Snuggling into a huge, soft towel is one of life’s pleasures. But it’s not the only reason for using a towel – you might also want it to dry quickly when you wash it, be compact for travelling and more. Given the wide range of towels made from different fibres on the market, which one should you choose?
Cotton
First on the list is cotton. It’s one of the most common fibres used for towels, thanks to its great absorbency abilities. High-quality Turkish and Egyptian cottons are used to produce the most absorbent, softest towels. Basically cotton makes the best all-around towel for everyday use.
Bamboo
Towels made from bamboo are a more recent addition to the market, but have quickly become very popular. This is because they’re naturally soft. They’re particularly popular for baby towels. Bamboo is also a popular choice because it’s antimicrobial, which is handy if your bathroom is poorly ventilated.
Microfibre
If you’re wanting something small but efficient, microfibre is a great choice. They’re highly absorbent, dry fast and don’t take up a lot of space. As a result, they’re popular with travellers and sports enthusiasts. The perfect gym towel!
Synthetic fibres
Polyester, nylon and rayon are also used in the production of towels, usually mixed with cotton. The cotton helps make these towels feel softer and fluffier. The mix of fibres means these towels are more hard-wearing, so they last longer, but they’re not usually as absorbent as 100 percent cotton varieties.
Linen
An uncommon choice, given they lack the fluffy appeal of most towels, but linen can still be a good choice. You might be surprised to find that linen towels are actually more absorbent than cotton ones. Possibly not a great choice for a full body towel, given their lack of softness, but linen can be a good choice for hand towels.
Now you know the benefits of each type of towel fibre, you should know exactly what to choose next time you go towel shopping. Soft and fluffy always wins the day for me!
