Packer’s Pine vs The Grandpa Soap Co.: Which Pine Tar Soap Is Best?

When you’re shopping for the best pine tar soap, two names tend to come up quickly: Packer’s Pine and The Grandpa Soap Co. Both brands have long histories. Both make pine tar soap. Both offer personal care products built around that classic, woodsy ingredient.

But they are not exactly the same.

Packer’s Pine focuses specifically on pine tar personal care, with bar soap, scrub soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, bundles, and subscriptions built around one core specialty. The Grandpa Soap Co. catalog includes pine tar, but also other soap lines like witch hazel, charcoal, and Epsom salt.

So which one is right for you? Here’s a side-by-side look at what many consider the best pine tar soap products across the details that usually matter most: price, ingredients, shipping, product variety, scent profile, and overall value.

• Packer’s Pine vs The Grandpa Soap Co.: Comparison Chart

• Brand History

• Bar Soap

• Scrub Soap

• Shampoo and Conditioner

• Body Wash

• Ingredients

• Bundles and Subscriptions

• Shipping

• Which Pine Tar Soap Is Best for You?

Packer’s Pine vs The Grandpa Soap Co.: Comparison Chart

Brand History: Two Long-Running Names in Pine Tar Soap

Packer’s Pine and The Grandpa Soap Co. both have serious staying power. Packer’s Pine dates back to 1869 and is the original pine tar soap. The Grandpa Soap Co. was established soon after, in 1878.

That history matters because pine tar soap is not a trendy, here-today product category. People come back to it for its bold scent, cleansing feel, and therapeutic properties. If you like a soap with a real heritage behind it, both brands check that box.

The difference is focus.

Packer’s Pine has built its current lineup around pine tar. You can get the original bar, a scrub bar, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and several pine tar bundles. The Grandpa Soap Co. also makes pine tar products, but its catalog extends into other ingredient stories and product families.

If you want a brand that specializes in pine tar, Packer’s Pine has the edge.

Bar Soap: Price, Size, and Buying Options

Grandpa pine tar soap has a lower single-bar sticker price. Its full-size 4.25 oz bar is listed at $6.19, while Packer’s Pine offers a 3.2 oz single bar for $6.95.

That said, the sticker price is only one part of the comparison.

Packer’s Pine gives you more flexibility if you already know you like pine tar soap. The Packer’s Pine Tar Soap 3-pack is $16.99, which brings the per-bar price down compared with buying one at a time. The Grandpa Soap Co. offers multiple sizes, including a travel size, small bar, and full-size bar, but the brief does not list a multi-pack for Grandpa’s pine tar soap.

That makes the choice pretty straightforward. If you’re testing pine tar soap for the first time, Grandpa’s smaller options may be useful. If you want to stock up on pine tar bar soap, Packer’s Pine gives you a clear multi-pack option.

Scrub Soap: Packer’s Pine Offers an Exfoliating Option

One of the bigger product differences is the scrub bar.

Packer’s Pine offers a Pine Tar Scrub Bar for $7.95 and a 3-pack scrub option for $19.99. It uses coffee seed powder and cinnamon bark powder for exfoliation, along with pine tar, glycerin, pine leaf oil, and shea butter.

That gives Packer’s Pine a nice middle ground between a standard bar soap and a full body care product. It is still simple to use, but it adds grit for people who want a deeper-feeling clean after a workout, yard work, camping trip, or long day outside.

The Grandpa Soap Co. has a broader personal care catalog, but the brief does not list a comparable pine tar scrub bar. For shoppers who want exfoliation within a pine tar routine, Packer’s Pine has the clearer option.

Shampoo and Conditioner: Different Formulas, Different Priorities

Both brands offer pine tar shampoo. Packer’s Pine sells an 8 oz Pine Tar Shampoo for $14.99. The Grandpa Soap Co. lists an 8 oz pine tar shampoo for $10.49.

Grandpa’s shampoo includes tea tree oil and Siberian fir oil. Packer’s Pine shampoo includes pine tar, pine oil, sage leaf extract, and tea tree leaf oil.

If you prefer a lower upfront price, Grandpa’s shampoo may catch your eye. If you want to keep your shower routine within a pine-forward Packer’s Pine system, Packer’s shampoo fits naturally with the bar soap, body wash, conditioner, and bundles.

Packer’s Pine also offers the Pine Tar Hair Care Combo, which includes two bottles of shampoo and one conditioner for $41.95. That setup is helpful if you go through shampoo faster than conditioner, which many people do.

Body Wash: Compare Bottle Size Before Comparing Price

At first glance, Grandpa’s body wash looks less expensive at $10.49. Packer’s Pine Pine Tar Body Wash is $18.99.

But the bottle sizes are different.

Packer’s Pine body wash comes in a 16 oz bottle. Grandpa’s body wash is listed at 9.5 oz. That means Packer’s gives you a larger bottle, which matters if body wash is part of your daily routine.

Formula preferences may also influence your decision. Packer’s body wash includes pine oil, pine tar, glycerin, aloe leaf juice, calendula flower extract, and chamomile flower extract. Grandpa’s body wash includes pine tar, cedarwood oil, tea tree oil, birch juice, peppermint oil, and other ingredients.

Neither approach is automatically better for everyone. If you like tea tree, peppermint, and a more herbal profile, Grandpa’s may appeal to you. If you want a larger bottle with pine tar, pine oil, aloe, calendula, and chamomile, Packer’s Pine is a strong fit.

Ingredients: Clean Formulas with Different Scent Profiles

Both brands avoid many ingredients that shoppers often look to skip.

Packer’s Pine formulates its products without harsh chemicals and lists its products as sulfate-free and paraben-free. The brand also notes that its pine tar is produced through a closed-kiln process, creating a premium, high-purity product that is always creosote-free.

The Grandpa Soap Co. also has a clear ingredient position. Its pine tar bar soap is listed as free from phthalates, sulfates, parabens, EDTA, gluten, fragrances, and colorants. Its pine tar personal care products are also listed as vegan and cruelty-free.

The difference may come down to scent and supporting ingredients. Grandpa’s pine tar shampoo, conditioner, and body wash include tea tree oil. While Packer’s Pine only offers tea tree oil in the shampoo.

Packer’s Pine uses pine tar and pine oil as central parts of the product experience, with supporting ingredients like shea butter in the bars and aloe, calendula, and chamomile in the body wash.

Bundles and Subscriptions: Where Packer’s Pine Creates Extra Value

Bundles are where Packer’s Pine becomes especially competitive.

The Heritage Bundle includes shampoo, conditioner, body wash, three bars, and one scrub bar for $66.95. The Original Bundle includes shampoo, body wash, and three bars for $45.95. The Suds and Scrub Combo includes two soap bars and one scrub bar for $17.99.

Grandpa’s bundles are priced lower, with the pine tar soap and hair care bundle listed at $27.17, the body wash and haircare bundle at $31.47, and the pine tar collection bundle at $37.66. Those bundles are good options if you want a smaller starter set.

Packer’s bundles, though, give you more product in several cases. The Heritage Bundle is a full pine tar routine in one order. The Original Bundle covers the basics. The Hair Care Combo is practical for shampoo-heavy households. And Packer’s subscription option adds 10% off plus free shipping.

For repeat buyers, that subscription benefit can change the value equation quickly.

Shipping: Compare the Free Shipping Threshold

Packer’s Pine offers $5.95 flat-rate U.S. shipping, free U.S. shipping on orders over $45, and free shipping on subscription orders. The Grandpa Soap Co. offers free shipping on first orders and on orders over $50, with taxes, shipping fees, oversized delivery charges, and duty charges excluded from the $50 minimum.

That $45 threshold gives Packer’s Pine a small advantage for shoppers building a restock order. A 3-pack of soap plus body wash, or a bundle like the Original Bundle, can get you there without much effort.

For first-time customers, Grandpa’s free shipping on the first order may be attractive. For repeat Packer’s Pine buyers, the subscription model can be more convenient over time.

Which Pine Tar Soap Is Best for You?

Choose The Grandpa Soap Co. if you want a lower single-product price, a full-size 4.25 oz bar, or a broader brand with pine tar as one of several natural soap options. Grandpa’s may also be a good fit if you like tea tree oil, peppermint oil, and a fragrance-free positioning across the pine tar line.

Choose Packer’s Pine if you want a brand that specializes in pine tar products and gives you more ways to build a complete routine. The product line is simple to understand: bar soap, scrub soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, bundles, and subscriptions. You can buy one bar, stock up with multi-packs, add exfoliation, or switch your full shower routine to pine tar.

That specialization is the main reason Packer’s Pine stands out in this comparison.

The Bottom Line on Packer’s Pine vs Grandpa Pine Tar Soap

The upfront sticker price doesn’t always tell the full story. The Grandpa Soap Co. offers affordable pine tar products from a long-running American brand, and it may be the right pick for some shoppers.

Packer’s Pine brings a different kind of value. Its specialization in pine tar soap helps ensure you get a focused, high-quality product line, while its variety of purchasing options lets you choose what fits your routine best. Single bars, multi-packs, scrub bars, larger body wash, bundles, and subscriptions all make it easier to buy the way you actually use the products.

If you’re looking for the best pine tar soap products and want a complete pine tar routine from the original pine tar soap brand, shop the best pine tar soap products from Packer’s Pine.