Top 7 Budget Paper Towels 2026

What we love

• Post-consumer recycled content is your primary environmental priority and you're informed about the PFAS trade-off
• You want the most sheets per roll (156) and lowest cost per sheet ($1.12) among eco options
• You're comfortable with PCF bleaching as the appropriate standard for recycled paper

Worth knowing

• Minimizing PFAS exposure is your goal — recycled fiber is the highest-risk fiber source in this category
• You want a verified chemical safety profile — Caboo (PFAS lab-tested), Grove Co. (formaldehyde confirmed), or Betterway (unbleached + formaldehyde confirmed) are better choices

What we love

• You want unbleached recycled paper and prioritize environmental sustainability (post-consumer recycled content) over verified chemical safety
• You're upgrading from conventional Seventh Generation recycled — the unbleached variant eliminates the bleaching risk at a modest price premium
• The natural brown color and minimal processing align with your values

Worth knowing

• PFAS is your primary concern — recycled fiber is the highest-risk category regardless of bleaching method
• You want unbleached with chemical safety verification — Betterway offers unbleached bamboo with formaldehyde-free confirmation at the cost of a higher price premium

What we love

• 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

Worth knowing

• 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

What we love

• 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

Worth knowing

• 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

What we love

• B Corp certification and bamboo+sugarcane sourcing matter to you and you're comfortable with brand-claimed (not lab-tested) PFAS
• You want TCF bleaching without paying for the Caboo premium
• 120 sheets/roll and social mission (50% profits to sanitation charities) are part of your decision

Worth knowing

• You need independent lab PFAS verification — choose Caboo instead
• You want confirmed formaldehyde-free — choose Grove Co. or Betterway
• You're choosing between WGAC and Grove Co. — Grove Co. scores higher (71 vs 57) due to confirmed formaldehyde-free

What we love

• 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

Worth knowing

• 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

What we love

• 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

Worth knowing

• 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