When it comes to staples and must-haves in your home, office, garage, dorm room, cottage, car or boat, paper towels are at the top of the list. The multipurpose, multi-use product can do everything from wipe up spills, clean big and small messes, help sanitize workstations, and get your windows looking shiny and new. We even like using paper towels to help package breakable items when moving, later using the same sheets to clean our new home or apartment during the unpacking process. Paper towels, is there anything you cannot do?
Whether you’re using paper towels for cleaning, adding them to your place settings as makeshift napkins, or wiping a toddler’s hands after a meal, paper towels are an absorbent and reliable tool. They also come in many sizes and options.
What To Look For When Choosing Paper Towels
Want a roll or individually folded towels? Do you need one large sheet or several small sheets? Size is important when looking at paper towels and there are plenty of options to choose from on our list.
Would reusable, eco-friendly towels work for you, or are disposable eco-friendly towels better suited to your needs? If you’re using paper towels in your home, opt for eco-friendly designs. Providing paper towels at your small business? Disposable may be the way to go.
Where will you be storing the paper towels? Some options on our list individually wrap each roll/stack, which makes it easy to store them in a garage or closet. As companies move towards less packaging in an effort to be more eco-conscious, you may need a dry, warm area to store a large case of paper towels together.
How We Chose The Best Paper Towels
Not all situations call for the same paper towel material and size, so we’ve included a wide range of options on our list. All the paper towels we’ve included are absorbent, durable, and offer a variety to customers that help fill just about every need.
Whatever your paper towel requirements, we’ve got you covered. Check out our list of the best paper towels below.
1. Bounty Quick-Size Paper Towels
We’re going to be honest: we love these paper towels. Every roll contains 128 sheets of 2-ply paper towels, and the rolls are much larger than your typical paper towels. On top of that, because you can tear them off in smaller strips, each roll lasts for a long time. Best of all, Bounty paper towels really are more absorbent than the competition, and so they’re perfect for wiping up everyday spills and cleaning stubborn stains and messes on a variety of surfaces. This family pack contains eight rolls of the best paper towels we’ve ever tried, full stop.
Pros: Super absorbent paper towels; long-lasting rolls; can tear off half-size towels.
Cons: Rolls take up extra space and may not fit all paper towel holders; family pack requires pantry or similar storage space.
2. Bamboo Reusable Paper Towels
For an eco-friendly, highly absorbent paper towel, we recommend the Bamboo Reusable Paper Towels. The Bamboo towels are made with 100% organic bamboo for a product that you can feel good about using. The reusable towels can be used in the kitchen, as napkins, while cleaning your home or car, and when tackling any messy jobs. One Bamboo towel absorbs more than a traditional paper towel and remains strong and sturdy after it has been washed. Even better, the towels become softer and more absorbent the more they are used.
Pros: The Bamboo towels have been upgraded and can now be washed by hand or in a washing machine for a sanitized option.
Cons: The Bamboo paper towels are more expensive than regular disposable paper towels at the outset.
3. Scott Essential Multifold Paper Towels
When you need a large number of paper towels at an affordable price, try the Scott Essential Multifold Paper Towels. Ideal for small businesses or large groups, the Scott towels come in a case of 16 packs, with each pack containing 250 trifold sheets for a total count of 4,000 sheets per case. The towels measure 9.2” x 9.4” and fit into most standard multi-fold paper towel dispensers. Scott towels meet EPA standards and are FSC and Eco Logo certified, meaning they’re free from dyes, fragrances, and alcohol, which are all ingredients that could aggravate people with sensitive skin.
Pros: The Scott towels are one of the most affordable options when buying paper towels in bulk.
Cons: The Scott towels are only one-ply and the least absorbent option on our list.
4. Brawny Tear-A-Square Paper Towels
Half sheets too much for small tasks? We present, the Brawny Tear-A-Square Paper Towels. Brawny has finally solved the age-old dilemma of needing only a small piece of paper towel and introduced the quarter sheet rolls, which give you the option of three sizes, including full sheet, half sheet or quarter sheet, perfect for drying kid’s hands, using as napkins at the dinner table, or wiping up the tiniest of spills. Need a coaster? Use a quarter sheet. Can’t find a plate for your cookie? Quarter sheet!
Pros: The Brawny pack comes with 12 double-sized, two-ply paper towel rolls in one box.
Cons: Brawny doesn’t individually wrap each paper towel roll, which cuts down on plastic wrapping, but could be a deal-breaker depending on how you store your paper towels.