How Do I Choose A Bath Towel To Buy?

When it comes to the towels we use every day, how much thought do you put into the bath towels you choose? Your choice of towel can determine how pleasurable your bathing experience is and can also greatly influence the look and feel of your bathroom.

Spotlight's amazing range of bath towels gives you plenty of quality options to choose from, but if you're finding it difficult to pick the right towels for you and your family, here's what to look for when buying bath towels!

Quick Links

• Towel size guide
• What to look for when buying bath towels
• Bath sheet vs bath towel
• What about beach towels?

Towel Size Guide

You'll find quite a few different kinds of towels in your bathroom, each with its own important role to play in keeping you clean and dry. Here's the breakdown of towel sizes and what they're for:

• Washcloth - 33 x 33cm. A washcloth, also known as a face washer, is used for washing - you guessed it - your face! These small, square towels are great for freshening up in the morning if you're a night showerer, or rubbing off the day's oils and dirt before bed if you're a morning showerer. They're also the only towel on this list that gets wet before you use it, so make sure to hang it out after each use so it doesn't stay damp.
• Hand towel - 60 x 40cm. Often located near the sink, a hand towel is for drying your hands after washing them. These smaller towels should not be used to clean other parts of the body, as they can be contaminated easily.
• Bath mat - 80 x 50cm. A bath mat is a towel you place next to the shower or bath where you step out, helping dry your feet, keep your floor clean and prevent you from slipping as you towel yourself off.
• Bath towel - 140 x 70cm. Kept within reach of your shower or bath, a bath towel is used to dry your body after you've cleaned yourself. They can come in heaps of amazing colours and designs to suit the look of your bathroom.
• Bath sheet - 160 x 80cm. A bath sheet is essentially a larger bath towel, perfect for taller people or for those who like to be completely enveloped by their towel after a shower.

While these sizes are a good guide for most Spotlight towels, you may find small variances depending on the brand you choose to purchase. Other linen stores may have their own size guidelines, so be sure to check your towels before buying if you have any size-related restrictions in your bathroom.

What To Look For When Buying Bath Towels

When choosing bath towels, there are a few factors you need to keep in mind to find the perfect towel for you.

Choosing a Towel Composition

The composition of your towel can determine factors like drying time and antibacterial properties. At Spotlight we stock towels made out of two different kinds of material:

• Cotton towels are the most popular in the world, and for good reason! Cotton is a very absorbent fibre, which you want when drying yourself off. If cared for properly it will stay soft and breathable against your skin, plus it dries off nicely as long as it is hung on a towel rack. Cotton is also easy to dye, meaning you can almost always find a cotton towel in your favourite colour or pattern!
• Bamboo/cotton blend towels are a clever blend, combining all the benefits of a cotton towel with the extra softness and microbial properties of bamboo. If you want a towel that is soft, light and absorbent, then look for a cotton/bamboo blended towel!

Thread Count & GSM For Towels

Towel thread count references how thick the towel is, literally how many threads have been woven together to make the towel itself. The higher the thread count, the thicker and heavier your towel will feel and, generally, the more absorbent it will be.

GSM stands for grams per square metre and again references how thick and dense the towel is. Towels will generally come in GSM ranges between 300 and 1000, with the higher-density towels being more absorbent but also taking longer to dry.

Towels with lower thread counts and GSM ratings are great for the gym or sport, as they dry you quickly and won't stay damp in your bag for long. Choose heavier towels in your bathroom for that spa-style luxury experience at home!

Choosing a Towel Colour Scheme to Match Your Bathroom

The colour of your towel will not affect how absorbent it is or how it feels, but it can make the washing process trickier. Colour from towels can run onto other clothing, while white towels can take on the colours of other fabrics they're washed with. Washing 'like with like' will help keep your towels the colours they're supposed to be. And if you find your towels staining, try white towels - they can be bleached to remove any unsightly blotches and stains without compromising their colour.

Bath Sheet VS Bath Towel

The bath towel vs bath sheet debate is one you should think about, as bigger isn't always better when it comes to towels. Here's a quick breakdown of the benefits and drawbacks of both so you can decide for yourself!

Bath towel pros:

• Easy to move around your body to dry yourself
• Perfect for packing into a bag for overnight stays or sport
• Can be fully hung out to dry on a smaller surface
• The perfect size for wrapping hair in to dry

Bath towel cons:

• Too small for taller people to dry themselves with in one go
• Don't provide much coverage when wrapped around the body
• Too small to use for relaxing on

Bath sheet pros:

• Covers your whole body easily for easy drying
• Great if you love the feeling of being totally wrapped up
• Large enough to sit on and relax
• Provide total coverage when wrapped around the body

Bath sheet cons:

• Takes longer to dry and needs a large surface to dry on
• Too large to take away
• Can be heavy and tiring to dry yourself with
• Too large to wrap around your hair

As you can see, there are great points for and against in the bath sheet vs bath towel debate, so there's no wrong answer here. You may like to have a small selection of both in your home for different situations, or just pick the best type for you and stockpile a selection of colours and patterns to suit your style!

What About Beach Towels?

The last and often forgotten towel, a beach towel will play an important role in your leisure time and is quite different from the towels used in your bathroom. A beach towel will be:

• Larger than a bath towel, more akin to the size of a bath sheet, with enough room for you to lie down on the beach without getting your limbs covered in sand.
• Thin and light, perfect for carrying around. A beach towel will dry off quickly when left in the sun so you can go in and out of the water and come back to a warm, dry towel each time.
• Brightly coloured so you can find it easily at the beach. Whether you are staking a spot on the sand or just don't want to lose your things, the eye-catching colours and patterns of a beach towel make them perfect for the outdoors.

Don't be tempted to take your bath towel to the beach, as your thick, fluffy towel will quickly fill with sand and will probably stay wet after one quick snooze on it. And while your brightly-coloured beach towel is perfect for the bright blues and yellows of the beach, it will probably look a little garish in your bathroom. So do the right thing and choose the correct towel for the occasion!

Find All The Towels You Need At Spotlight

Whether you need a light towel for the gym, a fluffy bath towel for your bathroom or a gorgeous beach towel for your next holiday, you can find it here at Spotlight. Check out our towel range online or at your local Spotlight store, and be sure to browse our bathroom section for everything else you need to style your dream bathroom!