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Best bath towels
Whether you want fluffy or absorbent, find the perfect towel for you
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For something as simple as drying yourself, choosing the perfect bath towel is harder than it should be.
After all, there’s more to picking out a bath towel than simply choosing the second least-expensive option with express shipping - it’s all about size, weight, and cotton content. Keeping those factors in mind, we rounded up seven of bath towels, for a luxurious bathroom experience.
Parachute’s classic bath towel is made with a 'Aerocotton technology' that makes it delightfully soft and absorbent. We loved the medium weight and classic detailing of this product, which all held up after a few washes. Plus, the neutral colors offered in this style are unlike any others we’ve seen (our favorite is mineral), and they’re quite soothing. This towel makes us feel like a million bucks for only $29, making this our best buy.
The 100 per cent long-staple Turkish cotton waffle weave is much softer, pliable, and more absorbent than we expected, but is also very lightweight. As it's thin, it would be great for the summer, however a few of its thin threads can get caught in bracelet clasps and on the corners of the towel rack, for example. That being said, it did fare well after washing, and there weren’t any new stray threads after a trip to the laundromat. The honeycomb weave texture is gorgeous, and lends well to a minimalist spa-style bathroom. In other words, these towels are extremely Instagrammable. We also liked the size of this towel. Even though it was one of the thinner options, we could easily encase ourselves in this twice like a spa wrap, which gave added thickness and fluffiness.
These are the fluffiest towels we have ever felt. Brooklinen’s Super-Plush Bath Towels are made in Turkey of 100 per cent Turkish cotton, which is highly absorbent and durable. Yes, these are good towels, but Brooklinen’s packaging was even better. They come in a branded box packed with stickers, crossword puzzles, cocktail recipes, and movie recommendations. Opening these towels feels like Christmas morning. That said, a thick towel isn’t for everyone. If you’re looking for a towel to twist your hair on top of your head while you relax with cucumbers over your eyes like in the movies, this might be too heavy, but is great for luxuriously drying off after a shower. When we washed these, they were slightly less fluffy, but not much.
Made of extra long staple PimaCott loop of American grown cotton, Wamsutta Icon PimaCott bath towel is perfectly soft and medium weight. It’s a very affordable mid-range option, but after several washes the outer lining has started to unravel and it’s become thinner. This is your standard, no-frills towel that would be an easy option for a guest bathroom should you want to easily replace several times a year. We’ve had this towel for about a year and can confidently say that durability is not its strength, but as far as design, this one is as classic as it gets. This is the least expensive towel on our list, so if you’re bathing on a budget, this is a good choice.
This is a wonderful, classic bath towel. The ribbed terry is made of 100 per cent long-staple cotton that is just the right amount of soft and fluffy while still functional as an everyday towel. We like the size of the bath sheet, which is on the larger side (35” x 70”) and perfect for wrapping yourself up after a long soak in the tub and laying on your bed for two hours afterwards. We’ve had this towel for several months, and though a few loops of terry have snagged or come undone a bit, the outer piping has stayed intact beautifully, and the same can be said for the thickness and weight of this bath sheet.
The Leland is your standard, mid-range bath towel. This one measures in at 30”x58”, making it a nice size for someone who wants slightly more fabric to dry off with, but doesn’t need the whole nine yards (literally). After several washes, there are a few snags, and it has lost some of its fluffiness, but overall is fairly durable. If you’re looking for a five-star spa-like experience, this probably won’t be it, but it will reliably get the job done for a decent price.
Pendleton Jacquard Spa Towel is a fun, luxurious towel. Everything about it from the bold pattern to the bright colors to its seriously oversized style makes this an excellent towel for the eccentric who appreciates the finer things in life. It’s soft, but not fluffy. Large, but not unmanageably so -- it even has a towel loop thoughtfully placed in the middle of its 70” width. After a wash, it looks and feels brand new. Though this is called a “spa towel” we think this would be a perfect choice to pack in your beach tote or pool bag.
The verdict:Parachute’s Classic Bath Towel is by far the best towel quality for the price. It’s perfectly soft and absorbent without being too heavy. Plus, Parachute offers a 90-day trial period. If you don’t like drying off with this after three months, you can return it for your money back. Seems like a no-brainer to us.
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