At COOLCURATION we're big fans of anything that helps reduce our carbon footprint and reduces our plastic use. The LastSwab reusable Qtip by LastObject does exactly that. In this review, we're going to do a bit of a deep dive into the reusable Qtip. Check out what makes it so special and explain why we think it's a purchase worthy of our gift guide.

The history of the reusable Qtip

LastSwab were the first to propose the concept of a reusable Qtip. And in 2020 they ran a hugely successful kickstarter campaign that raised over £589,000. It's a simple idea to a big problem. "Cotton swabs are a huge source of marine pollution". Recently the EU recently passed a motion to ban their sale in Europe. Because of all this LastObject has come up with an alternate solution, a reusable, non-toxic swab that can be cleaned and re-used 1000 times.

What its made of?

LastSwab comes in a case made from a cornstarch-based bioplastic, which means it's fully biodegradable. The tips are made from a medical-grade TPE (Thermoplastic elastomer). Which makes it skin-friendly and stable, and the rod... well sadly that's still plastic (nylon to be specific).

But... when you think about it, buying and using one of these means 999 normal Qtips don't get thrown away. And that's a pretty huge saving for the planet. We're almost sure that LastSwab will keep working into this space. And we're keeping our fingers crossed that one day they'll release one with a bioplastic based stick as well.

How does it work?

Surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly) exactly like a normal Qtip for the most part. You can use it to tighten up your make-up, clean out the external parts of your ear (please don't stick anything small into your ears) or really anything that you would normally use a Qtip for.

The main difference is that the LastSwab is washable, it's as simple as running it under some warm water, shaking or dabbing it dry and popping it back into its case. The case is especially useful as it comes in handy when travelling and means there's no need to worry about what the swab has come into contact with. A bit like those handy toothbrush cases. It's also small enough to fit in any size of wash bag and itself can be rinsed clean.

How the reusable Qtip compares

For ease of use, the reusable Qtip matches up really well. In many ways, it's actually better than a standard one. It did take a little bit of getting used to, as naturally there's less absorbency (read none). But... it blended make-up well cleaned it even better and is actually quite liberating to be able to wash and re-use it. We also didn't miss the stress of unravelled moist cotton clumps getting all up in our grill. The best thing about these swabs is probably the most obvious thing about them... they are reusable. Comparing them to plastic ones is a no brainer, LastSwab are hands down the better choice and you should consider getting one for yourself.

Comparing them to paper, cotton or bamboo alternatives at first feels a little more nuanced but in reality, it's quite simple. If you can do one thing today to make a huge difference it's to reduce your use of single-use anythings. Single-use products use raw materials and create CO2. They are shipped, stored, transported, disposed of and worst of all end up on a landfill (or get burned to release even more CO2). By using a product over and over again you will exponentially reduce your impact. By using a cotton bud 999 more times than you would normally your carbon footprint is dramatically reduced.

These buds are truly impressive, one of those inventions that you find in your life and end up thinking "wait... why wasn't it always this way?"

We really do recommend them highly, so much so that we've added them to our gift guide here.