Towels! Towels! Towels! 100s of Suggestions, 10 Brands Considered, 6 Towels Tested, and 4 That I Absolutely Recommend.
Finally, my 2+ daily showers and/or baths came in handy for something.
As someone who is oddly obsessed with the mundane, there is little that gives me as much joy as discovering everyday items that truly transcend. The perfect coffee mug, which makes my necessary caffeine intake feel like a pleasure, rather than a rite of mild addiction. A fresh box of the best all-purpose salt for seasoning meats (and beyond). The most delicious sheets in the land (scroll to #4!) , which would be a steal at twice their price, recommended by Annie Meyers-Shyer aka @thisoakhouse. You know, just really well-made products that elevate the quotidian (a word I am still trying to reclaim, after being repeatedly shamed by my junior high French teacher for pronouncing it incorrectly…for a year).
And that, my friends, is why I’m so delighted to share today’s newsletter, which is all about truly sublime towels.
But first, a small update.
I’m so grateful to this lovely community and all the support you’ve shown me (and each other) over the years. In early January, I wrote about resolutions, and how having happy ones that you want to keep is the only way to go. One of mine was to incorporate more strength training into my routine, and I was thrilled to see how many of you are on a similar path and that you feel it is a great investment of your time and energy.
About six weeks ago, I changed my The Ness workouts from 100% cardio trampoline/bounce classes to a mix of cardio sculpt (just what it sounds like), Ness sculpt (long choreographed sculpt classes), duo (half trad cardio bounce, half sculpt) and bounce hiit classes. I have been mildly sore every day since I started, and it feels great.
After years of never picking up weights, bands, or sliders, skipping sculpt work within cardio classes, and ignoring my core and lower body pretty much completely, it has been humbling, to say the least. But the good news is, things are progressing faster than I expected. My ass no longer seems to be melting into my hamstrings! I’m putting on a bit of muscle! My clothes are fitting better, and my body is feeling better! The point of all of this is to say two things: 1) Thank you all for the encouragement and 2) If you’ve been considering a similar program, I just want to say this is a sign to do it.
ALSO! A few weeks ago I signed up for an online stretching course from Yogabody called Science of Stretching, and it’s incredible. The one-month class costs $59, gives you access to a library of 20 classes to take, each of which takes 15 minutes a day. It’s honestly one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. The classes are all unique and in a specific order, and each one focuses on an area to stretch, including: Hamstrings, hips, shoulders, back, and wrists/twists/ankles.
Usually you do three specific stretches, one using the right side of your body, the other on the left, and then a stretch that works both sides at once. You hold each one for five minutes, and you are given lots of different options for support and help, as you ease into each stretch. It’s super non-judgemental and more science-y than woo-woo, and I very much recommend it. (And before you can ask, no, this isn’t an ad for The Ness or Yogabody; I buy my classes at the regular price and am happy to support both businesses.)
So that’s my update.
Now back to the regularly scheduled towel talk!
Before we get into the four I’m reviewing today, let’s rewind to the beginning. The tipping point started, as per usual, with a photo I posted on social, of my four-year-old sitting on a stack of towels in our bathroom, reading a book and claiming my solo shower time as her own. I was flooded with DMs about my towels and questions about what I loved, and was chagrined to realize I didn’t have much to share. Like many homes, I suspect, we have a wide assortment of towels, ranging from random options that pre-date marriage (my husband and I culled our collection when we first moved in together, but I still find random towels whenever I organize things) to a handful of Pottery Barn organic cotton towels that we received as wedding gifts.
That same day, my friend Annie (the same one mentioned above) posted about towels, citing Matouk—the brand that makes my incredible duvet insert—specifically the Milagro towel, and Frontgate, which is the 2023 New York Times/Wirecutter pick. It felt like it was time to tackle the topic.
So I started as I always do: With research, like the Virgo nerd editor I am. In addition to Wirecutter, I also looked at New York Magazine (they also like Matouk and Frontgate), Architectural Digest (Matouk and Frontgate again!), Reddit and many, many, many more. I asked friends and colleagues who work in interior design, and also searched old stories to find the top picks of the world’s most tasteful women. (Kelly Wearstler told Vogue she likes Danish brand Tekla’s organic cotton striped towels, while Jenna Lyons shared with Domino that she likes these green and white striped towels from Baina, which is based in Portugal.) I also asked for recommendations on social and in this newsletter, and got over 300 responses!
From there, I looked for overlap, meaning: Towels that made it on multiple lists or that a variety of trusted sources swore by. I also let emotions factor into my towel trials, so if I got a comment from someone who felt very very very strongly about how great their towel was, I took that into consideration too. After lots of rounds of edits, I created a top 10 list, and from there I narrowed it down to towels that were under $100*, because I’m a normal person.
*When I did my shopping, a number of the towels on this list were on sale. That seems to happen a fair amount. Also, most retailers offer discounts ranging from 10-20% off your purchase if you sign up for their newsletter. Plus, next weekend, I’m pretty sure you’ll find some good deals for President’s Day weekend, just saying.
Of the initial list, I ended up buying six different brands, all of which I washed and used for weeks before writing this story. As always, I paid out of pocket and shopped online. Of the six, there were two brands that simply aren’t worth mentioning, so I’m not. At the end of this story, you’ll also find a few brands that I’ve heard good things about, but didn’t try them myself. Hopefully between the four I like and the additional suggestions, you’ll find something that works with your budget and color preferences.
GSM 101
You’ll notice that I’ve included a few data points for each towel, including the number of colors it comes in, the dimensions of the bath towels and bath sheets, and the GSM. If you’re unfamiliar with GSM, it stands for “grams per square meter” and refers to the weight of the towel’s fabric. Towels usually range from 300 GSM to 900 GSM. with most premium, heavy, or luxury towel weights falling between 600-900 GSM. A higher weight means a heavier towel, which is more absorbent, but with that comes the issue of how long it takes to dry.
1. LUXURY WEIGHT, LOWER PRICE, GREAT FOR LONG BODIES
Frontgate Resort Collection Bath Towel ($38) / Bath Sheet ($63)
While I don’t love Wirecutter’s take on everything, I think they do an amazing job at many staples, including towels. I’d never heard of Frontgate until they started taking the top towel spot at Wirecutter, an honor they’ve now repeated five years in a row.
I get it. The towels are really lovely, and substantial. I weighed a Frontgate bath sheet on my kitchen scale (weird, but so what?) and it clocked in at an eye-opening 2 lbs and 12oz., making it the second heaviest towel on this list. Some readers told me that the Frontgate towels take too long to dry—both in the dryer and when you’re hanging them post-shower or bath—but that hasn’t been a huge problem for me. They are decidedly soft, are satisfyingly heavy, and a good value for the money.
My only issue is aesthetic. There is wide, decorative banding at each end of the towel, running about 3.5 inches wide, and placed about 3.5 inches from the ends of the towel. My husband didn’t mind this design element, but it wasn’t my favorite. Definitely not a major issue though.
The Details
Available in in 26 colors
Made in Turkey from 100% long-staple Turkish cotton
OEKO-TEX certified
700 GSM
Bath towel is 30” x 58”
Bath sheet is 40” x 72”
2. LIGHT(ER)WEIGHT LUXURY, SUPER SOFT HAND FEEL
Matouk Milagro Bath Towel ($69) / Bath Sheet ($119)
As I mentioned before, I really like the Matouk duvet insert we have on our bed, but I’d never tried the brand’s other products. I was super impressed by these towels though, due to their outrageous softness, even though they are lighter and have a lower GSM than the Frontgate or the Brooklinen options.
Also, I never thought I’d write this, but it turns out that a towel can be slightly too heavy for me (who knew?), a fact that was revealed by this process. The Matouk bath sheet weighed in at 2 lbs and 2oz., making it nearly 23% lighter than the Frontgate towel. For me, the Matouk option is still very substantial, but I felt like I was wearing the towel, rather than the towel was wearing me, which was nice. And that’s why this is my top towel.
The Details
Available in 23 colors
Made in Portugal from 100% long-staple cotton
OEKO-TEX certified
550 GSM
Bath towel is 30” x 60”
Bath sheet is 40” x 70”
3. ULTRA SUBSTANTIAL, MOST RECOMMENDED (BY YOU) OPTION
Brooklinen Super Plush Bath Towel ($75 for 2) and Bath Sheet ($101 for 2)
There was so much love for Brooklinen towels in my comments and DMs, I was surprised—pleasantly so. There was no other DTC brand that garnered such fervor and ecstatic messages, as people legit swoon over their love for these extremely elevated towels.
Brooklinen’s super plush towels also have the highest GSM, by a pretty significant margin, and also weighed the most, coming in at nearly 3 lbs on my kitchen scale. They’re only sold in pairs, so if you want one towel, sorry, too bad. But honestly, you probably do want more than one because they’re really that lovely and soft. Plus, their design is subtler than Frontgate’s. Instead of the big panel, the Brooklinen towels have three (very quiet) piping details, placed in a similar spot. To me, this makes them look more luxurious and expensive.
And, while the initial cost is higher that Frontgate, due to the whole selling-in-pairs thing, the price-per-towel is actually similar. Each Brooklinen towel is $37.50 to Frontgate’s $36, and the Brooklinen bath sheets are less expensive, at $50.50 per sheet to Frontgate’s $63.
The Details
Available in 16 colors
Made in Turkey from 100% long-staple Turkish cotton
OEKO-TEX certified
820 GSM
Bath towel is 30” x 58”
Bath sheet is 40” x 65”
4. SURPRISINGLY NICE FOR THE PRICE
Casaluna Organic Bath Towel ($12) and Bath Sheet ($20)
I wasn’t planning on including these towels from Target in my roundup, but they have so many devotees, it’s bonkers. So I investigated, and liked what I found. Like the rest of the towels, they’re OEKO-TEX certified, but these are also GOTS certified too. Design-wise, they’re pleasingly simple: No decorative details except for a clean one-inch textured hem, which I appreciate.
In terms of how these towels differ from their more expensive counterparts, I think the biggest factor is their weight. The bath towel weighs 1 lb 6 oz., and the bath sheet is under 2 lbs, so they’re definitely quite a bit lighter. The Casaluna towels are also a bit smaller than the other brands reviewed here. Their bath sheet is a full seven inches narrower than the others, and seven inches shorter than Frontgate’s bath sheet. The Casaluna regular towels are the same width as the others, but again, the shortest by two to four inches, depending on the brand. They’re also not as soft as the three other options.
All of that said, I think they’re still a great option, especially for kids’ bathrooms and for anyone who is hard on towels. And to be perfectly honest, if I hadn’t been comparing them to much more expensive towels, I think I’d like them more. And to be frank, they’re probably nicer than 94% of the towels I’ve ever owned, so I can definitely recommend.
The Details
Available in 8 colors
Made in India from 100% organic cotton
OEKO-TEX certified
700 GSM for bath towels
670 GSM for bath sheets
Bath towel is 30” x 56”
Bath sheet is 33” x 65
Other Options:
While I decided to focus on four of the most highly recommended towel brands, I was so impressed with all of your suggestions. If you still want more options, consider the following.
Coyuchi CloudLoom Organic Bath Sheet ($128): Long-staple Turkish cotton, 685 GSM, 100% organic cotton, GOTS certified, 8 colors
The White Company Rib Hydrocotton Towel ($59): Made in Turkey, 500 GSM, 5 colors.
Parachute Soft Rib Towel ($59) Long-staple Turkish cotton, 450 GSM, OEKO-TEX certified, 9 colors.
Okay friends, that’s it for now. If you want to follow me on @hillarykerr, I’d love it. And if you have anything to say or ask (preferably nothing terribly mean), please drop me a note either via DM or in the comments below.
As always, thank you for taking the time to read this post. I’m truly so glad you’re here. If you like what you’re reading, please consider sharing this newsletter. (And if you have the time to like it, that would mean a lot to me!) All products mentioned are independently chosen, and some may be affiliate links. Your support is appreciated.
Also, I’ve no idea where to start with weights trainings and gonna be having any suggestions. I’m absolutely too nervous to go into my local gym but also don’t wanna hurt myself because I’ve no idea what I’m doing
Love this thanks Hilary! one question though - sometimes towels are too soft and actually don’t absorb any of the water. Do you know what I mean? Did that happen with any of these?