Towels made from Japanese cotton are the softest
High-quality Turkish and Egyptian cotton produce the best, softest, and most absorbent towels. Whether you need them for yourself or your guest bathroom, cotton bath towels are multitaskers and ideal for everyday use.
If you want a super soft, ultra-absorbent towel, look for 100% cotton with dense, plush loops of yarn on the surface. You can also look at fabric weight, which is shown in GSM (grams per square meter). Over 600 GSM is considered heavy, so these will typically be the plushest.
Egyptian Cotton and Other Types of Cotton. Compared to “regular” cotton, including pima, Turkish cotton fabric feels softer and more plush due to its longer fibers. Egyptian cotton has the longest fibers, which creates a more plush fabric than Turkish cotton.
What makes Turkish towels special? Made of Turkish cotton, Turkish towels are lighter in weight, smoother, and softer than traditional terry cloth towels. It's the long fibers of the Turkish cotton that makes them special. The best Turkish towels become softer with time, and dry more quickly than regular towels.
In the end, the difference between Turkish and Egyptian cotton towels can be boiled down to absorbency and speed of drying. While both cottons offer long, absorbent fibers, Egyptian cotton tends to be more absorbent and slower to dry; while Turkish cottons are slightly less absorbent and are quick to dry.
They are super absorbent (four times more so than cotton), and with one soft pat of the towel, you're dry really quickly. They're also incredibly soft due to being made from 100% bamboo pile on cotton backing, which makes them a really delightful treat and very durable.
Pima cotton sheets are cheaper than Egyptian cotton sheets making them the most preferred and popular cotton type chosen.
High-quality Egyptian cotton sheets can be as high as 700. On the other hand, bamboo sheets have a lower thread count usually within the range of 250 and 350. However, bamboo fibers are naturally softer, lightweight and more breathable than even the most expensive, high-thread count cotton.
After evaluating each option on its quality, texture, absorbency, durability, and overall value, our winner was the Frontgate Resort Cotton Bath Towel.
The main culprit for towels losing their magical softness is residue from detergents and body oils that build up within the fabric. This buildup of left-over products will cause stiffness and a rough, crackly feeling. These remnants from products also diminish your towel's ability to absorb moisture.
Egyptian cotton towels will typically feel soft during and after every use. They may crisp up if left static next to heat but they will soon soften when used.
They last for several years and due to their unique makeup, they become softer and fluffier the more they're used. Although Egyptian Cotton can be a little more expensive than regular cotton towels, considering the quality, comfort and high durability, you would be hard pressed to find a better value for your money.
In an article for Poosh she wrote when she started working with the brand, Kardashian raved about her Aquis wrap towel: “Not only does it cut down on drying time, but it also minimizes frizz and breakage and increases shine. Using a regular towel to dry your hair damages the follicles and makes split ends even worse.
750-900 GSM
Considered the premium luxury weight, these towels will be denser, thicker, and more absorbent. Due to the premium weight, higher GSM towels may take a little longer to dry, but the plush softness combined with super absorbency make it more than worth the wait.
The strong and unbroken yarn of Egyptian cotton results in a fabric that is flexible. This means that 100% Egyptian cotton bed sheets feel super soft and can last even longer than regular cotton. It also doesn't pill, unlike other cotton, even after many washes.
Compared to bamboo and cotton, TENCEL™ sheets are noticeably softer and gives a drapey look. Bamboo sheets, versus cotton sheets, are generally more prone to wrinkling and feel less crisp overall. Cotton sheets wrinkle more easily than TENCEL™, with the exception of wrinkle-free cotton sheets.
Absorbency matters
In terms of function, bamboo fibers are thought to be softer to the touch — perfect for people who don't like the feel of cotton towels. They're more absorbent than cotton too, allowing for quicker drying off after a shower.
Pima cotton is among the softest and most delicate kinds of cotton in the world because of its extra-large staple fiber that exceeds the size of average cotton fiber. Almost all luxury brands prefer to use this cotton to facilitate their spinning process and produce a fabric that is even and easy to dye.
The same principles apply to Egyptian cotton as regular cotton. The general range of 200 to 400 is what to look for, though counts in the range of 300 to 360 will likely be the softest.
Fabrics made of Egyptian Cotton are softer, finer and last longer than any other cotton so are worth putting the slight extra bit of money into. Since finer yarns mean a higher thread count, the weave of the fabric is significantly stronger and lasts a lot longer than regular cotton.
A high quality towel feels much heavier than it looks and in turn will be much more absorbent. The weight of a towel is measured by the GSM (Grams per Square Metre). Low GSM (300-400) towels are light and thin whilst high GSM (450-600) towels are thicker and heavier.
A general guideline to GSM ranges in cotton towels is as follows: 300 to 400 GSM: Lightweight, thinner, coarser. 400 to 600 GSM: Medium to higher weight, soft and absorbent, good for bath or beach towels. 700 to 900 GSM: Highest, heavy weight, soft and absorbent, high-priced, a luxury towel.
All About Bamboo Viscose Headwear
It has a soft, luxurious texture that feels like a cross between super fine cotton and silk.