Investing in a high-quality towel is an easy way to add a little luxury to your daily routine. Turkish towels are a simple upgrade that makes getting ready a little easier.

Turkish towels are more absorbent than standard cotton towels, so they dry faster and soak up more water. They’re also woven to be lightweight and resistant to wear and tear.

The Best Right Now

If you're looking for an affordable Turkish towel to take to the beach, opt for this Cacala Turkish Towel. It's lightweight, quick-drying, and only $22 right now at Amazon.

To find the best Turkish towels on the market, we spoke to textile experts and tested towels in the lab, at the beach, and at home.

Our Top Picks

These warm, large and soft towels from Serena and Lily are incredibly quick-drying and luxurious, thanks to two absorbency sides. The front is expertly woven in the traditional Turkish towel style, while the back boasts plush terry cloth. Made of 100 percent Turkish Aegean cotton, these towels soak up excess water with ease and efficiency. We were even able to soak up an entire bowl of water with this towel (a rare occurrence in our testing). 

It’s apparent these towels are well-made, and it’s easy to see the high quality when looking at the expertly woven threads. Best of all, the terry cloth backing makes them extra soft and plush. The only downside we could find is the limited color offering. 

Dimensions: 56 x 30 inches |  Care Instructions: Machine wash warm and tumble dry on low |  Color Options: 3

• 

  People / Henry Wortock

• 

  People / Henry Wortock

The More You Know

“Because of Turkey’s weather, cotton grown in Turkey is longer in length than standard cotton (it’s often referred to as long-staple cotton). That makes the resulting yarns finer and smoother, which ultimately makes the towels softer.” -Ajoy Sakar, professor and assistant chair of textile development and marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology

Swap out your traditional beach towel for this high-quality alternative to make lying on the beach even more relaxing. These lightweight towels absorb excess water quickly and easily, so you don’t have to stand dripping on a breezy beach for too long. We love that this towel is extra large, so it doubles as a beach blanket or tanning mat. Add it to your list of beach essentials.

This Mediterranean-inspired towel is made from 100 percent Turkish Aegean cotton, and it’s woven from yarn-dyed organic cotton. The edges are hand-knotted to create a decorative fringe that’s subtle and elegant.

Dimensions: 71 x 39 inches |  Care Instructions: Machine wash cold on a gentle cycle and tumble dry on low |  Color Options: 4

Pro Tip

“Turkish towels are usually very lightweight and easy to pack, which makes them a great option to bring to the beach or on a camping trip.” -Frej Lewenhaupt, co-founder and CEO of Steamery, a Scandinavian textile care brand.

This option from Cacala offers all the lightweight absorbency of traditional Turkish towels at a fraction of the price. We found these towels dried bodies off better than any others we tested. The oversized option is perfect for the beach because it can serve as a towel, blanket, or even a beach cover-up. It’s available in 40 colors, which means the classic towel has an option for everyone. 

Dimensions: 37 x 70 inches | Care Instructions: Machine wash cold and hang to dry | Color Options: 40

True to the Turkish towel style, these hand towels are lightweight and thin, which also makes them a great option to pack in your gym bag. Although we haven’t tested this set firsthand, we love that it comes in a set of two at a super affordable price. 

Dimensions: 39.3 x 16 inches |  Care Instructions: Machine wash cold on a gentle cycle and tumble dry on low | Color Options: 14

• Plush

• Luxurious, spa-like feel

Extra-plush towels are the key to creating a spa-like experience at home. Though most Turkish cotton towels are thin and lightweight, Brooklinen’s line of extra-plush towels are super thick, though woven from 100 percent Turkish cotton. The specific weaving pattern is designed to make them extra durable, and the lined edges mean the fibers won’t fray. That means you get the quick-drying benefit of traditional Turkish towels with the softness of extra-plush towels. 

Dimensions: 30 x 58 inches | Care Instructions: Machine wash cold and tumble dry on low | Color Options: 14

• 

  People / Henry Wortock

• 

  People / Henry Wortock

• Hooded towel

• Super plush

• We couldn’t find any

Toddlers have sensitive skin, so it’s essential to dry them with a towel that’s soft and gentle. Quince’s line of organic Turkish cotton towels are super soft to the touch, with lined edges that prevent fraying. Made from 100 percent Turkish cotton, they’re more plush than traditional Turkish towels, which makes them a great choice for keeping your little one cozy after bathtime. 

Dimensions: 30 x 30 inches |  Care Instructions: Machine wash cold on a gentle cycle and tumble dry on low | Color Options: 3

Add to Cart

If you love the feel of Turkish towels, you may want to add the below PEOPLE Tested robe to your cart, too.

Brooklinen Super-Plush Robe

This Brooklinen robe is so luxurious, you’ll want to lounge in it all day. We found the plush bathrobe to be absorbent, though it’s not as quick to dry as others on this list.

What to Know About Turkish Towels

Size and Weight

One of the benefits of Turkish towels is that they’re often larger than standard towels. As a result, they’re a versatile option that can double as a picnic blanket, beach towel, or beach blanket. While the size of the towel itself is usually larger, the thickness of the towel is typically much thinner than a standard bath towel. 

The lightweight, airy construction is true to the traditional Turkish towel style. Alternatively, Turkish towels can be offered in thicker, more heavy-duty construction, too. For example, Brooklinen’s Super-Plush Turkish towels share the same thick feel and heavier weight as standard towels, making them a perfect choice for someone looking for a cozy towel made from Turkish cotton.

Style

When searching for a Turkish towel, it’s a good idea to determine how you plan to use it. These towels come in many styles, each of which has its own benefits. Traditional Turkish towels are woven in a flat-weave style, which makes for a thinner towel that’s absorbent and quick-drying. In fact, Sarkar says that in addition to making it absorbent, “the two-dimensional flat weave dries quickly and also lessens the chances of mildew growth.”

Flat-weave towels are in line with the traditional Turkish towel style, though you can also purchase towels that are made from Turkish cotton in a different weave style. For example, Serena and Lily’s Fouta Bath Towel is two sided, with one being the traditional flat-weave and the other being a more cozy, plush terry cloth. That way, you get the quick drying abilities of the traditional style with the warmth and comfort of a thicker towel.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Are Turkish towels better than regular towels?

  If you’re on the hunt for extra-thick, plush towels, traditional Turkish-style towels won’t match the same warmth or coziness as terry cloth-style towels. If you’re looking for lightweight, airy, quick-drying towels that are easy to pack in a beach bag or overnight bag, Turkish towels are far superior to regular towels. Compared to regular towels, Sarkar says that Turkish towels are “soft, fine towels with excellent absorbency and quick drying properties.”

• What is so special about Turkish towels?

  Cotton grown in Turkey is special because it is usually longer in length than standard cotton; this is thanks to the country’s weather. This results in fine, smooth, soft yarns, from which the towels and cotton sheets are made.

  In addition to how soft the towels are, Turkish towels are also woven in a way that makes them thinner and more lightweight than the more plush terry cloth style. As a result, Turkish towels dry more quickly than standard towels.

• Are Turkish or Egyptian towels better?

  Egyptian cotton and Turkish cotton are both high-quality materials that produce soft, smooth textures. The resulting towels are durable and high-quality, with warm, absorbent layers. Though both materials are absorbent and quick-drying, Egyptian cotton tends to be more absorbent because the fibers are even longer than that of Turkish cotton. Alternatively, Turkish cotton towels are slightly less absorbent, but they often dry more quickly than Egyptian cotton. Both materials are a great option for towels, but Turkish towels will dry more quickly, making them a better choice to pack for the beach.

How We Tested Turkish Towels

To find the best Turkish towels on the market, we relied on expert recommendations, editor favorites, and unbiased lab results. Once lab testing was complete, we took the best Turkish towels home for at-home testing and at-the-beach testing and recorded our insights on absorbency, durability, and overall effectiveness.

• Absorbency: Absorbency is non-negotiable when it comes to towels. In the lab, we soaked each towel in a bowl of water, noting how much water it absorbed, and then timed how long it took to dry. We also tested the towels in the real world to see how absorbent they were in the bathroom and at the beach.
• Durability: We ensured our top picks showed no shrinkage or damage in the wash. We also tested how easily the towel stained, and used a scrub brush to test if the towels showed signs of abrasion. 
• Overall Effectiveness: Towels that absorbed well and dried quickly got the best scores in this category.
• Overall Value: We considered the price of each towel, along with its performance and durability, to determine this rating. We think all the products on this list are worth the buy.

Why Trust PEOPLE?

Laura Denby is a food, home, and lifestyle writer. Her work has appeared in such outlets as Food & Wine, Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living, Verywell Family, Southern Living. To bring you this review, she consulted our testers, who shared their perspectives about a range of Turkish towels, such as texture, absorbance, durability, and softness. While researching Turkish towels, we spoke with FIT professor Ajoy Sarkar and Frej Lewenhaupt, co-founder and CEO of Steamery. PEOPLE staff writer Genevieve Cepeda later updated this article with new picks and insight.

Our Expert Panel

What Is PEOPLE Tested

We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs.

But we don’t stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we’ve awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square.

In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.

ncG1vNJzZmiolaS9rbGNnKamZ5KawLV5066ppKGjnXq1u9aeo6xlaGuDcn2Rcg%3D%3D