12 Best Bath Towels for a Spa-Like Experience Every Day

Jessica Bennett
·7 min read

Courtesy of Parachute

A plush bath towel can make your morning shower feel like a trip to a fancy spa. For a luxurious bathing routine, your towels should be soft, absorbent, and durable enough to withstand daily use and frequent washings. The trouble is sorting through the multitude of options to find the best bath towels for you. Towels come in a wide variety of materials, sizes, thicknesses, and price points, so it's important to consider your personal preferences and budget while shopping.

First, pay attention to the bath towel's material. Known for its absorbency and softness, cotton is the most popular material for towels, but you'll also find options made from materials like bamboo and microfiber. The thickness or weight of the towel is also important. Fabric weight is measured in grams per square meter (GSM), and the standard weight for towels is approximately 400 to 600 GSM. Anything above 600 will feel extra luxurious and absorb more water, but these towels generally cost more. Although less absorbent, towels with lower GSM will dry faster and feel more lightweight.

After purchasing new bath towels, the first thing you should do is wash them. Laundering towels before use removes any leftover coatings from the production process and maximizes absorbency. For future washes, launder bath towels separately from clothes and only use fabric softener every three to four washes to preserve their fluffy feel.

Here are our top picks for the best bath towels to buy in 2022.

Best Luxury: Hotel Collection Ultimate MicroCotton Bath Towel

These are by far the best bath towels one Better Homes & Gardens editor says they have ever owned. The large size (30 x 56 inches) and thick, absorbent cotton material make you feel like you're staying at a fancy hotel rather than stepping out of your own shower. This crisp white version reinforces the hotel-like aesthetic, but these luxury bath towels also come in 16 colors that range from soft neutrals to bold brights.

Best Turkish: Parachute Classic Turkish Cotton Towel

Popular for their absorbency and plush feel, Turkish bath towels are made from premium cotton grown in Turkey. These ones from Parachute are thick and cozy but dry quickly once you hang them up. One reviewer writes, "They're incredibly soft and plush and make showering feel luxurious." The Turkish towels are available in six earthy colors and four sizes, including washcloths and hand towels.

Best Budget: Better Homes and Gardens Bath Collection Towel

Coming in at less than $8 each, these budget-friendly bath towels feel much more expensive than they are. More than 1,400 reviewers gave them a perfect five-star rating for their thick, fluffy feel. The absorbent cotton material is designed to get softer with every wash and is stitched to create durable side hems, preventing unraveling. This pick comes in 17 different colors. You can also purchase these bath towels as a six-piece set.

Best Rated: American Soft Linen Turkish Cotton Bath Towels

If you're looking for a towel set that's durable, plush, absorbent, and able to arrive at your front door in a jiff, consider American Soft Linen towels. Its towels are made with soft Turkish cotton and have up to 610 GSM, which is on the higher end for fabric weight—in other words, you'll feel like you're wrapping yourself in luxury. Choose from 16 colors and three- and six-piece set options.

Best Microfiber: JML Microfiber Bath Towels

Made of 100% microfiber, these odor- and mildew-resistant towels have a knack for soaking up liquids and drying extremely quickly. The Amazon best-seller has racked up over 11,000 five-star ratings from shoppers, one of whom calls the towels "luxury grade without the bulk." On top of feeling soft on the skin, the microfiber material does wonders for your hair, drying strands without causing breakage or frizz.

Best Waffle: Nutrl Home Waffle Weave Bath Towel

Not only are waffle weave bath towels stylish, but this cotton pick from Nutrl Home is also lightweight, absorbent, and quick-drying. That's because the small "pockets" in the honeycomb design soak up liquid more efficiently than fluffy, terry towels. Plus, the weave creates a larger surface area, which lends a hand in breathability and drying speed. You'll also love that the antimicrobial towels will feel softer after every wash.

Best Organic: Pinzon Organic Cotton Bath Towel Set of Four

Those living an environmentally friendly lifestyle will gravitate toward these sustainable bath towels from Pinzon. At a fabric weight of 700 GSM, the organic cotton that's certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard is luxuriously soft. In fact, shoppers are amazed at how "big and fluffy" the towels are in person. The towels are available as a set of two, four, and six and come in 10 colors—Indigo Blue (seen here) definitely stands out.

Best Set: Amazon Basics Quick-Dry Cotton Towels

Searching for a towel set that will cater to your hands, face, and body? Look no further than this eight-piece set that shoppers love for its impressive quality and "fluffiness." The semi-thick cotton towels are so "wonderfully soft" and have quick-drying capabilities that have Amazon customers coming back for more. With this set, you'll get two bath towels, two hand towels, and four washcloths, making it the most versatile set on this list.

Best Oversized: Utopia Towels Luxurious Jumbo Bath Sheets

Measuring 35 x 70 inches, these large bath towels are perfect for taller individuals or those who like to completely wrap themselves up after a shower. One of more than 2,000 five-star reviewers described them as, "very soft, perfect thickness, and very absorbent!" The 100% cotton towels are sold as a set of two.

Best Quick-Dry: White Classic Egyption Cotton Bath Towels

These plush Egyption cotton bath towels have a spa-like quality and water absorbency so good that nearly 6,000 customers gave them a five-star rating. Made with 700 GSM, these towels are proven to dry quickly, preventing odors or mildew between washes. In fact, one Amazon shopper wrote, "They are the softest and most water-absorbent towels I've ever owned in my nearly half a century worth of living." Although these soft towels are recognized for their loft, reviewers confirm that they are lightweight, too. The 27 x 54-inch bath towel set is available in 14 colors, including this classic white option.

Most Soft: Brooklinen Super-Plush Bath Towels

With a fabric weight of 820 GSM, these towels are extra thick and supremely soft. Made of 100% Turkish cotton, they're Brooklinen's best-selling towel. "These are the ultimate fluffy towels!" wrote one reviewer. "It is such a treat to wrap up in one of these after a shower. Just ordered some more for guests." Sold as a set of two, the towels are available in several shades of white, gray, and blue.

Best Bamboo: Cariloha Bamboo Bath Towels

Fans of bamboo bed sheets will love these ultra-absorbent bath towels made from Turkish cotton and bamboo viscose that have a 600 GSM. The eco-friendly material naturally repels odors and allergens, and the towels are designed to last. "These towels are pure art. I bought two to test them out and I fell in love," wrote one reviewer. "The quality of this towel is immaculate. They are everything they should be. Life is too short to use any other towels."