompatible and calcium-rich mineral originally developed by NASA to help astronauts deal with mineral loss in their bones and teeth in space.

Huppy tabs also include Xylitol, a natural sweetener that comes from plants, which is fine for human consumption but toxic for dogs, so you have to take extra care to keep Huppy tabs away from your furry friends (and stashed away in your food bag when camping).

Huppy tabs are a bit bigger than Unpaste’s, but I find that they don’t ‘paste up’ as much. That said, the more liquidy texture of the crushed Huppy allows me to brush without feeling the need to wet my toothbrush, a win when out camping.

 

Made in Southern California, Huppy tabs come in a recyclable aluminum jar or a compostable pouch. The pouch is a better choice for most adventurers, as it’s lightweight and any tabs left to jangle in the jar will quickly turn into tooth powder.

Fun, flavorful, aesthetically pleasing and easy to use, I had no idea that tooth tabs could make me so Huppy!

SPECS

62 Tabs Per Pouch

Weight - 1.5 oz

Cost - $8.49 USD

PROS 

• all natural ingredients
• lightweight
• easy to ration
• effervescent mouth feel
• long-lasting fresh breath
• compostable, recyclable or reusable packaging
• three great flavors
• cruelty free
• fluoride free (uses N-HA instead)
• vegan
• made in USA

CONS

• isn’t as ‘paste-like’ as Unpaste
• tabs turn to powder if left to jangle in a jar or shoved in the bottom of a pack
• aluminum packaging is bulky; selecting their bag-style packaging is best
• xylitol is toxic to dogs (and possibly cats, too)

Unpaste Tooth Tabs

Unpaste was born and raised in Germany, but made its way across the ocean and into the hearts of many North Americans. Made up of all-natural ingredients, the Unpaste tabs do a great job of removing plaque, polishing your chicklets and leaving your mouth feeling super fresh.

Available in two refreshing flavors, the Unpaste tooth tabs are brought to life by added essential oils — cinnamomum cassia leaf oil for the cinnamon and mentha arvensis leaf oil for the mint. I find the flavors well balanced, but not as long lasting as Huppy’s.

 

Small but mighty, these tabs withstand a beating in the bottom of my backpack and take up nominal space in their compostable bag, which is printed with soy inks. The whole tooth tab process is waterless, which is a great bonus for lowering the environmental impact. 

I find the Unpaste tabs give me the perfect amount of paste, which is far less than I used to use from a toothpaste tube, so I feel like I’m wasting less paste. It doesn’t have any added foaming agents, which I quickly got used to.

Unpaste tabs are vegan and cruelty-free, meaning they aren’t tested on animals. They were also the first toothpaste tablets in the USA to be available with fluoride, but you can get them fluoride-free as well.

 

Sweetened with stevia instead of xylitol, you don’t have to worry if your four legged friends get a hold of your Unpaste tabs, making it less of a concern for wildlife in the unlikely circumstances that they steal your food bag. 

Again, rationing these tooth tabs for adventures is dead easy, and you don’t have to worry about how much liquid you have when traveling by plane. With the popularity of tooth tabs skyrocketing, Unpaste is becoming easier to find in stores and online.

SPECS

125 Tabs per Pouch

Weight - 1.5 oz

Cost - $8.99

PROS

• all natural ingredients
• lightweight, packable
• compostable packaging
• long-lasting fresh breath
• two great flavors
• cruelty free
• vegan
• fluoride or fluoride-free options 
• easy to ration
• robust
• made in Germany
• animal safe

CONS

• don’t foam up as much as Huppy
• can leave white residue around lips

IN CONCLUSION

Both Huppy and Unpaste make quality, all-natural toothpaste tablets that are perfect for home, travel and adventurous pursuits. 

If you prefer easy to crush, foaming paste, you might want to go with Huppy (unless you have a puppy!). 

If you prefer smaller, robust tabs that create more of a traditional feeling paste, Unpaste might be for you.

Either way, you’ll be happy (or Huppy!) you ditched the tube and went for tabs, because not only does it make brushing more fun, it’s better for the planet too!

 

 

Ali Becker is a freelance adventure writer and narrative storyteller who shares compelling conversations about personal transformations, overcoming limitations, wellness education and adventurous situations. You can follow her rambling adventures on social at @thisisalibecker or at her blog thisisalibecker.com.