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Our editors tested a bunch of towels and can vouch for these.
A shower (or a bath, if that's your thing) starts and ends with a towel, so making sure it's a good one is key to ensuring the whole bathing experience is enjoyable. We made it our mission to find and snag the best bath towels on the market. In order to see if they lived up to the hype, we used them all for at least two weeks (although some of us have had ours for years), and reported back with our findings.
Ahead, you'll find plenty of top-notch options, including well-known and loved ones from such brands as Brooklinen and Cozy Earth, charming alternatives from Weezie Towels, and not one, but two best-selling picks from Parachute, among others. So, if you hate your bath towels that shed all over you, feel as though they're about to rip, or are past their service life, it's time to upgrade, and we can guarantee that you'll find something you'll love on this list. Each pick is different than the last, so even if your taste is really specific, we've got you covered (literally). Scroll down to discover which bath towels made the cut and why we love them so much.
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Senior Commerce Editor Marina Liao loves these Brooklinen towels so much that she has two sets of them: one in white and one in the stripe. "I've been using the white ones for almost five years, so they have survived hundreds, if not thousands, of cycles in the washer and dryer. I am so impressed with the quality because the towels have not ripped, gotten thinner, or disintegrated at all," she says. "My white towels are still just as thick as my newer stripe ones, albeit a little gray since I'm lazy and don't Oxiclean them."
One thing to note: They are on the thicker side and will feel less plush-soft after years of constant use. Liao loves the thickness and says it's part of their appeal. "When I wrap myself up in them post-shower, it feels like a warm hug since they have a nice weight to them," she says. "On the flip side, because they're a bit thick, they do take longer to dry. I used to hang them on a single hook behind my door, and they would get a weird smell because they couldn't dry properly. My second floor, where my bathroom is located, tends to get humid! Now I use a towel bar, so the piece can fully fan out and dry." These spa-like towels are soft, long-lasting, and the best on the market.
Associate Shopping Editor Jessica Cherner will be the first to tell you that the photos hardly do these towels justice. They're significantly softer than they look. "In my opinion, the more a bath towel feels like a blanket, the better, and these are the best I've ever bought," she says. "They are really thick and soft, which, to me, is the perfect combination for a luxury towel. They have zero scratch factor, and dry pretty quickly." She started with four bath towels, and then added four hand towels, and later, four washcloths. "What can I say? I'm addicted to my towels," she adds.
Anyone who doesn't love a super fluffy, thick towel, you're going to love these as much as Senior Digital Editor Melanie Yates does. "I really like the towels' unique texture—it's not an ultra-fluffy, heavy towel, nor does it have that bland, rough, terrycloth texture—it has a short, somewhat nubby weave that is lightweight and absorbent," she explains. "These towels feel well-designed and luxe, not like they’ll shed all over you or make you sweat under their weight."
That's not even the best thing about them, though. As Yates says, "Each towel comes with a handy loop for hanging, which I love. This helps them dry quickly and not slip off my towel hook." One warning she'll offer, though, is that the colored towels will fade over time. She admits that her once-pale green towels are now off-white.
Contributing writer Kelsey Mulvey may have a closet full of towels, but this set from Cozy Earth is the one she continuously uses time and time again. "After trying many cheaper options that started to feel like the towel equivalent of sandpaper, I learned that it's a really good idea to invest in your towels. Each item in this bundle—four washcloths, two hand towels, and two bath towels—is made with a delightful mix of cotton and viscose that feels oh-so-cozy," she says. Like Liao, Mulvey likes that hug feeling you get from a plush towel, and these check the box. "Whenever I step out of the shower, I want to feel like I'm getting a big bear hug from a super-soft, super-sized towel, and unlike many other towels, which are on the smaller side, Cozy Earth's version is huge," she says.
Anyone with a security deposit knows that you can only make so many changes to your rental, so being able to spruce it up with decor, furniture, and linens is a must. That's where Parachute's new Resort collection comes in.
"I have been dying to get my hands on the Parachute towels since they came out in this camel colorway. In a renter bathroom where all I can control is the decor, having chic, matching hand and bath towels is such a game-changer," says Assistant Market Editor Catherine DiPersico. "But honestl,y the best part is, they're really great towels! I had been testing a waffle towel for a while, but truthfully, I missed the plush feel of my old terry towels. With this 100 percent cotton set, I get the plush softness I craved, but with a quicker-drying material. Plus the towels come with loops for hanging which keeps them from falling off the back of the bathroom door when opening and closing it. I love it when my aesthetic-based purchases also result in a functional improvement."
Calling everyone who loves the coquette aesthetic. "I absolutely adore the color of these Weezie towels. The darker trim is just so darling," admits Digital Editor Meghan Shouse. "My bathroom, as you can see, is not the most vibrant or even pretty (renter problems), so these pink bath towels add such a nice pop of color to the space." Looks aside, they do the job and then some. Shouse adds, "They're extremely soft, and each one has a handy little loop for hanging up the towel while it dries. My biggest fear with super soft towels is them not drying fast enough and not being absorbent enough, but these dry fairly quickly and soak up water well."
Anyone can opt for a set of classic white towels, but only a daring few will go with something a bit less traditional. Contributing Social Media Editor Maggie Haddad falls into the latter category, as she used her mosaic-inspired bath towels from Parachute to make her already very funky bathroom even more fun.
"I'm in the process of giving my landlord special bathroom a makeover, and these mosaic towels from Parachute pair perfectly with my butter yellow walls to create the retro space of my dreams," she explains. "Not only are the earthy hues absolutely stunning, but 100 percent organic cotton is actually so plush—and the geometric pattern contributes to the towel's absorbency."
Our goal with testing our bath towels was to see what it's like to really live with them rather than using them once and reporting back. So each of the eight House Beautiful editors, including myself, used our respective towels for at least two weeks (some of us, though, have been loving our towels for years), taking notes along the way, and detailing our experiences in full. Of course, our thoughts may change for better or worse over a longer period of time, but we felt that 14 days, at the minimum, allowed us to experience the full impact.
Upon receiving our towels, we washed them per the product instructions and put them to work. Everyone used their towels for two weeks to get a sense of how soft, absorbent, quick-drying, and beautiful they were. And, spoiler alert: All of the towels on this list passed the test.
When it comes to picking out the best (and affordable) pieces for any space, I have been reviewing furniture, appliances, and home must-haves for nearly a decade, having access to more than a few stylish samples and working with countless interior designers on what makes a product worthy in the home. From comfortable couches that are designer-approved to the softest sheets, I have made it my mission to find only the most promising products. What's more, this isn't even my first towel-specific round-up. I've also covered the best waffle towels money can buy.
For this story, I spent hours combing through reviews and ratings to select the best towels on the market. Then, I tapped my fellow editors to thoroughly test a curated selection in their own homes, to recommend the chicest, absorbent, and quick-drying towels for your own home.
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