Paper towels

What's behind our paper towel Ratings?

Experts at our National Testing and Research Center tested 23 models in paper towels to see which ones perform best.

We look for:

Overall score
Overall score is based on a towels ability to absorb water, to withstood scrubbing along a rough surface and force needed to tear while wet.
Absorbency
Absorbency is based on how much water a 5-inch square piece of towel could hold.
Scrubbing
Scrubbing is based on the number of times a towel could be rubbed along a rough surface before the sheet tore.
Wet strength
Wet strength is based on how much weight a wet sheet of paper towel could hold before it tore.
Sheet
The length and width of each sheet in inches.
Sq. ft. per roll
The number of square feet of paper towel contained in each roll.

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Recommended paper towels

Recommended paper towels are standout choices with high scores. They include CR Best Buys, which offer exceptional value. When narrowing your choices, weigh features, price, and attributes that matter to you.

Paper towel buying guide

To find the paper towel that is right for you, read our expert advice on which features to consider and how to find the best value.

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Buying guide video

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Why shop here?

In addition to finding Ratings for the latest models, you can now shop online using an ad-free interface where you can buy paper towels in a safe-shopping environment.

Learn more about our Price & Shop program

If you're looking for information about paper towels, Consumer Reports is your best resource. Consumer Reports’ paper towel reviews will give you honest buying advice that you can trust. Use our paper towel buying guide to discover which features are most important to consider. We also provide unbiased Ratings and paper towel reviews to help you choose the best paper towel for your needs.

Ratings & recommended paper towels

Paper towels (23)

Recommended models are standout choices with high scores. They include CR Best Buys, which offer exceptional value. When narrowing your choices among models, weigh performance, features, price, and attributes that matter to you, such as color, size, or style.

Paper towel buying guide

When it comes to slurping up spills, some paper towels really do "bring it," which is Bounty's challenge to the messy among us. Among the nearly two dozen products we tested, two Bounty products were best, but a third version absorbed less than its brand mates.

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