I use the "Long's" brand pipe cleaners that I buy from my B&M. Their absorbency is fine, but I'm not entirely happy with them – they shed some lint when I move them back and forth in the draft bore, and they all have a little kink at one end.

If there was a brand that didn't have these issues, I'd buy them. But I haven't found any on-line reviews of pipe cleaners.

Hoping that I'll learn something from this thread.