It’s hard to see a waffle knit towel and think that it’ll be a better, more comfortable, or more enjoyable part of your morning (or night) routine. Let’s just get this out first: These don’t look like your normal bath towels because they aren’t your normal bath towels. They aren’t fuzzy or fluffy or plush. But they’re still great to look at and even better to use. These towels are so lightweight and absorbent, I can’t see myself going back to a fluffy one.
This style of towel is modeled after the towels you would receive at Japanese hot springs onsen). They’re typically made from super soft cotton and are lightweight, absorbent, and quick-drying. I tend to take showers more often than a normal person does so the quick-drying component is especially important to me.
Best overall: Parachute Waffle Towels
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Best for exfoliating: The Onsen Bath Towels
Best for quick-drying: Snowe Honeycomb Bath Towel
Best looking: Brooklinen Waffle Knit Towel
These were my overall favorite. Parachute makes some incredible textiles and these are no different. They’re 100% long-staple Turkish cotton and feel like something I would contemplate stealing from a fancy hotel.Best Feature: They’re soft but sturdy and while they’ll never give you the plushness a fluffy towel will, it’ll still feel soft when you wrap it around you.
If this was purely about absorbency, these would take the cake. But even though they are made from Supima cotton, they just weren’t nearly as soft as the Parachute ones. I did, however, enjoy using them almost like a dry brush for after the shower to exfoliate after shaving my legs.Best Feature: The soft but strong fabric felt like giving my entire body the best itch it had ever received.
I truly loved how stretchy these were and they were much quicker to dry than normal towels, but after the shower, they sort of reminded me of a wet Ace bandage. Or, as my boyfriend said after using one, “I hate it. It feels like I’m drying myself with a t-shirt.”Best Feature: Because of their makeup, these towels are the quickest drying towels I've ever had in my bathroom.
Brooklinen has stolen my heart yet again with their waffle knit towels. “The squares aren’t too big or too small, so when you towel off, they provide a comforting massage effect while allowing for more surface area to dry you off. The towels are made from 100% aegean cotton and come in four different colors — including a lovely flamingo pink that will add a touch of flair to your bathroom.”Best Feature: These towels come in multiple different colors, letting them either blend in or stand out in your bathroom, depending on your mood.
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