We conducted hours of research on paper towels, evaluating each brand on value, number of sheets per roll, and ply count for absorbency. Our top pick is the Brawny Tear-A-Square Paper Towel because it’s absorbent, affordable, and comes in multiple sizes. Ahead, find the best paper towels for your home. Our top pick for best paper towels is the Brawny Tear-A-Square Paper Towels. Not only are Brawny paper towels one of the most affordable picks on the market, but they also have a unique feature that sets them apart from the rest. They are the only paper towels that have horizontal perforations as well as vertical ones, allowing you to tear off a full, half, or even a quarter of a sheet. Offering exceptional strength and absorbency, these paper towels are great at picking up liquid spills of any size, from a small coffee overflow to a dropped dish of spaghetti. These paper towels aren’t limited to everyday cleanups, which adds to their versatility. The 5.5-inch square shape can be used as a coaster, and the half sheet works great as a napkin. They have a soft and cloth-like texture, which feels pleasant on the skin. With more than double the amount of sheets per roll compared to other brands, these paper towels are an excellent value. These paper towels might not be quite as absorbent as Bounty towels, but that’s to be expected considering the price difference. When compared to other brands, Sparkle doesn’t give you as many sheets per roll; however, the half-size sheets make it easier to use less. The select-a-size feature is very convenient since you can tear off the exact amount you need while reducing unnecessary waste. Bounty paper towels are available in double and triple-sized rolls, so you won’t have to replace them nearly as often. Although they are a bit pricier than most of our other picks, they tend to last longer. One drawback to these paper towels is that they lack half-perforations, so you might use a bit more than you need. This slightly defeats their eco-friendly purpose, but at least they’re affordably priced at a dollar per roll. Some customers have also complained that the paper is too thin and tears easily. The only hitch is finding a place to store the towels once you’ve torn them off the roll. However, there are plenty of workarounds for that issue: You can tuck them into a basket or stack them in an empty wipes container. The sheets are machine-washable, so they’re effortless to clean. You could also pop them in the dryer on low heat, but air-drying is best if you want to preserve their quality and shape. These dishcloths are machine-washable, and they’re safe to use on wood, marble, stainless steel, tile, and a variety of other surfaces. They are incredibly soft when wet and gritty enough to be used for scouring when dry, further adding to their versatility. Measuring 8 x 7 inches, these dishcloths are smaller than standard paper towels, so they’re not quite as effective at wiping up large spills. These paper towels are often used in auto body shops to mop up grease and oil, which attests to their impressive absorbency. They’re also equipped to handle more substantial household messes, too. Despite their stellar performance, these specialty towels are very affordable; they cost about 1.4 cents per sheet, so you don’t have to pay a premium to achieve a streak-free shine. Compared to other brands, you get significantly fewer towels per roll, but if their use is limited to glass, you won’t run through them quickly. Since they are single-ply, they won’t be as thick or absorbent as premium options, but they have signature “absorbency pockets” that soak up water. You may need two towels to fully dry your hands, and a few more to mop up big spills. However, they’re perfect for lightweight jobs like wiping down the counter or sweeping up crumbs. Perforated paper towel rolls, which allow you to select the size you want, are a better value and more eco-friendly because you don’t have to use more than what’s necessary. Reusable towels cost more upfront, but they can last for years, saving you money in the long run.
Material
Paper towels are made of ground-up, recyclable plant materials called cellulose, including cotton, wood, and other plants. Cellulose is made up of small sugar molecules, and these molecules give paper towels their absorbency. When shopping for paper towels, a good indicator of absorbency is the ply count. Paper towel quality is measured in plies. Due to its thicker texture, 2-ply paper is stronger and more absorbent than single-ply paper.
Usability
According to Darby Hoover, a sustainability expert with Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), paper towels can be washed and reused in some instances. “If you’ve only used a paper towel to absorb water, you may be able to dry it and reuse it, but it is not recommended to reuse paper towels that have been in contact with food, other beverages, or pet waste," she says. As an alternative, you can opt for a cloth or bamboo option, which you can use multiple times. You can use some of these recommended towels dozens of times before needing to be replaced.
Why Trust The Spruce?
Sage McHugh is a freelance writer specializing in home decor and lifestyle content. She has written for The Spruce since 2019. For this roundup, Sage researched dozens of paper towels, carefully evaluating each product’s size, material, absorbency, and usability. She also took hundreds of customer reviews and write-ups from third-party websites into account. Additional input was provided by Darby Hoover, a sustainability expert with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). However, just be mindful about what you used the paper towels for, before tossing them in your compost. Katie Berry, The Spruce’s Cleaning Review Board member, advises to not “compost paper towels used with cleaning products, paint, automobile oil,” or anything of that nature.