IMO, These are the Best Quality Beach Towels

Remember when we could go to websites like Wirecutter and get honest reviews? In 2025, you'll find that many of these go-to places for reliable reviews are now linking to Amazon products from shady brands that lack vowels. Wanna know why? Because of cookies. You click a link that directs you to Amazon (or Target, or Walmart, or any other online retailer), and even if you don't purchase the towel, if you buy something else, the review site receives a commission. And they know that no one ever buys just one thing at Amazon. Read this to learn how websites and influencers make money.

IMO, These are the Best Quality Beach Towels

As I have mentioned before, I am using 2025 to buy less but when I am replacing, I am buying quality. I am good with beach towels, but when a good friend got a beach house and needed to create a supply for her guests, I got to researching and was highly disappointed by review sites I used to trust. I saw recommendations for brands I had tried and KNEW weren't worth the money and recommendations for fly-by-night Amazon brands with reviews clearly created by bots or even rating a completely different product than the towel being sold.

I'm here to be legit with you. Sure, I may make a commission from some of the links in the reviews below, but others I don't because the goal is earning your trust and preventing you from experiencing retail regret. All of these towels I have personally experienced, either by buying myself or using a friend's. I am also focusing on experience from purchases PostPan as a lot of reliable brands have reduced quality in recent years.

If you disagree, or you feel I missed a winner, please share in the comments below so this can be a reliable and regularly updated resource.

True Luxury: Boll & Branch The Beach Towel

We know by now that I am a MAJOR Boll & Branch fan. Such high quality, incredibly comfortable, and the longevity of Boll & Branch, even with hard wear and care, make the cost per use cheaper than what I've bought at big box retailers. Industrial dryers, mildewing in a tote bag in the trunk for a week, drying off the dog, and then being stripped and still looking new… the Boll & Branch beach towels are ridiculously luxurious and a stellar investment.

These are 40″ x 70″ in size, made from 100% GOTS-certified organic long-staple Turkish cotton with a velvety top and classic loop terry bottom. They are plush and soft, but quite absorbent, and the terry bottom sheds sand quite well. The towels are made in a Fair Trade facility, so you can feel confident that the towels are made with ethics and care. My only negative is the lack of color options. While you know I am a Boll & Branch fan, I'd love some bright colors and patterns to have fun in the sun. But that's just me, the blues are quite elegant and classic!

Use code WARDROBEOXYGEN for 15% off your order at Boll & Branch!

Family Durability: Lands' End Beach Towels

Lands' End used to be my favorite place for beach towels, and I own some that are 20 years old and still look and feel great. However, in recent years, they have not been as large or thick. That being said, they are still of good quality for a really nice price (most are under $40 and regularly on sale for closer to $20), and I appreciate the option to get them embroidered with a monogram, name, or phrase. I have found that the lighter-weight version is better for the beach, and it keeps its color beautifully even when washed in hot water.

At 40″ x 78″ and 100% cotton, these towels will cover most of the pool lounge chair and have enough length to be clipped to the back of the chair to stay in place while still covering your calves. At 450 grams per square meter (GSM), they are still thick enough to keep you warm and cozy or absorb plenty of saltwater. The edges are heavily folded over and hemmed for nice weight on a breezy beach, and they won't fray even after years of hard use.

I've found these towels make for a great housewarming gift for those who get a new beach house or boat, and the monogramming prevents your towels from going home with the wrong teenager at the end of a pool party. Each year, Lands' End offers different colors and prints, so you can often create a rainbow of towels over time, or find a nice Rugby Stripe or Cabana Stripe that matches your beach chairs or boat tote.

Stay in Place on the Chaise: Frontgate Cabana Stripe Chaise Cover

When I visited my friend's house and saw she had two of these Frontgate Cabana chaise covers for her backyard lounge chairs, I was impressed. And I have considered buying one to take with me to our neighborhood pool that has those chaises with the rubbery straps that stick to legs and backs.

With a weight and quality of a nice towel (450 GSM Turkish cotton), the Frontgate chaise cover has a deep pocket to slide over the top of the chaise and a smaller one to catch on the foot. But that's not all… it has a side pouch pocket that can hold your phone, your sunscreen, your lip balm, and your sunglasses. And with piped binding, this towel cover is durable enough that you can throw it in the washer and dryer after each use.

These towel chaise covers are also a great way to give new life to old lounge chairs on your property. Like car seat covers, they give patio furniture a “glow-up” and can be easily changed out or replaced. Oh, and you know I love that it can also be monogrammed!

Big, Beautiful, Quick-Dry, and Sustainable: Nomadix Original Towel

Quick-dry towels are great for beach days when you don't want to carry home half the ocean and sand on the beach, for travel when you want to pack light, for morning laps at the indoor pool, and sweaty yoga sessions. However, they often feel like rubber, are too small to cover a beach chair or wrap around your body as you walk from the sauna or swimming pool to the locker room. They're also often boring or ugly.

At 30″ x 72.5″ in size, the Nomadix Original Towel is large enough to function as a traditional beach towel, but has the quick-dry sand-brush-off super-absorbent capabilities of its smaller sister towels. A corner loop makes it easy to hang up in an outdoor shower or RV. Since this towel dries quickly, it won't get funky-smelling and will be ready the next day to pack in your luggage and head to your next destination.

Oh, did I mention how utterly beautiful these towels are? Dozens of prints, from classic cabana stripes to representations of national parks. Made from 0% post-consumer recycled polyester, Nomadix towels resist sand, pet hair, and most anything else while absorbing up to 4X their weight in water. Nomadix is a member of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and has adopted its Fair Labor Code of Conduct. I've seen Nomadix on sites like Amazon, but I recommend shopping directly from the brand's site to ensure authenticity.

Use code WARDROBEOXYGEN for 15% off orders $35+ of non-sale items at Nomadix!

Classic Favorite for a Reason: Peshtemals

My sister introduced me to the awesomeness that is a peshtemal, also known as a Turkish towel. Lightweight, larger than a traditional towel, quick-drying, and sand-resistant, she takes one on every trip, whether or not she's going to visit a pool, spa, or beach. She often uses them in place of tiny hotel bath towels, and in a pinch, can be a shawl, a sheet, a floor mat, and more.

My sister has peshtemals from two different sources: ArastaCrafts on Etsy and the “Pure Series” towel from Pestemal.

• The towels from ArastaCrafts are 40″ x 70″, which is an average to large size for Turkish towels. At 300 grams, they are the average weight for a Turkish towel. They start at $8.20 and offer free shipping on orders $35+
• Pestemal “Pure Series” towels are 39″ x 71″, and my sister says they feel thicker (though also 300 grams) and her personal favorite for beach, pool, and bath. They are $5.95 each.

The problem is that Pestemal is a wholesaler, and you must place an order of at least 50 towels, with a minimum of five per design, to be eligible to place an order. If you're not looking to buy 50 towels, use these dimensions and weights as your guide, focusing more on the actual product itself rather than the name on the label (which may just be hiding a Pestemal label). I did some work for you to find some of the most oversized Peshtemals, at least of this weight:

• On Etsy, I searched Peshtemal towel 39″ x 71″ and found TurkishTowelArt, which has towels of that size and 300g in weight. They start at $8.40 each, and orders of $35+ have free shipping.
• WetCat, a brand found on Amazon, also has its own website. Their Turkish Beach Towel is 38″ x 71″ and 300g of Non‑GMO Turkish Cotton for $34.00 with free shipping and 10% off if you buy two or more. I own one of these and IMO it's nicer than another I got on Amazon that is the same size and price.
• Turkish Linen & Towels has 85″ x 63″ 530g “Premium Classic” towels, 70″ x 40″ 340g “Chevron Cascade” towels, and 74″ x 39″ 453g “Diamond” towels, if you are looking for thick and large.

Turkish towels are famous for their flat weave; this towel will feel more like a piece of fabric than something cushy or spongy. But don't let that fool you; the flat weave of Turkish cotton is highly absorbent, softens with each wash, and resists mildew and funky smells. Once you try them, you, like my sister, may become a convert.