Say goodbye to damp and smelly towels for good.
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If your towels still feel damp long after you've dried off or have developed a musty odor, a quick-dry towel could help eliminate your woes. Whether they're made with shorter cotton loops, flat waffle weave construction or lightweight microfiber pile, quick-dry towels are designed to speed up dry time so that you don't have to worry about them making a wet mess in your bathroom.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab, we test towels of all kinds — from bath towels to beach towels and kitchen towels — evaluating them for factors like washability, absorbency, shrinkage, fabric strength, colorfastness and, of course, how quickly each one dries. We also work with our consumer testers who use the towels at home and rate them for properties like comfort, softness and their experiences with laundering. In recent years, we've tested more than 90 towels, and the following picks are top-tested towels from our evaluations, analyst favorites or best-selling styles with tons of online reviews from real users.
This towel beat out dozens of other styles in our recent bath towel tests with perfect scores for its absorbency and its quick-drying abilities. (Most towels usually excel in one or the other.) It has a unique construction that combines microfiber on the inside with cotton fibers on the surface, so you truly get the best of both worlds. The towels also proved to be strong and shrink-resistant in our evaluations, but the material did show signs of wear with laundering — pilling and developing fuzz faster than others in our test.
Testers of the Everplush towel highlighted how cozy the material felt, and one shared, "I loved how soft the towel was. It was a good size, not too big, and it dried even faster than my Turkish towel. Despite being soft and plush, it was lightweight." A Textiles Lab analyst added, "I love using these towels for my guest bathroom because they're easy to care for, quick to dry and ultra plush."
Pieces: 2 bath towels, 2 hand towels and 2 washcloths | Material: Cotton, polyamide and polyester blend | Dimensions: 30" x 56" bath towels, 16" x 30" hand towels and 13" x 13" washcloths
Priced at around $10 a piece (or less!) with more than 30,000 five-star ratings, these towels from Amazon are super popular and a total steal. The two-pack of towels stood out in our tests for its soft feel, and one tester was surprised by how cozy the towels felt, sharing that they seemed more expensive than they really were. The towels are on the thinner side, so some testers wished they were plusher, but others appreciated the lightweight design.
While the towels earned only average absorbency scores in our Textiles Lab evaluations, our at-home testers were impressed by the absorbency during their at-home assessments. Amazon reviewers love the towels, as well, emphasizing their quick-drying abilities. One shared, "These towels are simply amazing! Not only do they dry super quickly, but they are also incredibly soft and gentle on my skin." We think the towels are worth it at such an incredible price.
Pieces: 2 bath towels | Material: Cotton | Dimensions: 30" x 54"
This 100% cotton towel has a waffle weave construction that is lightweight and dried impressively fast in our Lab tests. Because there are no loops like with a traditional terrycloth towel, it won't feel as plush or absorbent as other styles — in fact, some testers said it seemed more like a blanket, but some of our testers prefer the thinner feel of a waffle weave like Parachute's towel.
During our Textiles Lab evaluations, we found the towel held up well in the wash, and one tester agreed, sharing that it was "easy to launder," but there was some shrinkage in the dryer. The chic towel also earned high marks for its attractive appearance, which brings a spa-like feel to any bathroom. The bath towels are available in four neutral colors, and Parachute sells matching hand towels for a cohesive look.
Pieces: 1 bath towel | Material: Cotton | Dimensions: 56" x 30"
This compact towel is a best-seller on Amazon with over 19,000 five-star reviews. Users say they use it for everything from camping and hiking to backpacking and international travel. Some describe it as the "perfect travel towel" because it packs well in luggage and dries quickly, thanks to the polyester blend microfibers that wick moisture away.
Like with other microfiber towels, reviewers say this one isn't super absorbent, and there are some complaints that the edge stitching unravels with use. It won't be the best option if you're looking for an ultra-durable, ultra-plush towel, but it is a good choice for someone on the go. It's available in sixteen vibrant colors and six different sizes from XS to XXL, so you can buy the one that best meets your needs.
Pieces: 1 bath towel | Material: Microfiber | Dimensions: 24" x 12", 32" x 16", 40" x 20", 48" x 24", 60" x 30", 72" x 40"
This luxurious towel from Pottery Barn is the plushest of our picks. The towel has a super soft feel, with some testers describing it as "so fluffy" and the "ideal towel." One tester shared that it stayed soft, even after being used and washed repeatedly. And it performed well in our Textile Lab washability tests, maintaining its shape and its soft feel with just some shrinkage after 20 cycles in the laundry.
While the towel is considered to be a quick-dry towel by the brand, it didn't dry as quickly as some of our other picks, but it did dry faster than the ultra-plush styles we tested. Plus, it was ultra-absorbent, which means you'll have no problem drying off after a shower or bath. The towel is also made of organic Turkish cotton and certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).
Pieces: 1 bath towel | Material: Turkish cotton | Dimensions: 28" x 55"
In the Textiles Lab, we're regularly impressed by Brooklinen's products, including its top-tested sheets and comfy towels. These Ultralight towels are loved by hundreds of online reviewers who say they are the perfect balance of thin and absorbent. One five-star review said, "This is the towel you need: soft but absorbent, thin but not sparse, large enough... but not one of those cumbersome towels that is too much."
The towels aren't as heavyweight as many we test, so they'll dry more quickly than some other traditional towels, but they are a little thicker than a few of our picks and are made of absorbent Turkish cotton fibers. Online reviewers are impressed by the dry time overall, sharing that they "air dry super quick" with one reviewer adding, "This is a nice light towel set that doesn't take much room to store and dries very quickly."
Pieces: 2 bath towels | Material: Turkish cotton | Dimensions: 30" x 58"
Beach trips are a breeze with this towel from Dock & Bay that's available in four sizes (including an oversized beach blanket option) and over 30 fun prints and patterns. We love the lightweight material which is a combination of synthetic polyester and polyamide microfiber that's "sand-resistant." It has a unique structure that keeps sand on the fabric's surface, making it simple to shake the sand loose.
The synthetic fiber blend dries quicker than a standard cotton beach towel and is extra durable, but the material is on the thinner side so it won't feel quite as plush. When you're ready to pack up, the towel can be rolled into its compact carrying case for easy travel. One tester shared, "I like to bring this towel everywhere with me on summer days in case I may have an impromptu picnic."
Pieces: 1 beach towel | Material: Polyester and polyamide blend | Dimensions: 35" x 78"
A microfiber hair towel can speed up your hair’s drying time and help to prevent damage. The lightweight microfibers are smoother than standard cotton fibers, so according to hairstylist Becca Mutchler, they won't tug quite as much and are overall gentler on your tresses. She likes using microfiber materials when she dries her own hair to help prevent unnecessary breakage and frizz.
Hicober's towels come in three packs starting at just $16, so each hair wrap is less than $6 a piece — an incredible value. This particular hair towel features a tapered design with an elastic strap in the back that secures over a button at the top of the wrap, resulting in a neatly twisted style. Because the material isn't as absorbent as standard cotton, it won't stay damp for long once you take it off. This type of towel tends to work best for those with delicate or curly hair, but it may not be able to accommodate thicker hair or longer styles.
Pieces: 3 hair towels | Material: Microfiber | Dimensions: 26" x 10"
In the Textiles Lab, we put towels through various evaluations using our equipment, and consumer testers try out the towels for themselves and provide real-user feedback. In recent years, we've tested more than 80 towels and reviewed over 10,000 data points from these tests. Here's how towels that are tested in the Lab are scored:
✔️ Drying speed: To test drying speed, a standardized amount of water is added to a fabric swatch, and we hang the swatch to dry. The fabric is weighed every 30 minutes until it reaches its original weight, which indicates that it is fully dry.
✔️ Washability: We wash the towels 20 times, drying them every four cycles, and then we analyze them for shrinkage, appearance and weight loss during the laundering process.
✔️ Absorbency: Using the equipment pictured, we set a towel sample in place at a 60-degree angle. We then pour water onto the towel from a standard distance, and any water that doesn't absorb into the material rolls into a pan below, which is then weighed. Each towel undergoes this test multiple times, including between wash cycles. A towel with perfect absorbency won't have any water run off into the pan.
✔️ Fabric strength: We use a specialized Instron machine that pulls towel fabric swatches apart, measuring the force needed to break each swatch.
✔️ Consumer tests: Our consumer testers try out the towels at home and rate them for properties like softness, appearance and whether or not they dried users off quickly.
Quick-dry towels are a bit different than your standard bath towel with unique features that speed up the drying process. Here are a few things to look for when shopping for one:
✔️ Fabric construction: The majority of towels are constructed from terrycloth fabric, which is a woven fabric covered in tiny loops of yarn that increase the fabric's surface area and absorbency. That means it's great at soaking up water and keeping you dry.
However, some quick-dry towels are made with woven microfiber fabrics that aren't always looped. Sometimes, the microfibers are brushed for a fuzzy feel that's comparable to suede, and other times the microfiber pile is low and flat. Either way, microfiber fabrics won't soak up as much water as traditional terrycloth, but they will have a shorter dry time.
✔️ Fiber content: Many brands will include fiber content information on the care label. Most quick-dry towels are made of synthetic fibers like polyester, nylon or polyamide, which are long-lasting and more durable than natural fibers. Plus, they're inherently hydrophobic, which means they aren't super absorbent and take less time to dry as a result.
Natural fibers like cotton, on the other hand, are typically more absorbent and are loved by testers for having a softer, plusher feel than synthetic fibers. Because they're so absorbent, they are likely to take longer to dry, but this isn't always the case, especially when they're blended with a synthetic fiber. With a combination, you get the best of both worlds — an absorbent, soft and quicker drying material.
✔️ Fabric weight: Fabric weight is measured in grams per square meter (GSM). A plush, ultra-absorbent towel is going to be heavier and have a higher GSM, sometimes upwards of 600. A full-size quick-dry towel, on the other hand, will likely be lighter weight with a lower GSM around or less than 300.
Lexie Sachs is the Executive Director of the Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Lexie has tested dozens of towels using lab equipment, evaluating aspects like dry speed, strength and shrinkage. She has also worked with hundreds of consumer testers, collecting thousands of data points around softness and user satisfaction. Lexie initially wrote this article based on test results and expertise in shopping for bath towels.
Amanda Constantine is a Home & Apparel Reviews Analyst at Good Housekeeping Institute where she evaluates home goods of all kinds, including towels. She recently covered beach towels and has tested dozens of bath towels in the Lab for properties like washability and shrinkage. She used her categorical expertise while updating this article.
Lexie Sachs (she/her) is the executive director of strategy and operations at the Good Housekeeping Institute and a lead reviewer of products in the bedding, travel, lifestyle, home furnishings and apparel spaces. She has over 15 years of experience in the consumer products industry and a degree in fiber science from Cornell University. Lexie serves as an expert source both within Good Housekeeping and other media outlets, regularly appearing on national broadcast TV segments. Prior to joining GH in 2013, Lexie worked in merchandising and product development in the fashion and home industries.
Amanda (she/her) researches and reports on products in the Good Housekeeping Institute's Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab, ranging from clothing and accessories to home furnishings. She holds undergraduate degrees in apparel merchandising and product development and advertising and marketing communications, as well as a master of science degree in consumer sciences from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining Good Housekeeping in 2022, Amanda was a lecturer for the fashion and retail studies program at Ohio State, where she taught fashion and textiles courses.
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