Looking for the best, softest, most luxurious bath towels out there? I scoured towel reviews, tested out a few top picks, and am sharing recommendations!
We’ve been needing new bath towels for a while now and instead of buying yet another set of inexpensive towels that don’t last, I decided to do a little research in order to find the best towels – ones that are super soft, absorbent, and will stand the test of time. After doing a lot of in-store checking out of towels along with reading many, many online reviews, I’m now the owner of what I think are some of the best, softest, most luxurious bath towels around!
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What did I end up with? Matouk’s Milagro bath towels in white. They are made from Egyptian cotton zero-twist yarns and are super soft and plush with the perfect combination of thickness and lightness. Reviews from customers who have bought these towels are almost universally glowing and I’m extremely happy with my purchase as well. Along with my morning cup trough of coffee, it’s now one of the things that helps gets this anti-morning person out of bed each day.
Update: Since the time that I wrote this post, I’ve also gotten some of Cuddledown’s Bamboo Towels c/o Cuddledown and they are wonderfully luxurious as well. The Cuddledown Bamboo towels are touted for the softness and their absorbency, which is superior to pure cotton towels because of the use of bamboo. They do take a little longer to dry than my Matouk towels and the softness decreases after multiple washings so I’d put them at a close second to the Matouk.
- Restoration Hardware’s 802-Gram Turkish Bath Towels are soft, heavyweight towels that get a lot of favorable reviews with some customers swearing by them. However, I did come across some complaints about fading and running dye. The RH towels didn’t make the cut for me only because I don’t like towels that are too heavy since I wrap them around my head to dry my hair after showering.
- Pinzon’s 820-Gram Cotton Towels – I’d rate these as your best bang for the buck luxury towels with over 5,000 reviews that are mostly glowing. Reviewers love them for their thickness and heavy weight, their durability, and their price. Some customer reviews do note that they are not as soft as some other brands of towels.
- Abyss & Habidecor Super Pile Towels – these are very spa-like towels that are incredibly soft and fluffy and are available in 60 (!) color options. These were one of my favorite towels and had the most luxurious feel of all the towels that I looked at but I decided against them only because of their price. And while this is a minor thing, I wasn’t in love with the look of the rounded corners of the towels as opposed to the typical square. Definitely one to consider if you cost isn’t an issue for you!
- Macy’s Hotel Collection Bath Towels (price varies with style) are another highly recommended towel by reviewers. They come in a variety of styles and colors and frequently go on sale. If you’re looking for department store towels to put on a wedding registry – these are a popular choice.
Those are my top picks but I’d also love to hear from you guys! Is there a favorite brand of towel that you swear by?
I am redoing my bathroom and new towels are on the list for me. Thanks for this post-it’s helpful. Just wondering if you looked at any of the towels from Pottery Barn? I’ve heard alot of good things about them. Thanks, Diana
Hi Diana – I did look into Pottery Barn towels and there are many reviews from people who absolutely love them but I also read quite a few reviews from people who weren’t happy with them so I wasn’t sure what to think!
I bought way too many Pottery Barn towels several years ago, because I loved the way they looked. Unfortunately, I didn’t (and still don’t) love the way they feel. They are very heavy and just too thick to suit me. They do, however, still look very nice, and must be practically indestructible!
Serendipity! I was just thinking this morning about how our towels are stained and not very soft. Thanks!
Glad you found it to be helpful Elisabeth!
How are you liking your towels and how are they holding up in the wash? I have older towels that were apparently made during a time when integrity and pride of product must have meant something. They have held up through kids , too many washes and almost 15- 18 years of abuse. I have tried many new ones over the past 6 years and always end up returning them after the 2nd -4th wash because the threads come out and you have little “hair threads” randomly all over the towels. I want towels that will take a beating and still hold up without paying a fortune ( which is what they now do with quality towels since crap manufacturing has become the norm to up their sales of making people have to replace them often). We have a top loading machine and I want a great towel that will hold up to being “agitated” not just flopped and tumbled in a side loader. Hoping you have some good reviews on how they are holding up in the wash. Thanks!! 🙂
I’ve only been using the towels for about six weeks at this point but so far they are holding up very well. They did shed quite a bit in the dryer the first few times they were washed but I think that’s pretty typical. I’ve had no issues with the threads unraveling and they have remained super soft. I’ll post some more follow up info once I’ve had them a few more months!
I’m too curious how well the towels maintain thier softness, color and how well they hold up. I’m willing to invest but not until I have someone tell me…. yes they are worth the price and would purchase again.
Hi Kris. Thank you for the info on towels! I purchased the Milagro, and they are amazing. I’m curious: The instructions say to wash in “warm water” on the “gentle” cycle. We have a Bosch front-loading machine, but no “gentle” cycle: just “delicates,” which is intended for fine woolens, etc. Do you wash yours in the regular cycle with warm water? And, also, any drying preferences? I’m thinking they might take too long to dry on “Delicates,” so perhaps “Medium” would be best? Thanks again–your reviews were very helpful in making my choice. 🙂
I’m glad you love your new Milagro towels – mine have held up really well. I noticed that too with the instructions but chose to ignore them (I can’t imagine washing towels on gentle!). I’ve been washing mine in the regular cycle (usually with warm water and sometimes with hot) and drying them on medium and they have done just fine in the few months that I’ve had them. Maybe they would hold up a bit longer by following the gentle/delicate recommendations but I want my towels to get really clean and not be in the dryer for an hour 🙂 The only thing I can’t speak to is color fading – I bought white towels so I don’t know whether changing the washing/drying recommendations would result in color fading. Enjoy your wonderful new towels – they are a luxury that are so worth it!
Hi – I’m searching too for a fabulous set of towels, and I love the research you already did! Do you have any more updates since you first got the towels? I would love to hear your thoughts on both the Matouk’s Milagro or Cuddledown’s Bamboo. Thanks so much for sharing!
So sorry I somehow missed your question – I’ve posted the info you are looking for on the reply to the question below.
I too am curious how the Matouk or bamboo towels held up. We had some bamboo towels that were soft and fluffy until the first wash. Since I’m looking for new towels this page has been awesome! Its the first one that goes into any detail at all.
Hi Henry,
I’m very happy with both the Matouk Milagro and Cuddledown Bamboo towels. They’ve been washed a ton and are still in great shape and have stayed soft. Hope that helps!
Hi!
Thanks for your post and updates. I am wondering how they dry between uses. I live in the deep south, and it is humid. I really don’t like it when our towels aren’t dry the next day. Any insight?
Hi Gretchen,
I haven’t had issues with either the Matouk or Cuddledown towels not getting dry between uses but I definitely don’t live anywhere near as humid as you. Of the two towels, the Cuddledown towels take longer to dry because they are thicker so the Matouk may be a better option for you.
I have the Matouk Milagro and I loved them up until the point when my hubby added bleach to the washer. They have never been the same 🙁
Thanks so much for letting us know – I think the Milagro care instructions say not to bleach them but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t thought about doing it to my towels. Definitely won’t now! Sorry that happened to your cozy towels – bummer!
Your list has a huge HOLE and lacking the very best towel in the entire world! Nordstrom’s Towels are absolutely the very best towel. Not the one with the texture, but the original towels. Use cold water, no liquid fabric softener, EVER on any fine linens and these towels will look the same as the day you bought them! No you don’t need them so soft that they don’t absorb, right? Macy’s are second at best!
Thanks for sharing your love for Nordstrom’s towels Janet!
We have Macy’s Hotel Collection and enjoy those. I really enjoy your sidebar top posts and have been catching up on a lot of those (just in case you see lots of random comments from me).
Thanjs Kris for doing my research! My towels are ready for the trash can! Your blog is so great!
I’m a big woman and love the bath blanket size. Is this going to be a problem
Kris, thanks so much for this post. We love our towels from Frontgate, they were a splurge but SO soft and absorbent (and large!) Sadly we have “hard” water and over time the white got really dingy, despite everything I did to prevent that. I am in the market for new towels and will definitely check out these ones you bought!
I had the same thing happen with a nice set of Hotel Collection towels from Macy’s as well as another different brand set several years ago after a guest used them. And after doing some research to figure out what happened, I think it was exactly what you mentioned – certain face cleansers (especially ones for acne) can discolor your towels. Thanks for sharing your experience with the Matouk ones – I haven’t had any such problems with mine but they are white and I only use mild facial cleansers. Have you considered contacting Matouk to see if they would do anything for you?
Except she said this didn’t happen on the Ralph Laren Towels so it’s to do with the Matouk dyes not being set. The other towels she used were black. So…the fault is in the Matouk not the customer.
Thanks
Although I’m okay with towel softness, my equal concern is absorbency. I see little reference to that aspect in this well-done article. Is absorbency more of a “guy thing”? Even if towels are soft as clouds, what good are they if they only smear water around? I find low absorbency very annoying.
I’ve read many reviews in my search for plush, luxurious towels for my wife – and this article is the best and most informative, Kris – thank you. Earlier today, I thought I’d handle the confusion problem by throwing money at it and went to Nordstrom site to buy towels, then saw how many types there are and that they all claim to be THE best, of course. So when Janet said she loves Nordy towels, it didn’t help me much since they have so many types.
Who knew finding the “best” towels could be so confusing? I spent less time researching my last car purchase!
Thanks, Kris.
Hi Karl! I think all of the most highly rated towels in this post are going to be good with absorbency. I can personally vouch for the absorbency of the Cuddledown and Matouk towels – both are great! You’ll have to let us know how your new towels work out!
You’re not the only one, Karl. We’re in the same boat. We got ribbed Crate & Barrel towels when we got married more than 10 years ago and they’ve been stellar. But it’s time to get news and they’re no longer made. We’ve tried multiple towels from multiple sources and none of them have the level of absorbency that we’ve come to rely on, and they’ve all been returned (at least 5 different brands now). I don’t want to have to continually rub to get dry. They all make me feel like I live in a soft water situation and never quite get clean/dry. I’m going to give Hydro Cotton from Pottery Barn and the Cuddledowns a shot here and hope for the best!
Let us know what you think about your new towels Jacques – I’d love to hear your opinions on their absorbency!
Matouk Towels are crap. They shred fibers even after 100 washes. There is no return policy and the customer service sucks. Don’t waste your money.
My Matouk towels have actually held up really well and are still soft and plush after frequent use for two years. Hate to hear that you had a bad experience with them. I wonder what the difference is??
I’m also disappointed with my matouk milagro towels, they shed constantly and the threading is coming undone at the bottom after a couple of weeks! I followed the directions for care. I bought mine from Bloomingdales so I might see if their customer service is better than Matouk’s. I’m confused by all of the glowing reviews. I was so excited to have fancy towels and I can’t afford to drop another $50 per towel.
Hi. I was wondering how you felt about your towels now. I was looking into the Macy Hotel Collection but the reviews keep saying that now the towels are not made like they use to be. They are half the thickness. I was just wondering what your thoughts were and how your towels are holding up. I read about some towels at the Pottery Barn that would last me 5 years.
Hi Jessica, I’ve had the Cuddledown and Matouk towels for about two years now and they have both held up really well and stayed soft and absorbant. I have them in white so can’t speak to how well they keep their color. That’s disappointing about the Macy’s towels – thanks for letting me know since I will look into it and update the info on those in this post!
I have had Matouk Milagro towels and their incredibly soft blankets. In both cases they started off the nicest and softest I’ve ever experienced and in both cases, they both lost their softness quickly. My Abyss towels look as good now as the day I purchased them. The pottery barn hydro towels were really soft, but they aren’t absorbent for me.
Thanks for your input Beth! My Milagro towels aren’t as soft as the day I got them but I’ve had them for a few years now and they’re definitely still softer than other towels I’ve had in the past – good to know that you had a different experience. Also love knowing about the Abyss towels – I need to try those! Happy new year!
Sorry Jody – I haven’t tried the Doga towels!
Don’t even bother with Macy’s The Hotel Colection’s towels. I’ve bought many of their plush towels over the years and they simply don’t hold up like they used to. They start off being soft but about a year in they become really scratchy despite vinegar washes. For how expensive they are, they should last much longer than one year.
That’s so disappointing! Thanks so much for sharing your experience!
I enjoyed reading the comments here. I’m very happy with my white Pottery Barn Hydrocotton bath towels. The are soft, absorbent, and luxurious. However, I’m disappointed that the small washcoths shrank even more after washing and drying them. Also, after laundering, the washcloths they look like dirty rags next to the bath towels. My oily skin must be the culprit. Pre-soaking them, even overnight, in washing soda, borax, dishwashing soap, baking soda, and vinegar did not fully restore them to match the towels. Oxiclean left them with a blue tint, to my horror. Rit whitener seems to have a blue tint as well. I’ve spent endless hours experimenting and researching solutions. Finally, I used chlorine bleach on them, even though the care instructions stated not to bleach them. That helped some, but they are still darker that the white towels. Maybe I’m one of those people who should never use white towels, but I find them theraputic. Any other suggestions on how to clean dingy washcloths or suggestions on equivalent towels that can be bleached safely.
My son has eczema and needs a very soft towel. Can you recommend the right one please?
I’m not sure about the best towels but I can say that I have both the Cuddledown and Matouk towels I mentioned in this post and they’re both soft and plush.
Thanks Kris, I am somewhat surprised at the dearth of available towel reviews, so I am very glad I found yours. I visited Bloomingdale’s this morning and came away with the Abyss Super Lines. They seemed very soft and the associate said she could not recommend a better towel, and they were on sale. I can’t wait to try them. Thanks again.
Glad you found it helpful! Please stop back in a few months and let us know how you like your towels!
I have the Abyss and while the Pottery Barn and others are softer, none were as absorbent as my Abyss. It’s an amazing towel and 4 years in looks as good as new.
Good to know! Thanks for sharing Chantal!
Forget Macys. They change their manufacturers so if you order a new set online a couple of years later, you may not be getting the same thing. We bought a new set and thought it felt different and when we got home, sure enough the old ones were much better.
Thanks for the input – how disappointing that they changed such a great product!
Well, I’ve been buying and learning about towels in the past year Good Housekeeping did some testing–extensive testing- of towels that we can buy at our local store or at places like Land’s End. Most of these were not luxury towels yet the criteria they used for judging was eye opening. It has always been my wish that some one would test all of the designer towels. (I’ve had Ralph Lauren and feel that they are one of the nicest pima cotton towels–yet they’ve changed). When it comes to micro cotton, I found the Fieldcrest at Target to be a bypassed gem and all their variation on white seem softer than the few colored ones. I’m looking for a soft Turkish towel that is reasonably priced and not too heavy, more like 600 to 700 GSM. Any ideas? I discovered an Egyptian towel of high quality in the Bed Bath and Beyond clearance section that dried fast and was as soft as silk (Egyptian Artistry), but it shrank in width at least two inches. Why don’t they also cut towels bigger in width so they end up 30″ after washing? Any companies out there reading this? I wouldn’t recommend Costco’s hydro-cotton towels as the one I bought was heavy and not that soft. I would also be interested in an Egyptian towel, not too thick, such as 600 to 700 GSM (for quicker drying). People forget things like a Turkish towel may dry quicker than an Egyptian towel, but if the Turkish towel is 800 to 900 GSM and the Egyptian towel is 600 to 700 GSM this may no longer be true. Absorbency should be balanced with drying time. But then we all have different priorities. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for this post… all of my white RH 802-gram towels were stolen the other night from a laundromat and I was in a absolute crisis with no bath towels. Went over to the local Restoration Hardware store today to start replacing them and was SO disappointed when the sales clerk brought them out… pretty sure that they have changed manufacture since last I bought them. The seams were uneven and there were loose threads… the pile felt cheaper and the quality is NOWHERE NEAR what it was in the past. I’d been buying these towels faithfully for nearly two decades and the current product is simply not up to old standards. Think I’ll pass. Doing some research to determine what I could possibly replace them with. Will definitely look into the Matouk and Sferra towels. Sad that RH continues to jack prices while compromising the quality of their product. Now that the good towels are gone they’ve totally lost me as a customer.
Thanks for the feedback on the RH towels – definitely disappointing!
Thank you for this post. How do you keep the Matouk white towels looking nice? I would like to try these in white.
Do they hold up okay with bleach or what do you use?
I don’t use much bleach because we have a lot of iron in our water and the combination of the two can stain my laundry. So I’ve just been using Oxi-clean and my towels have stayed pretty white!
Great article. Very nicely explained…