The best bath towels of 2023, tested and reviewed

For a regular clean, use warm or hot water and a small amount of detergent in the washing machine. Be warned that too much detergent can lead to residue buildup, which affects the towel’s absorbency and fluff. In addition, manufacturers often add finishes or softeners to the towel, further contributing to buildup.

The Best Bath Towel

Our budget pick, Target’s Threshold Signature Spa Bath Towel, has been discontinued. You may still find it in stock; if not, we have alternatives for inexpensive towel options.

The humble bath towel is easy to overlook. A good one will dry you off and be forgotten till tomorrow. A great one is luxurious, a cozy bright spot in an otherwise mundane routine.

We’ve researched hundreds of towels and tested dozens, and we’ve recommended the Frontgate Resort Collection Bath Towel since 2017 because it’s the softest, warmest, and most durable we’ve found. If plush terry isn’t for you, we also have other options.

Everything we recommend

Our pick

Frontgate Resort Collection Bath Towel

Thick and luxurious

This is the softest towel we’ve ever tested—like a plush towel from a luxury hotel—and it comes in a wider variety of colors than any other we’ve found. But it’s gone up in price over the years.

Buying Options

Upgrade pick

Riley Spa Bath Towel

Rich texture, modern design

If you find hotel-style towels too bulky and prefer a more modern feel in the bathroom, this towel looks chic and feels fantastic on the skin. It’s one of the most expensive terry towels we’ve ever tested, though.

Buying Options

Also great

Onsen Waffle Bath Towel

Quick-drying lattice

This textured towel is lighter, drapes better, and dries faster than any terry towel we tried. It looks luxurious but unfussy and costs a third of the price of similar lattice-weave towels. But the texture might not be for everyone.

Buying Options

How we tested

Towels are anything but standard in size, which is why we actually measure every towel we test.

We wash and dry all towels once, check for shrinkage or fraying, and then wash them again four more times throughout testing.

We use each towel after showering, assess how well it dries, how soft or rough it feels, and how it covers different-sized bodies.

We time how long it takes for our wet test towels to fully air-dry in our bathrooms.

Our pick

Frontgate Resort Collection Bath Towel

Thick and luxurious

This is the softest towel we’ve ever tested—like a plush towel from a luxury hotel—and it comes in a wider variety of colors than any other we’ve found. But it’s gone up in price over the years.

Buying Options

The Frontgate Resort Collection Bath Towel is the softest, warmest, and most comfortable plush towel we’ve tried. Thicker than our other picks, it feels luxe and substantial, like a high-quality hotel towel.

After six years of use, our original test towel’s color is starting to fade (and it has a few bleached spots from run-ins with skin-care products), but it’s still cozy and absorbent.

The Frontgate bath towel comes in more than two dozen colors—more choices than any other pick. It’s available in a larger bath-sheet size, and it coordinates with a range of matching accessories, including bath mats and washcloths.

If a plush, luxurious towel is what you want, this is a great one. We’ve noticed the price of the Frontgate towel has gone up substantially over the years, so we’re keeping an eye on that trend (and looking for other towels that can compete on quality).

Upgrade pick

Riley Spa Bath Towel

Rich texture, modern design

If you find hotel-style towels too bulky and prefer a more modern feel in the bathroom, this towel looks chic and feels fantastic on the skin. It’s one of the most expensive terry towels we’ve ever tested, though.

Buying Options

If you like thinner terry towels with more texture, the Riley Spa Bath Towel is our favorite.

Its terry loops are well defined and loosely woven, so you feel each individual loop move across your skin. (It’s not scratchy, though; it’s more like a silky exfoliation.)

It dries faster than the Frontgate towel, and its modern design—rounded edges, terry across the entire surface, and a loop to hang it on your bathroom hook—feels unfussy but chic.

Our test towel from 2021 looks almost new, with no pilling or pulled threads, and it’s still as luxe as it ever was. The Riley bath towel comes in eight colors and is also available in a larger bath-sheet size.

Also great

Onsen Waffle Bath Towel

Quick-drying lattice

This textured towel is lighter, drapes better, and dries faster than any terry towel we tried. It looks luxurious but unfussy and costs a third of the price of similar lattice-weave towels. But the texture might not be for everyone.

Buying Options

If you want a more minimal, upscale look or if you want a truly quick-drying towel, we recommend the Onsen Waffle Bath Towel.

It’s made with a lattice weave (sometimes called a waffle or honeycomb weave), which is thinner than terry and feels more drapey.

Made of American-grown Supima cotton, the Onsen bath towel is relatively expensive, but it costs a fraction of the price of similar lattice towels imported from Japan. It’s also softer and smoother.

We know waffle towels are prone to snags, but our five-year-old test towel has seen some heavy use (it’s one of my kid’s favorites), and it shows minimal damage.

Keep in mind that if you prefer plush terry, you may not like the light and textured feel of the Onsen towel.

The research

• Why you should trust me
• How we picked and tested
• Our pick: Frontgate Resort Collection Bath Towel
• Upgrade pick: Riley Spa Bath Towel
• Also great: Onsen Waffle Bath Towel
• How to interpret towel terminology
• Care and maintenance
• Other good towels
• The competition
• Sources

Why you should trust me

I’ve been writing about bath towels for Wirecutter since 2017. As a senior staff writer, I’ve written most of our home-textile guides, from cotton sheets to blankets to duvet covers. I’ve built on the research of Melissa Tan and Stephen Treffinger in past versions of this guide, interviewed experts in the towel industry, conducted years of testing with dozens of towels, and I’ve used all of the picks in this guide for several years now. The towels we recommend are the towels I would spend (and have spent) my own money on.

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How we picked and tested

I’ve considered almost 200 towels and tested about 50 different kinds since 2017. After years of talking to experts, researching, and testing towels, I’ve learned a lot about what makes a great one. These are the criteria I look for when deciding what to test and what becomes a pick:

• Absorbency: A towel should first and foremost be effective at drying you off. It should wick water away from your body and into itself, not just push the water around. I look at customer reviews and reader comments for our picks to find towels that do their one real job well.
• Durability: Towels should last through many washes without unraveling or losing their absorbency (avoiding fabric softeners helps with the latter). Pilling, shrinkage, and color fading are normal over time, but these things shouldn’t happen after just a few washes—customer reviews and reader comments help us track this, too.
• Ample body coverage: I look at a towel’s listed measurements to gauge how well it will fit most bodies. After years of testing with people of different heights and sizes, I’ve learned when a towel will feel stingy (or even just too enormous for most people). For example, a towel that’s less than 56 inches long probably won’t wrap completely around a person who wears a women’s size 16—the national average—and a towel that’s less than 30 inches wide might be too short for someone of average men’s height (5-foot-9), depending on their torso length. I also look for towels that come in a bath-sheet size for taller or larger bodies.
• Pleasing texture: A towel should feel comfortable against your skin, whatever that means to you. Some people like super-plush, soft towels, while others prefer thinner, pleasantly scratchy ones. I research online to try and find options for everyone, but I also visit stores including Kohl’s, Target, Macy’s, and JCPenney to touch and feel as many towels as possible before deciding what to test.
• Reasonable drying time: A towel should air-dry quickly enough that it’s ready for your next shower and less prone to developing a mildewy smell.
• Made of 100% cotton (preferably extra-long-staple): Although some people are fans of alternative fibers such as modal and bamboo rayon, the consensus from experts I’ve spoken to, for this guide and others, is that 100% cotton delivers the combination of absorbency, softness, and durability most people want.

For every round of testing I’ve done, I begin by measuring each towel to see if the listed measurements are accurate, and I evaluate the feel and construction. I wash and dry everything once, measure each towel again to check for shrinkage, and look for noticeable fraying, pilling, pulled threads, color fading, or roughness. After eliminating lesser towels at this stage, I use each remaining finalist after a shower, assessing how absorbent and comfortable it is and how well it covers my body (I wear a women’s size 16). Then I time how long it takes the wet towels to air-dry. After dismissing a few more, I wash the remaining contenders another four times for a total of five laundry cycles. (In my experience, five washes is enough to make sure that all softeners added by the manufacturers are gone and the towel’s true feel is coming through.) And finally, I check each towel again for fraying, pilling, pulled threads, color fading, and roughness, and I shower with them again to gauge absorbency. I also review reader feedback on our picks, and check customer reviews periodically to note any complaints or issues to monitor.

The best bath towels of 2023, tested and reviewed

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• Best overall: Kassatex Atelier Bath Towel
• Best budget: Threshold Antimicrobial Towel
• Best quick-dry: Hydrocotton Organic Bath Towel
• Best Turkish: Mediterranean Organic Towel
• Best waffle: Onsen Bath Towel
• What to look for in a bath towel
• How we test bath towels
• FAQs

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Few things feels quite as cozy as stepping out of the shower into a warm, plush bath towel that fits comfortably around your entire body.

We tested 14 towels for absorbency, durability, and comfort, and also interviewed several textile experts to determine the best bath towels. Our top pick is the Kassatex Atelier Bath Towel, which is luxuriously plush and absorbent. For a budget option, we recommend Target’s Threshold Antimicrobial Towel, which is just $12 and has held up to over five years of long-term testing.

When it comes to picking the best towel for you, Emily Forrest, resident towel expert at the wedding registry site Zola, said you should consider size, material (Egyptian, Pima, and Supima cotton are all very fluffy), and also grams per square meter (GSM), which will define how weighty, luxurious, and to some extent how durable the towel is.

Our top picks for bath towels

Best overall: Kassatex Atelier Bath Towel – See at Neiman Marcus
Kassatex’s Atelier Towels are the densest, most absorbent, and softest of all the towels we tried. They remain soft after several washes, and the hanging loops are a thoughtful touch.

Best budget: Threshold Antimicrobial Towel – See at Target
At just $12 for a bath sheet and $7 for a traditional towel, these Target-exclusive towels are a great buy on a budget and they come in 11 colors to match any aesthetic.

Best quick-dry: Hydrocotton Organic Bath Towel – See at Pottery Barn
The Hydrocotton Organic Bath Towel from Pottery Barn has a soft, extra fluffy, and substantial feel and it dries surprisingly quickly despite its weight.

Best Turkish: Mediterranean Organic Towel – See at Coyuchi
The Coyuchi Mediterranean Organic Towel is a lightweight, tightly woven towel made from organic Turkish cotton that not only looks great but also ticks all the boxes for comfort, absorption, and thoughtful production standards.

Best waffle: Onsen Bath Towel – See at Amazon
The Onsen Bath Towel is a lightweight and resilient waffle-weave option that absorbs water well but doesn’t drag or hang heavy like other waffle towels.

Best overall: Kassatex Atelier Bath Towel

• Weight: 800 GSM
• Material: 100% combed Aegean cotton (Turkish)
• Size: 30″ x 56″; 34″ x 66″
• Colors: 8

Pros: Soft, heavyweight, absorbent, durable, has a hanging loop, monogramming is available

Cons: Dries slowly, limited color selection

This thick towel is heavy and absorbent, with an 800 GSM (a measurement of a towel’s weight), and takes a while to dry (about four to six hours in my experience) but it’s all worth it if you want to wrap yourself in the equivalent of a comforting hug.

Made from combed cotton, which is cotton that goes through an additional process that combs out shorter fibers and impurities, the towel feels soft and sumptuous. While other towels I tested got rougher after multiple washes, the Kassatex towel remained as soft as it was at first use. Even though it wasn’t as plush as a close contender from Frontgate, I loved Kassatex’s towel the most because of its long-term softness potential.

It has an attractive dobby border — the decorative weave above the edge of the towel — that’s not too big or small. If you don’t like to hang your towels on a bar, you have options: each towel has a sturdy sewn-in hanging loop.

I tested the towel in the color Chalk, which was a little lighter in person than the photo on the brand’s website indicated, so if you’re choosing a specific shade to go with your bathroom style, keep this discrepancy in mind. The good news is that Kassatex offers 60-day free returns on non-monogrammed towels.

Best budget: Threshold Antimicrobial Towel

For $7 to $12 (depending on the size), you can’t really beat the value of Target’s Threshold towels. While they don’t boast the same hefty weight as other towels in this guide (in fact, Target doesn’t disclose the GSM of these towels at all, but it is described as heavyweight), they are incredibly soft and decently absorbent. You can choose from 11 different colors and several sizes to find the best option for your bathroom.

The towels are are 100% cotton fabric with terry construction and a textured border; your standard towel design. It’s not entirely clear what, if anything, makes these towels antimicrobial. They are, however, Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex certified, meaning they have been independently tested for more than 100 harmful chemical substances.

I’ve had three of these towels for almost seven years now, and they’ve held up really well. I have noticed some fraying; but they’re still plenty soft and absorbent. If you’re looking for colorful, comfortable towels at an affordable price point, these are the ones to buy. —Lauren Savoie

Best quick-dry: Hydrocotton Organic Bath Towel

• Weight: 550 GSM
• Material: 100% organic long staple Turkish Cotton
• Size: 28″ x 55″; 40″ x 72″
• Colors: 16

Pros: Fluffy, made from organic cotton, dries quickly, comes in many colors, monogramming is available

Cons: Loose threads may emerge after multiple washes

I usually associate quick-drying towels with thin or textured construction, but this towel from Pottery Barn proves you can enjoy a fluffy, moderately thick feel without compromising drying ability.

On average, the towel took between 3 and 3.5 hours to air dry. Our picks for best waffle towel and best Turkish towel below actually dried faster. However, we’re designating this Pottery Barn design our best quick-dry pick because it also has the traditionally soft and fluffy cotton terry feel that most people are looking for.

The towel retains its softness after multiple washes because it’s made from 100% Turkish, GOTS-certified cotton and with untwisted yarns. Forrest said, “To make a towel, the yarns are twisted together, and the more the yarn is twisted the harder and less absorbent the towel becomes. But, if the towel is constructed with very little twist or with no twist, the outcome is a fluffier towel that will dry more efficiently because there is simply space between the yarn so each strand can dry.”

That being said, I did notice a few loose threads emerge after I took it out of the dryer. We’ll continue to do more washing and drying tests and monitor whether more threads come out.

Best Turkish: Mediterranean Organic Towel

Pros: Lightweight, absorbent, durable, stylish, sustainably made, doubles as a beach towel

Cons: Thin, fringed edges can tangle or unravel

Turkish (also known as Hammam or Fouta) towels are characterized by their traditional flat weave and knotted fringes. Coyuchi’s Mediterranean towel is a thoughtful and beautiful interpretation, made from Turkish-grown and woven organic cotton and available in five coastal-inspired colors. Its fringes are soft, thick, and hand-knotted.

While thin, the towel is tightly woven and sturdy. It’s not soft or fluffy like a cotton terry towel, which means it can also double as an effective beach towel since sand slides right off the woven surface.

Turkish towels aren’t for everyone, but they dry quickly and are very lightweight and packable, making them the best towel for traveling. I brought along this towel on many recent road trips, and it barely took up any space.

The main con I discovered is that the fringed edges can get tangled in the wash or unravel. It also seems to bleach more easily than the other towels I tested; if I could go back, I’d probably choose the white color to hide any potential bleach stains.

Coyuchi only uses GOTS-certified organic cotton, which certifies that every part of the supply chain is free of toxic chemicals and meets social standards for worker conditions. It also takes back products to be mended, cleaned, and resold in order to reduce textile waste. Thanks to practices like this, the towel is sold at a premium price, but you’ll know exactly what your money is going towards.

Best waffle: Onsen Bath Towel

Pros: Light, dries quickly, comfortable texture, durable

Cons: Thinner and less soft than traditional towels

Fluffy, thick terry towels can sometimes feel stifling, especially if your body temperature runs hot or you live in a warm climate. Onsen’s bath towel is a great alternative because it’s thin, light, and quick-drying but still highly absorbent and comfortable.

It’s made from 100% Supima cotton, which is a fiber that’s strong yet soft. Adding to the towel’s durability is a relaxed waffle-weave construction that seems to stretch and adapt to however you handle the towel. Though I could see the thin, individual fibers, I was impressed with how the towel never came out of the wash with frayed or loose threads. It also never snagged on my jewelry, which was a joyous revelation since I keep my earrings and nose ring on in the shower, and they can catch even on terry towels. Meanwhile, the bonded 2-inch edges provide structure to the flexible fabric.

Though it has the measurements of an average-sized bath towel, it dries quickly and takes up much less space, making it a good travel towel. And unlike other waffle weave products we’ve tried, the Onsen towel doesn’t shrink in the wash.

The lattice texture can take some getting used to, but overall the material feels pleasant and springy. The towel also absorbed water off of my skin without clinging to it, a combination that’s especially welcome in humid weather.

What to look for in a bath towel

There are several factors you should take into consideration while shopping for a new bath towel:

Materials

Our favorite bath towels are all made from cotton, but there are many differences between the type of cotton used that impact the texture of your towel. Here are some common terms to look out for:

Long-staple cotton: Compared to short-staple cotton, long-staple cotton has longer, silkier fibers, which ultimately result in smoother and stronger yarn. Bath towels made from long-staple cotton will feel soft yet durable, and they’re more resistant to fraying or pilling. According to ​​Karen Leonas, a professor of textile sciences at the Wilson College of Textiles, NC State University, the industry definition of long-staple cotton is a fiber length of 1.15-1.22 inches.

Extra-long staple cotton: As the name suggests, extra long-staple cotton has even longer fibers than long-staple cotton. As a result, it’s smoother, more flexible, and more resistant to pilling than long-staple cotton. Extra-long staple cotton is one of the best towel materials you can buy.

Turkish and Egyptian cotton: “Turkish” and “Egyptian” cotton refer simply to where the cotton is sourced from, not necessarily its quality and strength.

Pima and Supima cotton: Pima and Supima cotton are the same thing — Supima is merely the trademark name — and refers to extra-long-staple cotton that is grown only in the US and has a fiber length of at least 1.5 inches.

Combed and ring-spun cotton: With combed cotton, the cotton fibers are treated before they are spun into yarn. They are brushed to remove shorter fibers and any impurities. With ring-spun cotton, the fibers are spun and twisted together to create longer, stronger threads. The two terms can be independent of each other: combed cotton isn’t necessarily ring-spun, and vice versa. It’s also possible for both techniques to be present in your cotton towel. Either way, combed and ring-spun are ways to make the cotton, and thus your bath towel, softer and stronger.

Absorbency and drying speed

The best bath towel will efficiently dry off your whole body in just a few pats, but high absorbency may come at the cost of drying speed — the most absorbent towels tend to be heavier and take longer to dry.

To assess absorbency, look at material (cotton is best) and GSM (grams per square meter). GSM stands for grams per square meter and is a measure of towel density. The higher the GSM, the heavier and more absorbent the towel is, and the longer it will take to dry. “Typically, the higher the GSM (900 is considered very high), the more luxe and plush the towel. A lower GSM (300 would be pretty low) indicates a lighter weight and more quick-drying towel,” said Emily Forrest, an expert on towels at the wedding registry site Zola. She says the best towels usually have a GSM between 400-600; not too thick and not too thin.

Size

Bath towels usually measure 28 to 31-inches wide and 54 to 58-inches long. They’re designed to wrap comfortably around the shoulders and torso of an average person, but depending on your height, size, and personal preferences, you may need to pay closer attention to the towel’s dimensions. If bath towels feel small, try shopping for bath sheets instead, which are usually 35 to 40-inches wide and 68 to 72-inches long.

Durability

Since you’ll use your towel every day, fabric strength is of utmost importance. You’ll want something that can stand up to hundreds of uses in a year and doesn’t fray or get scratchy. Long-staple and extra long-staple cotton, with their long fibers, are strong and resistant to fraying and pilling. The type of weave also affects strength. Our favorite waffle towel, for example, has stretchy and adaptable construction that’s also extra durable and never seems to come loose.

Certifications

Oeko Tex: You may notice that some of our best towel picks have an Oeko Tex certification. This label means the final product has been independently tested for more than 100 harmful chemical substances and is safe for human use. While it’s not the only certification out there, it’s widely used and known in the textile industry. Our experts say you should look for the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification for basic safety, but if you also care about manufacturing, look for STeP by Oeko Tex. It checks for environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and safe practices all along the production process.

GOTS: The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is another certification, used specifically for organic textiles. GOTS-certified sheets contain at least 95% certified organic fibers and meet environmental and social standards at every stage of processing and manufacturing.

How we test bath towels

In our search for the best towel, we tested 14 products and put them through the same tests:

Absorbency: I used each towel to dry my entire body after a shower and wring out water from my wet hair (I have thick, medium-coarse hair). I repeated this test multiple times over the course of several months.

Drying: I timed how long each towel took to dry completely when hung normally on a towel bar.

Comfort: The best towel should be cozy and comfortable to use. I noted softness, fluffiness, and thickness and how the towel clung to or wicked water off damp skin.

Durability: I washed each towel and evaluated it for shrinkage, fraying, color loss, and roughness over time.

Bath towel FAQs

How often should I wash my bath towels?

Wash your towels before you use them for the first time, and then after every three to four uses. A bath towel may seem relatively clean since you only use it to dry off after a shower, but that’s actually not the case: towels provide a rich environment for bacteria to build up and grow.

“Think about when you dry yourself off with your towel — you are collecting oils and skin, and so you want to wash your towels every few uses. [That’s also] why it’s important to have a stocked linen closet,” Forrest said.

How should I clean my towels?

For a regular clean, use warm or hot water and a small amount of detergent in the washing machine. Be warned that too much detergent can lead to residue buildup, which affects the towel’s absorbency and fluff. In addition, manufacturers often add finishes or softeners to the towel, further contributing to buildup.

For a deeper clean, wash it in a hot cycle with a cup of white vinegar, and then run it in a second wash cycle with half a cup of baking soda.

After washing, you can throw it in the dryer or hang it up to line-dry.

How long should towels last?

It depends on how often you rotate your towels out as well as the material they’re made out of. Generally, bath towels should last at least a couple of years with good maintenance. If there’s excessive fraying, it doesn’t feel as soft or fluffy as it used to, or if there’s a lingering smell you just can’t seem to get rid of, then it’s probably time to buy a new towel.

How should I store bath towels when not in use?

Hang your towel on a hook or towel bar when not in use, making sure the towel has plenty of space to air to circulate. This speeds up drying time and prevents mildew growth.

For clean, dry towels meant for longer term storage, you can fold or roll them, then stack them in your linen closet or cabinet. However you choose to arrange them, it’s important to make sure the storage space is cool and dry, and that your towels are completely dry before you store them away.

Why do my towels smell?

If a wet towel is left bunched up in the hamper or on the ground, mildew starts to grow, leading to a musty smell. To avoid mildew, hang your towel right after use so it has the space and time to dry completely.

If it still smells, use our deep clean method: wash it in a hot cycle with a cup of white vinegar, and then run it in a second wash cycle with half a cup of baking soda. Dry it in a machine or hang it up to line-dry.

Why do my towels stain or become discolored?

There are a couple of possible culprits for stains and discoloration:

• Skincare products that contain benzoyl peroxide. People who regularly use benzoyl peroxide products may want to consider sticking to white or light-colored towels.
• Using fabric softener or bleach in the washing machine. Even if you don’t actively add bleach, leftover bleach in the dispenser can sometimes leak into the current load.

What is the difference between bath sheets and bath towels?

The towels we test and review here are bath towels and typically measure around 28 to 31-inches wide and 54 to 58-inches long. Bath towels are designed to drape around your shoulders or wrap around your body comfortably, but if you find you want even more coverage, you’ll want the much larger bath sheet. Bath sheets typically measure around 35 to 40-inches wide and 68 to 72-inches long.

Keep in mind that the increase in size also means bath sheets are more expensive and take longer to dry than bath towels.