Here at the Strategist UK, we like to think of ourselves as crazy (in the good way) about the stuff we buy, but as much as we’d like to, we can’t try everything. Which is why we have People’s Choice, in which we find the best-reviewed products and single out the most convincing ones. (You can learn more about our rating system and how we pick each item here.)
And while we’ve written about plenty of bathroom products on our US website — including the best bath towels, the best beach towels, the best hair towels, and the best affordable (but expensive-looking) bathroom accents — here, we’ve rounded up the best towels overall, as praised by the most enthusiastic reviewers on Amazon.co.uk.
Note: This list includes both bath towels and larger bath sheets. Cotton towels are graded according to grams per square metre (GSM), a measurement of fabric density. Generally, higher GSM towels are thicker and more absorbent; lower GSM towels are lighter and quicker to dry.
Best-rated towel
This “jumbo” bath sheet has received five-star ratings from more than 3,600 Amazon customers. With 4.5 stars overall, it also has great support from the crowd. The towel is made by Utopia, a Strategist-approved brand responsible for two of the best-rated picks in our list of the best towels for US buyers. The model is made of 100 percent ringspun cotton and is considered by most buyers to be a soft, absorbent, and good-quality towel. The “jumbo” sizing is one of the key factors setting this product apart, and 15 percent of UK reviewers say that they love the towel’s generous size. This includes a number of plus-size or pregnant customers who report that the towel wraps around their body comfortably, with plenty of wiggle room. Another 50 people say that they were impressed by the towel’s good value, including two reviewers who described it as luxury on a budget. The towel comes in a variety of colours and is medium thickness (600 GSM). Utopia’s more luxurious 700 GSM model comes similarly well-reviewed on Amazon.
Best-rated (less expensive) towel
These AmazonBasics towels are as highly reviewed as our best-rated pick: both listings have 5,000 customer ratings with 4.5 stars overall. These towels may be smaller and slightly thinner than the Utopia model, but the payoff is price: You get a two-pack of bath towels for the same price as one bath sheet. Accordingly, more than 100 UK reviewers praise these AmazonBasics towels for their fantastic value. Ten people said that they were surprised or amazed by the towels’ thickness and softness given the price point, and 30 people commented that the towels are higher quality than the ‘basic’ branding would have you believe. There is some discussion in the reviews about whether the towels shed fibres during use, but one top-rated reviewer is adamant that they do not shed: He says that his new blue towels are luxurious and absorbent, and that he was rather disappointed that his wife didn’t look more like Smurfette after towelling off. Another 30 customers say that their brightly coloured towels live up to the ‘fade resistant’ branding and that they have not experienced any colour change after washing. The towels are medium thickness (500 GSM). This style of AmazonBasics towel is also included in our list of the best towels for US buyers, which features the equally well-reviewed fade resistant six-piece towel set.
Best plush towel
This UK-made towel is the No. 1 best seller for bath sheets (and No. 2 for bath towels) among UK buyers. It has 4.4 stars across nearly 300 reviews. The towels are designed and made by the brand Catherine Lansfield, and are designed to be plush and luxurious — ‘zero twist’ fabrics are allegedly stronger than towels made of twisted fibres. Softness and fluffiness are the main draws here: 60 customers praise the towel’s soft feel, including several who say that the towels were a hit with young children and grandchildren. More than 20 people also compliment the colour of their towels, which come in shades such as blush pink, terracotta, and duck-egg blue. The towel is light-to-midweight at 450 GSM.
Best bath towel and hand towel set
This six-piece Pinzon set is the No. 1 best seller for towel sets on Amazon.co.uk, and it includes four hand towels and two bath towels. (If you’re also interested in washcloths, Utopia make a popular, well-reviewed eight-piece set.) Customers like this Pinzon set for their comfort and softness. One customer (a Top 50 reviewer on Amazon.co.uk) says that they like the Pinzon set so much that they’ve bought it in four colours. They call the towels fluffy, brightly-coloured, and great value — for them, the four-pack is far better quality than they expected for the affordable price. Another top-reviewer, who bought the towel set several years ago, claims that their towels remain thick, soft and absorbent after “countless” uses and washes. The Pinzon towels are all 600 GSM and available in a range of colours.
Best bath towel multi-pack
Amazon customers give this six-pack of Utopia bath towels top marks for value: at the time of writing, they’re approximately £3 each. It’s no surprise, then, that 30 UK reviewers call them excellent value and two describe them as an absolute bargain. Plenty of additional customers praise their softness and absorbency, and ten reviewers say that they wash well. They’ve got 4.3 stars from more than 2,000 ratings. It’s important to note that these towels are particularly small: they’re made by the same company as our best-rated pick, but measure nearly half the size of the jumbo model. Several customers say they are perfect for kids or petite adults, as gym or pool towels, and for drying off pets. But as one buyer puts it, size aside, the towels do the job: for the price you could probably use two. Utopia do not list the towels’ GSM but customers suggest that these are light-to-midweight. As a small bonus, several customers add that the towels are delivered lightning fast.
Best beach towel or microfibre towel
This microfibre beach towel, made by the US brand Dock & Bay, is Amazon’s No. 1 bestseller in beach towels. It has nearly 3,500 customer ratings. 3,000 of those ratings are five stars, and with 4.8 stars overall, it is the highest-rated towel on this list overall. UK buyers are extremely complementary in the comments — their reviews are full of exclamation marks and capital letters. 300 reviewers say that the towel is quick to dry, 200 say it is lightweight and 150 say it’s great at shaking off sand. Another 200 customers recommend it for use when travelling, as a beach towel on holiday or even as a daily-use towel for backpackers and campers. As well as ticking the boxes for functionality, many customers are pleased with the product’s quality feel: as one person puts it, the manufacturing quality is good, the colours are vibrant, and it’s easy to repack the large towels into their accompanying travel pouches. The towels also give you plenty of choice, as they’re available in a range of colours and sizes including round and extra-large towels. They also come in 42 different styles, ranging from monochrome stripes to geometric patterns to cartoon watermelons. They have a 12-month warranty to boot.
Best beach towel set
Here is another popular towel option from Utopia: this four-pack of striped beach towels has 4.7 stars across 3,000 ratings. Unlike the Dock & Bay microfibre towel, these beach towels are made of cotton, and are similar in build to the bath towels listed above. Overall, buyers like them for the same reasons as the other Utopia towels: 60 customers call them great value, while another 60 call them great quality. Ten customers say that these are nice and fluffy for beach towels, and especially fluffy when they come out of the wash. Several customers say that these towels are equally good for the beach or the bath. Given the medium size, several add that they’re well-suited to kids. The towels have a bold, striped pattern and come in a multicoloured or blue and white option. 40 customers are particularly complimentary about the towel’s bright colours — they say the vibrant stripes are fun and easy to spot from across the beach.
Best microfibre towel set
This two-piece microfibre set is another popular option for people who need a lightweight towel. It has 4.5 stars across nearly 2,000 ratings, and many customers say it’s the ideal towel set for people who need a space-saving solution. 50 reviewers are pleased by how quickly the towels dry, and one buyer reports that they are so smooth on the skin that they feel like velvet. Across 150 reviews, UK customers report successfully using these towels for backpacking, camping trips, daily gym sessions, or at home as part of a haircare routine. One reviewer even recommends them as a perfect towel if you are menopausal or experience hot flashes, as the material can help you cool down faster after a warm shower or bath. The towels are very lightweight at 200 GSM.
Best Turkish towel
If you’re interested in lightweight Turkish towels (also known as hammam or peshtemal towels) this Cacala Pure towel comes highly recommended by Amazon customers. (We’ve previously recommended this product as the best towel for travel.) Although they are made of pure cotton, Turkish towels have a much thinner profile than the bath towels found in most UK homes. But, despite the thinness, dozens of customers praise this towel’s absorbency and warmth, and it’s telling that this towel has almost no genuinely negative reviews. The lightweight build is one of the towel’s best-loved qualities: 15 customers recommend using it for travel and three say that it’s perfect for hot weather. One customer adds that the towel dries in half the time of a normal cotton towel, and another recommends it for people who like to shower twice a day. Other reviewers love the stylish look of these towels, and rave about how they can be put to many uses: according to one customer, these include a sarong, scarf, bedspread or tablecloth. The towel is hypoallergenic, comes in many colours, and boasts 4.5 stars across 1,300 ratings.
Best hair towel
For people with long hair, hair towels can be treasured time-savers: we’ve recommended them before on our US website. This turban-style, coral fleece hair towel from Renfox, which has 4.1 stars across more than 1,000 ratings, is the best-rated option on Amazon.co.uk. Customers like these hair towels because they’re soft, quick-drying and don’t pull hair. There are pleased reviews from nearly 200 UK customers, 30 of whom say that the hair towels are easy-to-use and seven who say that wrapping their hair in one of these turbans has saved them significant time in their regular hair care routine. (As one customer writes, now they can just live their life for 40 minutes while their hair dries untouched.) A dozen customers say that they’re particularly pleased that the turban comes in a pack of two, meaning that you always have a spare or — as several customers happily report — you get one for yourself and one for your daughter. The turbans come in pink and brown and are secured via a button and loop.
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