Searching for the best towels to upgrade your bathroom – and your bathtime? Seek our guidance as we can recommend 13 of the very best towels out there, from The White Company, DUSK, Christy, Amazon and more. To make for a spa-like experience from home. Because who wants to end their candlelit relaxing bath, or soothing yet steamy shower, by wrapping an old, flat, lifeless towel around them? Not us, that’s for sure. And we’re guessing you agree…
High-quality, fluffy towels don’t always have to cost the earth, so having a couple of hand towels, a bath sheet or two or a few bath towels that are soft won’t break the bank. You can also use your bathroom towels to add colour or pattern to a bathroom. Wave goodbye to those old towels, and hello to some fresh, fancy and new ones. Buying new towels will be sure to give your bathroom a new lease of life, that’s for sure.
Head to our dedicated bathrooms page for inspiration and ideas if you are redecorating
See 15 of the best towels you can buy below. Find top tips on finding the right type of towel for you at the bottom of this page.
The best towels to buy for your bathroom in 2021
1. Christy Honeycomb Towels Platinum
Image credit: Christy
This Honeycomb design by Christy is a great way to add pattern without having to add another accent colour. The simple Platinum grey towels feature a stylised honeycomb pattern sculptured into the towel, rather than having to use multiple colours to create an intriguing design. Made from 100 per cent cotton the highly durable, luxurious towels are ideal for adding decorative interest to simple bathroom schemes, in style.
GSM: 650
Sizes: Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet
Buy now: Honeycomb Towel Platinum, from £12, Christy
2. The White Company Luxury Egyptian Cotton Towels
Image credit: The White Company
Our sources at The White Company inform us that these are the definitive best-selling range – winning high accolades from all manner of experts. The luxury spa-like towels are made from an incredibly high 700GSM twisted Egyptian cotton Terry, which feels super-soft and generously plush to the touch. Their heavyweight design helps to make you feel reassuringly enveloped in complete comfort. In the brands signature crisp white these towels will help to add a posh hotel feel to any bathroom. The clean white design features a detailed simple border, to add just a hint of interest without the need for more. Doing what The White Company does best, these towels help make an everyday home accessory feel a little bit more luxurious.
GSM: 700
Sizes: Face Cloth, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet, Super Jumbo
Buy now: Luxury Egyptian Cotton Towels, From £4, The White Company
3. John Lewis & Partners Ultra Soft Cotton Towels
Image credit: John Lewis & Partners
Made using untwisted yarn to create a super-soft feel, these are an affordable option for luxury towels. The super-soft towels are coated in an innovative natural peppermint treatment that contains antimicrobial protection, to keep them fresher and cleaner for longer. And while peppermint is the key ingredient in the process it doesn’t leave the towels smelling like a minty fresh toothpaste – the unique ‘Natural Life’ finish actually helps to keep them completely odour-free. John Lewis test the towels to the highest standards of durability, colour-fastness and performance to ensure they last and last. Available in 16 pleasing shades, from ‘Pale Pink’ and ‘Sapphire’ to more neutral ‘Linen’ and ‘Mineral’ there’s a hue to enhance every bathroom suite.
GSM: 580
Sizes: Face Cloth, Guest Towel, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet, Extra Large Bath Sheet
Buy now: Ultra Soft Cotton Hand Towel, From £4, John Lewis & Partners
4. Dusk Monaco Bath Towels
Image credit: DUSK
This bath towel range from DUSK truly is impressive. So much so that we rate them the best towels if you want luxury but are on a budget. They are super soft and made from 100% cotton, while they boast 500GSM. Thanks to this, they are not only lightweight but also quick drying. Choose from three stylish colourways including this lovely natural colour, and they will be sure to add some texture to your bathroom shelves.
GSM: 500
Sizes: Face Cloth, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet
Buy now: Monaco Bath Towels, From £3, DUSK
5. Tesco Fox & Ivy Egyptian Cotton Towels
Wrap yourself in a little luxury with Fox & Ivy’s Egyptian cotton bath towels. Made with superior Gold Seal accredited Egyptian cotton in a plush 650gsm pile, this towel range feels wonderfully thick and soft against your skin, even after multiple washes. Available in 3 beautiful colour choices including charcoal, rose and silver. The ultra-absorbent range is available in face cloths, hand towels, bath towels and bath sheets. Coordinating Egyptian cotton pedestal mats and bath mats are also available to create a harmonious bathroom scheme. These luxurious towels offer a hotel feel on budget, without compromising on quality.
GSM: 650
Sizes: Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet
Buy now: Fox & Ivy Egyptian Cotton Towels, from £6-£15, Tesco Direct
6. Utopia Towels Premium Jumbo Bath Sheet
Image credit: Utopia Towels
This towel is, without a doubt, the best towel on Amazon. With a whopping 15,000 reviews – and a 4.6-star rating – this towel comes in only one size: bath sheet. Though rest assured you can buy them in a pack of two if you need to upgrade a few of your towels. They are made of 100% ring spun cotton to make them highly absorbent and super soft. While they even come in a range of colours including blue, electric blue, grey, pink, plum, navy and of course, white. This bath sheet is ideal if you are on a budget, or equally enough it would be ideal for students, teens…
GSM: 600
Sizes: Bath Sheet
Buy now: Utopia Towels Premium Jumbo Bath Sheet, £12.99, Amazon
7. Marks & Spencer Egyptian Cotton Luxury Towel
Image credit: M&S
Not only are these M&S towels high quality, but they come in a huge range of colours – 40 to be exact – so that you can choose to match them with your decor or use them to add a pop of colour to your toilet. They are made using longer lasting mature cotton fibres and also infused with Marks & Spencer’s StayNEW
technology to keep them looking and feeling fresh after several washes. Let’s not forget they are also 100% pure Egyptian cotton with a 650gsm rating. For a spa-like experience in your own home, these towels are your best bet.
GSM: 650
Sizes: Face Towel, Guest Towel, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet
Buy now: Egyptian Cotton Luxury Towel, From £2, Marks & Spencer
8. Marks & Spencer Cotton Leopard Design Towel
Image credit: M&S
Because sometimes you just need to go wild with pattern, and the bathroom is a great place to have fun with it. Somehow there’s less commitment to pattern when it features on towels that can be changed weekly. Who doesn’t love a bit of leopard print? This timeless favourite is the trend that keeps giving, going from strength to strength on decorative accessories. The print in grey at M&S is somewhat subtle – if we dare say that of animal print? The design also comes in a neutral beige. These design-led towels are made from responsibly sourced cotton with 500 GSM, using innovative StayNEW technology which helps to keep them in prime condition for longer.
GSM: 500
Sizes: Guest Towel, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet
Buy now: Cotton Leopard Design Hand Towel, From £4, Marks & Spencer
9. Sheridan Eden Organic Cotton Towel
Image credit: Sheridan
The Eden Towel collection is luxuriously soft to the touch, yet highly absorbent. This silky soft towel collection is more than stylish, made using organically sourced cotton, Global Organic Textile Standard certified – that’s the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres to you and me. Organic, in any measure is always considered the best option to get the best quality. The organic cotton yarns are wrapped in lyocell to enhance the super soft touch. The delightful ducky pink shade welcomes a touch of on-trend colour to bathrooms.
Sizes: Face Washer, Hand Towel, Bath Mat, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet
Buy now: Eden Organic Cotton Towels, From £3, Sheridan
10. Wilko Best Beige Bath Towel
Image credit: Wilko
These towels are called ‘best’ because quite simply they are the best quality towel within the Wilko towel range offer. So, what exactly makes them eligible to be deemed more superior quality? They are made from Egyptian cotton vs. regular cotton of other towels in the range. These are also made using ‘Hygro’ technology – this is hollow core yarn technology. Simply it makes the towel fluffier and bulkier after every wash. A wonderfully unique feature that cements their status as the ‘best’ towels on sale at Wilko.
Sizes: Face Cloth, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet
Buy now: Best Beige Bath Towel, From £0.75, Wilko
11. Boots Cuddledry hand-free baby towel
Image credit: Cuddledry
This is hands down (see what we did there!) the best bath towel for babies. Thanks to the clever design that allows the towel to loop around your neck leaving you hands-free. This eliminates the problem of how to lift baby from the bath – which is a tricky task given they are wet and slippery. This award-winning towel is made from a bamboo and cotton mix, to ensure it’s super-soft against babies skin. It’s also such a simple and yet genius idea for a babies towel!
“We asked hundreds of parents and found that mums and dads everywhere battle with baby towels held awkwardly under their chin, or in their teeth, or put crying babies onto towels on cold bathroom floors. It is of course impossible to safely lift a baby without two hands, but you also somehow have to hold a towel and wrap them in it.” – Polly Marsh, one of Cuddledry’s creators.
Buy now: Cuddledry Hand-free Baby Towel, £34.99, Boots
12. The White Company Hydro Cotton towels
Image credit: The White Company
This ribbed cotton design is a best-seller and for good reason! Made using clever ‘low twist’ technology these towels have an extra quick dry time – which is ultra handy for those who need a quick turnaround on washing. The 100 per cent Hydrocotton towels are ultra fluffy to the touch and they remain that way, blissfully soft and supple after each wash. The ultra white colour choice is perfect for a fresh, clean feel for your bathroom; but they are also available in slate and pearl grey.
GSM: 500
Size: Face Cloth, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet, Super Jumbo
Buy now: Hydrocotton Towels, From £5, The White Company
13. Soak & Sleep Supima Cotton Towels
You can’t beat the ‘Cashmere of cotton’ for a truly luxurious feeling for bathtimes and showers. These 750gsm towels feel indulgent and cosy whilst boasting high-performance absorbency, for complete post-bath heaven. The range is available in 6 versatile colour choices of white, mid grey, smoke stone dark teal and aubergine.
“The exceptionally high standard of Supmina fibres used for this range are used to create towels with amazing softness and supreme durability.” – Sarah Smith, Head of Buying & Merchandising at Soak&Sleep.
GSM: 650
Sizes: Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet
Buy now: Supima Cotton Towels, From £11 , Soak&Sleep
Where to buy towels for your bathroom?
Keep scrolling for the best places to search for new bath towels, if none of our picks above tickled your fancy.
- Dunelm bath towels
- John Lewis & Partners bath towels
- M&S bath towels
- Christy bath towels
- Matalan bath towels
- The White Company bath towels
What is GSM?
You’ll see this abbreviation frequently when sourcing towels – it’s like the thread count associated with bedding. GSM stands for ‘grams per square metre’. Put simply, it’s the way weight is measured for towels. Typically speaking, the higher the GSM the higher the thickness of the towel. Therefore the higher the GSM attributed, the more luxurious a towel is considered.
‘The GSM is a good indication of how heavy and dense a towel is. Generally, the higher the GSM, the thicker and more absorbent the towel will be. When deciding on the GSM, think about how you’ll use your towel and how often. Lightweight towels dry quicker, but heavyweight towels have a more luxurious feel.” – Lucy Comer Comer, Partner & Bath Shop Buyer at John Lewis & Partners.
What types of bath towels are there?
Supima cotton is known as the “cashmere of cotton” to quote Sarah Smith, Head of Buying at Soak&Sleep, and for good reason! Grown only in the USA to exceptionally high standards, the fibres are longer and stronger than any other kind of cotton. They are therefore the most expensive towels, so consider them as a long term investment.
Egyptian cotton towels are a good alternative to costly Supima towels. They are super soft, durable and highly absorbent thanks to the long, thick loops. These towels are only slightly less luxurious and this is reflected in their price.
Standard towels are made from synthetic fibres and are therefore less absorbent and are of a lesser quality than cotton towels. However, they are low-cost and are ideal if you’re planning to change them frequently.
Waffle towels have a textured surface and their lightweight nature makes them handy for travelling.
What colour and design should you choose?
Plain white bath towels will bring a hotel chic look to any bathroom and can complement any scheme, dark or light. Be mindful of keeping your whites bright – especially if you use a lot of beauty products! It can be tricky to remove those mascara and foundation marks…
If you want your towels to make a statement, choose a contrasting colour or pattern. For a more subtle look, choose towels that tone with the tiles and flooring.
How many towels do you need?
Consider what combination of towels you need and whether you want a matching set. Towel bales are cost-effective sets that usually offer 2 face cloths, two hand towels and two bath towels. If you want larger bath sheets you’ll have to buy individual towels.
You should aim to allocate each member of the family two bath sheets and two bath towels, so they always have a clean one when one is in the wash. Hand towels can be limited to one per bathroom, and of course, always have plenty of spare towels of all sizes for guests.
What does zero twist mean?
Zero twist is a term you will see when researching towels. It basically means the cotton is spun with an open loop with no twist, giving a softer and more plush feel.
Which cotton is best for bathroom towels?
“Cotton is the most traditionally used material for bathroom towels, as it is extremely durable and absorbent.” – Lucy Comer at John Lewis & Partners.
Egyptian cotton
Egyptian cotton towels offer supreme quality and performance. Long, fine fibres of cotton help to create towels that offer high absorbency, durability and a super-soft touch. Egyptian cotton is an ideal towel choice if you prefer a heavier weight for your towels.
Supima cotton
Supima cotton is a superior cotton choice, only grown in the USA. Unique with its extra long fibres, Supima cotton is highly durable and stronger than a large majority of alternative cotton types. Despite its tough properties, Supima cotton is sumptuously soft. Making it the ideal choice if you want a hardworking heavyweight towel with a soft feel.
See all of our bathroom style ideas and more
How to care for bathroom towels
1. Wash thoroughly
‘Always wash towels before first use so they are thoroughly clean.’ recommends Julia Galloway, Design Manager, Christy Towels, ‘Don’t overload the machine, towels need plenty of space and water to effectively soak.’
2. Condition
‘To maintain the best results wash after wash we recommend using no fabric conditioner with your towels as over time the conditioner builds up in the fibres and reduces absorbency and softness.’ advises Sarah Smith, Head of Buying & Merchandising, Soak&Sleep.
3. Dry
If you can, put your towels out on the line to dry to give them extra freshness. Driers are also great for adding extra softness. Don’t iron towels as this can make them stiff and scratchy and also make them less absorbent.
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