It’s easy to take something as mundane as a towel for granted, but the best towel sets will remind you of how useful and life-changing they can truly be. A warm, soft towel can turn any ordinary shower or bath into a luxurious experience, while multifunctional kitchen towels can improve the way you cook and clean.
There are some things you should consider before purchasing new towels for your home, primarily the material, weight, and size of each towel. Towels can be made of a variety of materials: Cotton and rayon are both commonly used, and they’re both soft and absorbent. Cotton towels tend to be stronger than rayon, though — so with durability in mind, all the towels on this list are 100% cotton.
The weight of a towel is often measured in grams per square meter, or GSM. Generally speaking, the higher the GSM, the thicker and more absorbent a towel is going to be. Bath towel weights typically fall between 300 and 900 GSM. Choosing between a lightweight and heavier towel depends on your personal preference, but if you like thicker towels then you shouldn’t purchase a bath towel on the lower end of that spectrum. The thickness of the towel can affect its drying time. If you find that your towels tend to hold moisture longer than you’d like, you may want to switch to a towel with a lower GSM or try a quick-drying Turkish towel called a pestemal. However, a kitchen towel doesn’t need to be thick to be effective in helping you cook and clean.
Finally, towel sets can include bath towels, hand towels, or washcloths, and the sizes of each towel can differ from set to set. Kitchen towels tend to be in the hand towel size range. You'll want to find a towel set that has the types and sizes of towels that meet your preferences.
Whether you need an absorbent towel set for the bathroom, kitchen, or beach, these are four of the best options available on Amazon:
1The Softest Bath Towel Set
What It Comes With: Two bath towels (30 inches by 55 inches), two hand towels (20 inches by 30 inches), and two washcloths (13 inches by 13 inches)
Towel Weight: 900 GSM
With a weight of 900 GSM, the six-piece Superior Egyptian Cotton Luxury Towel Set should be your go-to if you're looking for super soft, thick, and heavy towels. The towels are made of 100% Egyptian double-ply cotton, which makes them very strong and absorbent. In short: They're luxurious.
With 20 different colors to choose from, you should be able to find the perfect towels to match your decor. And best of all, this towel set has more than 1,500 five-star reviews, so you know they've passed the test in many homes.
Reviewers say: “I am so impressed with how soft, thick and luxurious these towels are. They are a true indulgence. I highly recommend these!”
2The Best Budget Bath Towel Set
What It Comes With: Two bath towels (30 inches by 56 inches), two hand towels (30 inches by 20 inches), and two washcloths (12 inches by 12 inches)
Towel Weight: 700 GSM
If you're looking for a budget-friendly starter set, these Pinzon Organic Cotton Bathroom Towels are the way to go. With a GSM of 700, they're solidly upper-mid-range weight, and they're made of 100% organically grown cotton. The towels are available in 11 different colors. This set includes a mix of bath towels, hand towels, and washcloths, but if you need just one kind of towel, you can get snag those in separate sets.
Reviewers say: “These towels are a great deal! They are absolutely huge! Bigger than normal bath sheets I’ve gotten in the past. [...] I’ve been extra happy every time I get to use them. Soft and fluffy!”
3The Best Quick-Dry Towel Set
What It Comes With: One bath towel (37 inches by 70 inches) and one hand towel (23 inches by 36 inches)
Towel Weight: Not specified
If you're looking for a quick-drying option, opt for the two-piece Cacala pestemal Turkish towel set. Pestemals are thin towels, not fluffy like traditional towels, but they can be very soft and tend to dry much faster than their thicker counterparts. The GSM isn't specified by the manufacturer, but trust that these 100% Turkish cotton towels are very lightweight. Lightweight doesn't necessarily mean small, though — the Cacala bath towels are huge compared with the other options on this list.
I switched to this brand over a year ago, and it’s hard to imagine going back to the fluffier kind of bath towel. They are absorbent but they dry in no time, which means they don't start smelling mildewy after a single use. And there's no need to tumble dry to keep it fly — you can air dry your clean pestemal after machine washing.
Apart from the convenience of the quick drying times, my favorite thing about Turkish towels is that they’re compact and multifunctional. They're ideal to take to the beach or to tuck away in a suitcase. Plus, these come in 18 colors, which range from a relaxed ocean blue to an eye-catching pistachio green.
Reviewers say: “The main reason this set is so wonderful, is because I can use the larger towel as a blanket on the airplane, a winter scarf, a shawl, and of course a towel large enough that you can even make it into a temporary dress or robe if needed. Another good thing is since this towel looks like a shawl or scarf, you can simply wear it on the plane and leave more room in your carryon. I'm not sure if I've ever been this excited about a towel before, but I am.”
4The Best Dish Towel Set For Your Kitchen
What It Comes With: Twelve tea towels (20 inches by 28 inches)
Towel Weight: 230+ GSM
Use these Harringdons kitchen dish towels for all your kitchen tasks, including but certainly not limited to drying dishes, wiping up spills, and covering dough as it rises. This 12-pack contains 100% natural cotton towels featuring stripes of three different colors. You'll also find a loop on the corner of each towel for easy hanging.
The GSM of this towel is on the lower side, but that's more ideal for use in the kitchen, where you don’t necessarily want or need a very thick towel. And people really like this particular pack, which has more than 1,500 positive reviews.
Reviewers say: “I love these towels. The colors are beautiful, and might be the color pallette for our remodeled kitchen. They are a nice, big size. And they absorb really well. Didn't think I'd be so excited about tea towels, but these gave me a lift!!”
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