The best bath towels for 2026, tested and reviewed

A good towel can completely enhance your shower routine, immersing you in cozy comfort. As a home editor who tests a lot of products — and someone who takes her bath (aka "me") time very seriously — I know a thing or two about what makes the best bath towels. Softness, absorbency and durability are key, plus it never hurts if they look nice hanging in your bathroom.

Over the past few years, I've tried 25 towels, assessing them for plushness, soaking them in buckets of water and putting them through multiple laundry cycles. Ultimately, I found that the best towels are made from long-staple Turkish cotton, and I included options across a range of weights and textures. Whether you're looking for something lightweight and lofty like a waffle towel or a heavyweight, hotel-quality plush towel , I've got you covered.

Best bath towels of 2026

What to look for when choosing a bath towel

In need of a refresh? Here are a few things to consider when scanning the bath towel aisle:

✓ Fabric:Most towels are made with 100% cotton, but some are blended with other materials for enhanced performance. Long-staple cotton features longer fibers, which generally result in increased strength, softness and durability. Turkish cotton, known for its long-staple, smooth and strong fibers, produces towels that are heavier in weight and have a plush, luxurious feel. Many cotton towels carry third-party certifications, like the " Standard 100 by O eko-Tex " label, which is a globally recognized certification that ensures the textile has been tested for and is cleared against harmful substances.

✓ Dimensions:Most of the bath towels we tested measured 30" x 58", which we consider standard. Their bath sheet counterparts typically measure 40" x 65", so if you prefer more coverage, bath sheets are the way to go. Thicker, plusher towels tend to be more absorbent. Smaller, thinner towels take up less room and often dry faster.

✓ Weave:Traditional terry cloth is typically lightweight and fluffy, with a texture that can range from soft to slightly rough, depending on the cotton quality and weave. While it may not be as absorbent as long-staple or Turkish cotton varieties, it often dries more quickly, making it a practical choice for everyday use. In contrast, long-staple and Turkish terry towels are generally thicker, more absorbent and heavier, offering a plush experience similar to what you'd find in luxury hotels. Waffle towels, characterized by their textured pattern, are usually the lightest and fastest-drying option. The dobby (border) can vary in style: a thicker dobby provides a traditional, elegant look, while a thinner dobby or its absence gives a clean, minimalist aesthetic.

✓ Color and product type assortment:Many brands offer their towels in different versions, such as hand towels, washcloths, bath sheets and bath mats, to lend a more cohesive look. Core collections/colors (versus seasonal options) tend to stick around longer, making it easy to scoop up a replacement without having to invest in a whole new collection in order to match. Consider mixing and matching a few colors to give yourself some options. It can also be helpful to designate a different towel color for each person living in your house, so you don't have to worry about who's using what (the same goes for repeat overnight guests).

✓ Price:Like many home essentials, we consider quality bath towels a worthy investment that will hopefully pay off over time. That said, you don't necessarily have to splurge in the name of good quality: See the "others we tested" section to get a sense of what's available across budgets.

Other bath towels we've tested

So many bath towels, so few top spots! Below are thoughts on other towels I've tested in my quest to find the best.

Lands' End Premium Supima Cotton Bath Towel :Stretching 30" x 56", this is a fairly large towel, with good absorption. It's available in 17 colors and dubbed "fade resistant," which seemed to hold true amid machine-washing and drying. This towel is almost as soft as Pottery Barn (though not as fluffy), and almost as silky as Frontgate (though not as thick). Though it lost some of its suppleness after five wash/dry cycles, it has a machine-dry time of about 40 minutes.

Casaluna Organic Bath Towel :This towel isn't quite as soft (or absorbent) as my top picks. It also comes in fewer colors, but I'd consider it a solid bet for someone who prefers an Oeko-Tex-certified towel with a simpler design (it doesn't have a dobby) and a reasonable price tag. As someone who's owned some of these towels for about three years now, I can also attest that mine have held up with regular use.

Riley Spa Bath Towel :Another towel with a minimalistic style and, despite being on the thinner side, some serious absorption capabilities: It soaked up 3 liters of water. I like that it has a loop for hanging, and while I originally noted that I wished it came in more colors, it now comes in 11. Of note: Riley's towel has rounded corners, which could take some getting used to aesthetically, and it's still on the pricier side, retailing for $60 a pop (or less when on sale).

West Elm Everyday Textured Bath Towel :I scooped up a set of these towels a few years back and have since added multiple colors to my collection. Despite being one of my favorites, the towel held just over 1.5 liters of water in my test, compared to those that absorbed more (hence why it didn't earn a top spot). That said, I use mine in the spring and summer months, and even with regular use, my towels have retained a good amount of their original color. I also like that there's a loop for easily hanging the towel on a hook when needed.

Threshold Performance Plus Bath Towel :Threshold's threads pulled their weight in my absorbency test (holding 2.5 liters of water) and were dry in 40 minutes flat. They're slightly less silky and plush than the towels from Garnet Hill and Frontgate — and they shrank a few inches in length in the wash and dry process. But they're still soft, and they come in a rainbow of colors for those who like to mix and match without breaking the bank.

Boll & Branch Plush Spa Bath Towel :Like many towels in this section, I didn't find this traditional terry towel to be quite as soft as Garnet Hill and Frontgate post-wash and -dry, and at just under $50, it's among the more expensive I tested. But it absorbed 3 liters of water — and, despite being so thirsty, dried surprisingly quickly (about 45 minutes). I also like that it has a loop for easy hanging and that it's made of certified organic cotton. I'd consider it among the best organic cotton bath towels on the market.

Brooklinen Super-Plush Bath Towel :This towel is similar to Boll & Branch's plush offering (same original length; absorbed about 3 liters of water). It felt a tad softer and measured about an inch longer. Brooklinen offers more color and pattern options, but the tradeoff is that this towel took longer to dry than Boll & Branch's version.

Cozy Earth Luxe Bath Towel :Out of dozens of towels tested, Cozy Earth's "Luxe" is the only one that felt as silky post-washing and drying as it did when I first got it. But it's not quite as fast-drying, big, or plush as some of the other options here — and at around $60 per towel, it definitely falls into the "splurge" category.

Cozy Earth Ribbed T erry Bath Towel :This towel is made of the same cotton-bamboo blend as the Cozy Earth Luxe above, but with a higher GSM for a warmer feel and a tad more plushness. It features a loop for hanging and an all-over ribbed texture, as its name suggests. It retained 3.5 liters of water, trailing only the Garnet Hill Cloud-Loft Towel and the Quince Turkish Ultra-Plush Bath Towel.

​Cozy Earth Nantu cket Bath Towel :The Nantucket Towel has the same GSM as (and therefore a similar thickness to) Cozy Earth's Luxe Towel, but with a slightly less supple, slightly less cushy feel. I compared all of Cozy Earth's towels , and the Nantucket isn't as absorbent as the others, but it has a unique textured design.

Cozy Earth Wa ffle Bath Towel :The waffle pattern on this towel is shallow and feels almost like canvas, so it isn't as lofty or spongy as a traditional waffle towel, nor as soft as my top waffle towel pick. It also absorbed less and shrank a bit more than other Cozy Earth towels I've reviewed, measuring 53.25" x 27" after washing and drying. But the terry still felt soft post-laundering, and compared to the other Cozy Earth towels, this towel was the quickest-drying.

Baggu Bath Towel :Patterned towels shimmy from the bathroom to the pool to the beach, making them a great choice for those with limited storage — plus, they're fun! This one from Baggu didn't feel as silky as those in my top picks after a few laundry cycles, and soaked up 2 liters (falling in the middle range for absorbency). Still, it's beautiful and sizable: It measured 57.5" long after several rounds of machine-drying.

Dusen Dusen Reversible Bath Towel :This bath towel from Dusen Dusen has a similar heft to those from premium brands like Boll & Branch and Brooklinen. Despite its heavier weight, it dried in about 40 minutes, and the saturated (reversible!) colors remained vibrant post-drying. I like that it has a loop for hanging. But at $64 each, these towels are pricey.

Casaluna Waffle Bath Towel :Like Brooklinen's Dreamweave, this towel is brimming with deep, spongey pockets. It measured around the same size (30" x 58.25", larger than its stated dimensions) upon arrival and proved similarly absorbent. It took slightly longer to dry (about 20 extra minutes), and it's not as soft — more along the lines of linen-flax than a soft cotton. But as someone who's owned a set for a few years, I can vouch that Casaluna's version is super durable, and you can't beat the price (which is why I named it best value waffle towel ).

Parachute Waffle Bath Towel :I referred to Parachute's waffle towel as the "Tigger" of my waffle towel testing group because it was the bounciest and stretchiest by a long shot. It was absorbent, quick-drying, and retained all its color. Of note: It did shrink a few inches in length, and the downside to this towel's resilience is that it can get a little jagged around the edges.

Onsen Waffle Bath Towel :Onsen has made a name for itself in the waffle-weave category, and after testing its offerings, I can see why. The fabrics are soft, absorbent, and seemingly durable. The towel shrank only about half an inch in length and width, but as the borders feature thick stitching, they took longer to dry than the other waffle towels I tested. This towel is also not quite as billowy (and therefore cozy) as some, like Brooklinen, and it's on the costlier side.

Luxome Luxury Performance Bath Towel: This towel has a similar feel to Garnet Hill's Cloud-Loft — ultra-silky, almost like a faux-fur throw, but with quarter-inch ribbing throughout. It absorbed almost as much (3 liters of water, on par with Brooklinen), and only shrank half an inch in the machine-washing and drying process. At $115 for a set, this towel is spendy, but I'd consider it among the best luxury towels for those who like a textured look without sacrificing softness.

Quince Turkish Cla ssic Bath Towel :Like all the Quince towels I tried , this towel felt premium for its price point. It's fairly quick-drying and absorbent (soaking up 3.5 liters), though not as absorbent or cozy as my top Quince pick.

Quince Turkish Ribbed Quick Dry Bath Towel :This towel retained 3 liters of water in my dunk tank test, so slightly less than the Quince towels above. It dried slightly faster (ready in 45 minutes), though not as quickly as Pottery Barn's Cloud-Loft. Like the other Quince towels I tested, the materials are Oeko-Tex-certified (the downside being that this towel similarly shrank about 3 inches in length).

​Quince Turkish Waffle T erry Bath Towel :Quince's waffle was the least absorbent and the quickest-drying of the Quince towels I tested. It also shrank the most, losing 4 inches in length. This version of the waffle is similar in look and feel to Cozy Earth's popular reversible waffle, and it's cheaper, though the trade-off is fewer color options.

How we test bath towels

To date, I've evaluated 25 bath towels in my quest to find the best. Here's a more detailed rundown of my evaluation process:

• Design:I assessed each towel carefully upon arrival, taking note of things like softness, fluffiness, thickness, color and various design elements. I also laid each towel flat and used a ruler to measure the actual size versus what was stated on brand websites.

• Absorbency:With first impressions out of the way, it was off to the bathtub. Each towel was dunked in a bucket of water and balled up gently to assess how much water it could hold.

• Laundry:I then headed to the laundry room, putting each towel through five wash-and-dry cycles to see how they held up to water, heat and being tossed around. I used the same laundry detergent in the washing machine and wool balls when drying — in the same quantities — for consistency. I washed all of the towels in warm water and tumble-dried them on low.

• Longevity:After the fifth drying, it was back to the drawing (er, assessment) table. I compared each of the tested towels with a fresh version for look and feel, and remeasured the size to gauge how each would hold up over time.

Bath towel FAQs

What is the best way to wash a bath towel?

Most of the brands we featured recommend washing towels in cold or warm water, using a gentle cycle, and tumble-drying them on low. Using dryer balls helps separate laundry pieces for better aeration and quicker drying times. Avoid using harsh chemicals like bleach when washing to help towels last longer . Some brands also recommend avoiding dryer sheets, so always read the label and follow the care instructions.

What is the fastest-drying bath towel?

Waffle towels typically dry the quickest because they have a more breathable weave. Thick edges/borders and dobbies (bands of stitching along the top and bottom of a towel) can also affect a towel's drying time.

Are Turkish or Egyptian cotton towels better?

Turkish cotton is primarily grown in Turkey, known for its long fibers that produce strong, smooth yarns. Egyptian cotton, while traditionally cultivated in Egypt, may also come from other countries such as China, the United States or Peru. The label "Egyptian cotton" can be misleading — brands only have to use as little as five percent Egyptian cotton in a blend to label it as such. To ensure a product is made from 100% Egyptian cotton, check the label for a full fiber content breakdown. Egyptian cotton towels tend to be thicker and plusher but slower to dry, while Turkish cotton towels dry more quickly and become softer with every wash.

How do hotels get their towels to smell so good?

Hotels wash their towels with high-quality detergent in a commercial-grade washer. The key is washing them in hot water with added chlorine or oxygen bleach to keep them white and sanitized. They get that subtle, incredible smell by using a small amount of scented fabric softener in the rinse cycle. 

Update, June 17, 2026: We checked all product prices and availability. Our No. 1 pick for the best bath towel remains unchanged.

We received complimentary samples of some products and purchased others ourselves, but we reviewed all products using the same objective and unbiased criteria.