Compare Paper Towels
Caboo Tree Free Bamboo & Sugarcane Paper Towels scores higher on safety - here's why.
R3 scored the Bounty Select-A-Size Paper Towels 2.9/10 and the Caboo Tree Free Bamboo & Sugarcane Paper Towels 8.0/10 on the same paper towels scoring system, weighing safety, efficacy, and usability. The Caboo Tree Free Bamboo & Sugarcane Paper Towels comes out ahead, led by its safety score (8.0/10 vs 2.9/10).
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 Bounty Select-A-Size Paper Towels vs Caboo Tree Free Bamboo & Sugarcane Paper Towels.
Unlock the full Bounty Select-A-Size Paper Towels vs Caboo Tree Free Bamboo & Sugarcane 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...
Cleaning performance and wide availability are your only criteria
You're using paper towels exclusively for non-food-contact cleaning tasks where chemical exposure is less of a concern
Price and accessibility matter more than verified chemical safety
You want the strongest independent PFAS-free verification available — no other product in this set matches it
You're buying paper towels for food contact, food prep, or use around infants and want the most verified option
The bamboo+sugarcane combination's clean test results matter more to you than roll length or price
The main thing to know
Bounty is the best-performing paper towel for cleaning tasks, but has the lowest safety score in this set — printed inks, no PFAS claim, no certifications.
Caboo is the only lab-verified PFAS-free option in this set, but rolls are shorter than most eco alternatives and priced at a premium. Formaldehyde hasn't been disclosed.
Skip this if you...
You use paper towels for food contact, food prep surfaces, or around infants — every other product in this set has a safer verified profile
You want to avoid printed inks — Bounty is the only product in this set with confirmed decorative ink on every sheet
You need confirmed formaldehyde-free — choose Grove Co. or Betterway instead
The per-sheet cost is outside your budget — Seventh Generation Recycled offers the most sheets per roll at the lowest eco price, with the caveat that recycled fiber carries PFAS risk
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 Bounty (P&G) and Caboo across 2 independent criteria: Safety (99%), Efficacy (1%). No sponsored rankings. No paid placements.
Straight answers - no sponsored content, no filler.
I'd start with Caboo Caboo Tree Free Bamboo & Sugarcane Paper Towels - it scored 8.0/10 overall in our scoring system. 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.
Not the right match? Explore these alternatives in the same category.
