A toilet roll holder is an item that holds a roll of toilet paper. There are at least three types of holders:

1. A horizontal piece of wire mounted on a hinge, hanging from a door or wall.
2. A horizontal axle recessed in the wall.
3. A horizontal axle mounted on a freestanding frame.
4. A freestanding vertical pole on a base.

Wire on hinge

In the first case, the idea is that the toilet roll maintains contact with the door or wall as the roll's radius decreases. This provides enough friction to allow the user to tear off a piece of tissue. More sophisticated designs include a curved horizontal plate that covers the roll, thus removing the necessity of touching the roll.

Vertical pole

Originally intended to hold a stock of replacement rolls, the vertical pole has become the only paper holder in some households. It is particularly useful in homes where the family has mixed handedness.

Toilet roll holders are often finished in chrome.

Public toilets

An important need for toilet roll holders in public toilets is the need to make it difficult to steal the toilet rolls. Various contraptions have been devised to lock the spare rolls away, and release them only when the active roll is used up.