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There are more types of towels than you might think.
Courtesy of brands / Laneen Wells
prior to beginning browsing, check out our tips on finding your perfect match.
Material
A soft material is table stakes for a good towel.
This is especially important if you havesensitive skinor a condition like eczema, Dr. Camp says.
Terry cloth is made of loops of thread thatll feel soft against your skin and absorb more water.
Really, this just comes down to your preference.
The higher the GSM, the more absorbent the towel will be.
(It may also take longer to dry.)
The towels on our list range from 240 GSM to 820 GSM.
Size
Most standard bath towels measure about 30 inches by 60 inches.
But a lot of popular options come in larger versions called bath sheets (we included one fromBrooklinen).
Theyre great for people with larger bodies or anyone who wants a little more surface area to work with.
Theyre superlight and dry quickly, one SELF editor says.
(No more damp, musty towel smell.)
And while they absorb moisture well, they dont feel heavy when theyre wet, she adds.
Looking to upgrade your whole set?
you’ve got the option to save some money when you buy these in a bundle oftwoorfour.
I recently gave these a try because they were on sale, and theyre really nice, she says.
They dont feel as rough and thin as other quick-drying towels Ive used.
Wrapping myself in thismegatowel feels like snuggling with acozy blanket.
Towels that arent highly absorbent may leave a small amount of water on the skin surface, he says.
If your skin is dehydrated, this can be a good thing.
He recommendsapplying a moisturizeron top of this thin water layer to help seal in that H2O.
(It even comes with a carrying case!)
Our tester has used this for several years on her bikepacking, backpacking, and road-tripping excursions.
The ones below all come highly recommended by reviewers, so we still think theyre worth considering.
Plus its five inches longer, so youll have more wiggle room to wrap it around yourself.
