Cavy bedding?

Guinea pig / Cavy bedding?
I have 2 indoor guinea pigs and don't know what to use for bedding. I used to use straw and hay at the cumulative advice of other pet owners, the internet and care books. However I stopped using straw as it was rough, uncomfortable, non-absorbent and created a lot of occasionally moldy waste. Also my long haired pig picked up a thistle or something from it and got a nasty gouge and had to have a lot of hair removed. Using only hay however is more laborious and slightly more expensive, its also a horrible job cleaning and does not address bad smells absorbency or mould. It still looks barren and uncomfortable for them despite their joy at consuming it all. Is this ok?