While most of us spend all year dreaming of beach days in the summer — the sand beneath our feet, rocking a new swimsuit and sunbathing on a trendy float — sometimes transporting your beach gear can put a damper on your day in the sun.
When it comes to beach days, it’s important to make sure you’re bringing all the essentials: a beach umbrella, a portable speaker to play your favorite tunes, a cooler full of beverages, comfy beach chairs, plenty of sunscreen and of course, fluffy and absorbent beach towels.
One way to consolidate that list is by investing in a few compact options. Beach towels, for example, are usually bulky and take up a ton of space in your beach bag. Instead, consider a high-quality Turkish towel.
To help determine what makes Turkish towels stand out, we spoke with three textile experts and included their go-to picks.
What are Turkish towels? | Turkish towels vs. traditional towels | Best Turkish towels, according to experts | How we chose | Meet the experts
What are Turkish towels?
Also called a Fouta, Hammam or Peshtemal towel, Turkish towels have become increasingly popular over the years because they’re lightweight, extra soft, dry quickly and absorb just as much water as traditional towels while taking up way less room.
"Fouta towels are lightweight and versatile towels, originally worn as sarongs or used as towels in Turkish bathhouses and spas," says Karin Sun, textile expert and founder of Crane & Canopy. "They are traditionally crafted from linen or 100% Turkish cotton, as Turkey is known for producing some of the highest quality cotton products in the world."
What makes Turkish towels different from traditional towels?
You can typically feel the difference right away, as Turkish towels feature two different types of cotton on either side.
“True Turkish towels are constructed from Turkish cotton fibers, which traditionally are a longer fiber offering super smoothness, strength, and absorbency,” says Janet Brady, a textile engineer and associate professor at Thomas Jefferson University. “The weave is known as a twill weave with an extra pile yarn, [which] is longer to create the loop on the surface. This creates a fluffy and absorbent towel.”
Sun also explains that, due to their weave, Turkish towels have a different hand feel than traditional bath towels. “They feature tightly woven cotton on one side and plush cotton terry on the other,” she says. “Due to this unique composition, these towels maintain superior absorbency and softness while also being lightweight.”
Another huge bonus is that they work well in many settings thanks to the lightweight texture, which makes them perfect for your next vacation.
"A soft Fouta towel works well as a beach towel, a bathtime luxury, a casual throw and more," Sun says. "They are the perfect towel if you live in humid, hot weather as they are lightweight and quick to dry."
We rounded up some of the best Turkish towels on the market for both the beach and home.
Best Turkish towels, according to experts
Lightweight and affordable: Cacala Pestemal Turkish Towel
- Affordable option
- Lightweight material
- Delivery problems noted
- On the thinner side
Size: 37” x 70” | Colors available: 1 | Material: Cotton
Rechelle Balanzat is the founder of Juliette, a laundry and dry cleaning company based in New York City, and labels this towel the "best budget" Turkish towel. She recommends it because it's "affordable, yet high quality."
Expert-approved brand: Indigo Traders Fringeless Turkish Towel
- Soft fabric
- Earth-friendly company
- Specific care instructions
Size: 39" x 69" | Colors available: 17 | Material: Cotton
Indigo Traders is a brand supported by textile expert Kelly Reddy-Best, the director of Iowa State's Textiles and Clothing Museum, and she loves how the business allows customers to "meet the weavers" because she says the textile industry leaves labor unnoticed. Reddy-Best recommends this brand because the products are "handmade and acknowledge the long history of this textile tradition."
The perfect beach towel: Sand Cloud Turkish Beach Towel
- Absorbent
- Dries quickly
- Small size
- Not very soft, per shoppers
Size: 39” x 69” | Colors available: 2 | Material: Cotton
This option is a perfect towel choice for the beach, as it's sand-resistant and highly absorbent. (It's even dubbed “best for the beach” by Balanzant!) With its sustainable and eco-friendly Turkish cotton, you know you're buying a good investment piece for sunny days.
Cozy waffle-weave: Anatolico Waffle-Weave Turkish Towel
- Hypoallergenic design
- Vegan material
- Narrow size
Size: 76" x 37" | Colors available: 6 | Material: Cotton
With its unique waffle pattern texture, this towel is highly soft and absorbent, and the brand says these qualities make it the perfect hair towel. Reddy-Best also recommends this brand that sources its cotton straight from Turkey.
Incredibly soft design: Anatolico Luna Turkish Towel
- Dries quickly
- Seriously soft
- No fringe along hems
Size: 76” x 37” | Colors available: 1 | Material: Cotton and linen
This towel is another option from Anatolico (a brand recommended by Reddy-Best). It's made right in Turkey, and the fringes are tied by hand, ensuring the highest quality.
One thrilled customer who bought a towel from Anaolico said, "I use it as a blanket mostly because I love how it feels when I’m watching TV. It’s beautiful and feels amazing!"
Unique striped pattern: Anatolico Sugar Turkish Towel
- Hypoallergenic material
- Lightweight design
- Higher price point
Size: 76” x 37” | Colors available: 1 | Material: Cotton and linen
The absorbent, quick-drying towel from an expert-recommended brand is an easy choice for a beach day or bath time, all while staying true to Turkish looming traditions.
Organic options: Coyuchi Mediterranean Organic Towels
- Soft, organic material
- Lightweight design
- Specific care instructions
- Tassles may wear overtime
Size: 28” x 54” | Colors available: 6 | Material: Cotton
Balanzat recommends this Turkish towel as the "best organic" choice as it's made of 100% organic Turkish cotton and certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard. She also says this towel is "soft, lightweight and highly absorbent."
How we chose the best Turkish towels
The Shop TODAY team rounded up the best Turkish towels by researching multiple options online. We also reached out to textile experts to include their expertise and advice on how to shop and care for a Turkish towel. We included items at a variety of price points to appeal to a wide range of shoppers.
Meet the experts
- Karin Sun is the cofounder of Crane & Canopy. After starting with a small collection of duvet covers in 2012, the line has now grown to include bedding, bath essentials and other home decor items.
- Janet Brady, MS Textile Engineer, is an associate professor at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and the Director of the Jeff Bruner Materials Characterization Laboratory. She has over 40 years of product development and product evaluation experience for all aspects of the textile industry.
- Rechelle Balanzat is the CEO/ cofounder of Juliette, a garment care company based in New York City.
- Kelly Reddy-Best is the director and chief curator at Textile and Clothing Museum of Iowa State University.
