Don't Waste Your Money is supported by our readers. When you purchase an item through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Best Paper Towels

Last updated on June 30, 2023

We looked at the top 20 Paper Towels and dug through the reviews from 63 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Paper Towels.

Best Paper Towel

Our Review Process

Don't Waste Your Money is focused on helping you make the best purchasing decision. Our team of experts spends hundreds of hours analyzing, testing, and researching products so you don't have to. Learn more.

Look for the DWYM seal for products that are the best in a category.

Our Picks For The Top Paper Towels

View All Recommendations
Product Overview
Key Takeaway
Pros
Cons
 Top Pick

Tork Absorbent Hand Washing Paper Towels

Don't Waste Your Money Seal of Approval

Tork

Absorbent Hand Washing Paper Towels

Whether you run a small office or a large corporation, you'll want to grab these paper towels for your employees and guests. They are folded and designed to work in touch-free dispensers. You'll get a total of 4,000 sheets with your purchase, so you can expect the box to last a long time.

Overall Take

Designed for BusinessesEach one-ply sheet in this box of paper towels is made using recycled materials.

 Runner Up

EcoFirst Chlorine & Dye Free Recycled Paper Towels

EcoFirst

Chlorine & Dye Free Recycled Paper Towels

Constructed from 100 percent recycled paper, these paper towels are a responsible buy. Each pack contains two rolls, with the sheets measuring 11 inches by 5.5 inches. Strength and high absorbency also make the pack of paper towels a top pick.

Overall Take

Best for the EnvironmentYou won't find any bleach, dyes or fragrances in these all-natural paper towels.

Pros
" These solid and absorbant, 2-ply 100% recycled paper towels have a soft feel. Each roll is whitened without chlorine bleaching and free of any dyes, inks, or fragrances. These eco-friendly paper towels provide the perfect balance of strength and absorbency..."
 We Also Like

Brawny Tear-A-Square 2-Ply Paper Towels

Brawny

Tear-A-Square 2-Ply Paper Towels

These paper towels are soft and feel cloth-like to the touch. They come in handy small squares, allowing you to use just the right amount for your mess. They are also extremely absorbent and strong when wet, so they won’t tear when you need to scrub something until it sparkles.

Overall Take

Comfortable FeelThese paper towels are soft, strong paper towels that are very absorbent.

Pros
" Brawny are by far the softest and feel most pleasant, and they don’t irritate or scratch. Brawny feels cloth-like, which helps when washing floors and cleaning windows. It rarely wears thin, even when repeatedly scrubbing a stain. In our test..."
Cons
"It can be tough to tear a square without tearing off a full half sheet sometimes."
 Strong Contender

Sparkle Pick-A-Size Paper Towels

Sparkle

Pick-A-Size Paper Towels

One of the biggest benefits of this set of paper towels is the width of each sheet. Wider sheets are better for holding food and cleaning larger areas, like a kitchen counter or bathroom floor. Of course, the fact that the paper towels are quick to whisk away moisture without leaving any streaks behind isn't bad either.

Overall Take

Larger SheetsThis set of paper towels has sheets that are half an inch wider than traditional paper towel sheets.

Buying Guide

Life can be messy sometimes, so it’s important to always be prepared with handy paper towels to help clean things up. Paper towels are disposable, so you can throw them away after each use. This makes cleaning up a breeze because there are no rags to wash after you’re done!

One of the most helpful places in the home to have a roll of paper towels available in is the kitchen. You never know what culinary explosion is waiting to happen in the microwave! Using a damp paper towel to wipe up food messes in the microwave can help you clean up quickly and effortlessly.

Similarly, using a paper towel on stovetop surfaces helps to keep them clean without adding any scratches to the top. Cooking results in lots of splatters and spills. If not cleaned up right away (which can be tough when the stove is hot), the food can harden and become stubborn to clean. That’s when it’s important to use a sturdy paper towel rather than a scratchy kitchen sponge to wipe the mess away.

The kitchen isn’t the only place where paper towels are useful. Paper towels, combined with your choice of cleaning product, can be used to clean bathroom counters, sinks, tubs and even toilets. Being able to throw the paper towels away after each use ensures a high level of sanitation.

If you’ve got a lot of windows in your home, then you need paper towels to keep the smudges and fingerprints away. Paper towels can also help your mirrors to stay sparkling clean, ensuring you can always see your best self. Just be sure to use a paper towel that doesn’t leave any lint behind.

During cold and flu season, it’s important to use paper towels throughout your home to disinfect high-touch objects, such as door handles, light switches, banisters and kitchen knobs. Just add a dab of your cleaning product to the paper towel to make sure you’re fighting the spread of germs.

Don't just take for granted what one reviewer says. Along with our own experts, DWYM analyzes the top expert reviews of the leading products and generates a score you can actually trust.
27

Products Considered

We identified the majority of the paper towels available to purchase.
20

Products Analyzed

We then selected the leading and most popular products for our team to review.

View All Product Rankings

63

Expert Reviews Included

In addition to our expert reviews, we also incorporate feedback and analysis of some of the most respected sources including: Eco Mastery Project, Remain Eco, Scary Mommy, Bamboo Detective, BestReviews.

98,512

User Opinions Analyzed

We also incorporate user reviews from the leading retailers including

Our experts reviewed the top 20 Paper Towels and also dug through the reviews from 63 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Paper Towels.

DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.

Don't Waste Your Money Seal of Approval
Look for the DWYM seal for products that are the best in their category.

What to Look For

  • One of the most important criteria for selecting paper towels is price. Since they are so frequently used throughout the home, it’s vital to find an affordable option that works with your budget. Be sure to consider how large the rolls are, as well as how many rolls you get inside each package when factoring the price.
  • Sometimes, the mess you’re trying to clean up is huge, so you need to grab a couple of sheets of paper towel. Other times, you just need a small piece to wipe away a few splatters. That’s why it’s nice to have a choice of size in paper towels. Some brands actually have a unique option where each sheet can be torn away into quarters, so you can use just a small square if you need to, without wasting an entire sheet. Others come in sheets that are six inches wide, which is less than the size of a 10.4-inch regular sheet of paper towel. This gives you more flexibility in choosing your paper towel size. There are even paper towels that come in narrower sheets as well, making it easier to just use a small piece when you need it.
  • For many eco-minded consumers, sustainability is an important factor to consider, especially when buying single-use products like paper towels. Look for paper towels made with pulp sourced from sustainably managed forests. Companies who choose to make their paper towels from material from responsibly managed forests are essentially saying they are committed to ensuring a tree is regrown for every one that is cut down, and that they do not participate in deforesting practices.

More to Explore

While cleaning is what paper towels are most often used for, they also have some other incredibly helpful uses around the home. Paper towels can be used to extend the life of your greens and fresh herbs. Add a damp paper towel to a bag with your greens and herbs, and the increased humidity will help your produce last longer.

If you’re going to freeze any extra bread, be sure to put a dry paper towel in the bag. This will help to wick away any extra moisture so when you thaw your bread, it won’t be left soggy. Instead, it will have the same texture as when it was fresh.

Paper towels can also be used to chill white wine in a hurry. If you’ve got company over and you forgot to put a bottle in the fridge, then a paper towel can help. Wrap the bottle with a wet paper towel, and stick it in the freezer for a few minutes. The paper towel will help to cool the bottle down faster.

From our partners