Types of paper towel dispensers

Paper towel dispensers are present in most public restrooms. They are not found only in places where hand dryers are installed, although sometimes both hand dryers and paper towel dispensers are available in the same restroom. Paper towel dispensers differ from each other in terms of the type of towels they hold and the dispensing methods. To choose the most convenient dispenser for yourself, we recommend familiarizing yourself with our summary.

Division of dispensers by type of towels:

- dispensers for folded towels

- dispensers for roll towels

- dispensers for center-pull roll towels

- dispensers for cotton towels

Division of dispensers by dispensing method:

- dispensers for center-pull towels

- manual dispensers

- automatic dispensers

Additionally, we can distinguish:

- free-standing dispensers

- dispensers with a waste bin

Dispenser for ZZ paper towels

Dispensers for folded paper towels work well in public restrooms as long as they have the option of dispensing single sheets of paper. Otherwise, large amounts of towels may be wasted, accidentally or deliberately pulled out but not needed for drying hands. ZZ towel dispensers are quite flat, making them suitable for restrooms with limited space.  

Dispenser for paper towels in a roll

We can generally divide them into dispensers where the paper is dispensed centrally, meaning from the center of the roll after removing the core, and those where the paper is unwound from the outer part of the roll. Center-pull paper towels stand vertically in the dispenser, and sometimes—depending on the quality of the towel—they can roll tightly when pulled out, making it difficult to quickly dry hands. In dispensers for externally dispensed rolls, the paper roll is placed horizontally, and the next sections of paper are either torn off or, in the case of automatic dispensers, cut off. 

Automatic paper towel dispensers

Dispensers for automatically dispensed towels are recommended for places with high hygiene standards because, in their case, the user only touches the paper sheets they will use. Additionally, single-sheet dispensing significantly reduces overall consumption. Automatic dispensers operate with a photocell or infrared sensor; when they detect motion, they automatically dispense paper. For these dispensers, only roll towels are used.   

Paper towel dispensers with waste bins

This combination allows for the disposal of towels directly after drying hands into a bin located under the dispenser. These are usually built-in sets to save space and for ergonomic towel dispensing and disposal. They are typically made of stainless steel, which makes them not the cheapest option due to their size. 

Free-standing paper towel dispensers

Countertop towel dispensers are quite rare, but they have a major advantage over wall-mounted dispensers, which is their mobility. Such a dispenser can be placed where there is no possibility of mounting a dispenser on the wall and can be moved to another location when needed. These dispensers are usually filled with folded towels, although countertop wiper dispensers can also use roll towels. We mention this because paper towels often fit into wiper dispensers, and there is not much difference between paper towels and regular paper wipers. 

Cotton towel dispensers

This is a novelty in our market, and the only company offering such products is CWS-boco. The company provides a comprehensive solution, which includes installation and servicing of the devices, as well as the laundry service and delivery of clean cotton towels in rolls. The offer includes manual and automatic dispensers, and they work in such a way that the user always wipes their hands on a dry piece of the cotton towel. Using cotton towels is an eco-friendly solution as they are reusable, produce no waste, and have low or zero electricity consumption. 

Ryszard Kurek