Choosing the right bath towel can make all the difference in your post-bath or shower experience, and having high absorbency is key. While almost everyone will have their own thoughts on what makes the ‘best towel’ it will almost always include softness, absorbency and durability. In this guide, learn what makes a bath towel absorbent and our recommendations for the best towels. Discover why bamboo towels, in particular, stand out for their superior absorption, softness, and eco-friendly benefits. Shop BedVoyage bamboo bath towels as the ultimate upgrade for a luxurious bath experience.
How to Find the Most Absorbent Bath Towels
When shopping for towels, look for the GSM which stands for grams per square meter. The higher the GSM the plusher a towel will be, but not necessarily increasing the absorbency rate. The fiber content will also tell you about absorbency, as synthetics such as polyester can be less absorbent. As you are feeling the towels you may notice ones that seem a bit too silky, and those can often just push that water around on your body, not truly drying you off.
Another thing to look for is the base weave and the pile. The base weave is basically the webbing that the loops are attached too, and the pile is the loops of fibers that actually touch your body. BedVoyage towels are created with 100% Cotton base-webbing and the loops are made with 100% bamboo fibers. The cotton base makes the towel more durable and keeps its shape, while the bamboo loops are the silky-soft and super absorbent part that touches your body and dries you off.
You can choose pretty and decorative towels for display, but they won’t often be the most absorbent bath towels. If you have gorgeous towels displayed in your guest bath; when you have visitors set out a stack of super-soft and absorbent towels for their daily use. They’ll understand the ‘pretty ones’ are just for display!
What Makes an Absorbent Bath Towel?
Absorbency is the ability for a fabric or material to take in moisture. Other factors such as fiber structure, the chemical nature of the fibers, and the surface fiber that touches your skin are also taken into consideration. Attracting water molecules at a microscopic level is another way to measure the level of absorbency. We’ve all had those towels that don’t seem to dry you off at all, and that can either be that they were made with polyester fibers, or they are a velour fabric, which means they were sheared on one side. They may feel soft, but they’re significantly less absorbent than other towels.
GSM
GSM is a term that describes the weight of the towel. Bath towels can range from 300-900 GSM, and the sweet spot is somewhere in the middle. 300 GSM is a lightweight towel that may not feel as soft as higher GSM’s, and 900 GSM may be super plush but often needs much longer drying time in the dryer. BedVoyage bath sheets, bath towels, hand towels and washcloths are made with 600 GSM so that they are plush and absorbent yet still dry at the same speed as the rest of your laundry load.
Absorbent Materials
Our Ranking of the Most Absorbent Bath Towels
1. Bamboo: the fibers have micro-gaps and holes that fill with water, which quickly helps to wick away moisture from your skin. They're considered ‘super-absorbent’ compared to other fibers. Watch our video here on bamboo vs cotton absorbency, it was quite astounding to see how the bamboo wicks moisture much faster than the cotton.
2. Egyptian/Turkish Towels: Egyptian cottons are a bit heavier and more absorbent than Turkish towels and can take longer to dry. Turkish towels are a bit more lightweight and quicker to dry.
3. Microfiber Towels: they are created especially for the purpose of soaking up water, you may have seen dishcloths, shop rags and dusting towels made with microfiber. Many don’t like the way they seem to tug at the cells on your skin, making them a bit uncomfortable for body-use.
4. Cotton Towels: the historical staple are cotton towels. Cotton fibers are naturally hollow, which makes them quite absorbent, and they can range in softness levels from scratchy to luxurious. It depends on the source of the fiber, the GSM and the price, which varies wildly.
Benefits of Bamboo Towels
- Absorbs Water Quickly: Due to the structure of bamboo fibers with their micro-gaps and holes that fill with water, they are the most absorbent bath towels. You can almost pat yourself to dry quickly with very little effort.
- Hypoallergenic: the smooth and round bamboo fibers are extremely gentle to your skin, people who suffer from skin sensitivities such as eczema or psoriasis are very comforted with bamboo towels.
- Mildew and Odor Resistant: bamboo fibers have a natural resistance to bacteria, which is what causes odors on fabrics. Your towels will stay fresh for many days of use before you will need to launder them.
- Hygienic and Anti-Bacterial: because bamboo is resistant to bacteria you can feel fresh and clean each time you use the towels. You’ll never notice a mildew scent on bamboo towels, even if you accidentally left a load in the washer all day. If you did that with cotton you’d have to rerun the whole load!
- Durable and Long Lasting: you will get many years of enjoyment out of your BedVoyage bamboo towels. They are made with quality and care to last into many hundreds of washings, and will also keep their shape.
How to Restore the Look and Feel of Your Towels
Over time and hundreds of washings, your towels of any fabric can become a bit scratchy and dull. This may be due to the minerals in your water, or build-up of detergents and fabric softeners. But don’t worry, there are quick and easy ways to refresh them! Simply wash a load of your towels with one cup of white distilled vinegar and NO detergent. This will help clean the fibers in your towels. Then run them in the washing machines a second time with a half-cup of baking soda, no detergent. This removes any built-up mildew or fabric softener scents. NOW you can run the load again with detergent and you should see a noticeable difference in how your towels feel as well as smell.
Upgrade your Bath Experience with BedVoyage Bamboo Bath Towels
With the many options BedVoyage offers in our towel line, you can find the perfect super absorbent bath towels for your bathroom! We have Bath Towel options in 2 different hem-edge designs: basket-weave or modern. Our Bath Sheets are oversized and the towels feel super plush and absorbent. You can order a set of Melange Bamboo Hand Towels if you’d like a separate set, or you can purchase towels including multiple pieces such as our 3-piece, 6-piece of 8-piece sets which include hand towels and washcloths. We even offer an all-black set of 6 Facial Washcloths so that your makeup-removal will never show any stains on your washcloth! Check out our Luxury Spa Robe if you like to either lounge in a robe or you like to put one as you step out of the shower, they are plush and absorbent.
FAQ
What’s the difference between a bath towel and a bath sheet?
The primary difference between bath towels and bath sheets is size. While BedVoyage bath towels are the standard size of 30x54 inches, our bath sheets are significantly larger at 37x70 inches. Bath sheets provide a lot more coverage when wrapping up or drying off, making them ideal for those who want a spa-like experience at home. Tall people love them because a standard towel simply may not do the job. However, bath sheets take longer to be fully dried and do take up more storage space in your linen closet.
Will BedVoyage towels stay soft during long-term use?
Yes, our high-quality towels should stay soft for years but do try our tip noted above if you notice any reduced absorbency. The use of fabric softeners and dryer sheets do add a coating or film to any fabrics, so if you like using those you may need to refresh your towels once a year to remove build-up. Bamboo towel dries faster when its not coated with the fabric softeners.
What are the best towels to take to the beach?
One benefit of bamboo towels is that bamboo fibers have natural UV-resistance. So if you’re taking your BedVoyage Towel or Bath Sheet/Beach Towel to the pool, park or beach; you can wrap up if you’ve gotten too much sun and it will help protect your skin.
Another benefit of using a bamboo towels at the beach is that they’re super soft and absorbent and feel great to lay on, and they’ll help you to dry quickly when getting out of the water. The sand should also shake off easily due to the plush and fluffy loops.
What is the best way to wash and dry my BedVoyage bath towels?
We recommend washing with a liquid or eco-friendly detergent. You can also use the new washer-sheets which are a dehydrated solution made into a tear-able sheet. If you use those we recommend tearing them into 7-10 little pieces and distributing them around your laundry. You may use warm to hot water in the washing machine and dry on medium to high. If you want to have the most longevity for your towels; try laundering and drying on medium. We don’t recommend fabric softeners or dryer sheets as the chemicals coat the fibers and make the towels less absorbent.
Shop BedVoyage Luxury Bamboo Towels for all your bathing needs!
