What's worth buying at Walmart?
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Walmart is known for its value, but a good price is only key if you're getting a good product.
How can you tell if something is a smart purchase? A look inside the Consumer Reports labs show what to get and what to forget at Walmart, based on the latest tests.
If you think shopping at the retailer is a bright idea, Consumer Reports' tests show it could be, if you're in the market for LED light bulbs.
"LEDs are typically very expensive, but after 3,000 hours of testing, we found several from Walmart that are cheap and really good," Dan DiClerico with Consumer Reports said.
A Great Value brand 60 watt equivalent was a great bargain. If you use it three hours a day, it should last about 22 years, which isn't bad for $10.
Several Great Value brand floodlights are also a good buy.
Another good deal is Wild Oats organic food. Consumer Reports compared prices for pantry staples like ketchup, beans, marinara sauce, and creamy peanut butter.
"Walmart's prices for organics were cheaper than local supermarkets for everything we looked at, often 50 percent cheaper," said Tod Marks with Consumer Reports.
Consumer Reports regularly includes Walmart's Great Value brand in blind taste tests against big brands. They found several winners, including ranch dressing, vanilla ice cream, and mozzarella cheese.
Tests also show several of Walmart's paper products are also good bargains. Great Value Facial Tissues with Lotion are ultra soft, as is the top-rated toilet paper, White Cloud 3-ply ultra. Walmart paper towels are both strong and absorbent.
Testers in the laundry labs found not every low price is a great value. The Great Value National Laundry Detergent had dismal performance in the latest tests. A good reminder is that a low price can also be a washout.
You may also want to skip the meat and produce aisles at Walmart. Although it is America's largest grocer, Walmart earned low scores for meat and produce quality in Consumer Reports' most recent supermarket survey.
