Tested & Reviewed: Meet the Internet’s Best Bath Towels

Weight: 550 GSM | Material: 100% Long Staple Turkish Cotton | Value: 5/5 

This was the last towel I tried, but ironically, it was my favorite overall pick. At 550 GSM, or grams per square meter, it isn’t nearly the heaviest towel I tried, which is typically a metric associated with overall luxuriousness. For me, it was just heavy enough to feel high-end, but not too heavy where I couldn’t use it on my hair or had struggles with it self-drying fast enough. With two bath towels, two hand towels, and two washcloths in the set, $160 feels like a fair price to pay. But the brand wants to do better than that for you price-wise and offers it at just half of the cost of traditional retail, which would be that $160 figure. Just like the Quince sheets I have, these somehow get softer over time.

Weight: | Material: 100% Turkish-grown Aegean cotton | Value: 5/5

I was so excited to try Onsen’s gorgeous bath towels. They looked so luxurious on the site, and I’m pleased to say the luxuriousness lived up to the hype! This thing is freaking massive, hence the name, even going past my knees when wrapped in it. Beyond that, it is ridiculously soft. One of my favorite features is that it has a hook for hanging. It did wash pretty well, too, coming out just as soft as I remember it. My only point of feedback, if you can call it that, is that it is far too heavy if you’re going to use it on your hair as a wrap. I did it for about 30 seconds before my neck couldn’t take it anymore! Surely the standard bath towel size would work for this though. It is worth noting that this is my husband’s overall favorite pick of towels because of the size and softness.

Weight: 290 GSM | Material: Long-staple Turkish cotton | Value: 4/5

I’ll state the obvious: the color of this towel is exceptional. It looks great as a small pop of color in an otherwise-neutral bathroom, which was one of my goals with this one. This towel is quite thin, which is by design at just 290 GSM. My first few times using it, I was surprised how absorbent it was, especially compared to some of the thicker, heavier towels. It felt great when I used it on my hair. Even after drying my hair, the towel self-dried pretty quickly. This is important to my family, because we don’t want mold growing in our towels or any funky smells resulting in forever-wet towels. Brooklinen claims this towel gets better over time “as the waffle weave deepens and gets thirstier with us.” I had no qualms with washing it; it came out just as good as I had put it in. My only criticism of this might be the price. It does feel on the pricier side (the set is $138 for two hand towels and two bath towels), but sometimes, you get what you pay for in the best way.

Weight: 850 GSM | Material: Organic Turkish Cotton | Value: 4/5

I’m no marketing genius, but I could not have named these towels better myself: Buffy is the perfect name. They are delightfully plush, extraordinarily heavy at 850 GSM of organic Turkish cotton. I love the simple, yet elegant, 3 lines on the trim of the towel, giving it a sophisticated, spa-like feel. At $105 for two bath towels, it is an investment, but is a “lasting upgrade” according to the product description – and I’d agree.

Weight: 700 GSM | Material: Organic Cotton | Value: 4.5/5

This was my first encounter with Fishers Finery and I was overall quite impressed. I think my expectations were a bit low, considering I hadn’t heard of them and that the price point was lower than others (4 towels for $110), but it surpassed my expectations. At 700 GSM, this is marketed as a more luxury towel, despite the price being significantly lower than others. The diamond pattern was actually really nice against my skin, and the “low twist” really does make them dry more quickly. I could easily use this on my hair and body on a daily basis. From a washing perspective, it did well, but the website does note to not use bleach or fabric softeners, so be aware of that. My only other complaint, if you can call it that, is that I personally prefer a more plain towel design from a purely aesthetic point of view. Sue me, call me a beige mom, but it’s just a preference. The longevity and practicality of these might outweigh that this time….

Weight: 1,100 GSM | Material: 100% Cotton | Value: 5/5

I’m a huge fan of Fluff Co. and sleep on their pillow every night… that is, if my husband doesn’t steal it. When I learned they do bath towels, I was geeked. At over 1,000 GSM, this baby is heavy duty and luxurious. Like the rest of their products, they aim to provide a 5-star hotel-like experience to your home at a price you can afford. At $39 a towel (which would ordinarily run you $125/each) I think this is the best value you can get for a fluffy, cotton-y wonder of a towel.

Weight: 720 GSM | Material: 100% Organic Turkish Cotton | Value: 4/5

Lulu & Georgia, the famed home decor brand, recently came out with a new line of towels. I was gushing over the neutral color palette, which felt more exciting than plain white, but still “beige enough.” This bath sheet is absolutely massive in person and is super soft to the touch. I dried off extremely quickly. The towel did stay wet for a bit of time after, which is to be expected with such a heavy weight. My real excitement came when I took it out of the wash… how it felt softer than the first time was a mystery to me.

Weight: | Material: 100% Organic Long-Staple Cotton | Value: 3.5/5

I’m rarely a fan of patterns, but I do love Parachute’s stripes on their resort bath towels. I opted for the Plaster with Soft Black, but they also have a gorgeous camel color that is pretty sold-out at the moment… in other words, other people like it, too! I’m a big fan of the size of the bath towel. Kind of like Goldilocks, I found it to be not too big, but not too small. The hook on the towel is a nice touch that certainly makes my husband happy. I wasn’t crazy about the way it felt when I first took it out of the packaging, but washing helped a lot. It is on the pricier side, hence my slightly lower value for this one, but if you’re looking for a great patterned towel that dries exceptionally fast, this might just be the right pick for you!

Weight: 650 GSM | Material: 100% Organic Long-Staple Cotton | Value: 4/5

I’ll admit, Weezie was originally not on my radar for this roundup, but I am so glad it made it on. The Atlanta-based towel brand is known for its luxury towels (they even have a “Yacht Bundle” with 150 pieces included! You know, for your next yacht). One of my favorite parts of the brand is the personalization; so many pieces are able to have a monogram or even a custom logo attached. The piped edge is really unique to the brand and I found myself really liking it after not being sure at first. It wasn’t as soft as I imagined it would be (before washing), but it really did a great job drying me off and then drying itself off. I’d call this the “Goldilocks” of towels – not too heavy, not too light – just right. After washing, I was just as impressed.