What Is the Best Color for Bath Towels?
The best color for bath towels is mainly a matter of personal preference, but there are still several factors to consider when buying bath linens. Choosing between white, neutral, and colored towels also comes down to maintenance, style, and where they’ll be used—and by whom. We offer bath towels in a rainbow of vibrant, deep, muted, and neutral hues to complement a variety of style preferences and bathroom decor.
White Towels vs. Colored Towels: Which Is Better?
White and colored towels can both be beautiful, practical options for outfitting your bath. Which is best depends on your needs, personal style, and approach to towel care. Consider the pros and cons of white versus dark or light colored towels before choosing.
Why Use White Towels?
White towels are a classic option and can contribute to a modern, minimalist look or a more traditional bathroom design. They’re versatile enough to coordinate with nearly any color, pattern, or decor. On the downside, white towels will show every drop of toothpaste, makeup smudge, or messy remnant. While there are safe approaches to keeping white linens white, it’s best not to use bleach on high-quality bath towels—so this hue is a higher-maintenance option for the bathroom.
Benefits of Colored Towels
Colored towels can add appealing contrast, brightness, or bold style to any bathroom. They can help ground your room’s aesthetic and tie together elements from a shower curtain, tile, wallpaper, or other decor details. When using colored towels, be careful about the household products you use around them: Any cleaners, facial cleansers, or toothpaste containing benzoyl peroxide, retinol, alpha hydroxy acids, or hydrogen peroxide may cause discoloration.
- Dark towels are better at hiding stains and smudges, so they’re an ideal option for kids’ bathrooms. Dark colors may also make guests more comfortable; they won’t have to worry about staining stark white towels.
- Light towels can make a bathroom feel brighter and more spacious, so they’re better for small bathrooms or rooms without windows. But light or pastel towels are also more likely to show stains and dirt than darker hues.
Strategies for Choosing the Best Bath Towel Color
If you’ve weighed the pros and cons of your available towel color options and still aren’t sure which to choose, give these strategies a shot as you narrow down your choices.
Consider Towel Care Needs
Bath towels are something that will likely be used every day, so choose colors that will stand up to regular use and the best towel washing practices. For powder rooms that see their fair share of hand drying, or if you’re frequently removing makeup, wiping the mouths of messy children, or just prefer a lower-maintenance option, choose a darker hue that can hide the stains that stick around even after laundering. You could choose a dark color for washcloths and hand towels—the ones you’re more likely to use for messy tasks—and choose a lighter color for bath towels.
Coordinate Towels and Decor
Choose towel colors that complement your other bathroom decor. Pull a similar shade from your shower curtain’s design, or use the color wheel to find complementary or analogous hues. Use a different tint of the same base color across your shower curtain, towels, washcloths, and other bath linens to create an ombré look. For a timeless option that’s versatile enough to match any style, go for neutral—think gray, white, ivory, or beige bath towels.
Enhance Your Bathroom Aesthetic
White towels exude a clean and crisp, modern aesthetic and they’re versatile enough to work with any bathroom design. Plush bath towels in rich jewel tones best suit a guest room that’s warm and inviting. Light towels can create a spa-like aesthetic and help make a small space seem larger, especially when paired with walls, tiles, and furniture in similarly light hues.
Keep It Simple With a Single Towel Color
Choose a single color for every towel in your home, regardless of the bathroom where you’ll store them. When every bath linen is the same hue, you don’t have to worry about bleeding colors, mixed-up laundry, or proper storage. For maximum versatility, fill your linen closets with towels in white or another neutral hue that will coordinate regardless of your bathroom decor.
Play With Pattern for Added Interest
Whether you prefer white or colored towels, patterns can take your bathroom style to the next level. Bath linens with a monochromatic pattern bring subtle dimension and excitement to your decor. In contrast, patterned towels that feature multicolor stripes or dots can make a formal bathroom more friendly for kids or brighten up a boring space.
Choose towels in colors that speak to you, whether that’s for practical or stylistic reasons. Whichever you choose, rest easy knowing that our high-quality towels are made from premium materials that resist fading, so they should last even when you wash them frequently. For more tips on choosing bedding and bath linens to fill your home, explore our Guides.