12 High-Quality Walmart Great Value Items (Most Are Better Than the Name Brand Stuff)

The Great Value label doesn't get much shelf glamour, but a lot of what's inside those plain packages holds its own against the brands you grew up buying. Choosing store brand on the basics is one of the easiest Walmart shopping hacks out there.

Our list mixes pantry staples with household workhorses, and every pick carries at least a 4.6-star rating on Walmart's site. Standouts include freezer bags that cost about a third of Ziploc's per-bag price and disinfecting wipes that give you more than double the count of Clorox for the same $2.98.

With holiday baking and hosting around the corner, now's a smart time to stock up.

Editor's note: Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location.

Price: $4.83

Thanksgiving is just over a month away, and heavy-duty foil is the unsung hero of the holiday kitchen. This 50-square-foot roll is thick enough to tent a turkey, line a roasting pan, or wrap leftovers tightly enough to survive a trip home in someone's car.

It's also one of Walmart's most-reviewed Great Value products, with a 4.7-star rating across more than 20,000 reviews. The name-brand version, Reynolds Wrap Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil, 50 sq ft, sells for $5.97 at Walmart, so you're saving $1.14 a roll for the same square footage. That's not life-changing on its own, but foil is something most households buy over and over, especially between November and January.

Price: $5.12

If there's one baking ingredient where the store brand really earns its keep, it's vanilla. This is pure vanilla extract, not imitation, so it brings the real flavor to cookies, pound cake, French toast, and homemade whipped cream without the boutique price tag.

The 2-ounce bottle costs $5.12, while McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract runs $6.93 for 2 ounces at Walmart. That's about 26% less for the same size bottle. Holiday baking can burn through vanilla fast, so if you're planning a cookie marathon in December, those savings add up with every refill. Shoppers seem happy with the swap, too: it holds a 4.7-star rating from more than 5,500 reviews.

Price: $2.98

Cold and flu season is ramping up, which makes this a good time to keep a canister of wipes in the kitchen, bathroom, and car. Great Value's lemon-scented disinfecting wipes come in 75-count canisters and are handy for wiping down doorknobs, countertops, remotes, and phone cases.

Here's where the math gets fun. A 35-count canister of Clorox Disinfecting Wipes in Crisp Lemon costs $2.98 at Walmart, the same price as this 75-count Great Value canister. That works out to about 4 cents per wipe for Great Value versus about 9 cents for Clorox, so you're getting more than twice as many wipes for your money. With a 4.8-star rating, the store brand doesn't seem to be cutting corners.

Price: $1.96

Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin muffins are about to take over the season, and this 15-ounce can is all you need to get started. As the name promises, the only ingredient is pumpkin, so you control the sugar and spices yourself.

At $1.96, it's priced right alongside the name-brand can, so the real selling point here is quality. It has a 4.6-star rating from more than 10,000 reviews, and shoppers say it does the job. Shopper Tina said: "This pumpkin puree is smooth, fresh-tasting, and works perfectly for baking and cooking." If you bake a lot this time of year, Walmart also sells a 29-ounce can for $2.97, which is plenty for two pies and a much better deal per ounce.

Price: $6.48

Trash bags are the definition of a boring purchase, which is exactly why paying extra for a brand name stings. These 13-gallon drawstring bags fit standard tall kitchen cans, come 40 to a box, and are unscented, a plus if you'd rather your kitchen didn't smell like a candle aisle.

For comparison, a 40-count box of Glad ForceFlex Tall Kitchen Drawstring Trash Bags costs $10.98 at Walmart. That's $4.50 more for the same number of bags, or roughly 27 cents per bag versus about 16 cents. This box is also the most-reviewed item on our list, with a 4.7-star rating from more than 59,000 shoppers, which says a lot about how many people have made the switch.

Price: $8.27

Real maple syrup can feel like a splurge, but this 12.5-ounce bottle is the genuine article, US Grade A Amber, not a corn syrup blend dressed up with maple flavoring. It's lovely on pancakes and waffles, but it also earns its place in fall cooking: brush it on roasted carrots, stir it into oatmeal, or use it to glaze a ham.

It has a 4.7-star rating, and some reviewers were pleasantly surprised. Shopper Mark said: "This is outstanding maple syrup and from Walmart??" If you go through syrup quickly, Walmart also carries a 32-ounce bottle for $17.34, which brings the cost down to about 54 cents per ounce compared with about 66 cents for the smaller bottle.

Price: $5.23

If you batch-cook soups, freeze leftovers, or stock up on meat when it's on sale, freezer bags are a must. This box holds 80 gallon-size bags with a double zipper seal, which helps keep air out and freezer burn at bay.

Now for the eye-opening part. A 20-count box of gallon-sized Ziploc Brand Freezer Bags costs $4.22 at Walmart, or about 21 cents per bag. The Great Value box works out to about 7 cents per bag. To get 80 Ziploc bags, you'd spend about $16.88, roughly $11.65 more than this one box. With a 4.8-star rating from more than 55,000 reviews, these are one of the clearest wins on our list.

Price: $1.50

Soup season is here, and a carton of broth is the starting point for half the comfort food you'll make between now and spring. This 32-ounce carton is shelf-stable, gluten-free, and works in everything from chicken noodle soup to risotto to Thanksgiving stuffing.

At $1.50, it's one of the cheapest items on our list, and it has a 4.7-star rating from more than 24,000 reviews, so plenty of home cooks are happy with it. Buy a few cartons now and keep them in the pantry so you're never stuck running to the store mid-recipe. Need more for a big holiday meal? Walmart also sells a 48-ounce family-size carton for $2.16, enough for a double batch of stuffing and gravy.

Price: $2.46

After a big holiday meal, you'll want a dish soap that can handle greasy roasting pans and a sink full of serving bowls. This Great Value Ultra Dish Liquid comes in a 28-ounce bottle with the familiar original scent, and it's a dependable everyday pick for the pile of pans that follows a holiday dinner.

With a 4.6-star rating from more than 15,000 reviews, it's one of the most popular store-brand swaps in the household aisle. At $2.46, it works out to under 9 cents an ounce. Want to stock up for the holidays? The 70-ounce bottle costs $6.14, which is enough to refill a countertop dispenser several times and keeps you from running out right before company comes over.

Price: $7.32

Your morning coffee is one of those small purchases that quietly adds up over a year. This 12-ounce bag of Great Value Donut Shop coffee is a 100% Arabica medium roast in the classic donut-shop style, which makes it a solid everyday brew whether you take it black or with plenty of cream.

It goes head-to-head with Dunkin' Original Blend Ground Coffee, 12 oz, which costs $8.97 at Walmart. That's a $1.65 savings per bag. If your household goes through a bag every two weeks, switching could save you about $43 over a year. With a 4.7-star rating from more than 26,000 reviews, the coffee appears to have plenty of fans who agree it's worth the swap.

Price: $3.16

Parchment paper is a cookie-season essential, and once you start using it, it's hard to go back. Line a sheet pan, and your cookies slide right off, your roasted vegetables don't stick, and cleanup takes about 30 seconds. This roll gives you 50 square feet of non-stick paper for $3.16.

It's earned a 4.8-star rating from nearly 18,000 reviews, and shoppers use it for more than baking. Shopper Mary said: "Perfect for baking and for under really anything sticky that you don't feel like cleaning up after." If you bake often, the 100-square-foot roll costs $5.67, which works out to about 5.7 cents per square foot versus about 6.3 cents for the smaller roll, so the bigger box pays off if you go through it quickly.

Price: $3.86

Chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and holiday bark all start here. This 12-ounce bag of semi-sweet chips is the same size most classic cookie recipes call for, so you can bake a full batch without measuring out a partial bag.

It holds a 4.7-star rating from nearly 8,000 reviews, and it's priced a touch below the name-brand bag at Walmart. The real savings come with the bigger bags, though. The 24-ounce bag costs $6.74, and the 36-ounce bag costs $9.38, which drops the price from about 32 cents an ounce to about 26 cents. If you're planning on cookie swaps, teacher gifts, or a holiday baking marathon, the big bag is the smarter buy.

Great Value proves the store brand is often the smarter buy, saving you real money on everything from pure vanilla and maple syrup to freezer bags and trash bags without sacrificing quality. Paired with a little stocking up before the busy holiday season, weekly deals like these can also help you save more money on groceries.