With adulthood comes tasteful homewares, and while the kitchen is touted as the hub of quiet luxury, the bathroom is one of the best places to add a touch of grown-up luxury to your home. Alongside cheery trinkets from holidays and luxurious body washes, a luxury bath towel is a key marker in a sophisticated bathroom.
After years of suffering with crispy budget options during studenthood, we have now embraced the quiet luxury of a good bath towel. To find the perfect towels, a five-month quest was undertaken to discover the best options, from high-absorbency towels to the sublimely soft, all of which wash well.
We tried a selection of 15+ bathroom towels, from high-street favourites to eco-conscious options. Below you will find links to the top picks or read on for our full bath towel reviews.
Best Luxury Towel: Quick List
- Best bath towel overall: Secret Linen Luxury Organic 100% Cotton Towels
- Best affordable bath towels: John Lewis Egyptian Cotton Stripe Bath Sheet
- Best eco-friendly bath towels: Panda London Bamboo Towel
- Best quick-dry bath towels: M&S Egyptian Cotton Towel
- Best fluffy bath towel: Scooms Egyptian Cotton Bath Towel
- Best hotel-style bath towel: Tielle Luxury Hotel White Towel
Each towel was used fresh out of the pack as well as after one time through the wash to see how they would fare when no longer 'box fresh'.
Best Bath Towels to Buy Now
1. Best Bath Towels Overall: Secret Linen Luxury Organic 100% Cotton Towels
This was a secret indeed. Not often high on the high street radar for luxury, but this towel surpassed any and all expectations. It was slightly rougher to touch than the John Lewis we tested but felt outrageously soft nonetheless. With a few quick swipes, we were dry and skin left feeling fluffy. Special mention goes to the trimming along the edge. The only issue is perhaps the proportions: it was the perfect length but could have been a few inches wider for maximum wrappage. The colour choice is good, with lots of quaint, pastel varieties for the ultimate relaxing bathroom experience. You can buy a whole set including a face cloth, hand towel, bath towel, bath sheet, jumbo bath sheet, and bath mat.
2. Best Budget Bath Towels: John Lewis Organic Towels
At just £28 for a bath sheet, the John Lewis organic cotton towel is definitely one of the cheaper options. Thankfully, you are not sacrificing all quality for cost. It was not the softest towel we tested, but it maintained a very comforting softness pleasant to use after showering. The variety of colours allows you to add personality to your bathroom. These towels held up well after a wash cycle, retaining their softness. For a budget option without cutting corners, this is the one.
3. Best Hotel-Style Bath Towels: Tielle Luxury Hotel White Towels
This was sumptuous: soft and smooth, with no scratching from a rough towel gone stiff. In terms of variety, you are limited to white, but for us, this is part of the hotel experience. You really get that luxury hotel feel. These Turkish towels are made with extra fine yarn and are often supplied to luxury hotels. Tielle also offers a Standard Towel Bale for £60 and a Jumbo Towel Bale for £115. The bundles offer good value due to the amount of products included.
4. Best Quick-Dry Bath Towel: M&S Egyptian Cotton Towel
If you are looking for an affordable towel that dries quickly but does not necessarily have the luxury feel of a hotel towel, this is it. These M&S bath towels feel sturdy and durable while maintaining a good level of softness for the price. The towel was very quick to dry, and it washed well. M&S says this is down to its Stay Fresh tech. This bath sheet is only £22, and with a range of 35 colours, it is perfect for someone who wants originality or personality in their home.
5. Best Eco-Friendly Bath Towels: Panda London Bamboo Towel
Bamboo-based and 'eco-friendly', our scepticism over luxuriousness and absorbency was rife. But to our great surprise, this nailed both. It had the same smoothness as the Scooms towel but left us feeling much drier. The bath sheet is recommended for ultimate luxury, covering great length and width (150x100 cm). It is also hypoallergenic, great for sensitive skin. Colour-wise, it sticks with pink, pure white, and urban grey. Knowing it is made with a blend of bamboo and long staple cotton is even more cause for jubilation.
6. Best Fluffy Bath Towels: Scooms Egyptian Cotton Bath Towel
Wow! An outrageously soft hug awaits you with this towel, both thick and fluffy. Scooms boasts this Egyptian cotton is woven in a luxury 720gsm. However, when you step out of the shower and wrap it around you, it is almost too soft to be effective. Scooms has swapped softness for absorbency, which defeats the point for many. It had a slight synthetic odour when first unpacked, but this disappears after one wash. There are four colours to choose from. At £55 for two towels, it is a good deal, just a shame about the absorbency.
The Bath Towels That Did Not Make the Cut
We further tested towels from Hampton & Astley, Soak & Sleep, Pottery Barn, West Elm, and The Towel Shop, but they did not make it to the exclusive top spots. This was largely down to texture, with some having a thinner, starchier feel than ideal. They would still make a great fit for a guest bathroom.
Our Verdict
It was tricky to choose from the top towels, but a couple scored highly across the board. The best overall was the luxury bath towel from Secret Linen. It was a great all-rounder suited to most people: soft, fluffy, washed well, and a pleasure to use. Our personal favourite, with the added bonus of being better for the planet, was the Panda London Bamboo Towel. It was gorgeous to touch and dried us with no faults. It held its fluffiness even after a wash and retained a good bounce. Knowing it has ecological benefits helped push it over the edge.
How We Test and Why Trust Us
Our expert team has been testing products and writing reviews for many years, covering a wide range of lifestyle products. Each towel was used fresh out of the pack and after going through the wash to see how it would fare when no longer 'box fresh'. They were only used for a daily body wash, not for hair. Softness, absorbency, and design were all considered, finding a sweet spot between all three for maximum luxury. Colour options and varieties were also noted, as was knowledge about manufacturing and environmental impact. Money was another key feature, investigating value per square metre of towel.
How Often Should I Wash My Bath Towels?
It can be a divisive topic, but a clean towel is something we can all agree on. Regular washing prevents build-up of dirt and bacteria. A towel needs to be washed after three or four uses, or at least once a week.
How Many Towels Do I Need?
If you wash towels every three to four uses, having at least two bath towels per person is a safe bet, giving you one ready when the other is in the wash. If you are particularly active, upwards of three might make more sense. Having a couple of spares for guests is also a good idea.
What the Experts Say
Interiors expert Todd Harmon, Principal Designer and CEO of BathGems and Aura Modern Home, told the Daily Mail that 'even the smallest elements have the greatest impact'. He said: 'The towel might just be another accessory for a bathroom, but it can easily transform the entire atmosphere of the room. When you touch something your mind starts associating your routine activity with luxury.' Bathrooms are sometimes cold spaces due to hard materials. A luxurious towel makes a bathroom warm and comfortable. You can use thick fabrics to add layering when dealing with shiny surfaces like marble tiles. Harmon added: 'Luxurious towels can be used to complement the overall theme. For example, if the bathroom has gold fittings, incorporate towels in beige or cream for warmth. If it is a modern room in black and white, charcoal and white towels bring elegance.' While a towel fulfills an essential role, it can be used for decorating. Folded towels on shelves give a neat look; rolls in baskets give a relaxing atmosphere; draped towels soften the room. 'When clients spend money on a luxurious bathroom renovation, they emphasise big purchases, but small details help achieve the dream. A luxury towel could be the final touch to transform your bathroom into a professionally styled space.'
