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The best plush bath towels for 2024, tested and reviewed
Indulge in luxurious, absorbent picks from Garnet Hill, Luxome, Brooklinen and more — just in time for cold weather ahead.
Few things are more relaxing than taking a nice hot shower or bath after a long day. And what better way to top off the experience than with a big, cushy towel that you can wrap yourself in? Plush towels — the thicker, heavier siblings of regular terry towels — are the ultimate indulgence, especially once colder weather hits.
I'm a home editor who has tested dozens of towels, and I found that the best plush bath towels of 2024 feel ultra-soft, plus they're durable, super-absorbent and quick to dry. Despite going through the wringer, they kept their shape and colors, floating above every other plush towel I tried.
Best plush bath towel overall
Garnet Hill Cloud-Loft Towel
Best oversized plush bath towel
Brooklinen Super-Plush Turkish Cotton Bath Towels
Best textured plush bath towel
Luxome Plush Performance Towel
Intrigued? Whether you're looking for lofty or weighty, luxury or budget-friendly, read on for my tested and reviewed picks. Then keep scrolling to find more on my evaluation process, along with tips for selecting the right towel for you. You may also want to take a look at our guide to the best waffle towels of 2024.
Shopping tip: Many of these plush towels are available in other sizes, including bath sheets, as well as bundles and sets, often at a discount. Several of the best towels were also on sale at publication time, making it a great time to buy.
Table of contents:
Best plush bath towel overall
Fabric: Long-staple Turkish cotton | Dimensions: 28" x 55" | Colors: White, Deep Sea, Sage Green, Birch, Stone, plus 6 others | Certifications: Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex
Towering over the competition is Garnet Hill's Cloud-Loft, one — if not the — plushest and coziest towels I've ever tried.
Woven of long-staple Turkish cotton, it felt more like a blanket than a towel! It retained most of its softness and plushness — and gained some fluffiness — throughout five wash and dry cycles.
To test absorbency, I dunked each towel in a bucket of water and folded it lightly to see how much it could hold without dripping. This towel retained as much as four liters of water at a time — more than any other towel I evaluated. Despite how much H2O it guzzled, it dried in about 45 minutes, which is what you typically see with towels that have finer fabrics and less thickness.
The design has a half-inch hem and a two-inch dobby (the row of threading at a towel's top and bottom) for a minimalist look. It comes in 11 colors (I tested the Sage Green), available in bath towel, hand towel and bath sheet versions, with the option to add a monogram.
A minor gripe is that, as with all of the best bath towels on my list, the Cloud-Loft did shrink slightly (in this case, a little over three inches in length), meaning less towel to go around.
- Silky, plush feel
- Monogram option
- Wide color assortment
- Quick-drying
- No loop for hanging
- Shrank a little over 3 inches in length
- On the pricier side
More top plush towels we recommend for 2024
Fabric: Turkish cotton | Dimensions: 30" x 58" | Colors: White, Vanilla, Graphite, Ocean, Eucalyptus, plus 9 others | Certifications: Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex
For a larger, slightly heavier plush towel, Brooklinen's Super-Plush is the one to beat.
Made of 100% Turkish cotton, it was silky-smooth to the touch upon arrival. And while not quite as soft or fluffy as the Garnet Hill towel, it maintained most of its softness (more than a lot of other terry towels I've tested) post-washing.
It absorbed three liters of water without dripping, which isn't bad, but what really sets this towel apart is its density: It has a weight of 820 GSM (grams per square meter) for a heavier, high-end-hotel feel. It's also big: At 30" x 58", it started as the largest towel in my initial assessments and remained so, even after it shrunk a little to 29.75" x 56.75".
Given its bigger, heavier design, the Super-Plush dries slower than the other best bath towels. Based on my experience, you're looking at at least 50 to 60 minutes. Last time I checked it came in 14 colors, including limited-edition shades and patterns, that are shoppable in bath towel, bath sheet, hand towel, wash cloth and even robe versions (here's the full collection).
- Large size
- Wide color assortment
- Loop for hanging
- Longer dry time
- Shrank 2 inches in length
- Loses more softness than other top picks (but still softer than many other brands)
Fabric: 55% cotton, 40% polyester and 5% polyamide | Dimensions: 30" x 56" | Colors: Sail, Oyster, Fossil, Harbor, Clay, plus 2 others | Certifications: Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex
When shopping for towels, one usually has to choose between texture and plushness/softness. Luxome's Plush Performance Towel proves you can have it all.
When it arrived, it felt similar to Garnet Hill's Cloud-Loft — ultra silky, almost like a faux fur throw, but with quarter-inch ribbing throughout. It absorbed three liters of water (on par with Boll & Branch and Brooklinen) and retained almost all of its softness through five wash and dry cycles.
Luxome's towel took 40 minutes to dry, which is remarkable given its thickness and high absorption rate, and it showed the least amount of shrinkage (only half an inch in length) among various testing categories.
The towel comes in seven colors, among them Sail (white), Fossil (dark gray, which I tested) and Clay (a customer-favorite red-orange that keeps selling out). You can purchase the towels, or bath sheets, in bundles of two, plus sets that include hand towels and wash cloths, for a discount.
The catch: Like other high-end brands listed here and in the "other" section, these towels cost a pretty penny. I'd also love a few more color options.
- Silky-soft feel
- Large size
- Fairly quick-drying
- No loop for hanging
- On the pricier side
What to look for when choosing the best bath towel
In need of a refresh? Here are a few things to consider when scanning the bath towel aisle:
Dimensions: Most of the bath towels we tested measured around 30" x 58", which we'd consider standard. Their bath sheet counterparts typically measure in around 40" x 65", so if you like more coverage, they're the way to go. Thicker, plusher towels tend to be more absorbent. Smaller, thinner towels take up less room when storing and transporting and are often fast-drying.
Fabric: Most towels are made with 100% cotton, some with other materials such as bamboo for added strength or sustainability. Long-staple cotton has longer fibers, which typically equate to greater strength and durability. Turkish cotton towels are made from long, strong, smooth fibers for a heavier weight and feel. Common labels include "organic" and/or "Standard 100 by 0eko-Tex," which is a certification that indicates a given textile has been tested and cleared against more than 1,000 harmful substances.
Weave: Traditional terry is typically lightweight, fluffy — ranging from rough to soft (it may not absorb as much as long-staple or Turkish blends, but it can be quicker to dry). Long-staple or Turkish terry tends to be thicker and heavier, similar to what you might experience at a high-end hotel. Waffle towels, which have a textured pattern, are generally the lightest and fastest drying of all. A thicker dobby (the row of threading at a towel's top and bottom) lends a more classic feel, whereas thinner stitches (or no dobby at all) have minimalistic appeal.
Size and color assortment: Many brands offer their towels in a variety of sizes and versions, such as hand towels, washcloths, bath sheets and bath mats, for creating a cohesive look. Tentpole collections/colors (versus seasonal options) tend to stick around longer and are therefore easier to replenish (i.e., you can scoop up a replacement without having to invest in a whole new collection in order to match). Consider mixing and matching a few colors to give yourself some options. It can also be helpful to designate a different towel color for each person living in your house so you don't have to worry about who's using what (same goes for repeat overnight guests).
Cost: Like many home essentials, we consider quality bath towels a worthy investment that will hopefully pay off over time. That said, you don't necessarily have to splurge in the name of good quality: See the "others we tested" section to get a sense of what's available across budgets.
How we tested bath towels
I tested these towels by — you guessed it — doing a lot of laundry! Here's a more detailed rundown of my evaluation process:
Design: I assessed each towel carefully upon arrival, taking note of things like softness, fluffiness, thickness, color and various design elements. I also laid each towel flat and used a ruler to measure the actual size versus what was stated on brand websites.
Absorbency: With first impressions out of the way, it was off to the bathtub. Each towel was dunked in a bucket of water and balled up gently to assess how much water it could hold.
Laundry: I then headed to the laundry room, putting each towel through five wash-and-dry cycles to see how they held up to water, heat and being tossed around. I used the same laundry detergent when cleaning and wool balls when drying — in the same quantities — for consistency. I washed towels in warm water and tumble-dried them on low.
Longevity: After the fifth drying, it was back to the drawing (er, assessment) table. I compared each of the tested towels with a fresh version for look and feel and remeasured size to surmise how it's likely to fare over time.
Other plush towels we tested
Threshold Spa Plush Bath Towel ($14): This towel — a personal favorite — is similar to Brooklinen in weight, feel and dry time. It's slightly less absorbent (it soaked up 2.5 liters of water) and it shrank more in length (down from 56.5" to 53.5"). But it retained most of its softness and seemingly all of its color saturation. All in all, I'd consider it a good budget pick given the level of quality and low cost investment.
West Elm Plush Fibrosoft Towel ($29): West Elm's "Fibrosoft" towel lives up to its name — it was among the softest I felt. I like the minimalist, wide dobby and that the towel comes in 14 colors, including rosy neutrals and earthy shades (my favorite is Dark Olive) that feel elevated yet relaxed. Its plushness is on par with Brooklinen and Luxome, but it didn't retain quite as much water or softness as the top picks in this list. With a length of 54" (52.5" post-washing and -drying), it's also smaller than most.
Frontgate Resort Collection ($46): Made of long-staple Turkish cotton, Frontgate's Resort towel is ultra-soft, absorbent and quick to dry. It's offered in an impressive 27 colors, available in different sizes and even as a bath mat. While it was a smidge less soft than Garnet Hill and Luxome post-wash/dry and a smidge less plush than Brooklinen for my plush towel testing, I rated it "best bath towel overall" in our larger category guide to the best bath towels of 2024.
Boll & Branch Plush Spa Towel ($49): This towel is similar to Brooklinen in original texture, weight and size. The same goes for absorbency (it sopped up three liters of water). It shrank about an inch more than Brooklinen in length, measuring 30" x 55.5" post-wash/dry and there are less colors available, though it is slightly quicker to dry. There's also a loop for hanging.
Dusen Dusen Reversible Bath Towel ($58): This bath towel from Dusen Dusen comes close to what I experienced with premium brands like Boll & Branch and Brooklinen. Despite its heavier weight, it dried in about 40 minutes and the saturated colors remained vibrant. It's reversible — you can find it in various patterns including stripes — so it's kind of like getting two towels in one, and it doubles as a great beach towel. The catch: You're going to have to pay a pretty penny in the name of comfort and style.
Bath towel FAQs
What is the best way to wash a bath towel?
Most of the brands we featured recommend washing towels in cold or warm water, using a gentle cycle, and tumble-drying them on low. Using dryer balls helps separate laundry pieces for better aeration and quicker drying times. Avoid using harsh chemicals, especially bleach, when washing colored textiles to help towels last longer. Some of the brands recommended avoiding dryer sheets as well.
What is the fastest-drying bath towel?
Waffle towels typically dry the quickest because they have a more breathable weave. Thick edges/borders and dobbies (bands of stitching along the top and bottom of a towel) can also affect a towel's drying time.
What is the best bath towel?
The best bath towel is soft, absorbent and quick to dry — one that will look good in your bathroom, feel good on your skin … and last a long time. Aside from this, it typically comes down to the one that best suits your personal budget, needs and style.
We received complimentary samples of some products and purchased others ourselves, but we reviewed all products using the same objective criteria.
