7 Famous Brands Behind Costco's Kirkland Labeled Home Goods

Most major retailers carry generic labeled products beside branded items. Reduced marketing and R&D costs around these products mean shoppers can get goods at a reduced price point. Many people believe these products are of lesser quality than their higher-priced counterparts. Although this seems like the case, it's not always true. Costco's generic brand (Kirkland Signature) ranges in quality, and if you want to shop smart, it can pay to know which manufacturers are behind the items. Some products are surprisingly on the same level, if not higher, as name-brand items. This is owed to the fact that those very same brands often inconspicuously produce them. Knowing which items these are is one of the top Costco home goods hacks that can save you money.

Several Kirkland Signature products have been outed. Sometimes, it's by public statements, obvious packaging choices, or careful discernment of curious customers. Below are seven products manufactured by other companies but primarily sold under the Kirkland Signature name. Many of these brands also have their own products on Costco shelves, which is a clever marketing move that benefits all parties involved: The shopper, Costco, and the company using a generic disguise. Read on to learn more about these products, why the companies made these business decisions, and how we confirmed these Kirkland Signature brand agreements to be true. 

The average person likely recognizes "Duracell" as the company behind one of the most popular battery brands. Duracell manufactures many different types of batteries and sells them at most popular retailers. Their batteries are plentiful and reliable; they meet the ISO 9000 Standards, which are the international principles set to ensure quality products. With their shining reputation for being long-lasting and powerful, it's no surprise that Costco's generic batteries have similar testimonials, seeing as the Kirkland batteries are made by Duracell.

In 2016, Costco's CEO told WSBTV News that Duracell is the big-name manufacturer behind Kirkland Signature batteries. However, generic brands do change throughout the years, and there haven't been any concrete updates since 2016. Keep in mind that Duracell is an international company — they manufacture all over the world, so the current Kirkland Signature batteries could be made anywhere, including the United States, Europe, and China.

Kimberly-Clark is a massive company that owns many popular brands, including the very widespread and beloved Huggies diapers. Huggies are known for being breathable, absorbent, gentle, and generally safe. Kirkland Signature diapers have many of the same qualities and are made of similar materials. Likely, this is because Kimberly-Clark also produces them.

According to an interview with the Wall Street Journal in 2017, Costco finance chief Richard Galanti revealed his company made a deal with the Kimberly-Clark corporation. Kimberly-Clark agreed to make Kirkland Signature diapers as long as Huggies are the only brand-name diapers sold in-store. It's a beneficial agreement for both companies — Huggies doesn't have competition, and Costco has a cheaper option for families on a budget. Richard Galanti hasn't publically commented on this topic since that interview, but the business agreement appears to be ongoing. If you browse Costco's online selection or in-store aisles, you won't find any other diaper brands.

Like most well-known and reputable companies, Reynolds Consumer Products Incorporated has been around for decades. Their company name is often shortened to just "Reynolds," and they've been selling aluminum foil since the 1940s. Their foil and other essential kitchen supplies are staples in most households, making it obvious why Costco would team up with them to produce their generic kitchen supply line. Costco carries four Kirkland Signature Reynolds products, which include a 12-inch foil roll, an 18-inch foil roll, foodservice foil, and a 500-pack of pre-cut foil sheets.

Costco's Kirkland Signature and Reynolds collaboration isn't subtle like some other brand agreements. All Kirkland Signature foil products are co-branded with the Reynolds name. In addition to the co-branding, Costco sells solely Reynolds brand products alongside their Kirkland Signature line. The details behind this agreement aren't public knowledge, but it is possible to argue that the branding explicitly placed on the packaging might be part of the terms.

Disposable red cups took off in the 1970s, becoming an icon of American party culture. Chinet is a popular company, first established in 1930, that jumped on the red cup trend but with sustainable goals. This brand is known for its eco-friendly practices. They use recycled materials and renewable energy for many of their products and intend to be 100% recyclable, compostable, or reusable by 2030. The business agreement with Costco is in plain sight, as Chinet and Kirkland co-brand "The Big Red Cup" classic solo cup packs together.

Costco teamed up with this good-intentioned company, reaping the reputation benefits of their sustainable practices. Costco's "The Big Red Cup" packs are co-branded as Chinet and Kirkland Signature and are the only traditional American "party cups" in stock in Costco stores. Other Chinet-branded products are also kept in stock, although they aren't as exclusive — paper plates are also sold in stores. However, the only other plastic cups are strictly Chinet brand, and as of 2024, those cups do not yet have a Kirkland Signature alternative.

Owners of gas-powered vehicles know the importance of routine oil changes. Keeping a canister of oil on hand is a good idea — even if you aren't mechanically inclined. Highline Warren LLC is a coast-to-coast manufacturer of automotive parts and makes some of the most popular and reputable oil brands on the market. They distribute Prime Guard, Mobil 1, and STP, and they're also the big name behind Kirkland Signature motor oil.

On the back of the fully synthetic and heavy-duty diesel Kirkland Signature motor oils, a line of fine print reads, "Manufactured by Highline Warren LLC." They aren't co-branded in big bold letters like other items on this list. Still, these products clearly come from the Highline Warren manufacturing and distribution facilities. On Costco's online site, the only other oil products for sale are from the Mobil brand. Mobil is known to be distributed by Highline Warren, further proving Costco's motor oil options originate from a reputable facility.

One of the things you need to know about Costco's home products is that there's a big selection of quality mattresses to choose from, including Costco's Kirkland line, which is produced by a leading mattress manufacturer. Stearns & Foster is a mattress company that's been around since the 19th century, and it's also the name behind two other well-known mattress brands: Bassett and Sealy. Their factories produce mattresses for high-end hotels and also supply Costco's generic brand. In addition to having the name right on the label, Stearns & Foster also sells mattresses at Costco under its other company name, Sealy Posturepedic.

Kirkland Signature by Stearns & Foster is the formal name of Costco's co-branded mattress collection. Because Stearns & Foster is the company behind Costco's Kirkland-brand mattress, these beds are high quality and reasonably priced, like many other favorite Kirkland Signature products. Out of the various types of mattresses Costco sells, Costco's generic brand queen, king, and California king-size mattresses are highly rated by online shoppers and share many features with Stearns & Foster's name-brand products. Reviews also reveal a trend: Shoppers have made repeat purchases of the Kirkland mattresses, a strong testament to their quality and comfort.

The Nexgrill brand is only a few decades old but is slowly making headway as a multimillion-dollar company. Its primary products are those pertaining to outdoor grilling and cooking, and it produces items for several other brands. Some of its products are also marketed under the KitchenAid brand. Their Nexgrill-labeled grills are sold at retailers like Best Buy and The Home Depot, and they are mostly positively reviewed by customers. The Kirkland Signature stainless steel gas grill is also on the market and almost guaranteed to be a rebranded Nexgrill.

Technically, whether Nexgrill makes products for Kirkland Signature is still a matter for debate; it hasn't been officially confirmed by any Costco or Nexgrill spokesperson. However, multiple coincidences make the case seem likely. For one, Nexgrill is already known for making grills for other brands, like KitchenAid, whose products are also sold at Costco. Online commenters have also reported that the Kirkland Signature grill comes with a Nexgrill manual despite the online manual being Costco-branded. Reviewers on the Costco website also support the Nexgrill theory, saying they were redirected to the Nexgrill company if they contacted Costco with any questions about the Kirkland Signature grill.

While it isn't a holy grail brand among grill masters (like Webber or Napoleon), Nexgrill-manufactured models may be just fine if you're not looking for a high-end grill. That said, you might want to think twice before buying Costco's Kirkland 6-burner grill, as multiple reviewers reported assembly issues and problems with the burners. The larger 12-burner Kirkland Signature grill from Costco has fewer negative reviews and a higher star rating of 4.4, but it also costs significantly more ($3499.99).