My Family Loves to Swim—These Are the 9 Best Pool Towels Worth Snagging for Summer (original) (raw)

With swimming season upon us, now’s the time to crank on your pool cleaner, dust off your floaties, and invest in quality pool towels that’ll survive the summer. We tested over 60 pool and beach towels in every setting, like post-swim lessons and family pool days, and can finally say we found the best of the best.

I've always grabbed a traditional bath towel from my linen closet or snagged a rough-textured, cheap beach towel that didn't even make it to the end of summer—but after testing pool towels myself, I have officially changed my ways.

Turns out, there are actually plush options on the market that boast super absorbency and are durable enough to last for years. Whether you’re looking for something lightweight and quick-drying or oversized and cozy, our list has a towel for every style and preference, whether lying poolside or beachside.

Our Top Picks

What We Like

What We Don’t Like

Nothing’s better than a plush, oversized pool towel you can wrap yourself in post-swim, and the Brooklinen Cabana is just that. We love this towel so much that we plan to use it daily this summer.

With a spacious 34 x 70 surface area, this Brooklinen towel is made for lounging on the beach, but we think it also suits lying poolside. Thanks to its large build, we give this our stamp of approval for those even over 6 feet tall.

Along with the towel’s blanket-like construction, we love how cozy (yet heavy-duty) it feels. There are two different textures on each side of the towel: the design side feels softer and thinner, while the back side has a coarser, rug-like feeling.

We tested this Brooklinen towel at our neighborhood pool, and it’s safe to say it passed the durability test. It held up well with the chlorinated pool water, and we didn’t experience any loose threads, snags, or color fading. It still looks brand new.

We wouldn’t say the Brooklinen Cabana is the most absorbent pool towel, as it did take a few passes for us to be completely dried off. It also took over 24 hours for the towel to fully air dry. However, it’s super easy to clean, with no chlorine odor or discoloration post-swim.

Dimensions: 34 x 70 | Material: Cotton | Weight: Not listed

What We Like

What We Don't Like

The Sun Squad XL WOW Beach Towel is affordable, durable, and a truly great option if you’re looking to stock up on more than a few pool towels for the entire family.

Although the Sun Squad XL is less than half the price of our best overall pick, its absorbency is far better. Its texture sits between thin and plush, so it absorbs water and dries quickly. What we love most about this towel (besides its absorbency) is its fun and vibrant colors that scream pool day! The pool towel comes in four colors with a split design.

This is considered oversized with a length of 72 inches (a bit longer than our best overall). However, we wish the width were a little wider for beach use, but we can still dry off and wrap it around ourselves comfortably.

While it’s kept its shape through multiple dryer cycles, it doesn’t have the tightest or thickest loops. We found them a bit loose, which makes them more prone to snags. But, we’re confident the towel will last the entire pool season and then some, all at a nice price.

Dimensions: 36 x 72 inches | Material: Cotton terry | Weight: Not listed

What We Like

What We Don't Like

If you’re looking for a quick-drying pool towel (because let’s face it, no one likes lugging around a soaking wet pool towel), we think the Sand Cloud Hilo Towel is the right fit. It’s perfect for those who love a unique design and may want to easily pack a towel for their next trip.

This Turkish towel has a single jacquard weave, quickly absorbing the water off us with minimal effort. The brand also states that it dries three times faster than other pool towels, which we can attest to! During our testing, we loved how the towel never became overly saturated, which resulted in quicker dry time.

Initially, we were bummed that we couldn’t toss the towel in the dryer after washing it, however, it hasn’t been too bad since it’s super fast-drying and never develops a musty odor.

This was our tester’s go-to for indoor swim lessons, but its design and construction are also suitable for a picnic blanket. However, because of its small size and intricate tassel design that is prone to unraveling, we’d recommend this towel for solo beach or pool goers over parents with young kids.

Dimensions: 37 x 67 inches | Material: Organic cotton | Weight: 359 GSM

What We Like

What We Don't Like

Whether funky, bright colored and printed pool towels aren’t your cup of tea, or you’re looking for something super plush and durable that’ll dry you off in minutes, we think the Pottery Barn Harden Pool Towel will suit you.

We couldn’t recommend a better quality pool towel—even after months of use and several cycles in the wash, this towel was just as plush as the first time we laid hands on it. We would describe the texture more like a cozy, soft bath sheet.

When it comes to its dry time, the towel air dries surprisingly fast, considering its plush nature. During testing, the towel was fully dried in less than an hour.

However, if you prefer to lie out comfortably on an oversized towel, this Pottery Barn pool towel may not be ideal (instead, consider the eelo Twilight Beach Towel, our best oversized pick). Aside from that, it’s a durable, long-lasting option that won’t lose its thick, soft texture.

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

What We Like

What We Don’t Like

The Huckberry Mediterranean Towel is ultra-lightweight, perfect for destination beach or pool days since it’s easily packable. When testing, we loved how quickly this dried—we didn’t have to wait by the pool longer than we wanted before being able to pack it up.

We took this Turkish cotton towel on our day trip to the lake. When laid out, our feet hung off the towel's end, with our toes in the sand. But we love how wide it is at 70 inches. We were able to spread out and lounge comfortably. And when it was time to leave, shaking off the sand was a breeze, thanks to the towel’s smooth surface.

We would describe the texture as a soft and thin t-shirt. It’s light and breathable, and perfect for hot weather. While plush towels (like our best overall pick from Brooklinen) feel thick and luxurious, sometimes the thickness doesn’t mix well with summer temperatures. This, rather, was the perfect pick for drying off on a sunny day.

We do recommend washing the Huckberry Mediterranean Turkish Towel separately from your other garments. After we washed the towel with our other pool towels, some color transfer did take place, resulting in the towel having light pink staining.

Dimensions: 40 x 70 | Material: Turkish cotton | Weight: 155 GSM

What We Like

What We Don't Like

The Cozy Earth Windowpane Resort Towel is so absorbent, you can pat, dry, and go. No more going back and forth for several minutes, waiting for the pool water to stop dripping. And its luxury, plush feel is perfect for those who want to feel like they're lounging at a high-end resort.

This Cozy Earth towel has the same quality feel that we would describe as spa-level, hinting at the “resort towel” name. It is on the bulkier side due to its thickness, so we recommend having a large tote bag on hand for easy transport.

Along with super absorbency, we love how fast the towel dries (possibly because of its bamboo material), especially with it being plush and thick. It doesn’t dry as fast as our lightweight pick, but with some natural sunlight and the outdoor wind, the towel air dries fairly quickly.

Overall, we love the Cozy Earth Windowpane Resort Towel for its luxurious material, weight, and texture.

Dimensions: 40 x 70 | Material: Bamboo, cotton | Weight: Not listed

What We Like

What We Don't Like

Having an oversized pool towel is ideal for lounging poolside or beachside. It’s also great because it’s large enough to share with your little one or sometimes another adult. The eelo Twilight Cotton Terry Towel is an oversized pool towel we’d recommend to anyone.

When testing this towel, what we loved most was its width. With the largest width in our guide, at 41 inches, we noted that this would be a great option for plus-size users who desire a cozy pool towel to comfortably wrap themselves in without any gapping.

However, this is considered an oversized towel, so we feel the towel could be a bit longer lengthwise—but it’s not a deal breaker, especially with its large width and high-quality cotton terry material that never lost its plushness, even after multiple washes.

Since this is a thicker and more plush pool towel, we noticed sand would get caught in the towel’s fibers, and it was tougher to brush off than on thinner towels, like our best lightweight pick. So, just keep that in mind before heading to the beach.

Dimensions: 41 x 70 inches | Material: Cotton terry | Weight: 600 GSM

What We Like

What We Don't Like

The best pool towel for traveling is lightweight, portable, and fast drying—all qualities we love about the Geometry Scandi Spring Beach Towel. The Geometry beach towel compresses easily and is so compact that our tester was able to pack it in her small 5 x 7-inch bag (about the size of a travel makeup bag).

This towel isn’t as plush and marshmallow-like as the thicker picks in this guide; in fact, our tester describes the texture to be slightly rough but not to the point that it’s uncomfortable or irritating to the touch.

One thing we appreciated about this towel was its consistency throughout the testing period. We exclusively tested this product in chlorinated water (two different indoor pools and one hot tub). The chlorine didn’t affect the consistency or appearance of this towel in any way.

We washed the towel after each visit with other similar materials, and we didn’t have any issues with color bleeding, fading, or texture changes.

Overall, the Geometry Scandi Spring Beach Towel is impressively compact and portable. It’s also quick drying and super absorbent. Plus, its hanging loop design feature makes it easy to dry.

Dimensions: 31 x 65 inches | Material: Made from post-consumer recycled materials | Weight: Not listed

What We Like

What We Don't Like

The Brooklinen Boardwalk Beach Towel is equally as great as our best overall pick (hint, they share the same brand), and we loved it so much we couldn’t help but include it as another plush and durable option to consider.

What makes it stand out from the rest is its thick cotton material and plushness. Unlike the Brooklinen Cabana, this towel has a cozy and plush velour side and a terry cloth side that’s great for drying off.

Because the towel is extra thick, the drying time is extremely slow. We forgot our Brooklinen Boardwalk Beach Towel in the backseat of our car for several hours, and it still hadn’t dried when we returned. But, it does absorb water quickly and soaks up moisture pretty well.

This plush and durable towel is ideal for those looking for a luxury, thick pool towel for lounging—we even used it as a changing blanket for our toddler.

Dimensions: 34 x 70 inches | Material: Cotton | Weight: Not listed

How We Tested the Pool Towels

At The Spruce, we’ve tested a total of 64 pool and beach towels, specifically designed for post-swim drying and sandy beaches. So, we’d like to say we’re experts at finding the best absorbent and durable towels.

We tested these towels in our backyard and neighborhood pools, at swim lessons, the lake, and hot sandy beaches, evaluating each towel’s:

This Cozy Earth Windowpane Resort Towel covered our outdoor pool chair perfectly. Credit:

The Spruce

Size: We evaluated the size of each towel by examining how well it covered our bodies, chairs, or loungers, as well as how easy it was to fold up and fit into a bag.

While it's not dryer-friendly, the Sand Cloud Hilo Towel is thin and quick-drying. Credit:

The Spruce

Absorbency and Drying Time: We noted how long it took each pool towel to dry completely post-pool.

Brooklinen's Boardwalk Beach Towel has a super soft and thick texture. Credit:

The Spruce

Texture: Rough, scratchy towels are the worst, so we evaluated each towel’s feel and noted whether or not the texture changed post-wash.

The Brooklinen Cabana Stripe Beach Towel remained snag-free and fade-resistant. Credit:

The Spruce

Durability: We examined how each towel held up throughout the testing period, looking for any snags, shrinking, and color fading.

What to Look for in a Pool Towel

Soft, Durable Material

President and owner of Lubertex International, Heidi Luber, says 100 percent cotton and microfiber are the two most common materials used for pool towels.

“Cotton is soft, absorbent, and generally more comfortable, making it ideal for a luxurious feel,” Luber says. “Microfiber is lightweight, quick-drying, and resistant to fading, although it is not as plush or comfortable as cotton options.”

Our best overall pick, the Brooklinen Cabana Stripe Beach Towel, along with pretty much every towel on our list, is made from 100 percent cotton. We aren’t sure what exact material our best travel pick is, as the brand states it’s made from post-consumer recycled materials, but it has more of a rough texture than plush and cozy.

Along with the towel's softness, you’ll also want to consider the towel’s construction and how durable it is. Luber suggests looking for towels with reinforced edges to prevent fraying and increase the towel’s longevity.

While it’s aesthetically pleasing, our best quick-drying pick, is an exception—the Sand Cloud Hilo Towel is designed with tassel ends, which we know it’s only a matter of time before it starts fraying. However, our best plush pick is reinforced with a piping design around the edges for extra durability.

A close-up of the fabric texture on the Brooklinen Boardwalk Beach Towel shows just how plush it is. Credit:

The Spruce

Towel Size and Coverage

When it comes to size, “bigger is better,” says Deborah Young, clinical assistant professor at Arizona State University Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. “The ideal size is around 30 x 60 inches or larger, which offers plenty of surface area for lounging and drying off.”

Our oversized pool towel pick is 41 x 70 inches (the largest in our guide). You can relax and sunbathe on it without worrying about your arms or toes hanging off the sides.

However, the cons of larger pool towels, especially if they’re plush and thick, are their bulkiness and lack of portability. For traveling, we recommend a thinner towel easy to pack and compress, like our best travel pick.

(Here’s more information on common towel sizes, including for bath sheets.)

We think the ideal towel size starts around 30 x 60 inches and goes up from there. Credit:

The Spruce

Absorbency and Drying Time

Nothing’s worse than exiting the pool, soaking wet, and you’re still not completely dry even after wiping yourself down. The more absorbent the towel is, the less time it takes for you to dry off, and the quicker you can leave the pool without leaving a wet footprint trail behind.

Which towels are quick-drying? You’ll see that phrase on the label, Luber says, and we’ve also found thinner towels, such as Turkish towels (like the Sand Cloud Hilo Towel, our best quick-drying pick) can fit the bill.

Also, the best pool towels are those that dry quickly. One indicator of how quickly a towel may dry is its weight, the GSM (grams per square meter). This is a measure of the towel’s density and quality.

“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,” Luber says.

You’ll find that some of our picks don’t have a GSM listed; that’s because some retailers choose not to share it. When this happens, we usually guesstimate by the towel’s thickness and material.

Why Trust The Spruce?

Kenedee Fowler is a writer for The Spruce. She’s written various outdoor articles on the home products for outdoor summer fun, including the best cornhole boards and the best picnic blankets.

For this guide, Kenedee recounts all the times she’s used a pool towel that didn’t make it to next summer. She’s also tested the most absorbent and plush bath towels, and some that were thin and quick drying. Her personal experience testing towels and our additional testing insights helped her narrow our list of 64 to the nine best pool towels.