Compare Paper Towels
Which scores higher on safety? R3 breaks it down.
R3 scored the Betterway Bamboo Natural Brown Paper Towels 7.1/10 and the Grove Co. Bamboo Paper Towels 7.1/10 on the same paper towels scoring system, weighing safety, efficacy, and usability. The overall scores are close; the pillar breakdown below shows where they differ.
The most important dimensions, side by side.
See which one actually scores higher — and why
Free account unlocks full safety scores, spec-by-spec breakdown, and the R3 verdict on Betterway Bamboo Natural Brown Paper Towels vs Grove Co. Bamboo Paper Towels.
Unlock the full Betterway Bamboo Natural Brown Paper Towels vs Grove Co. Bamboo Paper Towels breakdown
Free account unlocks all safety scores, complete spec comparison, scoring rationale, and the R3 verdict on which one to buy.
Everything you need to make the call - who each one is for, and who should skip it.
Go for it if you...
You want the cleanest chemical transparency for a non-lab-tested product: unbleached bamboo + confirmed formaldehyde-free + dye-free
The natural brown color matters to you as physical proof of no bleaching
You're choosing between Betterway and Grove Co. and prefer unbleached over TCF — Betterway eliminates the bleaching step entirely
Confirmed formaldehyde-free status is important to you — Grove Co. is the only brand in this set with that verification
You want TCF bamboo with B Corp credentials at a competitive eco price
You prefer 140 sheets/roll for less frequent roll changes
The main thing to know
Betterway has the best combination of unbleached bamboo + confirmed formaldehyde-free among non-lab-tested products, at the highest per-sheet price in the set.
Grove Co. is the only product in this set with confirmed formaldehyde-free status, which is a genuine advantage. The PFAS claim is brand-stated only — one published lab result would close the gap with Caboo.
Skip this if you...
You need independent lab PFAS verification — choose Caboo (lab-tested) instead
The premium pricing doesn't fit your budget — Grove Co. offers similar chemical safety credentials at a lower per-sheet cost, with TCF bleaching instead of unbleached
You need independent lab PFAS verification — choose Caboo instead
You want unbleached bamboo with formaldehyde confirmation — Betterway matches Grove Co.'s formaldehyde claim and adds unbleached processing
Neither of these quite what you're looking for?
I've reviewed all Paper Towels options at every price pointEvery Paper Towels in our database is scored using R3's deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. For this comparison, we evaluated Betterway and Grove Collaborative across 2 independent criteria: Safety (99%), Efficacy (1%). No sponsored rankings. No paid placements.
Straight answers - no sponsored content, no filler.
Both scored close to 7.1/10, so the better choice depends on your priorities. Safety is our top-weighted scoring pillar, followed by efficacy. Check which pillar matters most to your family and compare those specific scores.
R3 uses a deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. We evaluate each Paper Towels across Safety, Efficacy using independently verified data. No sponsored rankings. No paid placements. Every score is fully reproducible.
Not necessarily. The overall score reflects how we weight those three pillars, but your priorities may differ. If you care most about safety, compare the safety scores directly. If budget drives your decision, the prices tell a clearer story. The "right" pick is the one that matches what matters most to your family.
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