No bathroom feels complete without a stack of soft, fluffy towels close at hand. But before you invest in a new set, what should you be looking out for, to make sure you're getting the very best towels on the UK market?
Choices of towel material range from Egyptian, Supima and Turkish cottons, to cotton polyester mixes and pure synthetic blends, and these can vary widely in feel and performance. As well as feeling soft, a good bathroom towel needs to be super absorbent.
Some lower quality towels, even some of those advertised as 'premium', can look really soft and fluffy in the shop, but their softness fades after just a few washes. Worse still, they may not be particularly absorbent, smearing water around the body rather than absorbing it.
At Hampton and Astley, all our towels are made from long-staple Egyptian cotton, with a plush 650 GSM weight and a premium loop-pile construction that's designed to create a highly absorbent drying surface. They've received more than 2,500 5-star Trustpilot reviews and dozens of press accolades too, including Good Housekeeping Institute approval.
If you are ready to upgrade your bathroom, explore our luxury bath towels and bath towel sets.
What makes the best towels? At a glance
| What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| High-quality cotton fibres | Better fibres help create softer, stronger and more durable towels |
| Good absorbency | A towel should draw moisture away from the skin quickly, not just move it around |
| Loop-pile construction | The loops create the absorbent surface area that actually does the drying |
| Balanced towel weight | Medium to medium-heavy towels often give the best mix of softness, absorbency and drying time |
| Strong finishing details | Double-stitched edges and good construction help towels last longer |
| The right size mix | A combination of bath towels, bath sheets, hand towels and face cloths makes everyday use easier |
How to choose the best towels for your bathroom
A good way to narrow it down is to think about how you'll be using the towels and how they fit in with your own particular lifestyle:
| If you want... | Best choice |
|---|---|
| A soft, hotel-style towel | Egyptian cotton, loop-pile construction and a medium-heavy weight |
| A quicker-drying towel | A lighter construction with less bulk |
| A practical family towel | Balanced GSM, strong finishing and good absorbency |
| Better absorbency | Quality cotton plus well-made loop pile |
| A more luxurious setup | A mix of bath towels, bath sheets and hand towels |
Rather than just looking for the fluffiest towel in the shop, think about the balance you want between softness, drying speed, absorbency and ease of use.
Which material is best for towels?
One of the first things to look at is the type of fibre. as towels can be made from all sorts of materials, including Egyptian cotton, Turkish cotton, cotton blends and synthetic mixes. These can vary hugely in both softness and performance.
A good towel should feel soft and fluffy, but it also needs to be absorbent, durable and comfortable to use wash after wash.
High quality Egyptian cotton is a great choice for bath towels, as it has long, natural fibres that are both super soft and highly absorbent. For the first few washes, the very best performing Egyptian cotton towels will continue to get even fluffier and softer with each wash. Egyptian cotton is also very strong and durable, making it ideal for daily use, week after week.
If you want a fuller explanation of why fibre quality matters, our guide to Egyptian cotton vs regular cotton goes into more detail.
What actually makes a towel absorbent?
How well a towel performs, in terms of drawing moisture away from your skin and holding onto it, comes down to a few things working together:
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the quality of the cotton fibres
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the construction of the towel
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the density and surface area of the loops
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how the towel is cared for over time
This is one of the reasons some towels can feel lovely in the shop but disappoint you when you use them, as the best towels are not just soft and fluffy, they're designed to dry you really well too.
Check out our guide to what makes a towel absorbent to learn more about how loop pile, fibre quality and construction all affect absorbency.
How are the best quality towels made?
The best performing towels are woven with loops of high quality cotton that are closely packed together to create a large surface area for absorbency. These loops are what actually do the drying, because they wick moisture away from the skin and hold it within the towel.
That is why a well-made loop-pile towel can feel so different in use from a towel that simply looks fluffy. Better construction helps the towel feel softer, absorb more effectively and keep that performance over repeated washing.
It is also worth looking at the finishing details. Double-stitched embroidered edges, for example, help reduce fraying and make the towel more durable over time.
Which towel weight is right for me?
Towels vary hugely in thickness, and which you prefer really comes down to personal choice, as each has its own pros and cons:
Lightweight towels: around 300–400 GSM
These are practical, compact and quick to dry. They can be useful for travelling, gym bags or smaller bathrooms, but they usually do not have the same plush, luxurious feel as a heavier towel.
Medium-weight towels: around 500–650 GSM
This is often the best balance for all-round performance. Towels in this bracket still feel soft and luxurious, but they are easier to dry and store than very heavy hotel-style towels. For many people, this is the best balance of comfort, absorbency and practicality.
Heavier towels: around 700–900 GSM
These are the thick, fluffy towels many people associate with luxury hotels. They can feel wonderfully indulgent, but they also take longer to dry and can be bulkier to store.
In our view, the best towels for most homes are usually medium to medium-heavy weights that still feel plush without becoming too cumbersome. Our guide to what GSM is best for towels breaks this down in more detail.
Which towel size should I buy?
A good towel setup is usually about having the right mix of sizes.
The biggest towels are known as bath sheets, which give you more coverage and that wraparound, cocooning feel. Standard bath towels are the everyday all-rounders. Below that, hand towels are ideal by the sink, while face cloths are useful for washing your face or your body.
For many homes, buying a set that includes several sizes is the best option, because it gives you the most flexibility straight away. If you're not sure what sizes you actually need, our towel size guide is a useful place to start.
What should you avoid when buying towels?
There are a few warning signs worth watching for when shopping for a new set. A towel may not be the best investment if it:
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feels very fluffy but strangely light or insubstantial
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relies more on first-touch softness than actual absorbency
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has loose or uneven construction
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uses poor stitching around the edges
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feels excessively bulky without drying especially well
A good towel should feel soft, but it should also feel as though it has structure and substance behind that softness.
So, what are the best towels to buy in the UK?
For us, the best towel to buy in the UK is one that not only looks and feels beautifully soft and fluffy, it also dries you really well and lasts for years and years.
At Hampton and Astley, we care a lot about that difference because it's part of how the brand began. Founder Caroline Brooks bought a supposedly luxurious high street towel that felt soft and fluffy, but turned out to be disappointingly poor at actually absorbing water. That experience helped shape our Egyptian cotton towel range, which was designed to deliver both: real softness and real absorbency.
So, for towels that feel luxurious and perform well, look for:
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high-quality cotton, ideally long-staple fibres
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good absorbency, not just softness
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well-made loop-pile construction
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a balanced GSM weight
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durable finishing details
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the right combination of towel sizes for your bathroom
If you're ready to invest in that kind of towel, our bath towels, bath sheets and bath towel sets are designed for softness, absorbency and long-term quality.
FAQs
What is the best material for bath towels?
High-quality cotton is usually the best choice, especially if you want softness, absorbency and durability. Egyptian cotton is a popular premium option because of its longer fibres.
What is the best towel weight?
For most homes, around 500–650 GSM is a great all-round choice because it balances softness, absorbency and drying time.
Are thicker towels always better?
Not always. Very thick towels can feel luxurious, but they also take longer to dry. A well-made medium-weight towel is often the better all-round option.
Which towel sizes should I buy?
A combination of bath towels, bath sheets, hand towels and face cloths gives you the most flexibility. It often makes sense to buy a set with several sizes included.
What makes a towel absorbent?
Absorbency depends on fibre quality, loop-pile construction, towel density and how the towel is cared for over time.
