The majority of Americans shower daily. And yet, dermatologists question the necessity and even health of a daily shower, primarily because too much washing can dry out the skin.
If you smell horrible, though, what’s a person to do to clean up while protecting your skin?
Part of the answer rests in using a good towel.
The best luxury bath towels do not come cheap, but remember, you’re caring for the largest organ in your body (your skin). Healthy skin is worth forking over the cash for the Turkish cotton towels over the sad, scratchy ones you are tempted to steal from the gym.
Join us as we explore the world of the best luxury bath towels in the business.
The Components of the Best Luxury Bath Towels
Towels do more than just dry you off. They hug you. They comfort you.
But if they feel squishy and soft but don’t take care of your bathwater, what good are they? So, what makes up a luxury bath towel?
A luxury towel will be plush and superabsorbent. It will come in all sizes, and as an added bonus, will dry quickly.
And they’re Turkish. Luxury towels don’t necessarily have to come straight from Turkey, but Turkish towels, in general, fall into the luxury category.
The long fibers that absorb water and give your body a light massage make the Turkish towels luxurious. The Turks understand a good towel.
Weigh the Benefits
Towels actually have a specific measurement for weight: grams per square meter or GSM.
Essentially, the GSM of a towel helps determine its absorbency (along with the materials of the towel). This means the higher the GSM, the more luxurious the towel.
For example, a 300 to 400 GSM towel works well in the kitchen or at the gym, but it won’t work well as a bath towel.
A 400 to 620 GSM towel, or a medium-weight towel, often takes the role of a beach or basic bath towel. You can find this at your average hotel. Its soft and absorbent materials allow you to dry off quickly, and yet the towel itself doesn’t retain moisture for long. Just an hour on the balcony rack will dry it off.
The 620 to 900 GSM towels qualify as luxury. You can find these at your high-end motels, and they feel like a soft hug.
If the towels you’re looking at do not have the GSM listed, you can still calculate it with a GSM calculator. You just need to know the weight, length, and width of the towel in question.
Material Evidence for Luxury Towels
As stated earlier, the Turks know their towels. The best luxury towels are made of Turkish or Egyptian cotton and not polyester. Polyester towels certainly work for the average guest (that you don’t want to stay too long).
But if you’d like to really impress your guests or just feel like you’re living in the lap of luxury, look at Egyptian or Turkish cotton. The long fibers draw water off the body and typically only improve with washing. You end up with a softer, fluffier, and more absorbent towel after each wash.
If you’d like to stay more local, look for Supima or Pima cotton. (think average hotel towels or the towel for that guest you don’t want to stay too long). The soft and durable towels absorb water well because of the long fibers also known as long-staple cotton. Also, these towels last longer and stay softer longer than the low-end towels.
Towels can have either combed or ringspun cotton.
Combed means the fibers are combed to remove shorter threads and debris. The longest and strongest threads are in the towel itself. Combed cotton towels do not pill.
Ringspun towels have long and short fibers twisted to create smoother, finer yarn. These also include terry cloth towels which are made with larger thread loops woven with extra yarn.
Dense Towels
If you can examine the towel closely on your own, look at it up close. If you can see the base of the towel, you’re looking at a less dense and less luxurious towel.
A luxury towel will have a tight weave to it. It might seem bulkier and more textured than the average towel because of this weave and density.
Size Matters in Luxury Towels
The basic towel that can do the job sufficiently runs around 27 x 52 inches. These work well if you’re an average size person or a large kid.
The typical “big” towel is 30×56 inches. This towel size works well for the more adult-size body that can dry off more real estate than the basic towel.
However, sometimes we need a towel that does more than just dry us off. We need a wearable towel. The bath sheet or body towel is 33 x 70 inches, and in this size, we find the luxury towel.
Comfort, Function, and Style
Luxury towels qualify as such because of their functionality. They hug your skin with soft, luxurious material and they absorb water.
They’re also not ugly.
When you look for a luxury towel, look for one that will make your bathroom look even better.
Ultimately, you have two options: color and sheen. If you have a bathroom with any amount of color, white towels will not just match but they will pop.
If you have a pristine, white bathroom, then the brightly colored towels will pop. Focus on strong, primary colors like green, blue, or red.
Once you have your colors figured out, look at the sheen and the design. Shiny towels do exist. The sheen on the towel will add a sense of luxury to your bathroom and turn a regular bathroom into a work of art.
You can also purchase beautiful towels just for the sake of beauty. Decorative towels exist for just such a reason.
You can also add some spice to your bathroom by changing towels out each season. Use different colored and patterned towels to reflect the change of season and give your bathroom a little sprucing up.
Details Matter
Hands-down, few practices help relieve stress like a hot bath at the end of a hard day. But no one wants to step out from the bath to grab a scratchy or tiny towel The best luxury bath towels have function, beauty, and comfort.
Contact us to learn more about luxury bath towels and all of your bath needs.