Want to Save Money on Paper Towels? Buy the Expensive Brand.

But when you reach for the budget brand of paper towels, you may actually be spending more money in the long run.

We spent weeks testing paper towels for our latest review. The tests included everything from measuring the thickness of each sheet to cleaning various surfaces to evaluate strength and absorbency. We also counted each sheet on every roll and calculated the cost to find the brand with the most value. 

Here’s what we learned.

We calculated that most paper towels cost around $0.01 to $0.02 per sheet, but the number of sheets on each roll varies depending on the brand. 

For example, Sparkle, a popular discount brand, costs around $0.01 per sheet but only had 110 sheets per roll. On the other hand, the leading brand (and our winner) from Bounty costs $0.02 per sheet and had 135 sheets per roll. Although the bargain brand is clearly cheaper at face value, the smaller rolls meant we ran out quickly. 

Good-quality rolls with 124 or more select-a-sheet towels provided the most value for the cost. They didn’t run out as frequently, so we didn’t have to buy them as often. 

The bargain brands also skimped on quality; they tore even when using them for delicate tasks, could barely absorb small spills, and were so thin that we used several sheets just to get the job done. Overall, we ended up using and buying more bargain paper towels.

Our favorite paper towels were much stronger and absorbent, so we used fewer sheets, which meant we weren’t buying more as often. It only takes one quality paper towel sheet to get the job done.

Paper towels aren’t the only way to mop up spills in your kitchen. If you’re looking to save even more money, invest in a quality dish towel or reusable paper towel option. You can either replace your paper towel roll entirely or use them in tandem.