Buying a Beach Towel: 10 Must Things to Look For

With so many options available in the market, choosing the right beach towel that is can be a hard task. From size to material to absorbency, there are many factors to consider. Here we have discussed 10 key things to look for when buying a beach towel for spending a memorable time at your favorite beach.

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10 Key Things to Consider when purchasing a Beach Towel

Beach towels can be used as a tanning mat, warm wrap, cover-up, or sarong, So, it’s good to buy the right beach towel that is comfortable, ultra-absorbent, sand-free, and quick-drying. Whether you’re going for a swim, sunbathing, or simply lounging on the sand, a good beach towel is an essential item to bring along.

10 Key Things to Consider when purchasing a Beach Towel

The following are the most important factors for selecting the right beach towel that makes your beach summer adventure more fun and comfortable.

1. Size of the beach towel

The size of your beach towel is the first and foremost thing to consider while making an actual purchase decision.

I recommend you select an oversized beach towel. It doesn’t only provides comfortable and sand-free laying but also gives you maximum sun protection.

One can enjoy its generous space to stretch out without the fear of touching hot sand. You can share the extra space with your beach fellows or even use it for securing your beach essentials from being sand-caked.

A good beach towel is normally 60″L x 30″W but I personally suggest you prefer an oversized beach towel that gives you more space to have more fun.

2. Material

Material is another key factor to look for before buying the right one for you. There are mainly two options in terms of material:

Cotton towels are a classic choice for nature lovers. Cotton is a natural fiber material that is hypoallergenic, super soft, and ultra-absorbent. On the other hand, cotton towels are sand magnets that trap sand easily in their fiber loops. They take too long to dry and develop musty odors because of their thick and plush construction. However, Turkish cotton beach towels eliminate the above disadvantages with their thin, lightweight, compact, quick-drying, and sand-free nature.

Microfiber towels are another popular choice for beach towels. They are famous for their thin, moisture-wicking, sand-free, instant-drying, and compact construction. But microfiber may feel irritating or scratchy for sensitive skin people because of its synthetic fiber. And also they couldn’t give you a plush and comfortable feel like cotton does. Finally, they come with a static cling effect.

3. Beach Towel Fabric Weave

The fabric weave is simply explained as “How a towel is woven?” It gains the same importance as the material of a towel. Some popular weaves are given below:

Zig-zag weave: It is similar to its name. In this weave, one-half of the twill weave is in one direction and the other side goes in the reversed direction.

Broken twill weaves originate when the twill is reversed and broken at every two threads. This helps in making the fabric stronger and more durable.

Waffle weave is also named honeycomb weave. It has a gridlike pattern that is formed by a series of recessed and raised squares.

Terry weave features longer uncut loops of cotton or a mix of materials. These terry loops give a plush and luxe touch to a towel. It may differ in terms of pile height and the density of the loops. The increase in both results in more absorbency and thickness of the towels. On the other side, a French terry towel comes dual-sided in which one has a smooth and flat surface, and the other features a higher pile.

Turkish or Flatweave is an exclusive and trendy style that comprises flatweaves of long 100% Turkish cotton fibers. They are woven in this style for giving the fabric a thinner and stronger form. As a result, you’ll get a thin, lightweight, highly absorbent, and durable towel.

4. Is the Beach Towel Sand-Free

Sand looks and feels good only at the beach. Otherwise, it feels irritating and nasty when it comes to the car or back home.

That’s the reason to look at beach towels that are sand-resistant and give you a comfortable sand-less beach experience.

Velour is an ideal fabric in this regard, as it doesn’t have long fibers that trap the sand. There is another sand-less and trendy beach towel is a Turkish beach towel that is made from traditional Turkish flatweaves and cotton.

5. Absorbency and Comfortable

The beach is all about spending a relaxed, comfortable, and unwinding time in nature. Make sure to choose a beach time that also gives you a comfy, warm, soaking, and super absorbent feel.

Absorbency means the ability of a towel to soak moisture from your skin after any water activity or aqua sports i.e. swimming, splashing, diving, surfing, SUP, kayaking, etc.

Cotton towels especially Turkish and Egyptian Cotton towels have higher absorbency. They give you a dry, warm, and comfortable feel while wrapping them around your body.

Aside from wrapping, beach towels are also used as a dry and comfortable tanning bed. And laying or sitting on a damp, sandy, poky, and uncomfortable towel is nothing but a nightmare for beach lovers.

Don’t opt for a beach towel that feels itchy, scratchy, stiff, and allergic to your skin. Instead choose a generous-sized, soft, and natural fiber material towel that wraps your body with a warm and soaking hug.

6. Quick-Drying Ability

Towels needed for a beach must be quick-drying because of the following reasons:

Packing up damp towels in your bag back home is a breeding ground for bacteria, mildew, molds, and nasty odors.

Quick-drying beach towels give you an opportunity to reuse them at the beach for more fun and comfort.
Damp beach towels are sand magnets, so get ready for getting a sand-caked beach towel back home.

7. Beach Towel Thickness

Thickness doesn’t only mean comfort and luxe. It also comes with more weight, slow drying, and engages a lot of space.

Thick and plush beach towels get much heavier when getting wet or moistened. Shaking sand from thick and heavy beach towels is also quite hard.

8. Beach Towel Colors and Design

Form and functionality are the key ingredients for choosing anything for a nice beach vacation. Choose beach towels that are eye-catching and colorful.

Also helps you to stand out from the beach crowd and compliments your personality.

I as a mother prefer darker shades, vibrant colors, and patterned designs, as the lighter and nude ones can’t save from stains.

Nowadays beach towels come in various patterns, countless designs, beautiful color combinations, and also in different shapes. Roundies or round beach towels are a new and trendy beach towel sensation.

Embroidered, tie-dye, and beach-theme towels are also available for spending your beach day out in style.

9. Lightweight and Portable

Being lightweight, compact, and portable are some other key things to look for when buying a beach towel. It makes carrying and storing a lot more easy and fun.

Lightweight beach towels dry out quickly and engage only a quarter of space as compared to thick and bulky beach towels.

Also prefer towels that come with a carrying pouch or bag that makes them more portable.

10. Price

Finally, never go for a cheap beach towel. Although they may seem ideal at first, they can’t give you a comfortable and fun coastal experience.

Good quality beach towels may cost you more but they are reliable, durable, and last longer. Cheaper ones, on the other hand, come with color fading, piling, shirking, and wearing out after a few washes.

That’s why never ever compromise quality and functionality over price.

Note: Some other practical things to look for when buying a beach towel are the easiness to clean and maintenance i.e. machine washable and dryer-safe beach towels should be preferred in this regard.

Washi

She started BeachXplore as a traveling blog covering particularly amazing beaches which she was lucky to visit and research about. Here you can find her writings on the best beaches, guides on beach wear, items, and more.