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Paper towel holders can range in complexity from simple standing holders made up of a weighted base and a rod to paper towel holders designed to hang on your cabinet doors without impeding the cabinet’s operation. With this kitchen accessory, you’ll have access to paper towels whenever you need them without taking up space on your counter or walls.
The best paper towel holder should reduce the time and effort it takes to use paper towels while keeping them organized. You may also want to consider where the paper towel holder will be placed or mounted, along with its appearance, to find a product that matches your kitchen design. The list of top products below is a great place to start looking for a new paper towel holder.
- BEST OVERALL: simplehuman Tension Arm Paper Towel Holder
- BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: mDesign Metal Wall Mount Paper Towel Holder
- BEST STANDING: Umbra Tug Modern Stand Up Paper Towel Holder
- BEST WALL-MOUNTED: Kamenstein Perfect Tear Patented Wall Mount Holder
- BEST HANGING: SUNTECH Paper Towel Holder Under Kitchen Cabinet
- BEST IN-CABINET: Spectrum Diversified OTC/OTD Paper Towel Holder
What to Consider When Buying the Best Paper Towel Holder
Before choosing the best paper towel holder for your kitchen, take a look below to learn about some of the most important shopping considerations to help you find a holder that suits your needs.
Construction
The first decision to make when looking for a new paper towel holder is its material. Typically, paper towel holders are made of plastic, wood, or stainless steel.
- Plastic paper towel holders are the most affordable option, and they’re naturally resistant to water and other liquids regularly used in the kitchen. However, these paper towel holders also have the least durability, so you may need to replace this type of holder more frequently than wood or stainless steel products.
- Wooden paper towel holders have a classic appearance and a strong, durable design. They are usually coated to protect them against moisture damage, but this protection can wear off over time. If you aren’t careful about how and where the holder is used, it can lead to moisture accumulation, mold, rotting, and eventual breakage.
- Stainless steel paper towel holders are the most common type because they are resistant to the regular liquids present on a busy kitchen counter. Stainless steel is generally the most durable of the three types.
Design
Paper towel holders usually have a very basic design that consists of a rod and a base. However, many products have extra features that can make it easier to store, organize, and dispense paper towels, including tension arms, hanging hooks, and additional storage shelves.
- Tension arms look like a hinged or straight bar that serves as a friction source on standing holders. The tension allows you to grab a single piece of paper towel with one hand instead of holding the roll with one hand while grabbing the paper towel with the other.
- Hanging hooks are a built-in design feature of some wall-mounted or cabinet-mounted paper towel holders. They can hold cooking utensils, dish towels, or any other kitchen accessories.
- Storage shelves can be similarly built into the mounting frame of the paper towel holder, providing extra shelf space to hold soap, sanitizer, spices, and many other kitchen items. This feature is a great choice for smaller kitchens, allowing individuals to take advantage of the additional organization space.
Versatility
Depending on the kitchen’s size, the space available on the walls, cabinets, and counters—and kitchen layout—you will need to choose between a standing, wall-mounted, hanging, or in-cabinet paper towel holder.
- Standing paper towel holders are one of the most commonly used types because they don’t require any installation. However, it’s critical to make sure the counter space is high enough for the paper towel holder to sit comfortably. Some kitchen layouts feature large cabinets that sit low on the wall, so be sure to measure this height before deciding on a product.
- Wall-mounted paper towel holders are an excellent option for kitchens with very little counter space. Even with a lot of counter space, these devices are a convenient way to keep a kitchen organized instead of regularly moving and cleaning under a standing holder.
- Hanging paper towel holders are similar to wall-mounted holders, except they mount under kitchen cabinets—providing easy access to the roll without taking up counter space or sticking out from a wall.
- In-cabinet paper towel holders come with a narrow, flat hook on the top of the holder that loops over the top of the cabinet door. These holders allow you to keep your paper towel readily accessible but also out of sight of your guests.
Our Top Picks
This list of top paper towel holders has been selected based on quality and value, emphasizing the important shopping considerations mentioned above.
Best Overall
simplehuman Tension Arm Paper Towel Holder
If you have adequate counter space, this standing paper towel holder is an excellent option that comes with a unique design that doesn’t require using two hands to tear a piece of paper towel from the roll. A variable tension arm sticks out of the base of the holder and applies light pressure to the paper towel with a long, narrow pad.
Regardless of how much paper towel has been used from the roll, the arm will adjust to ensure that there is enough friction on the paper towel to allow you to tear a piece along the perforated edge. This standing paper towel holder also has a weighted base that keeps it steady when pulling a sheet off the roll and a water-resistant brushed stainless steel finish that is easy to clean and long-lasting.
Best Bang for the Buck
mDesign Metal Wall Mount Paper Towel Holder
You don’t need to empty your wallet to find an aesthetically pleasing and practical paper towel holder for the kitchen. The mDesign Paper Towel Holder is designed to be hung from the base of kitchen cabinets, mounted on the side of the cabinets, or mounted to a wall. It comes with the required hardware to install it quickly in either a horizontal or vertical orientation.
This paper towel holder accommodates both standard and jumbo paper towel rolls with a simple refill function to quickly and easily slide off the old roll and replace it with a new one. The holder features a durable, rust-resistant stainless steel material, and it has a matte black finish that can match just about any kitchen color scheme.
Best Standing
Umbra Tug Modern Stand Up Paper Towel Holder
Standing paper towel holders, like the Umbra Tug Modern Paper Towel Holder, are easy to clean, move, and set up, so you won’t have to struggle with adhesives or fasteners. Just place the broad, weighted base on your counter and slide a standard-size paper towel roll down onto the rod, and the holder is ready to be used. This standing holder has a brushed nickel finish that is water-resistant and looks great with most kitchen designs.
The paper towel holder rod has a curved rubber form in the center that secures the cardboard core of the paper towel roll so that you can tear a piece of paper towel from the roll using just one hand. The weighted base has also been padded to prevent the holder from sliding or scratching the surface of your counter.
Best Wall-Mounted
Kamenstein Perfect Tear Patented Wall Mount Holder
Unused wall space in the kitchen may feature attractive decorations or knickknacks. However, it can also be an ideal spot for a wall-mounted paper towel holder like the Kamenstein Perfect Tear Paper Towel Holder. This holder comes with the hardware necessary to mount it to a wall horizontally or vertically, depending on the amount of space available and the preferred placement.
The metal paper towel holder has four aluminum wires that flex to fit any paper towel roll shape, including regular, standard, and jumbo rolls. The holder also has a ratchet system that prevents the roll from unraveling, allowing users to tear off a piece with just one hand while the aluminum wire keeps the interior of the roll in place.
Best Hanging
SUNTECH Paper Towel Holder Under Kitchen Cabinet
Keep your paper towels readily accessible and out of the way with this hanging paper towel holder by SUNTECH. The base, frame, and rod are all made of waterproof stainless steel, and this holder has an anti-rust and anti-scratch finish. Due to the long, narrow size of the paper towel holder rod, you can use this holder on paper towel rolls of any size.
To install this paper towel holder properly, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. No tools are necessary for installation because this model comes with a strong, double-sided adhesive that has a maximum weight limit of 22 pounds. Because of the strength of the adhesive, you will want to decide on the exact placement beforehand instead of trying to freely line it up on the base of your cabinet.
Best in-Cabinet
Spectrum Diversified OTC/OTD Paper Towel Holder
The Spectrum Diversified Paper Towel Holder has a simple stainless steel wire appearance. It comes with a metal mounting bracket that gives the ability to store paper towels safely on the back of a cabinet door where it’s easy to access—yet remains out of the way—while preparing food or cleaning up.
The stainless steel construction makes it waterproof and corrosion-resistant, though you should be sure to dry the hinge on the bracket if it gets wet. To refill the roll on the paper towel holder, just take off the empty roll and slide a new one over the end of the wire rods. This discreet paper towel holder is an excellent option to help keep a kitchen organized.
FAQs About Paper Towel Holders
For more info about paper towel holders, read below to find a commonly asked question.
Q. Where do you store paper towels in the kitchen?
You can store paper towels on their own in your cupboards or on the counters. However, a paper towel holder can be hung from a wall, placed on the back of a cabinet door, or even hung from the underside of a cupboard or cabinet so that you have easy access to it without taking up counter space.