The biggest factors to consider when buying the best towels are absorbency, drying time, and durability.
Connie Chen/Insider
There are several factors you should take into consideration while shopping for a new bath towel:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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