“Choosing a towel that is made from high-quality materials, such as premium cotton that has extra-long staple fibers to enhance strength, softness, and absorbency, is the way to go,” Smith adds. To help narrow down your options, we purchased 31 towels to test at The Lab in Des Moines, Iowa. After evaluating each option on its quality, texture, absorbency, durability, and overall value, our winner was the Frontgate Resort Cotton Bath Towel. It’s a luxurious option that’s thick and absorbent, with a bit of extra length for total (and totally plush!) coverage. Read on for our other top picks. During testing, we were particularly impressed with this towel’s absorbent properties: it was able to absorb up to a quarter of a cup of water in just a few minutes and dried our testers’ hands in two passes. While we weren’t a huge fan of the colorway that we tested—”Mediterranean Blue” looked more like the color of surgical paper towels than the Mediterranean Sea—there are plenty of neutral options to choose from online. Price at time of publish: $40 While they’re not as soft as pricier options, these towels do a great job for the price. They’re a solid option for guest bathrooms or college students—and, because they’re on the smaller side, these towels would also be great for kids. Price at time of publish: $70 A main selling point of the Temescal Organic Towel is its absorbency: the lightweight cotton is woven into narrow ribbed channels, which Coyuchi claims contribute additional drying power. During testing, we found that this towel absorbed water from our tester’s hands immediately—and what water it did absorb was barely visible on the towel. After a cycle in the laundry, the towel performed about the same, with little to no changes in its overall look or feel. Price at time of publish: $128 Made with extra-long staple Turkish cotton, this towel is soft, absorbent, and made to last. During testing, it soaked up a quarter of a cup of water in less than a minute and dried our testers’ hands with ease. We also love the contemporary striped weave, which adds a subtle visual appeal. Besides the bath towel, Kohler also offers bath sheet, washcloth, and hand towel sizes. Price at time of publish: $19 Thanks to their plush material, these towels proved to be more absorbent than other Turkish towels we’ve tried. “I appreciate that this towel is lightweight and absorbent enough to dry me off efficiently,” said our home tester, who lives in Florida. “Less bulky than most standard bath towels, it’s perfect for summer use and warmer climates.” In the lab, the terry material dried our tester’s hands in just one pass, while the striped side took a few more tries. After washing, it maintained basically the same look and performance—no loose threads or pilling here. Price at time of publish: $48 Our testers gave this towel high marks for its plush feel and high-quality construction. It was able to remove water from their hands in just one pass, and, after laundering, barely changed in terms of look and performance. Extra points for the handy hanging loop, which works great for maximizing space in smaller bathrooms. Price at time of publish: $50 One thing to note is that, due to its texture, this towel isn’t perfectly rectangular: when folded or even laying flat, the edges get quite wavy. While this didn’t affect the towel’s overall performance, if you’re a perfectionist about the look of your bathroom, it’s worth keeping in mind. Price at time of publish: $15 Made with 100 percent organic cotton, these towels have a soft feel that absorbed all of the water from our tester’s hands with just one pat. The long-staple material adds a smooth finish that resists pilling and tearing, so you won’t have to worry about any damage while washing and drying. Price at time of publish: $35 One of our only issues with this bath sheet was its durability: After washing and drying, there were a number of snags and pulled threads. While this didn’t affect its absorbency or overall feel, you might want to take extra care when washing. Price at time of publish: $35 While the design is fairly basic, these towels performed well during testing, drying our testers’ hands quickly and thoroughly without that sopping-wet feel when towels are sometimes too thin. Plus, they’re sold in four different sizes—including bath towels, bath sheets, washcloths, and hand towels—so you can stock your whole linen closet with the color of your choice. Price at time of publish: $36 You’ll most commonly see towels made from cotton, thanks to their impressive absorbency and softness. There are several types of cotton towels available, including Egyptian cotton, Turkish cotton, organic cotton, Pima cotton, and more. (We’ll discuss the nuances of these cotton varieties below.) Plus, there are also towels made from bamboo, a more eco-friendly option, and microfiber, a type of inexpensive polyester.
Size
While perhaps not the most important consideration, you should always check the size of bath towels before you buy them. There’s nothing worse than getting your towels home and realizing they’ll barely wrap around your body! Standard bath towels typically measure between 27 to 30 inches wide and 52 to 58 inches long. Towels that are 27 x 52 inches may be perfect for smaller adults, but they likely won’t suffice for larger adults. Keep this in mind, especially if you’re shopping online and can’t see the towel in person before you buy. If you want to really bundle yourself up in a towel, look for bath sheets, which are larger, spa-like towels that typically measure between 35 to 40 inches wide and 60 to 70 inches long. As you might expect, they generally cost more than standard towels.
Weight
All fabrics, including towels, have a weight that’s measured in GSM, or grams per square meter. In general, towels typically weigh between 300 and 900 GSM—the lower the number, the lighter the towel will be (and the quicker to dry). There’s no “right” towel weight; it’s simply a matter of personal preference. Some people like lighter towels, while others prefer heavy, dense ones. As a general rule of thumb, towels with a GSM of 300-400 are great for humid areas, while products between 400-600 GSM are standard. Towels that weigh more than 600 GSM are often considered “luxury” products. There are some key performance differences associated with various towel weights that are important to factor into your purchasing decision. For instance, products with a low GSM typically dry faster but aren’t as absorbent. An example of this is a lightweight beach towel. On the other hand, heavy towels with a high GSM are the most absorbent and plush, but as such, they will take longer to dry.
Absorbency
Absorbency is another important consideration when purchasing towels, but this factor is often hard to discern when you’re shopping in-store or online. There’s no way to measure a towel’s absorbency without trying it, but you can look for a few indicators that a towel will soak up plenty of water. For one, thicker, heavier towels are generally more absorbent, as previously noted. This means towels with a higher GSM will soak up more water—but, remember, they take longer to dry out. Further, towels made from premium cotton varieties, such as Egyptian or pima cotton, tend to be more absorbent, as are products made from a cotton-rayon blend.
Construction
Products that use “combed cotton” have literally been combed to remove shorter fibers and any impurities from the yarn, resulting in a fabric made from only the longest fibers. Combed cotton towels are extremely strong and durable, though not as luxurious to the touch. Ringspun cotton, on the other hand, means both short and long fibers have been twisted together to create the yard, resulting in a fabric that’s smooth and soft to the touch. As you might guess, twisted yarns mean the fibers are twisted together, and different amounts of twist have different benefits. Low-twist yarns are often plush to the touch, while high-twist yarns create an extremely durable product. “No twist” means the fibers are not twisted, yielding a fluffy, absorbent towel.
Color Fastness
No one wants to splurge on towels only to have the colors fade or become splotchy. Unfortunately, there’s no precise way to tell if a towel is colorfast, so it’s best to read the reviews on an item whenever possible to see what kind of experience other buyers have had.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article was written by Lily Sperry, an associate commerce editor at The Spruce. She compiled this roundup based on lab testing feedback and product reviews from our writers, as well as extensive personal research. Each of the featured bath towels stands out in multiple ways, such as absorbency, drying speed, plushness, softness, durability, and affordability. Then there are bamboo towels, which are a great option for those looking to reduce their environmental impact. Whether they are 100 percent bamboo or a bamboo-cotton blend, these towels are naturally antibacterial. Unfortunately, they are not as absorbent as other options and are usually high in price, too. Linen is another great eco-friendly option that dries super fast; just note that they aren’t as soft as regular towels. Microfiber towels are a fast-drying and inexpensive option since they are made from finely spun synthetic fibers. They also prevent mildew from growing, so many people use this type of towel beyond their bathroom and take them to the beach, gym, and other travels. Then there are peshtemal, hammam, or fouta towels, also known as Turkish towels. These trendy towels are aesthetically pleasing and quick-drying. Like microfiber towels, many people love to take these towels to the beach and other travels. An authentic Turkish towel is made up of 100 percent Turkish cotton. Finally, there are organic towels. These towels are generally made from 100 percent cotton and are certified by a third-party vendor. These towels are made from cotton that is not treated by pesticides. These are very soft and plush but do take longer to dry than other options. Bath towels should never be laundered with fabric softener, which will add a film onto the towel and weaken the absorbency. “If you like the scent of fabric softener, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oils to your dryer balls in the last 10 minutes of the load, after everything is already mostly dry,” says Thornburg. Your towels should be laundered more often than you think (ideally every three uses!) and should be washed with other towels at the highest temperature the label says they can handle. Use a gentle detergent and dry on low or medium heat with wool dryer balls to help speed up the drying time and control static. For extra insight, Lily also spoke with two experts—Sarah Smith, Product Education & Customer Experience Manager at Serena & Lily, and Whitney Thornburg, Design Director at Coyuchi. With 23 years of combined experience in the field, Smith and Thornburg provided helpful advice on what to look for in a bath towel and other tips.
What is Spruce Approved?
Here at The Spruce we want to ensure we fully stand behind every product we recommend, and that when we say something is the best, we mean it. You might have noticed The Spruce Approved badge next to the products on this list. Every product with this badge has been rigorously tested in person and carefully selected by our expert team of lab testers and editors. In most cases, we buy all these products ourselves, though occasionally we get samples provided to us directly by companies. No matter how we procure products, they all go through the same tests and must meet the same strict criteria to make the best-of cut. We also pride ourselves on transparency and will always let you know if we received a product for free.
