Best bath towels?

[Hospatogi]

Hi All,
I know this may sound silly but I cannot seem to find good quality bath towels. I am looking for plush, fluffy towels that do not shed or pill in the wash, does not shrink too much, absorbs water well, color doesn't fade, dries quickly, and last but not least..does not cost too much. Is this asking too much?
I have heard good things about towels from Pottery Barn and the hotel collection from Macys. Any suggestions?

 

[tuffyluvr]

I bought a set of Macy's Hotel Collection sheets and they pilled terribly after a few washes. They were so bad I actually took them back used.

I bought a set of Ralph Lauren towels about 5-6 months ago at HomeGoods. We desperately needed new towels, the color worked and the price was right. It was only $130 for 4 bath towels, 2 hand towels, 2 washcloths and a bath mat.

If you're willing to spend more than that, I love Restoration Hardware's towels. They're really well-made, heavy and luxurious!

 

[Hera]

Restoration Hardware! Sometimes they go on sale.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Restoration Hardware! Sometimes they go on sale.

I just had a look as I was curious and they are on sale now! $54 down to $43 for a bath sheet.

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Restoration Hardware! Sometimes they go on sale.

I just had a look as I was curious and they are on sale now! $54 down to $43 for a bath sheet.

Wait...$54 for ONE towel? Are you serious?!

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Restoration Hardware! Sometimes they go on sale.

I just had a look as I was curious and they are on sale now! $54 down to $43 for a bath sheet.

Wait...$54 for ONE towel? Are you serious?!

Nah $43

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Lol..well that's still outrageous to me! Hopefully they are amazing and you enjoy them

 

[TooPatient]

Our lucky find towels finally had to be replaced. They were something I stumbled across for $2/towel (yay!) at Linens 'N Things that just happened to work out. (We'd had other attempts at towels ranging from $5-$30/towel that were awful)

We went to Kohls last summer and bought two each of something like four different towels. They were only $5-15/towel so it wasn't that bad. Used them and washed them for a couple of months and found that the "best" ones at the start got rough and unpleasant with washing. It was the "too soft" towels that became wonderful! Went back and bought a set of 10 + matching hand towels and washcloths.

We have the Vera Wang towels from Kohls. They have become soft, absorbent, and just nice to use. Got them on sale for $8/towel!
($14.99 each but were on a "buy one get one for $1" sale)

 

[ame]

We got some great Marrimekko from Crate for our wedding that are still fantastic. The ones we got besides those for our wedding did not make it very long, those were like wicked expensive Wamsutta ones and they lasted MAYBE 2 years before they were thin and crappy. We returned them and got money back bec they were registry. We went and got more from Crate. I do like the ones from Kohls that werem entioned, I have a few of those, as well.

 

[TooPatient]

We got some great Marrimekko from Crate for our wedding that are still fantastic. The ones we got besides those for our wedding did not make it very long, those were like wicked expensive Wamsutta ones and they lasted MAYBE 2 years before they were thin and crappy. We returned them and got money back bec they were registry. We went and got more from Crate. I do like the ones from Kohls that werem entioned, I have a few of those, as well.

Wamsutta! I'd forgotten the name, but those are the ones I got at Linens 'N Things for just a few dollars. They were wonderful! Lasted 4-5 years and were just so nice to use. Soft, fluffy, absorbent, and didn't shrink. I've seen mixed reviews on them though so it seems like they have different lines that are good and bad? Or maybe they just have good and bad batches?

 

[PintoBean]

Bought one from Costco for less than $10 a few years ago. Maybe $5.99? That's my FAVORITE bath towel out of the batch we have. It dries fast, doesn't get stinky.

 

[distracts]

We like the Macys Hotel Collection towels. Very soft and absorbent!

The Marimekko ones I have from Crate and Barrel are nice too but NOWHERE near as soft.

 

[tuffyluvr]

We got some great Marrimekko from Crate for our wedding that are still fantastic. The ones we got besides those for our wedding did not make it very long, those were like wicked expensive Wamsutta ones and they lasted MAYBE 2 years before they were thin and crappy. We returned them and got money back bec they were registry. We went and got more from Crate. I do like the ones from Kohls that werem entioned, I have a few of those, as well.

I LOVE Marimekko prints! I bet those are fabulous!

 

[monarch64]

You all probably know this, but the way you launder your towels has a bit to do with how they wear.

Always launder your towels together (same load). Treat them gently! Don't bleach them, don't launder them with jeans/shoes/other harsh ingredients. When you dry them, don't TOTALLY dry them. Do NOT add a softening agent such as a dryer sheet to the load. It will make them much less absorbent and/or fluffy.

Towels aren't meant to withstand abuse. Towels love you! Towels want to be your friend! Treat them kindly, and they WILL last a long time.

My favorite towels ever are from K-Mart, purchased by my mom when I was 18-19, in college. They were from a Martha Stewart line and I still have them today, 12 years later. They're in great shape. I was a Textiles major, so maybe that's part of the reason they've lasted so long.

I never buy a towel with that stupid woven THING off to the side, I don't even know what it's called. But every towel I've ever known with one of those decorative things an eighth of the way to one end has ended up being misshapen, maladjusted, and all around bad for drying my body or hair.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I've never had towels that shrink. From experience, I found ones in the $10-20 range to be just fine. The fancier "show towels" never absorb as well. I bought a bunch of hand/face towels from restoration hardware and they just didn't seem that much more impressive than cheaper brands, however they have lasted much longer. I just bought new bath towels today at Nord Rack and will be curious to see how well they hold up. I tend to buy sets of four from various places rather than sets from one retailer. I bought organic cotton from a local place a few months back and LOVE them and will see how well they hold up and do plan to buy more bdcause after washing the nord rack ones this afternon, I can tell the organic are more durable.

 

[ame]

We got some great Marrimekko from Crate for our wedding that are still fantastic. The ones we got besides those for our wedding did not make it very long, those were like wicked expensive Wamsutta ones and they lasted MAYBE 2 years before they were thin and crappy. We returned them and got money back bec they were registry. We went and got more from Crate. I do like the ones from Kohls that werem entioned, I have a few of those, as well.

I LOVE Marimekko prints! I bet those are fabulous!

I do love them! They are kind of a "painterly" stripe in bright reds and oranges. Sunsetty colors. They have held up SO WELL and are super soft.

 

[rosetta]

You all probably know this, but the way you launder your towels has a bit to do with how they wear.

Always launder your towels together (same load). Treat them gently! Don't bleach them, don't launder them with jeans/shoes/other harsh ingredients. When you dry them, don't TOTALLY dry them. Do NOT add a softening agent such as a dryer sheet to the load. It will make them much less absorbent and/or fluffy.

Towels aren't meant to withstand abuse. Towels love you! Towels want to be your friend! Treat them kindly, and they WILL last a long time.

My favorite towels ever are from K-Mart, purchased by my mom when I was 18-19, in college. They were from a Martha Stewart line and I still have them today, 12 years later. They're in great shape. I was a Textiles major, so maybe that's part of the reason they've lasted so long.

I never buy a towel with that stupid woven THING off to the side, I don't even know what it's called. But every towel I've ever known with one of those decorative things an eighth of the way to one end has ended up being misshapen, maladjusted, and all around bad for drying my body or hair.

I've been chucking them in the machine with all manner of things. Thanks for the excellent tips monarch!

 

[Hospatogi]

I just bought white towels from Bloomingdales during their semi annual white sale. Their Hudson Park 100 % pima cotton bath sheets were going for 20 dollars which is a splurge for me but we have been really happy with them. I wash them on low warm wash and delicates on the dry cycle . So far there has been no discoloration, pilling, and very little shrinkage. Every two weeks I add 1/4 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle and my towels have never come out softer!

 

[urseberry]

I love the bamboo towels from Cuddledown. They are expensive, though, at $32 each for a bath towel.

 

[Calliecake]

You all probably know this, but the way you launder your towels has a bit to do with how they wear.

Always launder your towels together (same load). Treat them gently! Don't bleach them, don't launder them with jeans/shoes/other harsh ingredients. When you dry them, don't TOTALLY dry them. Do NOT add a softening agent such as a dryer sheet to the load. It will make them much less absorbent and/or fluffy.

Towels aren't meant to withstand abuse. Towels love you! Towels want to be your friend! Treat them kindly, and they WILL last a long time.

My favorite towels ever are from K-Mart, purchased by my mom when I was 18-19, in college. They were from a Martha Stewart line and I still have them today, 12 years later. They're in great shape. I was a Textiles major, so maybe that's part of the reason they've lasted so long.

I never buy a towel with that stupid woven THING off to the side, I don't even know what it's called. But every towel I've ever known with one of those decorative things an eighth of the way to one end has ended up being misshapen, maladjusted, and all around bad for drying my body or hair.

Thanks for posting this Monnie. It's really nice to know I have been doing something right all these years even if its just laundering towels!!!!

I have nothing to add about purchasing towels. My husband is very picky about his towels therefore he is the one who buys them. I went to look at what kind they are but he took the tags off them.

 

[azstonie]

You all probably know this, but the way you launder your towels has a bit to do with how they wear.

Always launder your towels together (same load). Treat them gently! Don't bleach them, don't launder them with jeans/shoes/other harsh ingredients. When you dry them, don't TOTALLY dry them. Do NOT add a softening agent such as a dryer sheet to the load. It will make them much less absorbent and/or fluffy.

Towels aren't meant to withstand abuse. Towels love you! Towels want to be your friend! Treat them kindly, and they WILL last a long time.

My favorite towels ever are from K-Mart, purchased by my mom when I was 18-19, in college. They were from a Martha Stewart line and I still have them today, 12 years later. They're in great shape. I was a Textiles major, so maybe that's part of the reason they've lasted so long.

I never buy a towel with that stupid woven THING off to the side, I don't even know what it's called. But every towel I've ever known with one of those decorative things an eighth of the way to one end has ended up being misshapen, maladjusted, and all around bad for drying my body or hair.

Monnie, I bought those Martha Stewart towels at Kmart too and I loved them so much, I used them until they were literally in shreds.

I also hate stupid woven bands on the bottom, the sides, wherever because that is useless space on a towel, I like just a simple finish to the very bottom of the towel.

I've had good luck with Ralph Lauren towels and also towels from the Horchow catalogue.

I do wash mine on the super hot sanitary setting, though, I want 'em sanitized.

 

[NOYFB]

I'm pretty pleased with the Spa line from Kassatex towels that I got at Home Goods. They're big, soft and very absorbent and hold up in the wash. I can't remember how much I paid for them, maybe $15 each?