Substrate advice needed

My bearded dragon Simon and I are butting heads like crazy over the issue of substrate.
I've heard a lot of negative things about sand and all the different varieties so sand for me has been ruled off the list but my beardie doesn't like tile. We tried it for a good 6 months and in that time they spent less and less time walking on the tile. It didn't interrupt any normal hunting activity but they would refuse to get off their branch.
My dragon Juniper really couldn't care less about what is there but of course is picky in many other areas.

I'm just wondering what everyone else finds works best. I heard calcium sand can actually appeal to some reptiles and they will be more likely to eat it and cause impaction. I heard crushed walnut is just a no. Paper towels just is not a fix for the three of us and Simon just doesn't seem to like the tiles.

Simon is in an 80 and he's more than old and big enough to handle sand I just don't like the idea of bacteria and such.

I have tile down but my 9 +/- mos old can't walk well on it so I've covered 3/4th of it with nonstick shelf liner. It cleans easy enough with a Clorox wipe after I've picked the pooh out w/toilet paper.

We use the reptile carpet in our viv. It's very easy to clean especially if you are good about cleaning up quickly. You can also take it out and hand wash it so it's reusable. They come in multiple sizes but have only seen them go up to 50 gal so far. So depending on the size of your enclosure you may need to buy more then one. They are easy to cut so they will fit in any size enclosure. I have also never noticed her nails getting caught in it either.

If you are willing to invest the research and work to maintain it a bioactive substrate is a good option. Of all the substrates it offers the best opportunity for enrichment but does take a bit of knowledge and setup since it's sort of a living system (like an aquarium). It relies on beneficial bacteria and some insects to keep the soil clean. In the 2 years I've been using it I've not had a problem with digestion, parasites, infection or RI.

Otherwise the duck brand non-adhesive shelf liner has a good thickness to it and is sort of soft and squishy. It may be more comfortable for the dragon.

do a compromise, have a section of sand and the rest tile or large uneven rocks. I have about 1/5th of the floor as sand and have tile and brick across the rest. When I get a larger enclosure it'll be the same I think but with more elevation changes with the brick. They still get their sand, makes substrate changes simpler and give some variety. I think making sure there is elevation difference around the sand is good though so it doesn't just get tossed around everywhere else.