The best bath towels that are soft, fluffy, luxurious and absorbent to elevate your bath time ritual

Soft and fluffy bath towels are one of life’s greatest pleasures – don’t you think? Treating myself to a hot shower or soak in the bath (with plenty of bubble bath and a few burning candles), stepping onto a sumptuous bath mat then wrapping up in a luxury bath towel afterwards is one of my favourite parts of the day. And in a pretty stressful post-lockdown world, focusing life’s simple pleasures is where it’s at.

The best bath towels, when treated with the care they deserve, will last for years – while retaining that fluffy, hotel-like finish you love. So taking the plunge and investing in some luxury bath towels is never a wasted purchase. And forget what you thought you knew: expensive bath towels aren’t always the best. You can enjoy top-quality bath towels without breaking the bank, with thanks to brands like Dusk, John Lewis and M&S. From Egyptian cotton towels to the best bath towels on Amazon, we’ve tried and tested a whole host of bath sheets to prove it. Tough job, hey?

What should I look for when buying bath towels? How can you tell a good quality towel?

First thing’s first: there are a few things to look out for in your quest to find the best bath towels to upgrade your bathroom. Here’s the lowdown.

1. GSM

GSM, or grams per square metre, is the thread count of your bath towels. The higher the thread count, the more luxurious they’ll feel. You want to be looking at bath towels offerings with a thread count of between 500-650gsm.

2. Pattern

Yes, your towels need to be absorbent to help you dry, and soft to avoid irritation of the skin. But you also want them to look great, right? We’ve rounded up the best bath towels that are available in all manner of colours – from pastel hues to muted tones – that’ll suit a wide variety of interior styles. If you’re more of a minimalist, you might choose something monochrome or neutral, while those who want to add a bit of interest to a small room might opt for pattern. Anthropologie has an excellent selection if you fall into the latter camp.

3. Finish

Take a look at the design of your bath towels. Ideally, you should buy bath sheets which have double-turned edges and double stitching to avoid fraying over time.

4. Size

This one is kind of obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people get caught out when buying bath towels online. Most towels by larger brands come in a whole range of sizes, from face towels to bath sheets and hand towels. Make sure you’ve selected a bath towel or something larger if you’re going to be using it to dry yourself after a bath or shower. These are your typical bath towel dimensions:

• Bath towel: L130 x W70cm
• Bath sheet: L150 x W90cm
• XL bath sheet: L180 x W100cm

How often should you buy new bath towels?

This is kind of like asking for the length of a piece of string. To be honest, there are no rules. If you invest in good quality bath towels, they should last you for years and years – but we’d recommend having a good old sort out and getting rid of anything that has frayed, lost it’s softness or is looking a little old.

What to do with old bath towels

If you have any towels that you no longer need, make sure you dispose of them sustainably. Your best bet is taking them to a local textile recycling bin, but, if you can’t do that, reuse them for pets or take them to a pet shelter (they’ll always be in need of new towels!)

How to keep your bath towels feeling soft and fluffy

There are a few things you can do to keep your towels feeling super-soft well into the new year and beyond. First, run your washing machine on empty routinely, using the hottest cycle you can and with a cup of distilled white wine vinegar in the detergent drawer. This will reduce the build-up of limescale in your washing machine, which has the tendency to reduce towel softness.

When washing your towels, don’t use fabric conditioner (it can reduce absorbency). Instead, shake them out when the cycle is finished, then dry them in the tumble dryer. If you hang them on an outdoor washing line to dry, avoid direct sunlight as it might cause your bath towels to fade.

The best bath towels at a glance

• Best affordable bath towels: Monaco Supreme Cotton Bath Towel, WAS £25 NOW £12.50, Dusk
• Best Egyptian cotton bath towels: Luxury Egyptian Cotton Bath Towel, £22, The White Company
• Best Turkish cotton bath towels: Christy Luxe Turkish Cotton Bath Towel, WAS £32.10 NOW £25.60, John Lewis
• Best quick dry bath towels: Hydrocotton Bath Towel, £28, The White Company
• Best absorbent bath towels: John Lewis & Partners Egyptian Cotton Bath Towels, £12, John Lewis
• Best bath towel set: Alto Bath Towel, WAS £39 NOW £30, Made.com

Best Black Friday bath towel deals

For more from our Commerce Writer Sophie Cockett, follow her on Instagram @sophiecockettx.

What are the best bath towels to buy? Scroll for our edit of the best bath towels from our favourite retailers below.