USEFUL TIPS
Towel Material: 5 Tips on Choosing Towels
5 min read
5 min read
You probably (hopefully) use multiple towels every day of your life. But while towels are essential to our lives, we don’t often spend much time thinking about them. It’s time the towels in your bathroom receive the attention they deserve.
Not all towels are created equal. Choosing the right material, absorbency, size, pattern, and so on can make a huge difference to your overall bathing experience — not to mention your cleanliness and that of your bathroom.
Whether you’re in the market for new towels after a move or simply looking to upgrade your current linen closet, let’s talk about five ways to ensure your towels are perfect.
1. Have an Idea Going In
This is important for pretty much any purchase. While there’s definitely value to being open-minded and willing to adjust your expectations as you learn more about whatever product you’re buying, if you go in with zero expectations and nothing on your “must-have” list, it’s easy to get a bit lost in the seemingly endless options and come away with something that ultimately doesn’t suit your needs.
While you may not know exactly what you want, you should know your priorities. Do you want towels that feel so plush you could lose a hand in one? Or would you prefer something thinner but super-absorbent? Is the look of your towels important, or are you more concerned with performance?
Are you interested in high-end materials, and if so, how much effort are you willing to put into maintaining them? It’s also good to have an idea of the price point that works for you concerning how much laundry you’re willing to do.
While the super expensive luxury towels you saw online might be affordable if you buy just one or two, since experts recommend you wash your towel after using it three to four times, that’s going to get old, fast.
2. Trust Your Senses
Once you have a general idea of what you’re looking for in your new towels and what’s most important to you, you can start with the simplest tip in the book: trust your senses. Whether shopping in person or buying towels online to try out, first listen to how you feel about them.
It doesn’t matter if they’re made from the best, most wonderful material in the world if you don’t like how it feels. Another towel may be perfect in every way, but if the fabric has a strange odor you’re not sure will go away, it’s best to move on.
If a towel is advertised as super-plush but feels thin and less absorbent to you, let it go. Trust what you can see and feel over advertising as a first step. That said, this should be the only way you choose your towels.
Have you ever tried on a pair of pants in a store and thought they were the perfect fit, only to wash them once and then never be able to wear them again? Similarly, it’s possible for manufacturers to take some extra steps to ensure that your towel feels amazing in the store, but after some use and a few washes, it may end up being a little lackluster.
As such, in addition to trusting your senses, you’ll want to…
3. Check the Fiber Content
This is so important with textiles. Whether choosing new bedding or towels, the fibers are crucial. Cotton is the softest, most absorbent option, although sometimes cotton blends may be cheaper and quick-drying, which could be something that appeals to you.
That said, there are other fiber-related keywords to look for to choose a high-quality towel that performs well. Long-staple or longer fibers make your cotton more durable.
Ring-spun cotton is twisted, which creates stronger, smoother material. While it can be tempting to look for buzzwords like Egyptian or Supima cotton, when it comes to towels, these terms don’t really impact the softness or absorbency of towels.
4. Think About the Weight
The big question! The weight of the towel refers to its density. The more dense a towel is, or the higher its weight, the more absorbent it will be and the more plush it will feel.
A towel’s weight is measured in grams per square meter (GSM) and tends to range from around 300 GSM to 900 GSM, with some variables on either end.
5. Consider Care Requirements
Here’s the thing about your bath towels: they are germ magnets, no matter what kind of towel you purchase. They’re getting wet all the time and frequently hang in your bathroom, which not only exposes them to some less-than-savory germs but also means they’re potentially in a damp environment even when they’re supposed to be drying.
While absorbency is appealing when you’re using your towel to dry yourself, it can be a real problem if you’re not drying your towels properly or not washing them frequently enough. After using your towel once, you should be sure to hang it up so that every inch of it is exposed to the air to ensure it dries fully. Ideally, this happens outside of your bathroom, which is likely to be a more humid environment than other parts of your home.
On top of ensuring your towel dries between uses, you’ll want to wash it frequently — as we mentioned, once every three to four uses. It’s also extra important to wash your towels regularly if you struggle with acne or have sensitive skin.
So choosing a towel that’s not only durable but makes care easy is key. It’s why we like our Miracle Made Towel Set so much. Our towels are ultra-plush and made from that premium, long-staple cotton we mentioned earlier, so they’re soft and absorbent.
But they’re also infused with silver. This silver infusion means our towels can prevent up to 99.7% of odor-causing bacterial growth. They’ll stay fresh for up to 3x longer, so you have to do laundry up to 3x less often.
And on top of that, they’re better for your skin because they’re less prone to growing bacteria and other impurities that might lead to irritation or breakouts, whether you have sensitive skin or not.
Takeaway
It’s easy to take parts of your life that seem like a given for granted. But whether you’re choosing between a duvet and a comforter or are looking for a new set of towels, putting some thought into these small details can have a huge impact on your day-to-day life.
The difference between your mediocre, scratchy, go-to towel and a towel that you’re excited to wrap around yourself at the end of your shower can be huge. If it’s possible to turn a basic daily chore into a luxurious self-care moment, well — the choice is obvious.
Sources:
How Often Should You Wash Your (Germ Magnet of a) Bath Towel? | Cleveland Clinic
How Often Should an Acne-Prone Person Wash Their Towel | Acne.Org
