Are paper towel rolls getting smaller? Paper towel shrinkflation, brand by brand

17 of the 18 cases give a sheet count (13 stated as sheets per roll, 4 as sheets). The median roll lost 12 sheets (8.9%); the most: Great Value Ultra Strong paper towels 168 sheets/roll → 120 sheets/roll (2023), 48 sheets; Bounty Select-A-Size paper towels, 8 triple rolls 165 sheets/roll → 135 sheets/roll (2024), 30 sheets; Brawny Tear-A-Square paper towels 120 sheets/roll → 100 sheets/roll (2024), 20 sheets.

The roll names stayed. In 11 of these cases the product name the source recorded still calls it a double, mega or triple roll while the sheet count fell: Bounty Select-A-Size paper towels, 8 triple rolls 165 sheets/roll → 135 sheets/roll (2024); Sparkle Pick-A-Size paper towels, 8 double rolls 126 sheets/roll → 110 sheets/roll (2024); Scott Choose-A-Sheet paper towels, 6 double rolls 110 sheets/roll → 100 sheets/roll (2024); Viva Paper Towels Triple Roll 133 sheets → 121 sheets (2025); Bounty Mega Rolls 180 sheets → 164 sheets (2025); Bounty Triple Roll paper towels 135 sheets/roll → 123 sheets/roll (2025); Viva paper towels double roll 94 sheets/roll → 86 sheets/roll (2025); Great Value Ultra Strong paper towels, 6 double rolls 120 sheets/roll → 110 sheets/roll (2024); Sparkle Pick-A-Size paper towels, 6 double rolls 120 sheets/roll → 110 sheets/roll (2024); Bounty Select-a-Size double roll (2023) 98 sheets/roll → 90 sheets/roll (2023); Bounty Select-a-Size triple roll (2023) 147 sheets/roll → 135 sheets/roll (2023).

Area, not sheets. 1 case measures the paper area in square feet instead: Kirkland Signature (Costco) paper towels 96.2 sq ft → 85 sq ft (2010). It is listed separately and left out of the sheet medians on this page.

How these cases are counted

Sources. 11 from mouseprint.org; 5 from lendingtree.com; 1 from usw.org; 1 from consumerreports.org. Each case page quotes or links its source; we list a cut only when the source gives both the old and the new count or size, and we do not estimate.

Sheets and square feet are kept apart. The median cut, hidden rise and sheets lost use the 17 sheet-count cases only; the 1 sq ft case is shown on its own. Each line is a separate report and often a different pack (double, triple or mega rolls, different pack sizes), so the numbers do not always chain.

How to compare paper towels

1. Price per 100 sheets. Pack price ÷ (rolls × sheets per roll) × 100. A per-roll price does not compare packs fairly when the sheet count changes.
2. Ignore roll names. Bounty Select-A-Size paper towels, 8 triple rolls 165 sheets/roll → 135 sheets/roll (2024); Sparkle Pick-A-Size paper towels, 8 double rolls 126 sheets/roll → 110 sheets/roll (2024); Scott Choose-A-Sheet paper towels, 6 double rolls 110 sheets/roll → 100 sheets/roll (2024).
3. Check the sheet size printed on the pack. A roll can keep its sheet count and use smaller sheets.
4. Look it up: search a brand, or use the barcode lookup.

More: all paper towel cases · toilet paper shrinkflation · cleaning products · store brands (Kirkland, Great Value) · US tracker · best-known examples.

FAQ

Are paper towel rolls getting smaller?

Yes. Paper towel rolls keep losing sheets. ShrinkRadar has 18 documented cases of paper towel rolls sold in smaller packs or with fewer items, in the US, from 2010 to 2025. The median cut by sheet count is 8.9%, which is a 9.8% higher price per sheet if the pack price stayed the same. The most recent: Viva Paper Towels Triple Roll 133 sheets → 121 sheets (2025); Bounty Mega Rolls 180 sheets → 164 sheets (2025); Bounty Triple Roll paper towels 135 sheets/roll → 123 sheets/roll (2025); Viva paper towels double roll 94 sheets/roll → 86 sheets/roll (2025).

Which paper towel shrank the most?

Great Value Ultra Strong paper towels: 168 sheets/roll → 120 sheets/roll (−28.6%, 2023, source: usw.org). Others with big cuts: Bounty Select-A-Size paper towels, 8 triple rolls 165 sheets/roll → 135 sheets/roll; Brawny Tear-A-Square paper towels 120 sheets/roll → 100 sheets/roll; Sparkle Pick-A-Size paper towels, 8 double rolls 126 sheets/roll → 110 sheets/roll.

Has Bounty shrunk its paper towels?

Yes. 7 documented cuts, newest first: Bounty Mega Rolls 180 sheets → 164 sheets (2025); Bounty Triple Roll paper towels 135 sheets/roll → 123 sheets/roll (2025); Bounty Select-A-Size paper towels, 8 triple rolls 165 sheets/roll → 135 sheets/roll (2024); Bounty Select-a-Size double roll (2023) 98 sheets/roll → 90 sheets/roll (2023); Bounty Select-a-Size triple roll (2023) 147 sheets/roll → 135 sheets/roll (2023); Bounty Paper Towels 165 sheets → 147 sheets (2021); Bounty Select-a-Size roll (2012) 121 sheets/roll → 111 sheets/roll (2012).

Has Brawny shrunk its paper towels?

Yes. 2 documented cuts, newest first: Brawny Tear-A-Square paper towels 120 sheets/roll → 100 sheets/roll (2024); Brawny Paper Towels 87 sheets → 80 sheets (2019).

Did the price per sheet go up?

Where the source recorded the price before and after (5 cases), 5 cost more per sheet afterwards.

How many sheets have paper towel rolls lost?

In the 17 cases with a sheet count, the median roll lost 12 sheets (8.9%). The biggest cuts: Great Value Ultra Strong paper towels 168 sheets/roll → 120 sheets/roll (2023); Bounty Select-A-Size paper towels, 8 triple rolls 165 sheets/roll → 135 sheets/roll (2024); Brawny Tear-A-Square paper towels 120 sheets/roll → 100 sheets/roll (2024).

Are “double”, “mega” and “triple” paper towel rolls getting fewer sheets?

Yes. In 11 documented cases the product name still says double, mega or triple roll while the sheet count fell: Bounty Select-A-Size paper towels, 8 triple rolls 165 sheets/roll → 135 sheets/roll (2024); Sparkle Pick-A-Size paper towels, 8 double rolls 126 sheets/roll → 110 sheets/roll (2024); Scott Choose-A-Sheet paper towels, 6 double rolls 110 sheets/roll → 100 sheets/roll (2024); Viva Paper Towels Triple Roll 133 sheets → 121 sheets (2025); Bounty Mega Rolls 180 sheets → 164 sheets (2025); Bounty Triple Roll paper towels 135 sheets/roll → 123 sheets/roll (2025); Viva paper towels double roll 94 sheets/roll → 86 sheets/roll (2025); Great Value Ultra Strong paper towels, 6 double rolls 120 sheets/roll → 110 sheets/roll (2024).

Which paper towel got the most expensive per sheet?

Of the 5 cases with both pack prices and a roll count in the name, the biggest jump: Sparkle Pick-A-Size paper towels, 8 double rolls, $8.22 → $13.19 for 126 sheets → 110 sheets per roll, 83.8% more per sheet.

Are paper towels also measured in square feet?

In 1 case: Kirkland Signature (Costco) paper towels 96.2 sq ft → 85 sq ft (2010). It is kept separate from the sheet counts.

Where does this data come from?

From mouseprint.org, lendingtree.com, usw.org, consumerreports.org. Each case page quotes or links its source, and we list a cut only when the source gives both the old and the new size or count. We do not estimate.