How to Choose the Best Bath Towels
Having the right bath towel makes daily routines more comfortable and effective. From weight to material to color, many factors go into choosing bath towels, but sometimes the standard advice on selecting bath linens isn’t enough. For example, looking for new kids' bath linens requires different considerations than stocking your short-term rental with durable towels. Explore our expert advice for finding the best towels for any bathroom in your home—and beyond.
Choosing Bath Towels for Home
When choosing towels for your home, first identify which bathroom you’re buying for, what bath linens you need, and how many you should have. Then, consider these tips as you go bathroom-by-bathroom to pick the best towels for the purpose at hand.
Towels for the Primary Suite
Start with the main bathroom when buying towels for your home. These are the bath towels you’ll use every day, so don’t be afraid to buy the fluffiest, most absorbent, most indulgent options you can find. Our premium bath collection includes lush Egyptian, Turkish, and Supima® cotton towels, as well as options made of linen, bamboo, or TENCEL™ Lyocell. The most luxurious towels have a GSM of at least 750, which makes them thicker, softer, and more absorbent. While these heavier towels will take longer to dry, we think it’s worth it: You’ll feel like you stepped into a five-star spa.
If you’re deciding between bath towels versus bath sheets for the primary suite, we recommend the larger bath sheet—but you may choose to invest in some of each. A bath sheet features oversized dimensions and offers ample coverage for most adult bodies, but a bath towel may be better suited for petite frames, for kids, or for wrapping around long hair as you go about your routine.
Towels for the Guest Bath
The best towels for the guest bath help overnight visitors feel at home. For a secondary bathroom, we recommend high-quality cotton towels with a weight between 500 and 600 GSM, so they’re sufficiently soft and absorbent but still quick to dry. Stock up on a mix of bath towels and bath sheets so your guests can choose the size that works best for them; make sure your cabinets are filled with other linens they might need, such as hand towels and washcloths. You can keep things simple with white or ivory bath towels, choose a color or design that fits the season, or opt for hues inspired by other bits of the bathroom’s decor.
Towels for Babies and Kids
The same qualities that apply to bath linens for the primary suite also influence which towels are best for babies and kids. But there’s one more factor to consider: fun! Cute cotton towels are best for babies and kids, and the kids’ bathroom is the perfect place to bring in bold colors, playful prints, or extra details that make daily routines more enjoyable for little ones and their parents.
Our kids’ towels are made from absorbent cotton and come in hooded character designs perfect for imaginative children and bright patterns that bring fun to bath time. For the littlest ones in your family, look for soft, skin-friendly cotton baby towels—options with a hood are best to help regulate baby’s body temperature after bath time.
Choosing Towels for Travel, the Beach, and Vacation Rentals
Now that we’ve covered the best towels for home bathrooms, let’s talk about towels for travel. Intended use can influence which towel is best: If you’re picking towels for the pool, you’ll want to consider different qualities than you would when packing for a long trip or outfitting a new rental property.
What Towels Are Best for Travel?
The best towel for travel is easy to pack, quick to dry, and offers the comfort you’re used to at home. While you can simply use the towels provided by your hotel or short-term rental, some travelers prefer to bring their own bath linens. However, fitting a bulky bath towel into an already-stuffed suitcase is a challenge. This is one of many reasons we love flat-weave, or hammam-style, towels. A flat-weave towel is lighter weight, easier to pack, and quicker to dry than a bath towel, making it ideal whether you’re bringing it along on a day trip or packing for a two-week international excursion.
Can Bath Towels be Used as Beach Towels?
In a pinch, you can use a bath towel for the beach, or a beach towel after you shower, since these linens serve similar purposes. In general, however, we recommend leaving your bath linens at home if you’re headed to the beach: A bath towel’s plush terry loops hold tiny grains of sand, which can create a mess back home. Instead of grabbing a bath towel from the closet, choose a beach towel with smaller loops or a flat-weave design. Bonus: Because beach towels are designed to be thinner and lighter than bath towels, they’re easier to fold and pack in a pool or beach bag and dry faster.
The Best Towels for Short-Term Rentals
Consider color and how easy they are to wash when choosing towels for short-term rentals. Err on the side of simplicity and stock your vacation property with white cotton bath towels, hand towels, and washcloths. While white towels show stains more easily than darker colors, travelers often prefer white because it’s easier to tell when they are—or are not—clean. Towels with a lower GSM are also quicker to dry. Our bath towel bundles are great for short-term rentals: Stock up on as many bundles as you need to supply your property’s bathrooms, and get everything you need in one fell swoop.
What Are the Best Pet Towels?
The biggest priority when choosing a dog-drying towel is ease of use. Chances are your furry friend won’t want to stay put while you wipe away excess water after the bath. Our pet towels function like a robe for your dog, with a hook-and-loop neck closure, a belt that ties around their waist, and two convenient hand pockets perfectly positioned for patting your pup dry. Many dog towels are made in quick-drying microfiber, but we prefer the same soft, absorbent, and high-quality cotton you’d use for the rest of your family.
Whether it’s time to replace old towels or you need new linens for an upcoming life stage, consider where you’ll be using those bath towels and let that information guide your decision-making process. For more expert advice on buying bath linens, bedding, and other home textiles, explore our Guides.