Dry Off With the One of Our Favorite Pool Towels (original) (raw)

A good pool towel needs to do a lot: Absorb water easily, then dry off quickly; cover beach chairs, but also squeeze into pool bags; and feel plush, without pilling, snagging, or fraying.

So, to find the best pool towels, we decided to put them to test ourselves. We packed up a variety of towels designed specifically for watery fun and tried them out at pools, hot tubs, beaches, and other swimming destinations. Altogether, we tested out more than 60 towels for 154 hours.

Ultimately, we found that our favorite pool towels were those that absorbed water and dried quickly. We also favored options that stood up to chlorine and the washing machine, and everyday use without fading, snagging, shrinking, or changing in texture. Plus, they can stand up to common poolside stains (like juice dripping from a slice of watermelon, or sunblock smears).

What We Like

What We Don’t Like

Our top pick for the best pool towel comes from Sobel, and is available in a variety of spritely stripes. It’s made from 100 percent cotton, and in our testing, we found that it absorbed water well, dried off quickly after being used, and didn’t develop a musty odor.

While it felt a bit thin when initially unwrapped, the towel grew more plush after its first spin through the washing machine and a medium-heat dryer.

This pool towel’s quality remained consistent even as it was used frequently, and then washed. And it stood up well to stains: As we used the towel, it absorbed some watermelon juice, but the stains came out in the washing machine. The towel is also designed to resist fading, so the colored stripes will continue to pop.

Sizewise, the towel hit the mark as well. It was large enough to cover a wrought-iron lounger and expertly dried us off after dips in the water, but its size was also compact enough to easily fit in a duffle bag. Best of all, the towel’s quality was consistent throughout different use cases, making it easy to imagine it could be used for many years.

Dimensions: 60 x 30 inches | Material: Cotton | Weight: GSM not specified

What We Like

What We Don't Like

From the Brooklyn-based makers of home goods, this Dusen Dusen towel has different stripes on each side, and a pleasing soft, plush texture. Stripes are a common feature of pool towels (just take a glance at the Sobel Westex Splash Pool Towel, which is similarly striped), but this option is more maximalist in design, and the vibrant colors are sure to stand out poolside.

In fact, the colors of this towel were some of our favorite features, along with its very large size. It’s big enough to easily wrap around yourself without it falling off. It’s made of Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified cotton, which is soft to the touch.

We found this pool towel does a great job at absorbing water after a dip in the pool, although we did wish it absorbed water a bit faster. It would take this towel a full 24 hours, or sometimes even more, to air dry after use—a sharp contrast to the West Elm Check Point Beach Towel, our pick for the most absorbent option.

If you don’t have a dryer at home, or tend to use a pool elsewhere, this slow-drying quality may be a significant drawback.

Overall, we thought this towel was priced appropriately given its quality, eye-catching design, and overall durability—the colors were unaffected by exposure to chlorine or trips through the washing machine, nor did it wind up having any snags or loose threads during our testing period.

Dimensions: 30 x 56 inches | Material: 100 percent cotton terry | Weight: 700 GSM

What We Like

What We Don't Like

When you’re traveling, space is a premium, and a thickly plush pool towel may simply take up too much real estate. That’s where the CGear Sand-Free Towel shines: It rolls up small to easily fit in your bag or luggage, taking up very little room.

This towel is lightweight. Plus, the weave of the towel is designed to allow sand to fall through the towel, per the manufacturer, so you won’t bring the beach home with you. The CGear towel also shines in terms of color: Exposure to sun, chlorine, and the washing machine, didn’t affect the softness or color of the towel, nor did snags or loose threads develop as it was used.

This pool towel’s greatest advantage—its compact size—does make it a bit short to place on a lounge chair. Additionally, while this towel does absorb water, we felt it wasn’t as absorbent as a cotton towel, and we wished it were a bit longer to have a bigger footprint to absorb water.

That said, it dries more quickly than a thicker cotton beach towel, making it doable to stash it in a beach bag after use, and we didn’t find that it developed any musty odor afterward.

Dimensions: 63 x 31 inches | Material: Polyester | Weight: GSM not specified; weights 1.1 pounds

What We Like

What We Don't Like

Charming piping adorns the edges of this Pottery Barn pool table (with a few colors available for you to choose from). Aside from the classic style, what stands out with this pool towel is the soft, fluffy, and plush texture. In fact, testing feedback found that it felt almost more like a plush bath towel than a pool towel, which is often thinner.

That plush texture remained in place, even after washing. This pool towel didn’t shrink after washing, and since it’s white, the colors won’t fade. This towel also shines when it comes to absorbency and drying time: It’ll dry you off quickly, and do a great job absorbing the moisture from your body, and then will air dry in well under an hour. And once dry, you won’t detect a musty odor.

Stains came out easily in the wash, and we found the towel wasn’t affected by chlorine. When it comes to size, though, we felt it could be larger for more coverage when laying on a lounge chair. It was also a bit bulky to fit inside a beach bag.

Overall, our impression after putting this towel to the test is that it’ll last far beyond a single summertime of use, and it offers great absorbency and an inviting texture.

Dimensions: 35 x 70 inches | Material: Cotton | Weight: Not specified

What We Like

What We Don't Like

We love the cheerful pattern on this West Elm pool towel, although it's perhaps a bit more sedate than the Dusen Dusen on our list. This towel is generously sized, which allowed us to lay down it without our legs or feet touching the sand. But most importantly, this towel absorbs water quickly–and dries off just as quickly.

Even when we found ourselves caught in a summer drizzle and kept the damp towel in our car’s trunk, we were impressed to discover it didn’t wind up with any musty odor.

It’s not a thick and fluffy towel; expect a thinner texture, which means that it rolls up easily and compactly—perfect for a jam-packed beach bag! After being washed for the first time, the towel felt softer. This towel didn’t shrink at all, and the colors stayed strong. It also didn’t get stained, despite being exposed to sunscreen and makeup.

That said, we did notice that this pool towel developed some snags with use, perhaps because we put it on rough chairs and wore jewelry around it. Still, we think this towel is durable and ideal for anyone who wants an oversized, beautifully patterned towel that’s quick to dry completely.

Dimensions: 40 x 70 inches | Material: Cotton | Weight: 450 GSM

Final Verdict

Most people will be pleased with the Sobel Westex Splash Pool Towel pool towel: It is nicely sized, dries quickly, and features classic cabana-style stripes. But if you travel a lot with your beach towel, you may prefer the CGEAR Sand Free Towel, which is compact and lightweight and also dries very quickly. And, if one of your priorities is the towel’s overall look, and standing out at the pool, consider the Dusen Dusen Field Stripe Bath Towel, with its eye-catching stripes. Meanwhile, the Pottery Barn Hadden Pool Towel is ideal for people who crave a touchably soft and plush texture.

How We Tested the Pool Towels

Over the course of the last two years, we’ve become experts in the plush feel, absorbency, and durability of pool towels and beach towels here at The Spruce. In total, we’ve tested 64 towels designed for post-pool drying off and sunny beach days. In our most recent round of testing, we checked out seven new options over five rounds of testing total.

For each towel, we dug into the following factors:

Ultimately, the pool towels that made our list are those that impressed us with standout absorbency, fast-drying material, and quality construction we expect to last over the long term.

The Spruce / Laura Hard

What to Look for in a Pool Towel

Soft, Durable Material

Typically, you’ll find towels in one of two materials, says Heidi Luber, president and owner of Lubertex International: 100 percent cotton or microfiber (which is a form of polyester).

“Each material has its pros and cons,” she says. “Cotton is soft, absorbent, and generally more comfortable, making it ideal for a luxurious feel,” Luber says.

Our top pick, the Sobel Westex Splash Pool Towel, along with most of the other towels on this list, are made from cotton. But the CGEAR Sand Free Towel is made from polyester.

As Luber notes, “microfiber is lightweight, quick-drying, and resistant to fading, although it is not as plush or comfortable as cotton options.”

In addition to considering the materials the towel is made of, we also suggest seeking out details that can enhance quality and durability.

“Look for towels with reinforced edges to prevent fraying and increase the towel’s longevity,” Luber says. The Pottery Barn Hadden Pool Towel, for example, includes piping around the edges for extra sturdiness.

Towel Size and Coverage

When it comes to size, “bigger is better,” says Deborah Young, clinical assistant professor at Arizona State University (ASU) Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM). That is, you’ll want something that’s bigger than your average bath towel.

Exceptions are if you’ll be traveling with the towel, or frequently bringing it back and forth from the pool, Young says. The biggest towel on this list is the West Elm Check Point Beach Towel, at 45 by 70 inches. For reference, if you’re 5 feet, 8 inches or shorter, this towel is longer than you are tall.

You’ll also want the towel to be large enough to cover your lounge chair, Young says. “The ideal size is around 30 x 60 inches or larger, which offers plenty of surface area for lounging and drying off,” she explains. (Here’s more information on common towel sizes, including for bath sheets.)

But again, if you need a smaller option for travel-related reasons, consider the CGEAR Sand Free Towel, our most compact pick.

High Absorbency Levels

The best pool towels absorb any water on your body quickly. But it’s also important that the towel itself dries quickly. For that, “quick-drying technology is the gold standard,” Young says.

How can you tell which towels are quick-drying? You’ll see that phrase on the label, Luber says, and you’ll also find that thinner towels, such as Turkish towels, as well as high-quality towels dry quicker (like the West Elm Check Point Beach Towel.)

The GSM—or grams per square meter—an also help you have a sense of a towel’s absorbency. This is a “measure of towel density and quality,” Luber says. “Towels with a higher GSM are usually more absorbent and plush, but they also take longer to dry. A mid-range GSM offers a good balance of absorbency and quick-drying, around 400 GSM is a good start,” she says. The West Elm Check Point Beach Towel, for instance, has a GSM of 450.

The Spruce / Meg Lappe

Why Trust The Spruce?

Madeleine Burry is a long-time writer and editor, who has written about home and garden topics for the Spruce since 2019. Her own personal beach bag was overstuffed with towels dating back to childhood until she recently replaced sacrificed plushness for a thinner, smaller quick-drying option. For this article, Burry updated the list of the best pool towels based on insights from the Spruce’s extensive testing, and also interviewed textile experts for their take on what to look for in the best pool towels.

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