The Best Beach Towels
When you're packing your bags for a beach adventure, a towel is sure to be one of the first things you reach for. Whether you're setting sail for distant shores, taking a dip at a nearby beach spot, or simply heading to the local pool to perfect your favorite swimming stroke, you'll need something you can rely upon to towel you down once you return to dry land. Beach towels come in a range of shapes and sizes, with lightweight Turkish styles ideal for warmer settings and modern microfiber textiles offering practicality with super-absorptive properties. As we searched for the best beach towels on the market today, we had three questions in mind: Are these towels absorbent enough to dry someone after a swim without becoming completely saturated? Do they dry quickly so they can be packed away soon after use? Are they large enough for multipurpose use, while also being light and compact for travel? With all that in mind, we landed on a few favorites. We love Bay Laurel's Turkish beach towel, with a classic and elegant design that will add a touch of style to any beach trip. With a thin cotton weave, this towel drys fast by air and adds negligible weight and size to hand luggage, making it perfect for travel. If you're looking for a cozier option, take a look at the fluffy terry cloth towels from Amazon Basics, which are offered in a great value pack of four. Read on below to discover the rest of our top picks.
Bay Laurel Turkish Beach Towel With Travel Bag
Pack up your troubles
Blending traditional design with contemporary ergonomics, this great value towel from Bay Laurel makes a trusty partner for any beach expedition. Woven from the finest quality premium Turkish cotton this towel has a supple softness second to none, making it an ideal blanket for winding down in the sun or for drying off after a dip in the waves. Natural cotton and a thin composition mean this blanket is quick to dry, saving you time and avoiding mold and bacteria build-up.
Pros:
- With a handy travel bag, this towel packs neatly away and is easy to carry or attach to other pieces of luggage.
- These towels spoil us with a rainbow palette of color options. Being able to choose from more than two dozen vibrant and unique designs means you’re certain to find a look to match your style.
- Despite the light fabric of these towels, these are highly absorbent and can dry you down from soaking wet in no time.
Cons:
- If you’re looking for a thicker towel to keep you warm, this might not be the best option.
Franco Kids Super Soft Cotton Beach Towel
Colorful companions
Kids love a colorful companion to call their own, even if it’s something as simple as a towel. With ten bold designs portraying some of the most popular animated heroes and villains from recent years, this selection of beach towels is sure to find a place in the heart of any young vacationer. Size isn’t an issue here, with generous dimensions of 58 x 28″ making this equally comfortable for use as a blanket for midday snoozes on the sand. And the smooth cotton terry cloth is soft to the touch, so it’s perfect for sensitive growing skin.
Pros:
- The vibrant color print is machine-washable, making cleaning simple and ensuring the easy removal of any accidental spills.
- With a lightweight yet super-absorbent fabric, this towel is easier to pack away for travel and storage than bulkier options.
- These prints are a real winner with young movie fans. It could double as a colorful wall hanging when not in use.
Cons:
- Take extra care when removing tags from this thin fabric to avoid making holes.
Amazon Basics Cabana Stripe Beach Towel
Vivid variegation
A thin textile can offer portability and ease of transport, but a heavier option might be in order for colder climates and maximum absorption. This set of four from Amazon Basics uses a thick terry cloth fabric to soak up water quickly without becoming saturated. The material is fluffy on both sides, so you’re sure to feel pampered while toweling down. Give a subtle nod to classic beach styles from years gone by with this elegant cabana stripe patterning.
Pros:
- We find that the 100% cotton composition of these towels makes them a great choice for anyone with allergies to synthetic fabrics.
- The dye on these towels is seriously durable, reducing the chance of color running in the wash or fading over time.
- The pleasing thickness of these towels makes them equally suited to bathroom use.
Cons:
- The thick terry cloth can produce a large amount of lint on a first wash and dry.
Demmex Organic Cotton Diamond Weave Turkish Towel
Tailor's choice
This luxury option is sure to tickle the fancy of any budding textile connoisseur. Woven from 100% organic Turkish cotton with the subtle hues of OKEO-TEX certified organic dyes, this is a towel that prioritizes quality materials above all else. The result is an incredibly soft fabric to grace your skin. With an extra-large span of 71 x 36″, there’s more than enough material to dry all shapes and sizes. And because the cotton is so thin, the towel can still be folded away to compact proportions. Thanks to pre-washing, it’s sure to retain its smoothness and shape wash after wash.
Pros:
- We love the elegant tassels adorning each end of this towel, and double-knotting helps to avoid unraveling over time.
- We feel spoiled for choice with 20 lovely colors on offer. This makes it easy to choose individual colors when purchasing multiple towels for a group or family.
- Thanks to the lightness of organic cotton, this towel can dry down far quicker than heavier terry cloth options.
Cons:
- This fabric is more delicate than some other options, making it more susceptible to snags and tears if it isn’t handled with care.
Touchat Microfiber Beach Towel
Catch yourself a bargain with these stylish contemporary designs from Touchat. With a choice between five distinctive graphics, you’ll never again have to fear losing sight of your spot on the beach. The microfiber fabric utilizes millions of single fibers to capture moisture like no other textile, meaning this towel can retain liquid to reach up to seven times its dry weight. This synthetic fabric is also exceptionally lightweight and quick to dry when compared with other traditional textiles.
Pros:
- The zip-lock travel bag makes storage easy, and it also serves as a handy beach bag for carrying other valuables and swimming gear.
- This fabric grips better to smooth surfaces than some other options, making it ideal for dual use as a yoga or exercise mat.
- We appreciate that this fabric was better at shielding you from windy gusts and chills than thinner cotton options.
Cons:
- The microfiber fabric isn’t as soft to the touch as some natural textiles.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I avoid shrinking my towel when I wash it?
It’s a real disappointment to find our favorite beach gear shriveled and contorted after a machine wash. Some natural textiles like cotton are more susceptible to shrinking if not handled with care. Be sure to pay close attention to manufacturer guidance on machine-washing and drying to ensure you’re treating these fabrics at the correct temperature. We suggest air drying whenever possible.
Should I pre-wash my new towel before use?
Many towels made from cotton or terry cloth will arrive pre-washed to maximize softness and reduce the likelihood of shrinkage when drying. Regardless, many new towels can produce a large amount of lint on first use. If you want to avoid little threads of fabric lining your bag or swimwear, we suggest giving your new towels a spin in the washing machine before you take them out on your first adventure.
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