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Home » Gear » microfiber travel towel

The Best Microfiber Travel Towel for your Next Adventure

Whilst most backpackers might fall short of the average of one shower a day, it doesn’t mean we don’t want or need a good wash! Ok scratch that, us vagabonds are in serious need of a good shower but taking one on the road isn’t always as straight forward as it is back home. Once you’ve negotiated the hostel shower, the local river or a bucket surrounded by bamboo in a Burmese village (yes, that was me) you’ve got to get dry.

Unfortunately those comfortable but heavy Egyptian cotton towels aren’t exactly backpacker friendly. Whilst I fully acknowledge that discussing towels might not be the most thrilling topic when you’ve got an endless array of adventures to plan. But trust me, your shoulders understand the importance!

The solution: a microfiber travel towel. They’re made with quick-dry material, they pack super small, and they are relatively inexpensive… a travellers’ dreams. In a nutshell – microfiber towels were literally made for backpackers and travellers.

However, as with most things, not all towels are created equally. Some don’t wash well or pick up an unpleasant odour. So I’ve done the hard yards for you and wrote this epic guide so you can quickly and easily find which microfiber travel towel best suits your needs.

Let’s get this party started!

Quick Answer: What are the best towels to take traveling?

• Sea to Summit Drylite Towel – Best Backpacking Towel
• Matador Ultralight Travel Towel – Most Compact Travel Towel
• Youphoria Sport Microfiber Travel Towel – Best Towel for Traveling Yogis
• Nomadix Towel – Best Non-Microfiber Towel for Travel 
• ECCOSOPHY TRAVEL TOWEL – Honorary Mention
• Jump to –> Travel Towel Reviews

Real Quick – What is Microfiber Material?

Ok, so before we crack on with showing you what the best backpacking towel is, we need to explain what one is first.

Microfiber is a synthetic fiber, usually made out of polyesters, polyamides, or blends. The grabby texture of the microfiber makes the towel more absorbent which, in turn, makes it great for swimming, traveling, exercising, any activity that makes you wet.

Right then, let’s get this microfiber towel review going!

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Microfiber Travel Towel Reviews

Best towel for backpacking – sea to summit drylite towel, most compact travel towel – matador ultralight.

• Best Travel Towel for Yogis – Youphoria Sport

Best Non-Microfiber Towel for Travel – Nomadix

• Honorable Mention – ECCOSOPHY Microfiber Towel
• Best Microfiber Beach Towel – OCOOPA Microfiber Beach Towel

Why Invest in a Travel Towel?

How we tested the best microfiber travel towel, faq about the best microfiber travel towel, conclusion: the best microfiber towels for travel.

Check out our extensive review on our top four favorite quick-drying microfiber travel towels reviews below…

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• Comes in multiple sizes
• Very lightweight
• A bit more expensive

Sea to Summit is known for making ultralight camping and backpacking gear, so it makes sense that they make a lightweight backpacking towel. The soft, quick-drying towel is compact and comes in three sizes. The small towel is 32” by 16”, the large is 48” by 24” and the extra large is 60” by 30”. All these towel sizes weigh under 7 ounces. This is a good choice for the traveler constantly on the trail when every oz makes a difference. We also rated it as the best microfiber travel towel due to the fact that it came in different sizes meaning you can pick the right one for your trip.

The drawback? The XL is expensive for a microfiber towel and is pricier than the other towels on this travel towel review.

Our team felt this was the best microfiber towel for travel particularly because it worked well in damp and humid environments which is ideal for places like Southeast Asia. On top of that the actual towel itself dries quickly after usage too. They also loved how well it packed down and fit easily inside their bags, in fact, it’s that small it could easily fit inside a jacket pocket!

• Super small and compact
• Lightweight nanofiber material
• Comes in powermesh storage bag

In case space in your backpack is really at a premium, then check out the mini Ultralight travel towel by Matador. Measuring 15″ x 15″ (or 39cm x 39cm) it quite literally fits inside your pocket. It is of course smaller than other towels if this list and it will take some time to fully dry your body using this. However, it absorbs 2.3 times its own weight so with a little patience you can work your way around your whole body.

Both the towel itself and its bag have buckle attachments so you can fasten to your bag or jacket and really maximise storage space. Made from an ultralight (25g) Nano Fibre material it is also fully machine washable and will hardly even fade.

Our team felt this was the best compact microfiber towel on the market because, well, it’s super compact, like, insanely compact! This towel could fit inside your pants pocket it’s that tiny! Our team were realists and felt being so small that it had a certain purpose and it wasn’t the easiest to dry their whole body with … but at a push it wasn’t impossible and for the ultralight packer they felt that bit of extra effort was worth the space saved.

Best Travel Towel for Yogis –  Youphoria Sport

• Holds moisture well
• Softer + more comfortable than others
• Bit heavier than others

This is a yoga-specific towel, but I think it makes great use as a backpacking towel as well because it’s highly absorbent and can hold up to 5X its weight in water. I also find yoga towels to have an extra soft feel and are less likely to attract lint.

They also tend to pack down even smaller than other backpacking towels. The downside is that its largest size weighs more than the other choices on this list. However, for all the yogis out there who plan to travel with a yoga mat anyway, this is a great choice.

Our team picked this as their best microfibre towel for yogis because of how comfortable it was not just to dry themselves with but to us on top of their yoga mats. The team also felt the towel was light, and compact but ultimately super durable, especially when used for both general drying purposes but for yoga and after the gym too.

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• Made from recycled materials
• Very expensive for a towel

For the environmentally-conscious traveler, the Nomadix travel towel is about as ideal as it gets. This towel is made of 100% recycled materials – fibers from plastic bottles are processed into effective and comfortable nylon and polyester threads. These towels do not involve any sort of polymer-based microfiber yet they are still very good at what they do.

Nomadix towels are quick-drying, tough, and very packable. Coming in at a very reasonable 1 lb, these make for great towels to take traveling. Thanks to it’s anti-microbial and non-slip qualities, the Nomadix is very popular at yoga retreats and camping but you could conceivably use this towel anywhere: at the beach, gym, kitchen, and more.

The Nomadix is a bit more expensive than other towels and quite larger as well. That being said, the larger price tag is more than justifiable – this towel will last longer than most and you will definitely get more use out of it.

Our team were pretty interested in how this towel compared to microfibre as several members expressed that they would prefer something more environmentally friendly. Firstly they just loved the different colours and designs that the towels come in, something many of the other towels are lacking, which makes it look better when taken to the beach. In terms of usage, they felt it was just as absorbent as the microfibre towels and literally dried them in one swipe!

Honorable Mention –  ECCOSOPHY Microfiber Towel

• Very cool designs
• Double-sided
• Much larger than other beach towels

I’d give this beach towel props just for being so damn good lookin’! Look at those patterns! So bold and colorful! Who says a microfiber travel towel has to be flat-colored and boring, anways?

But it’s not just beautiful; the ECCOSOHPY beach towel is also useful, of course. Since it’s made of microfiber, you’ll get the absorptive qualities as well as the quick drying. It packs well enough although, given it’s size, it’s going to be much larger in your bag than most other towels.

I would also like to add that this towel would be fine for both sexes. ECCOOPHY markets it has a lady’s towel on their Amazon page but, honestly, I’d rock this anytime and anywhere in the world.

When it came to design our team just fell in love with the awesome patterns these towels came in, they felt they really created that backpacker vibe instead of looking a bit geeky like some of the other towels. our team just loved how lightweight and thin these towels were meaning they rolled down super small and took up almost no room or weight in their bags. They felt it absorbed water instantly and on top of that was ideal for people with longer hair.

Best Microfiber Beach Towel –  OCOOPA Microfiber Beach Towel

• Better than a typical cotton beach towel
• Very packable
• Perfect size

I like this towel because it’s big (80×57 inches), but because of the lightweight microfiber material, it packs down much better than a normal beach towel. Not only that but it does come in some smaller sizes too if you don’t need something that massive!

This is a great towel for lounging beachside. While not as lightweight as the Active Roots or Sea to Summit, the OCOOPA has large dimensions and is still a great choice for a quick-drying towel for travel, and an easy pick for the best travel beach towel.

Our team loved the slightly thicker profile of this towel which is what made it stand out as their best beach towel. Rather than just being used for drying themselves down after a swim, which it did an awesome job of, it was comfortable to lie down and lay on all day too. The durable material was also great given the extra abrasions using the towel on the beach results in.

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So give the adventurer in your life the gift of convenience: buy them an REI Co-op gift card!  REI is The Broke Backpacker’s retailer of choice for ALL things outdoors, and an REI gift card is the perfect present you can buy from them. And then you won’t have to keep the receipt. 😉

It may seem like an insignificant item to pack, but a good towel will be one of the most useful items in your backpacker arsenal.

In our normal lives, we use towels on a daily basis, really; to wash the dishes, ourselves, the car, when cleaning the house. Yet, we take them from granted because they’re always there and in a multitude! Thanks to industrialization, we have a cloth or rag somewhere nearby, buried in an old drawer or conveniently hanging on a hook or rack.

Unfortunately, backpackers usually don’t have this option. Because they are constantly going from place to place and because they are living out of a backpack (finite space), they don’t have the convenience of carrying a lot of towels on them. Hell, most backpackers are grateful just to get a free towel at their hostel!

Having your own towel for traveling the world can be immensely useful. Going to the beach? The towel will keep the sand off your ass and out of your portable speaker. Want to have a spontaneous yoga session? Throwdown your towel and chaturanga away. Need to dry out those hiking boots after a long walk? Use that towel to soak up any leftover moisture in those boots (maybe do that after washing yourself though)

Trust me: you will get a lot of use out of your towel while traveling, more than you might know right now. That means you need to have a good towel – the tougher it is and the better it is at absorbing, the more useful it will be. Luckily, it’s not so difficult to pick out a good one; you just need to refer below for some tips.

What to Look for in a Microfiber Travel Towel

• Lightweight – As with anything in your travel backpack, it’s important to invest in a lightweight travel towel. Less weight = awesome.
• Compact – A microfiber travel towel should take up as little room as possible. They should fold up smaller than a tank-top.
• Well constructed – There is such a thing as a good microfiber and bad microfiber.
• Quick Drying – The best towels for backpacking and traveling must have quick dry material.
• Absorbency – Even if a microfiber travel towel is lightweight and dries quickly, it’s useless if it doesn’t actually absorb liquids.
• Special features –  A loop makes it easy to attach the quick drying towel to your backpack as you hike, or hang it on a clothes hanger at your hostel.
• Additional accessories – A storage pouch for your microfiber towel helps you keep your backpack organized.

Towel Sizes

Quick drying towels range between XS-XL, and the dimensions vary as well! Different brands will have different dimensions of their sizes, so be sure to check the dimensions!

• Small or Medium:  Often used as a washcloth, hand towel, or to bring along for workouts. These make a great addition to your toiletry bag.
• Large:  Hair towel or small bath towel.
• XL:  Best recommendation for a full bath towel.

It’s worth investing in both an XL towel,  and  a small washcloth sized towel for your toiletry bag (washing your face, taking off makeup, etc.).

Sea to Summit DryLite Towel

• Price > $15.95
• Weight > 1.3 – 4 oz.
• Size > XS to XL

OCOOPA Microfiber Beach Towel

• Prize > $25.99
• Weight > ?310 g

• Price > $9.99
• Weight > 2.4 – 12 oz
• Size > 20-40″; 28-56″; 32-72″

Other Travel “Towel” Options

Along with a microfiber towel, it’s totally worth packing a fashion-friendly sarong or large scarf to double as a large beach towel.

My boyfriend uses his scarf for a beach towel, to protect his neck from the sun, warm up in the cold, shield from dust, etc. I always travel to beach destinations with a sarong to double as a towel and beach cover-up.

Middle Eastern style scarves, traditionally referred to as keffiyehs or shemaghs,  are also super adaptable pieces of kit that can be used as a towel. Granted, their primary purpose is more for keeping sand out of one’s eyes and the cold out at night, but many people also use them as beach towels as well.

There is no perfect or exact science when it comes to testing out travel and outdoor gear. However, we feel our years of experience across our team mean we’ve got a good eye for decent gear.

When it came to picking out the best towel for backpacking there were a few different considerations we had. Including how lightweight it was, how easily and well it could compact down, how well it dried us and also, well, the smell test! If you get my drift! We were also concerned with how well it was made and how long-lasting it would be.

Finally, we also take into account how much each microfibre travel towel costs – for example, expensive items that perform averagely will lose points, but budget items may be given more leeway.

Still have some questions about the best travel microfiber towel? No problem! We’ve listed and answered the most commonly asked questions below. Here’s what people usually want to know:

Are microfiber towels good for hiking?

Hell yeah! Microfiber is perfect for hiking and backpacking. It dries fast so you can use it again faste AND you can pack it without worrying that’it will make everything else damp. Having something that is quick drying means it’s much less likely to get smelly or moldy.

What are the best microfiber towels?

We have treid a lot of microfibre towers over the years and can confidently recomened the Matador Nana Dry . Its tiny, ultralight and quick drying.

Are travel towels worth it?

Oh yes. They are a godsend for travelers and hikers as they are quick drying, compact and light. I never travel without one.

Is microfiber environmentally friendly?

Microfiber is not biodegradable like cotton or paper towels but can still be disposed of in an environmentallt concious way.

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Microfiber towels are a more logical alternative to your good old fashion bath-towel for a billion reasons, but all you need to know are these five: they’re compact , lightweight , durable , absorbent , quick-drying towels for travel.

Let us know what you think about our epic review of the best quick dry towels for travel in the comments below! Do you have a favourite microfiber travel towel?

Ana Pereira

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I’m looking for a medium bath towel, wash cloth combo.

I just ordered 2 combo packs for our RV. Bath towels for me and the mister, a small one for the dog and one for the kitchen. A great deal at $18!

Awesome! Enjoy Adriana 🙂

This is awesome! Thanks for the heads up on the Active Roots. I have never heard of this brand and it looks perfect. My friend Brian & I are going to backpack the John Muir part of the PCT during the summer of 2018 for 10 days and I was looking for a new backpacker towel that works but is light and doesnt break the bank!

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Best travel towels 2023: light to carry & quick to dry

If you're traveling, pack the best travel towel that's specifically designed for hoarding in backpacks

T3's top three

• 1. Best overall travel towel
• 2. Best lightweight travel towel
• 3. Best absorbent travel towel
• 4. Best all rounder travel towel
• 5. Best large travel towel
• 6. Best fast drying travel towel
• 7. Best attractive travel towel
• 8. Best compact travel towel

Best carry-on luggage 2024: Jump Menu

00. T3's top 3 ↴ 01. Best overall : Lifeventure Hydro Fibre UltraLite Travel Towel 02. Best lightweight : Matador NanoDry Packable Shower Towel 03. Best absorbent : Trespass Wickerman Bamboo Sports Towel 04. Best all rounder : Sea to Summit Tek Towel 05. Best large : Mountain Warehouse Micro Towelling Travel Towel 06. Best fast drying : Bodhi Microfibre Towel 07. Best attractive : Syourself Microfiber Sports & Travel Towel 08. Best compact : Nike Cooling Towel

Looking for the best travel towel? Well, you've come to the right place! It’s adventure time, and whether you’re going to be battling your way through the Australian Outback, rambling through rural China or ascending the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil, there’s one item that you can’t forget to add to your kit, and that’s the best travel towel.

It’s quite an unassuming item, but a necessary piece of equipment that you’ll be thankful for on the rare occasion where you can grab a shower or rinse yourself off in a waterfall (perfectly possible). Whether you’re looking for large, small, soft or one that you can take to the beach, you’ll find your next backpack necessity right here in our list for the best travel towel.

If you're looking into getting the best kit for your next trip, make sure to check out the best suitcases or if you're looking to travel lighter, we suggest the best backpacks and best travel bags . If you're travelling with a baby or toddler then we recommend travelling with the best travel stroller .

Lizzie is T3's Home Staff Writer, also covering style, living and wellness. She works closely with Bethan Girdler-Maslen, T3's Home Editor, ensuring all the latest Home news, trends and recommendations are covered. Outside of T3, Lizzie can be found mooching around Bath, attempting (or at least trying to) a new DIY project or spending time with family and friends.

The best overall travel towel

Hydrofibre is the latest advance in travel towel technology. As we mentioned in the intro, it’s similar in texture to a softfibre towel, but it’s much lighter, so you won’t be lugging around more weight than you need to. For its pure functionality, it’s claimed our first spot as best travel towel. 

Read more below

The best lightweight travel towel

This travel towel is the perfect accessory for people who like to travel light. It weighs a mere 160g and can absorb over twice its weight in water. Better still, the nanofibre material dries super quickly - no one likes carrying wet towels in their bags, after all.  

The best absorbent travel towel

If you get weirded out by the idea of drying yourself off with something that doesn’t remotely resemble the texture you’re familiar with, try this one. It’s made from a mix of bamboo and polyester, so it’s highly absorbent, and despite being much heavier than hydrofibre, it is still technically lightweight.  

Best travel towels 2023 ranking

Why you can trust T3 Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

1. Lifeventure Hydro Fibre UltraLite Travel Towel

Specifications, reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

Hydrofibre is the latest advance in travel towel technology. As we mentioned in the intro, it’s similar in texture to a softfibre towel, but it’s much lighter, so you won’t be lugging around more weight than you need to. 

It’s worth mentioning that this travel towel is treated with Polygiene, which prevents a build-up of odour producing bacteria – after all, a smelly towel won’t hang about when it comes to infusing it’s scent into the rest of your backpack contents. It comes with its own carry case, but reviewers say it’s small enough to squeeze into that last remaining space in your backpack if needs be. For its pure functionality, it’s claimed our first spot as best travel towel. 

• Back to the top ⤴

2. Matador NanoDry Packable Shower Towel

High-performance outdoor equipment manufacturer Matador's NanoDry Packable Towel is the perfect accessory for people who like to travel light. It weighs a mere 160g and can absorb over twice its weight in water. Better still, the nanofibre material dries super quickly, which is a boon when you need to make a move in a speedy fashion after you finish skinny-dipping in the lake. No one likes carrying wet towels in their bags, after all. 

3. Trespass Wickerman Bamboo Sports Towel

If you get weirded out by the idea of drying yourself off with something that doesn’t remotely resemble the texture you’re familiar with, try this one. It’s made from a mix of bamboo and polyester, so it’s highly absorbent, and despite being much heavier than hydrofibre, it is still technically lightweight. 

Microfibre towels can get smelly, but because this one’s made from bamboo, it’ll resist turning on you that much longer – it’ll still need washing occasionally to completely prevent it from becoming stinky.  If you’re looking for a towel that you can take to that desert island inspired beach, this one is large enough to lie on, too. 

The best all rounder travel towel

4. Sea to Summit Tek Towel

Thanks to its microfibre composition, this travel towel should feel faintly towel-like. Microfibre creates a large surface area, which means it’s capable of high absorbency and it’s also much quicker at drying than regular towels, too. 

The large towel is similar in sizing to our bamboo selection above, and it’s lighter in weight if you’re conscious that your backpack is starting to feel heavy. The only downside is it doesn’t have antibacterial properties. 

If you know you’ll be passing through some hostels with washing facilities, that’s fine. But you may want to think about the smell-factor if you’re planning on going completely off-grid for a substantial amount of time.

The best large travel towel

5. Mountain Warehouse Micro Towelling Travel Towel

If you’re conscious about covering yourself up in the all-sex showering unit (we don’t blame you), then this towel is pretty substantial in size. Despite being large, it can be compacted into a corner of your rucksack and the weight, too, is fairly light for a towel so hefty. 

Made from microfibre, it’s towel-like in feel, highly absorbent and fast drying, but it doesn’t possess antibacterial properties like our first and second pick, which means it could become smelly after a while. With a variety of colours available, you can make sure yours is easy to spot when it’s on the line. 

Check our Mountain Warehouse discount codes to save on your purchase.

The best fast drying travel towel

6. Bodhi Microfibre Towel

If you can get passed the fact that this towel has a suede-like feel to it, you’ll love that it’s very absorbent and can apparently dry even in the dingiest of hostels. The extra large size is the largest on our list, and with dimensions of 180cmx90cm, should allow you to completely cover up in the shared shower unit. 

It’s also good to know that it has antibacterial properties, so you can get away with not washing it for much longer than a regular softfibre or microfibre towel. It comes in a range of sizes, and can be squashed into your backpack last minute as you leave the hostel for your next destination.

The best attractive travel towel

7. Syourself Microfiber Sports & Travel Towel

Your list of items to purchase for your next trip is probably endless, so it’s good to know that there’s a cheap option when it comes to travel towels. With it’s fleece-like feel, it may be weird using it to begin with, but you’ll soon appreciate its fast drying and fast absorbing properties, thanks to its softfibre composition. 

There’s a range of sizes available, with the substantial extra large size able to compact itself into the smallest corner of your rucksack. If you’re looking to purchase a towel for washing and a towel for beach, this is the perfect towel for sunbathing on icing-sugar sand. 

The best compact travel towel

8. Nike Cooling Towel

If you’re planning on island hopping and hitting the beach, or trekking through the jungle, you’ll want a towel that’s super absorbent, with a cooling effect. Like its name suggests, Nike ’s Cooling Towel does just this. Engineered to lower your temperature and keep you fresh during a workout, it’s brilliant for hotter holidays as the fabric cools when wet to help regulate body temperature, while its woven texture helps sustain the cooling effect for a chemical-free activation. At 91.3 x 45cm it’s a little bit of a sunny shape, but it is machine washable and you’ll be glad you have it if you’re dripping with sweat on your travels.

What is a travel towel?

First-timers may be asking why you can’t just stuff a towel from the airing cupboard into your backpack , carry-on luggage or suitcase . One of today's best bath towels is not a good choice for travel. Regular towels aren’t designed to be used and then crammed immediately into a rucksack. They don’t dry quickly enough for starters, which means they’ll go smelly and mouldy after a while. They’re also big and chunky, so they’ll take up far too much room and weigh you down more than necessary.

Travel towels, on the other hand, are lightweight, fast-drying, and smaller in size. They’re also highly absorbent, with the capacity to soak up water far quicker than a regular towel. Many have antibacterial properties too, so your towel-drying experience will be damp-free, smell-free and as pleasant as showering in the middle of nowhere can be.

The texture of travel towels also takes a variety of forms. Hydrofibre is likely to be fleecy to the touch, but deceives you with its amazing ability to soak up water quickly then dry really fast afterwards. Softfibre is very similar to hydrofibre in the way it feels, but it’s slightly heavier and can absorb more water. Microfibre is popular because it provides the closest texture to a towel out of all three options. It’s the thickest and heaviest and doesn’t have quite the same drying capacity as softfibre, but is still certainly one to consider.

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Lizzie is T3's Home Staff Writer, also covering style, living and wellness. She works closely with Bethan Girdler-Maslen, T3's Home Editor, ensuring all the latest news, trends and recommendations are covered. Outside of T3, Lizzie can be found mooching around Bath, attempting (or at least trying to) a new DIY project or spending time with family and friends.

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The Best Packable Travel Towels

By Ebony Roberts

We love a plush, thirsty bath towel , but a campsite or suitcase just isn’t the place for one—there, we want a quick-drying, packable travel towel.

After putting 20 such towels through 60 hours of testing—including an intense day of sand and surf at the beach—we’ve concluded the PackTowl Personal offers the best balance of drying time, packability, and odor resistance without compromising comfort and design.

A good option for nearly every towel-related scenario, it’s lightweight, extra-large, and supersoft, making it usable for both car camping and travel into the backcountry.

Everything we recommend

PackTowl Personal

The best packable camp towel.

Whether used for camping, hiking, traveling, or general outdoor adventuring, this towel is durable enough to handle extended abuse while remaining soft and comfortable.

Buying Options

Budget pick.

Rainleaf Microfiber Towel

An inexpensive towel that gets the job done.

Good-enough absorbency and drying time for those on a budget.

(limited colors)

PackTowl Luxe

A plush, comfortable towel.

Good for car camping, day trips, and hanging at the beach, this towel is made of an incredibly soft fabric that also repels dirt.

Scoring well in nearly every performance category, the PackTowl Personal towel consistently surprised us with its ability to handle the elements. It has an antibacterial treatment to help prevent odor, the “body” size (25 by 54 inches) is large enough to wrap around most folks, and it feels soft against the skin. It’s made of a tear-resistant fabric and was the best towel we tested at absorbing water and repelling dirt. Better still, sand from the beach remained on the towel’s surface so it was easy to shake off, leaving the towel clean after multiple uses. Its drying time was faster than most of the towels we tested and it packs down to a small size in a zippered breathable pouch, making it convenient for travel or camping.

The Rainleaf Microfiber Towel was nearly identical in design to many of the pricier models and scored just as well in our field tests. The only downsides are that its size large is smaller than most other large towels we tested, and it has lighter-feeling fabric. It didn’t handle our day at the beach quite as well and took a little longer to dry, but otherwise it’s comparable in comfort and packability. And, because it’s treated with an antibacterial coating—something not standard on budget (or even some pricey) towels—it passed our smell test with a perfect score. At just a fraction of the price of our top choice, it’s a good pick if you’re the kind of person who goes camping a few times a year and needs something affordable that works well.

If packing your towel down into a tiny space isn’t a concern for you, the PackTowl Luxe is about as comfortable as a towel can get. Although it does take up a bit more room and takes significantly longer to dry, its “body” size has the same dimensions as our top pick but has a plusher feel against the skin. Unlike similar big and luxurious camp towels, it didn’t smell after being put away wet. It absorbed water off the skin without trapping in the dirt and sand, which left it surprisingly clean for a towel with such a high pile. As it was easy to shake off, we enjoyed having it as a wrap and beach blanket, too.

The research

Why you should trust us, who this is for, how we picked, how we tested, our pick: packtowl personal, how the packtowl has held up, flaws but not dealbreakers, an inexpensive towel that works fine: rainleaf microfiber towel, a plush, comfortable towel: packtowl luxe, microfibers and the environment, the competition, care and maintenance.

We spoke with three experts to get their takes on what we should look for in a good towel. Mark Knight, a product designer currently with Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) , has designed a number of outdoor products, including packable towels, and gave us a breakdown on what he considers to be important when creating products like these.

We spoke via email with Georgia Newsome, owner and operator of Coastal Bliss Adventures , who has worked as a backpacking, camping, and canoeing guide for the past 15 years.

And we spoke with Craig Oliver, product manager for health and safety at MEC. He was able to tell us what’s important from a consumer perspective. In addition to these interviews, we read a number of online reviews, pored over camping and backpacking forums, researched microfiber fabrics, and then selected and tested the towels we think cover most activities to determine which one was best overall.

Why doesn’t a regular, everyday cotton towel cut it for most outdoor activities? Knight offered us five reasons your cotton towel isn’t ideal: it’s too big, too heavy, might get damaged or stained, doesn’t get washed at the same frequency it would at home, therefore causing it to smell, and lastly, it’s not always used in the same manner as it would be at home. He added, “As a travel towel, there is also the added functional requirement of being quick-dry. When traveling, you can move around a lot, and a packed wet towel generally means a stinky towel.”

Packable towels are usually made from microfiber , although a few of the ones we tested are made from other materials (which didn’t end up performing as well). These materials are typically a blend of polyester and polyamide, aka nylon, and depending on the blend will produce a towel that feels more suede-like and slick to one that feels more plush like your average cotton towel. There are also packable towels made of nanofabric, which is composed of tiny nanoscopic fibers woven together—think the width of a human hair (or even smaller)—to create a fabric that is incredibly lightweight and small. Though they do the trick, nanofiber towels tend to have a slicker surface, which means they don’t feel much like the towel you’re used to.

According to Oliver, the most popular camp towel size is roughly equivalent to a standard household bath towel—about 26 by 52 inches after washing. Some towels were slightly smaller or larger, but we tried to stay within what would seem like regulation size for most people.

All the experts we talked to shared the opinion that the type of towel you’ll want to purchase depends on the activity you’re using it for. For backpacking or kayaking trips, Newsome told us that “lightweight, small packability and quick drying are the most important factors.” For car camping or other adventures, where weight isn’t an issue, she opts for a larger microfiber towel, and one with an antimicrobial coating, “which means for those longer road trips and tours this towel stays fresh smelling.” Knight’s opinion aligned with Newsome’s: “Some of the lightest towels don’t feel that great against your skin, but the weight means you will actually bring it in your backpack when on a long hike. If you are traveling around the world, weight might not be your primary concern, but comfort will factor highly, as you will be using the towel each day—unless you are a soap dodger ! So, a softer, slightly heavier towel may be the way to go.”

Just as important as how much water a towel can absorb—in other words, how well it dries you—is how well the towel dries after you’re dry. “Nobody wants to put a wet towel into their backpack,” Oliver said.

After surveying online reviews, forums, and user ratings, and asking people what type of towel they preferred for their own outdoor activities, we narrowed our field to 19 packable towels, then threw in a standard cotton towel as a plush baseline. We then tested the towels using seven criteria: price, comfort, design, wicking, drying time, odor resistance, and packability.

We washed and dried all of the towels, giving them all an equal starting point, then we scored them in each category. We didn’t score weight or size, but we did make note of whether these features made a difference when comparing similar options.

Comfort: This was a tough one because of the people we asked, some preferred a more textured fabric and others liked the smooth feel of the microsuede towels. We asked individuals to feel each towel against their skin, asked for their comments, and then asked what their overall top picks were.

Design: Here, we looked at how well the towel is made, and whether there were any particular features—good or bad—that made drying off more or less of a pleasure. Key among them was fabric quality, stitching, and what kind of hanging loop—essential!—the towel came with. We also looked at texture, an important attribute for both water absorption and grabbing dirt and grime, rather than just pushing it around. A too-slick towel won’t do much of anything except leave your skin feeling yucky and wet.

Wicking: One of the most important tests we conducted was how well the towel could wick away water and leave the skin feeling dry. When we took our test towels to the beach, we wanted to see how they performed against sandy salt water and whether they were able to clean the skin in addition to drying it.

Drying time: To determine which towel dried the fastest, we applied the same amount of water to each towel and then timed how long it took for them to dry. But how much water to use, and how dry is dry, exactly? We used 4 ounces of water, a quantity we settled on after having multiple testers shower and weigh their towels before and after use. Once the person was dry enough to feel comfortable putting their clothes on, we called that “dry.” We did this a couple of times with each person and used a couple types of cotton towels to get a base number. The average amount of water people removed from their bodies after showering was a ½ cup, or about 225 milliliters. We hung our entire assortment of high-tech, portable towels on the same line and recorded the time it took to leave each one dry to the touch.

Odor resistance: Another important criterion is how the towel smells after multiple uses. “An antimicrobial finish helps with odor management and decreases the frequency you need to wash the towel,” Knight told us. A towel may be used a dozen times before it gets properly washed, and if a towel smells musty or dirty after a couple of uses, it probably is. Many of the towels advertise a protective antibacterial coating and we wanted to see if these coatings actually made a difference.

Our test involved taking the towels to the beach, soaking them in 16 ounces of ocean water, wringing out the excess water as best as we could, and then placing each towel in a sealed plastic bag for 48 hours. After that, we opened the bags and took a whiff. Though most remained odor-free (especially those coated with an antimicrobial treatment), we were taken aback by how seriously a few of them reeked.

Packability: As important as drying you—and drying out—are, the other key thing a camp towel has to do is pack small for travel. Some towels came with cases, some didn’t. Our focus was simply how tiny a towel could get.

Price: More expensive doesn’t really seem like a good thing when it comes to something like a packable travel towel, given that there’s such a variance in price and that most towels pretty much claim to do the same thing.

The PackTowl Personal is our top choice because it handled every test we put it through. It’s the perfect option for nearly any outdoor activity that requires a towel. It’s large and durable while still being comfortable and comes with an antimicrobial treatment, which means it won’t smell after multiple uses. Its snap loop for hanging was one of the easiest to use, and the towel packs down to a small size, making it easy to travel with. Its drying time was comparable with that of the fastest-drying towels we tested, and it didn’t absorb dirt or sand into its fabric, an essential feature if you’re taking a towel into the backcountry.

Made of a soft microsuede, this towel was consistently chosen as a top pick by those we asked to rate its comfort. It is soft and light, but still has a bit of texture, so it doesn’t feel slick against your skin the way a nanofiber towel like the Matador NanoDry Shower Towel does. The PackTowl seems built to last, with a nicely seamed edge that should hold up over time. On top of feeling soft, it dried our skin much more readily than the non-microfiber towels we tested, like the Coleman or Outlier. It even dried a bit more quickly than other microfiber products in our test group. We were impressed by how well it repelled sand and dirt from being absorbed into its fabric. The sand that did stick to the towel was easy to shake off—which wasn’t the case of some of the other models we tested that looked like dirty rags after just a short time at the beach.

In our drying-time test, the PackTowl dried much faster than most, with the exception of the linen towel and the Biospired Footprint, which beat the PackTowl’s dry time by 30 minutes. (The towels we tested dried in a range from 1 hour, 45 minutes to nearly 4 hours.) We noticed that the towels with an additional antimicrobial coating took a little longer to dry. We think the extra odor protection is worth the few extra minutes of drying time. As the PackTowl dried, some water initially beaded on the surface, but was then absorbed, compared with towels that still had visible water beads after almost an hour of drying. (Beads of water were a good indication of extended drying times.) Water also dispersed evenly through the towel rather than leaving wet spots, which likely contributed to its fast drying time. We dried the towels in overcast conditions, and noticed that at just over 1 hour, 30 minutes the PackTowl was only minimally damp, and could be packed back into its carrying case if you were in a rush to pack up and go.

We tested the PackTowl’s “body” size, which weighed 6.7 ounces, fairly average compared with the other suede-type towels, and measured 25 by 54 inches, just shy of being the same size as our standard bath towel, and larger than many of the towels in our testing pool.

Wirecutter staffers have owned this towel for multiple seasons and it continues to hold up, with no loose threads or unraveled seams after use.

We didn’t love the PackTowl’s pouch: it doesn’t attach easily to a backpack, and the zipper seemed flimsy. But the pouch is made of breathable fabric, so it won’t trap moisture the way a plastic bag or pouch might. Although the PackTowl is antimicrobial, it did have the slightest ocean water odor to it after our 48-hour smell test, which is not something we noticed in previous tests.

Costing about half the price of our top pick, the Rainleaf Microfiber Towel is a great choice for those that don’t want to shell out almost $30 for a towel. A major bonus is that unlike most of the inexpensive towels we considered, this one actually comes with an antimicrobial treatment and passed the smell test after being sealed up wet for two days. It’s also comfortable, easy to dry off with, and just as packable as the PackTowl.

It didn’t dry quite as fast as our top pick and that may be due to the fact that some of the water beaded off and remained on the surface before being absorbed directly into the towel. The size we tested (L) is also slightly smaller than some of the pricier options but still big enough to wrap around the average person’s body.

Because it is so inexpensive, there’s the option of upgrading to the XL or XXL sizes for just a few bucks more and still have it come in well below price of most other towels. On top of that, it has a functional carrying pouch that is both breathable and easy to fasten onto a backpack so you can pack the towel damp and hang it to dry when it’s time to hit the road.

That said, though it did well drying our testers at the beach, it didn’t handle sand as well as our top pick, leaving a good amount behind on both their skin and the towel itself. If you’re a serious outdoor adventurer who’s going to be putting it to work against the elements, we recommend a towel that can handle gritty, sticky stuff a bit better.

If size and volume aren’t issues and you’re looking for something more soft and comfortable, the PackTowl Luxe performed the best of the plush cotton-like microfiber towels. Not only did it dry the quickest of these towels, it was good at removing sand from the skin and didn’t absorb dirt and mud into the fabric. It also didn’t have any odor after the smell test. A few of the other thicker towels we tested simply reeked—testers used the term “rotten fish”—after a couple days crunched into a ball, but not the Luxe.

If comfort is a primary concern, this towel feels much closer to cotton, avoiding the slick skin-feel common to many microsuedes and nanofibers. As we did with our pick, the PackTowl Personal, we tested the extra-large “Body” size. Also like our pick, at this size the Luxe is a few inches larger than the others we tested of the same type, measuring 25 by 54 inches, offering that extra little bit of coverage.

It does come with a carrying pouch, and though not as stylish or durable as the Sea to Summit Pocket Towel ’s silicone carrying case, it’s adequate for what it needs to do. We consider this towel a solid option for car camping and day trips, when taking up a little extra space won’t matter.

Although durable and light, there’s an environmental downside to microsynthetic fibers: Every time you wash that gear, small quantities of its fibers are shed, ending up in our waterways and oceans. (Here’s a study from the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management on the issue.) For more about the problem and some advice on combating it, see our article Your Laundry Sheds Harmful Microfibers. Here’s What You Can Do About It.

We tested a standard white bath towel—the Fieldcrest Luxury Solid Towel, which has since been discontinued—that was the same size as the majority of the towels we tested. It performed as expected: It was great at drying skin and was comfortable, but it didn’t pack down and had a bit of a funky smell after our odor test. Surprisingly, it didn’t take that much longer to dry than some of the plusher microfiber models we tested and actually outperformed a few of the towels that are marketed specifically for camping.

Biospired Footprint Towel: This had been our runner-up pick, but the size we tested has cycled in and out of stock. If you do happen to run across one, it’s still a good towel, though. We had also tested, and dismissed, the Biospired Endurance Camping & Fitness Towel and the Biospired Trek Pack Towel; for what it’s worth, those towels also tend to have stock problems.

Matador NanoDry Shower Towel : For backcountry campers and hikers that are concerned about weight, this is by far the lightest towel we tested (2.4 ounces). It performed well, but it is very thin and not as comfortable as the others. We decided it was too specialized to be best for most people.

Outlier Grid Linen Towel : Made of a natural linen fabric, this towel was the fastest-drying towel, and it performed well at the beach. But it doesn’t pack down very small, doesn’t come with a carrying case but rather a thick elastic band, and had a faint smell after our odor test. Those drawbacks made it hard to justify its high price.

Sunland Microfiber Towel  (currently unavailable): One of the least expensive microfiber towels, but no antimicrobial treatment and very average performance.

Sea to Summit DryLite Towel : One of the slowest to dry. Another note of caution, many online reviews have reported a problem with the cobalt blue dye running. We didn’t run into this problem, but we tested an orange towel, so it’s likely the issue is with only the darker-colored towels. Another drawback is that the carrying case comes with a Velcro closure, making it possible to snag the fabric when maneuvering the towel into and out of the case.

Shandali Yoga Travel Towel  (currently unavailable): Average performance, no carrying case, and though it does have a little loop for hanging to dry, most of the towels we tested had a loop with a snap, making them more versatile.

YogaRat SportLite Sport + Bath Towel  (currently unavailable): Though this towel did dry quite quickly and was resistant to odor during our 48-hour test, the lack of an antibacterial treatment gave us odor concerns for people taking it on longer trips. And with no carrying case and a snapless loop, this towel was a few steps below our top choices in convenience.

Sea to Summit Tek Towel : Sand stuck to the towel, leaving it quite dirty. Drying time was slow.

REI Co-op Multi Towel  (currently unavailable, but we're looking into a possible new version): Everything stuck to this towel: dryer lint, grass, sand, and dirt, and even though we tested a darker color, it looked dirty after our day at the beach. It also didn’t smell great after our odor test, and it took over four hours to dry.

Lightload Towel : Not really built to be used multiple times, this towel is made of an almost paperlike viscose material, and although very small, once unpackaged it can’t be squished down to its original size (although it does fit in a smaller Ziploc bag). It is incredibly large though, dried quickly, and would probably perform as an ad-hoc firestarter or outdoor survival tool (non-cleanliness-oriented usage scenarios suggested by the manufacturer). Whether being able to set the world on fire is a worthwhile trade-off with this towel’s lack of odor resistance—it was the worst performer in our stink trial—is something we hope we’ll never have to decide.

Coghlan’s Deluxe Camp Towel (currently unavailable): This is the classic outdoor towel that’s been around campsites for years. Some backcountry campers still prefer these towels because they’re small, lightweight, and cheap, but they didn’t perform as well as the microfiber towels that we tested. They dry very slowly, stink up easily, and don’t feel good against the skin.

Coleman Camp Towel  (currently unavailable): Similar in nearly every aspect to the Coghlan’s towel, just with slightly different dimensions—neither is big enough to really function as a full-body wrap—this model also had the drawbacks of rough fabric, odor retention, and delayed drying. (It appears to have been discontinued.)

Most packable towels are designed to repel dirt and bacteria, so they don’t need to be cleaned after every use. Excessive washing can also break down the fabric and any additional antimicrobial technology the towel might be treated with. So, wash only when dirty and don’t dry your towel on high heat unless absolutely necessary; way better to hang it when you can and let the air take care of it.

This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.

Nicholas J. Bruce, Niko L. Hartline, Stephanie N. Karba, Elizabeth O. Ruff, Shreya U. Sonar, and Patricia A. Holden, Microfiber Pollution and the Apparel Industry , Bren School of Environmental Science and Management , September 30, 2016

Mark Knight, product designer for Mountain Equipment Co-opand member of the Outdoor Industry Association , email interview , April 21, 2017

Georgia Newsome, owner and operator of Coastal Bliss Adventure and Kilimanjaro Bliss , email interview , March 31, 2017

Craig Oliver, product manager for health and safety at Mountain Equipment Co-op , phone interview , March 29, 2017

What Are The Coolest New Small Gear Companies? , Outside , January 15, 2016

Anne Trafton, Tiny particles may pose big risk , MIT News , April 8, 2014

Meet your guide

Ebony Roberts

Further reading

The Best Gear for Travel

by Wirecutter Staff

We put in another year and tens of thousands more miles of travel to test the best travel gear—and we stand by last year’s choices alongside a few new picks.

Essential Gear for Traveling Solo

by Ria Misra

Traveling solo is freeing but poses some unique challenges. Wirecutter’s picks help you travel comfortably and securely—and bring home great pictures too.

The Best Beach and Surf Gear: Towels, Totes, Coolers, and More

by Kit Dillon

After seven years of relaxing in the sand and playing in the surf, we’ve chosen the best picks to help you enjoy a perfect beach day.

The Best Duffle Bags

After lugging 34 duffles through airports, to beaches, and on weekend trips, we chose seven bags that’ll carry what you need carried in a range of scenarios.

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Drylite Towel

• Size S S M M L L XL XL XXL XXL
• Color Baltic Blue Baltic Blue Baltic Blue Moonlight Blue Moonlight Blue Sage Green Sage Green Outback Sunset Outback Sunset Atlantic Wave Atlantic Wave Desert Wind Desert Wind Beach Blue Beach Blue

MATERIAL(S): 80% recycled polyester, 20% nylon microfiber

SIZE GUIDE: Hand Towel

DIMENSIONS: 16 x 32 in | 40 x 80 cm

WEIGHT: 2.5 oz | 70g

When comfort, weight and packed size matters, the Drylite Towel is  perfect. Made from a luxuriously soft microfiber fabric with a 'ultrasuede' finish, this towel is super absorbent and quick drying - plus it packs down small. 

• Made of 80% recycled polyester, 20% nylon
• Microfiber towel with super soft ultra-suede finish
• Remarkably absorbent and fast drying towel
• Very packable- it's lighter and more compact than our Tek Towel
• Hang loop with press stud
• Mesh-faced storage pouch
• Machine washable

Technical Features

Sea to Summit’s Towels are made of knitted microfiber fabric with a high recycled yarn content. 

In the AirLite Towel, the fiber is 85% recycled polyester and 15% nylon.

In the Pocket Towel, this fiber is 100% recycled polyester.

In the DryLite and Tek Towels, the fiber is a blend of 80% recycled polyester and 20% nylon.

The four types of towels have different weights and finish to ensure that you can dry off no matter where you are. The AirLite Towel is made of a featherweight material and is incredibly compact. The Pocket Towel is super-light and has the silkiest finish. The Drylite Towel is a medium weight and has an ultra-suede-like finish. The Tek Towel is the heaviest and most absorbent and has a terry loop-like finish, like the towels you use at home.

You can read more on which towel is right for you HERE.

• Best Use Camping, Gym, Hostel Travel
• Comes With Storage case
• Material(s) 80% recycled polyester, 20% nylon microfiber
• Quick Drying Extremely

Frequently Asked questions

Does it have a loop for hang drying.

Yes. All our towel sizes have a loop with a snap closure, so they can hang on a hook or over a line./p>

Are these towels anti-microbial?

No, but fortunately a towel that is this easy to wash and dry doesn’t need chemical treatments to keep it fresh. Just make sure it's fully dry before packing it in your bag.

Is it machine-washable?

Yes. You can wash this towel in a washing machine with standard laundry detergent. However, avoid fabric softeners since they will significantly reduce absorbency. Dry on a cool setting (or better still, just air-dry).

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These towels are not colorfast-dyed, so clean them separately for the first few washes. Also, avoid fabric softener, which will reduce absorbency.

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Scrubba Untouched XL Travel Towel

The Scrubba™ Untouched Travel Towel is the perfect accessory to help your newly cleaned clothes dry. Simply use the Scrubba Travel Towel to partially dry your clothes by rolling the damp clothing in the towel and gently squeeze to transfer moisture.   

With a Scrubba Travel Towel you can:

• Partially dry clothes that you have washed in your Scrubba wash bag
• Dry off after a shower or at the beach thanks to its large size. 
• Lightweight at only 170g (6oz.).
• Fast drying, made from microfiber material.

Weight:  170g (6oz.)

Dimensions:   137cm x 64cm (when laid flat) - 54" x 25" or 14cm x 7cm (when rolled for storage) - 5.5" x 2.7"

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Why pack a scrubba bag.

You will be able to wash clothes anywhere, anytime in just minutes. Pack less clothes, travel lighter and save money on laundry.

Each Scrubba wash bag saves an average 1000 litres of water and 7.5kg of carbon each year. Be a responsible traveller.

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Great design - bright & fun colours and a hit with the kids. Especially love the bag they come in too keeping them easy to store. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Kayla

We are extremely happy with our XL beach towels. We used them today for the first time on the beach and they dried very quickly, the sand fell off them with little effort, they are soft... ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Catherine

Love these towels! Brought matching ones for me and my husband. These are lightweight, dry super quick, they’re soft and look so cute! A beach essential! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Jennifer

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Macpac Travel Towel XL

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Product Description

Design features.

• Dimensions: 75 x 150 cm
• Fabric: 85% polyester, 15% polyamide

Product Specifications

60 day returns.

If you're not completely satisfied, you are welcome to exchange your purchase* with the original receipt for a full refund, store credit, or an alternative product, within 60 days. The returned product must be unused, and in the original packaging with all tags still intact. Footwear should be tested indoors and returned in original packaging. Shoe boxes must be free of tape, writing, and stickers; use a postage bag for added protection.

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We trust our gear completely. If a product fails due to a major manufacturing fault or material defect, you can ask for a replacement, refund, or we’ll repair it free of charge. For non-Macpac branded products, we’ll always work with you to determine whether a repair, replacement or refund is appropriate.

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The Clean Towels are the first disposable, ultra soft, and bio-based face towel. They were created to complete every skincare routine in the cleanest way possible,  so you don’t have to use regular washroom towels that get loaded up with bacteria and fungus through repeat use.  The Clean Towels are famed for their durability, ultra soft texture, and leaving you feeling fresh, clean, and confident in your skincare. Interchangeable and versatile; they can be used in a multitude of different ways- wet or dry.

Can't go without your Clean Towels? Opt for this easy-to-travel-with variation of the Clean Towels XL to easily take with you on vacations, overnights, or anywhere on the go. There are 10 Clean Towels per box to carry you through shorter and longer trips.

• Dermatologist tested and approved
• Always have a clean towel for drying your face
• Clinically shown to help individuals achieve visibly clearer skin and less irritation
• Helps visibly reduce redness and dryness
• Helps maintain a healthy skin barrier
• Multi-functional in your skincare routine and in your home

Disclosure: In a clinical study of 33 otherwise healthy adults from various backgrounds using our Clean Towels, the vast majority reported a reduction in minor skin issues after six weeks of continuous use. See here for results.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Real Customers, Real Results

So many of our happy customers have reported visibly clearer skin after using our Clean Towels. Results may vary.

Check out our reviews for more success stories!

What kind of towel do you use to dry your face?

A body towel, face towel, or bleached-white washcloth? Seems fine, right? See the problem is, whether you just washed your towel or it's been sitting in your bathroom for a few days- towels can harbor a lot of bacteria and build-up from dead skin, detergents, and makeup. Unfortunately even with the help of detergents and hot water, your washing machine may not eradicate these particles. This is why having a product like Clean Towels is so important. They are a powerful alternative that gives your skin the daily attention it deserves by avoiding the risks associated with re-using towels covered in bacteria. This is why the Clean Towels are Dermatologist Tested, Approved, and Recommended.

The Research That Inspired Us

In unpublished research done by microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba at the University of Arizona, he found that 90% of towels in his study were contaminated with coliform bacteria, and 14% contaminated with E. coli. Given the nature of a towel's composition and the environment they spend the most time in (your bathroom), they create an excellent breeding ground for bacteria to multiply. Only two days after starting his study, Gerba found the bacteria count exploded exponentially. Susan Whittier of Columbia University Medical Center even expressed concern that towels can contain and spread MRSA bacteria. When concluding his study, Gerba said that you'd get less bacteria on your face if you stuck your head in a toilet and flushed it- in his own words.

Besides convenience, the Clean Towels can offer:

- A hygienic way to dry your face

- The ability to reduce or rid of acne and irritation

- A hygienic and easy way to remove makeup

- A hygienic and easy to remove face masks

- A gentle way to cleanse your face with or remove a cleanser with

- A sanitary and safe way for surgery and medical procedure patients to clean and dry the affected area(s)

- An easy, clean, and safe way for mothers to clean their babies and children

- The ability to enhance an esthetician's or dermatologists practices and procedures

All variations of the Clean Towels are made of 100% eucalyptus or bamboo viscose (depending which version you choose). To make the Clean Towels, eucalyptus or bamboo is harvested from managed plantations, then broken down into chips that are then washed and cleaned. The chips are dissolved (turning them into viscose), and then sent through a spinneret which produces the soft, cellulose fibers. This fiber is then stretched and pressed, turning them into Clean Towels. The finished product is an ultra-soft and absorbent facial towel. The more you know!

How big are the Clean Towels?

The Clean Towels XL Original and Bamboo are approximately 10in x 12in. The Clean Towels 25ct are approximately 7.5in x 7.5in.

Can the Clean Towels be reused?

Yes, the Clean Towels can be reused. Their fabric remains strong when wet and is durable enough to be gently wrung out. To reuse: rinse them by hand, and hang them to dry. Once dried the fabric will remain soft and pliable. However, we do not recommend reusing them for skincare. If you are making direct contact with your skin, the Clean Towel should then be tossed and not reused. Quick tip- after you dry your face with a Clean Towel, wipe the excess water off of your counter before throwing them out!

How are they sustainable if they are disposable?

Clean Skin Club acknowledges the importance of environmentally friendly products and manufacturing procedures. Our Clean Towels, along with our other hygiene products, are made from 100% USDA bio-based fabric. We do not use any additive chemicals or fabrics in the Clean Towels.

Always pleased.

These are a must have for acne prone skin! You don’t understand how much of a difference they make vs a regular towel but I see my skin getting better within a weeks time.

Love these I wont ever use a wash cloth on my face again

The only product I use on my face for clean glowing skin.

I absolutely love this product, really a game changer for your face.

Love the clean towels they make your face feel clean and refreshed!!

They had a funny smell to them. I’ve used the regular previously; this was my first time ordering the bamboo

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