For more of the Cut’s favorite fashion, beauty, and home finds, sign up for the weekly Cut Shop Newsletter.
Towels can make themselves the infamous star of your routine; frayed threads sliding across kneecaps, elongated loops finding their way around your pinky, small pools of water gathering at your feet. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to upgrade your shower situation — and you don’t have to agonize over what a rectangle-size, colored cloth says about you as a person. For that, you have the Cut Shop and our interior-design-minded friends. (Unless it’s a beach towel, of course).
So, you want to find the best bath towels?
➼ Our top picks
➼ More tried-and-true options
➼ FAQs
➼ Our experts
.
Our top picks:
The crowd-pleaser
Material: 100% cotton terry | GSM: 700 | Size: 40” x 65” | Certifications: Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified
Lena Bedoyan, a New York– and Los Angeles–based interior stylist and artist. The short members of the Cut Shop team also love swimming in these (which, for the record, are many inches larger than the typical bath sheet), so the appeal is wide. Their pillow-like nature means they don’t dry as quickly, but since you can only buy them in pairs, everyone wins.
The Target flex
Material: 100% cotton terry | GSM: 550–800 | Size: 30” x 56” | Certifications: Made in Green, Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified
“These are my go-to daily bath towels,” says Bedoyan. She notes that they’re ridiculously absorbent, but also dry off very quickly. “They also truly get softer and softer with every wash. Plus, the price is great!” If that weren’t convincing enough, the towels also carry some of the same certifications as other higher-priced items for a fraction of the price.
The life of the party
Material: 100% cotton terry | GSM: 700 | Size: 30” x 56” | Certifications: Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified
“In my opinion, there is no such thing as stripe overload,” says Briana Feigon, head of consumer communications at Shopify. “The bright, chunky lines wake me up after my morning shower and they are the perfect statement piece in my bathroom.” We can attest that they don’t just look like happiness in a towel; they also function remarkably well. If you don’t want to splurge on a set of bath towels, Dusen Dusen’s hand towels will make a big impact in your space for less coin.
The luxe pick
Material: 100% cotton terry | Size: 24” x 39”
“I love my towels colorful, as I think a pop of color does wonders for your energy and start to the day,” says Sara Ramén, a model and creative based between London and Paris. She likes these Missoni bath towels, which are in a muted tone of the fashion house’s signature zigzag, making them versatile enough for sprightly or moody bathroom styles. Either way, they’ll give you and your space a boost: “They bring so much life to your bathroom!”
The organic option
Material: 100% cotton | GSM: 600 | Size: 27.5” x 55” | Certifications: Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified
If you want a minimalist option with a little spice, Tekla is a Cut Shop favorite. Not only are these made of ultrasoft organic cotton, but the brand has somehow designed particularly beautiful slices of humble terry cotton. And since you and your guests will confront your towels multiple times of the day, consider jumping for a memorable color, like fresh mint or serene lavender.
.
More tried-and-true options:
The feathery favorite
Material: 100% cotton | GSM: 370 | Size: 32” x 59” | Certifications: Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified
“If you like a waffle-style towel as opposed to a plush terry, these are great,” says Bedoyan. “They come in a variety of cool colors and get softer with each wash.” If the ticket is too steep, the brand also makes great hand towels — after all, people remember how you made them feel, right?
The envy-inducing bundle
Material: 100% cotton | GSM: 370 | Size: 32” x 59” | Certifications: Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified
If you’re familiar with Parachute’s popular bedsheets, it may not surprise you that the brand also makes luscious towels that it can hardly keep in stock. Ideal for those who want a spa-like bathroom, these Cut Shop faves are a unique ribbed cotton that may ruin all other terry towels for you.
The indestructible ones
Material: 100% cotton | GSM: 700 | Size: 27” x 54” | Certifications: Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified
These may not have the distinction of being the top-reviewed towels on Amazon (that would be the 59K-plus rated “Utopia” towels), but they come pretty close. Over 12,000 people give this set a five-star rating, and it’s not hard to see why. They have a hotel-like quality to them; not only are they heavyweight and highly absorbent, but they can take a beating. The towels are made up of incredibly durable (albeit rough) fibers that can stand up to frequent washes and plenty of yanking.
The straight-from-the-spa ones
Material: 40% viscose from bamboo fabric, 60% cotton | GSM: 800 | Size: 30” x 58” | Certifications: Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified
If you want a ridiculously plush towel, you’ll want something in the 800+ GSM range, and that’s exactly what you get with these part-viscose-from-bamboo, part-heavyweight-cotton towels from Cozy Earth. Mark our words: These towels will change your bath routine for the worse simply because you won’t want to get dressed. They’re insanely soft and equally absorbent and have a curious ten-year warranty. Not that the brand thinks you’ll ever need it; Cozy Earth claims these absolutely will not pill.
The gift-worthy ones
Material: 100% cotton | GSM: 700 | Size: 30” x 58” | Certifications: Made in Green, Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified
Meet the most giftable set on this list. Not only are the Payton Bath Towels soft and trimmed with a classy sateen finish, with a high-loop construction that encourages fast absorption and drying, but they’re also available for monogramming. The little things make these towels tantamount to any other home-décor present you’ve been eyeing for the newlyweds or new homeowners in your life. If you’re a fan of the Ralph Lauren towels, you can polish off your set with matching sheets, hand towels, washcloths, and a bath mat.
The bamboo ones
Material: 100% CleanBamboo® Lyocell | Size: One size | Certifications: STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®️ SH065 176027 TESTEX
If you love the softness of ettitude’s bamboo sheets, then you’ll love the plushness of its bamboo towels. They are fast absorbing and are a customer favorite, so much so the only colorway currently in stock is this dark gray set.
The lightweight one
Material: 100% organic cotton | Size: 60”L x 40”W
We’re big fans of the brand’s shower curtains, and its bath towels don’t disappoint either. Made with 100 percent cotton, they might not have many colorways, but these striped ones are neutral enough to add to your roster.
The waffle one
Material: 100% sustainably sourced cotton | Size: 30 x 60 inches | Certifications: Oeko-Tex 100 & Cotton Leads certified.
This waffle towel is fast drying and comes in multiple colors, so you don’t have to worry that your design aesthetic will be ruined.
The one that you can also use at the beach
Size: 27in x 51in | Material: 100% cotton | Certifications: OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified
We love an extremely functional bath towel. Cute enough for your bathroom and cute enough to lay on the sand or nearest park. What’s not to love? It’s even less than $25.
.
FAQs
What to consider when buying bath towels
There are plenty of technical ways to shop for a bath towel, which tracks because it’s as utilitarian as your razor. The difference is these are usually on display
Material: The most common textile is terry cotton, which is highly absorbent and can be a tad rough as a result. Softer (but typically less absorbent) options include loosely woven waffle and lightweight Turkish towels.
Size: Will you go with a bath towel or a bath sheet? Towels are the smaller standard and bath sheets are larger and more comfortable for the bigger and taller among us.
GSM: Stands for grams of fabric per square meter. The higher the number, the higher the absorbency.
Aesthetics: Last but not least, even if you just want a literal sheet of terry cloth, you still have to decide on a color.
.
Our experts:
- Lena Bedoyan, a New York– and Los Angeles–based interior stylist and artist
- Sara Ramén, a model and creative based between London and Paris
- Briana Feigon, head of consumer communications at Shopify.
