How to choose bath towels (beyond the price)

The experience of a good shower or a good bath increases or decreases depending on the quality of the towel that welcomes us. There are towels that are so soft and fluffy that even a cold winter shower can end up making you feel comfortable if you wrap yourself in them. While others, either because they are old or of poor quality, which as soon as they come into contact with your skin feel like sandpaper or a cloth that gets wet quickly, capable of spoiling everything that was nice in the bathroom.

A good towel should always fulfill its main purpose: to dry well enough. But at the same time, it must also have other attributes, such as feeling good against the skin and being resistant, so that it lasts for many years.

How do you know a towel will accomplish these things just by touching it in a store? Looking at some of its features and following the tips below.

Details like the fabric are essential when choosing a towel. The material, fibers, density and how it was woven can affect the final result. The best way to choose a towel is to let yourself be guided by the experience of touch: this is how you can check if the towel is soft enough for your skin.

However, you must be vigilant. At least in New York Times They warned that “manufacturers add fabric softeners to make new towels fluffier, so it’s hard to tell how a towel really feels until you’ve washed it a few times.”

“Towels with the longest fibers and the lowest twist are the most absorbent,” they say. Apartment Therapy . Taking this into account, below you will find a list of the different materials that we can find on the market.

There are several types of cotton, but having a high or full percentage of it guarantees a minimum of quality. Between two cotton towels, how do you know which is the best? Because of the length of its fibers. The thinner and longer they are, the greater the drying capacity and comfort of the towel.

Another attribute is its weight: the heavier the towel, it means it has more and longer fibers, so it will dry better.

It is one of the luxury materials on the market, because the raw material and its supply methods are rigorously selected. For the same reason, towels made with this product are highly coveted, as they offer ultra-soft, super-absorbent drying.

Better known as foutas, Turkish cotton towels are durable and have extra-long fibers that also dry very quickly. Of course, they are much thinner than traditional towels, so they won’t necessarily be to everyone’s taste.

The particularity of this cotton lies in its method of cultivation, free of pesticides and artificial fertilizers. It is also harvested under a fair trade system and then the towel is made without toxic or harmful chemicals.

Made of ultra-fine synthetic fibers, often with polyester, microfiber bath towels are known for their durability and extremely soft texture. Commonly used for going to the gym for its quick drying properties.

Another natural fibre, but a little less well known in the bathroom sector. Linen has the property of absorbing water faster and the fabric is less likely to mold as it is naturally antimicrobial and breathable. It can be a good alternative for the summer.

An eco-friendly option is bamboo towels, which are soft and absorbent, although they may take a little longer to dry than other materials.

An even more sustainable variant is that of the Wild Lamas brand, whose towels are made of 64% polyester made from recycled plastic bottles. They are highly recommended for drying hair or going to the gym, since they have a very high absorption capacity, in addition to being extremely light.

We’ve already talked about fabrics, but the world of towels isn’t just about materials: how they’re made also has a significant impact on their performance.

Before the cotton is woven, it is combed to remove debris and shorter threads. This is how the result is fine and long locks that have a soft effect.

It is one of the most seen bathrooms in hotels. They are usually made from cotton, so they are absorbent and soft. They are known as curly towels because their strands are much tighter than traditional ones. Like this John Lewis model, 90×165, which is 100% Egyptian cotton and weighs 700 grams.

These are the napkins that have a criss-cross pattern, similar to that of a crepe waffles. They are good value for money, as they are absorbent, dry quickly and are not expensive. Some are cotton/poly blend. They are more “airy” than tea towel, so they are a good alternative if you have a poorly ventilated bathroom or live in a humid place. This model was produced using less water, so its construction is more environmentally friendly.

It is made of twist-free woven long-staple cotton. This creates a lighter and softer product, but still just as absorbent.

A twisted combination of short and long fibers is used resulting in a fine but durable yarn. Meanwhile, ring-spun cotton feels luxuriously soft. That’s why they are also a bit more expensive.

When you feature towels online, you’ll notice that their tabs often include the weight. Of course, this detail often goes unnoticed, as if it were a feature that should not matter to us. But no, it turns out to be very relevant.

Towel density is something like the equivalent of the thread count in sheets. “The density of the loops and the thickness of the threads determine the total weight of a towel”, they invent. Apartment Therapy so “the heavier the yarn and the tighter the loops, the greater the weight of the towel”.

The standard range is between 300 and 900 grams per square meter (GSM); the lower the count, the lighter the napkin.

Having a towel less than 300gsm doesn’t necessarily mean lower quality, but it does mean less fluff. Generally, this weight has quick-drying towels, like those used to go to the gym.

If you’re looking for a towel that makes you feel like you’re in a hotel spa, you should be looking from 800 GSM and up.

It’s a matter of taste or state of the moment. Standard bath towels cover from the shoulders to above the knees, between 68x132cm and 76x142cm.

However, there are larger sizes, such as the sheet towel, that provide more surface area, so you can wrap like a burrito. In general, these towels measure 88x152cm and 100x177cm.

When you are in the towel space of a store, the colors present can overwhelm you and often the purchasing decision is based on the taste of the moment. But the wisest thing is to think about the colors of the bathroom in question.

White towels are the most classic option, probably because they go with most bathrooms. They are easier to maintain, as they can be disinfected with chlorine or hot water, without worrying about possible discoloration. They can be bleached, but care must be taken as they can sometimes turn yellowish stains from sweat or other sources.

Nobody really knows what they like until they try it, which of course applies to the world of towels, where not only looks but also your experience is what should define the right one. That is why several specialized sites recommend finding the attributes you want and buying a towel at once and with different brands. This way you can find the towel you’ve been looking for for a long time and not have the closet full of towels you don’t want to use.

*Prices for products in this item are current as of April 6, 2022. Values ​​and availability may change.