How to Buy Bath Towels

Tips on buying bath towels

1. Decide how many bath towels you need. Do you want one set or two? Or three? Is each set for the same bathroom or different bathrooms? Also, decide if you are only buying bath towels, or if you are going to also want matching face clothes and hand towels—in other words, and entire set of towels for the bathroom.
2. Bath towels come in two general sizes. There are the standard bath towels, which measure about 52 inches in length, and there are the larger bath sheets, which measure from 60 to 70 inches in length. Bath sheets, of course, cost more. Some people prefer the overall coverage afforded by bath sheets, which give a sense of luxury and warmth due to their size. Other people prefer the standard sized bath towels because they are easier to store and they dry faster than bath sheets.
3. Bath towels are generally made of three types of cotton: Egyptian, Supima and standard. Egyptian cotton produces the longest threads and is the most soft and absorbent. Supima cotton is grown in the United States, and while it produces shorter threads than Egyptian cotton, it is a bit more durable. Standard cotton is of a lesser quality than the other two types, but it is absorbent and lasts a long while. Each type of cotton is slightly more expensive than the other, and the price difference can be substantial if you are buying a set or two of bath towels, face clothes and hand towels.
4. When you select bath towels, you will of course be choosing them based on the color and style of your bathroom. You want the towels to match their surroundings. If your bathroom floor, wall paint and tiles consist of muted colors, you may want to buy bath towels that contain those colors. You may also want to buy towels that have busy patterns on them if your bathroom decorations consist mostly of solids. A bath towel that has complimentary colors but a counterintuitive design to the bathroom’s style will actually draw more attention to the bathroom walls and floor. So, know whether or not you want the towels to blend in or to juxtapose with the bathroom.

Caution

Terry cloth bath towels are not made of a better quality of material than other bath towels. Terry simple means they have larger thread loops. What counts, as with all bath towels, is the type of cotton used.

Where to buy bath towels

Purchase your next set of bath towels from one of these quality online retailers—

• JC Penney has a big variety of bath towels in a range of prices and colors.

• Target offers lots of great bath towels at good prices. Shop by price, featured items or sale items.

• Kohl’ssorts its selection of bath towels by solids and prints. Find every type of cotton.