Have you gone back to the gym and realised you need a new gym towel? Don't worry, we've all been there. We've got the best options for you to keep you cool and dry throughout your entire workout - whether you’re doubling up your living room as a studio or investing in a new gym routine, right down to the best protein powders.
A proper gym towel is compact, easy to wash, and super absorbent, making it the essential tool for keeping cool and comfortable during an intense workout. In order to make sure that you remain dedicated, there are lots of fitness accessories that you can treat yourself to – which should make you spring out of bed to get your push-ups and burpees done. Or, if you're looking to get back into exercise but hate going to the gym? Here are the best stepper machines for your home.
The best gym towels at a glance:
Best microfribre gym towel: Eono by Amazon Microfibre Towel - View on Amazon
Best large gym towel: Adidas Towel Large - View on Adidas
Best personalised gym towel: Personalised Ladies' Gym Towel - View on notonthehighstreet
Best gym towel pack: Cooling Towel (40"x12"), Ice Towel - View on Amazon
If you’re asking yourself why you should invest in a gym towel rather than grabbing one from the cupboard here’s why: these towels are usually super absorbent so that you can dab away sweat easier. They're usually cheaper than beach or bathroom towels. If you're taking a towel into the garden, you might end up getting it dirty and could ruin your good towels.
Now that you’re totally convinced that gym towels are for you, here’s everything that you need to know about them before buying one (or more).
The best gym towels of the year:
All prices are correct at the time of writing. Prices, stock and deals are subject to change without notice.
Best microfibre gym towel
AmazonWhether you're practising yoga in the garden or lifting weights in your living room, this fantastic towel will support you every step of the way. We love that it will mop up any amount of sweat and because it's a microfibre towel it folds up easy - efficient but compact. This also comes in a variety of colours so you can chose your fave.
| Size: | 140 x 70cm |
| Colour: | Multiple available |
| Material: | Microfibre |
| Features: | Super absorbent and quick drying |
Best large gym towel
adidaswww.adidas.co.uk
Fitness fanatics will love this large towel from Adidas. This versatile number is not only made of lightweight fabric, but it will also dry quickly, which is good news for those warmer days.
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| Size: | 140 x 70cm |
| Colour: | Blue, black or pink |
| Material: | 100 per cent cotton |
| Washing: | 40-degree wash / tumble dry on low heat |
Best personalised gym towel
notonthehighstreetwww.notonthehighstreet.com
Are you looking for a cute towel just for you? This personalised towel literally has your name written all over it. Available in a variety of colours for you to choose from and so you know it's yours.
| Size: | 30 x 90cm |
| Colour: | Black, navy, grey, pink, purple or white |
| Material: | 100 per cent cotton |
| Washing: | Machine wash at 40 degrees |
Best gym towel pack
AmazonAre you looking for a bunch of gym towels? Then this cool set is everything. And, we mean everything, as it will cool you down - all you need to do is wet it and then benefit from the lower temperature. Three towels made out of quick-drying microfibre you won't have to worry about popping them back in your gym bag.
| Size: | 101.6 x 30.5cm |
| Colour: | Multiple colours |
| Material: | Microfibre |
| Features: | Instant cooling, multipurpose |
Best choice of gym towel
AmazonAnother microfibre set we're crazy about. Want to use this to mop up a sweat or to jump in the shower? Then this ticks all the right boxes. In two sizes - a bathing towel and a hand towel - this comes with different uses perfect for the gym. Use the hand towel as a personal hand drier and use the bathing towel for heavy-duty cleaning up. For just under a tenner, its a bargain.
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| Size: | Multiple sizes |
| Colour: | Various colours |
| Material: | Microfibre |
| Washing: | up to 60 degrees |
Best luxury gym towel
www.hugoboss.com
If you're going to work out at home, you should do so in style with this fabulous facecloth. Made from Egyptian cotton, this is for the luxurious athlete looking to treat themselves. At only an £8 price point, this is chic but affordable. It's a smaller face cloth, but its perfect for having around you at the gym when working out.
| Size: | 30 x 30cm |
| Colour: | Various colours |
| Material: | 100 per cent cotton |
| Washing: | 60 degrees colour wash |
Best for quick drying
LifeventureIf you're looking for lightest and most compact option available, Lifeventure has done it again with this Hydrofibre Quick Dry Towel. Lifeventure says that this is its lightest, most compact and quickest drying towel – perfect if you are going to be using it on the go.
It can absorb up to five times its own weight, and dries an impressive 15 times faster than a normal towel. It is also particularly good for folding up small, so if you are trying to travel light, this is a great option for squeezing into your bag. Like other Lifeventure products, this towel uses a silver salt odour control treatment to inhibit bacterial growth, helping stop your towel from smelling before you can get it into the washing machine.
| Size: | Large 110 x 65 cm, Extra-large 130 x 75cm |
| Colour: | Grey |
| Material: | Microfibre |
| Washing: | Unspecified |
Best basic gym towel
Decathlonwww.decathlon.co.uk
Looking pretty in pink? Bag yourself a budget gym towel that is super soft against the skin and very absorbent. Available also in teal, dark grey or black, this medium towel is perfect if you want value for your money. It also has a little tag so that you can tie it up easily to pop into your bag.
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| Size: | 90 x 50cm |
| Colour: | Pink, teal, grey or black |
| Material: | 100 per cent cotton |
| Washing: | 30 degrees max |
Best gym towel for sweat
Gymsharkuk.gymshark.com
Gymshark call this the Sweat Towel – giving you a good idea of what it's designed to do. It's another microfibre towel, making it highly absorbent. That makes it ideal if you're doing something particularly intense – we're thinking of a HIIT session, or maybe some hot yoga.
Microfibre towels also dry faster than cotton towels, so if you go to the gym regularly, you'll be able to wash it and dry it ready for your next session with ease. This particular towel is extremely light, and folds up small, so you'll have no problem fitting it in your bag.
| Size: | Unspecified |
| Colour: | Light grey |
| Material: | 80% polyester, 20% polyamide microfibre |
| Washing: | Unspecified |
Best eco friendly
LifeventureIf you want to wipe the sweat from your brow and be environmentally friendly, Lifeventure's Recycled SoftFibre Towel is the perfect choice for you. Made from 66 per cent recycled bottles, this towel can absorb nine times its own weight in water and dries eight times faster than a conventional towel.
Odour control technology uses silver salt and helps reduce the growth of bacteria and fungi, making it more hygienic as a result. It's also incredibly lightweight and compact, so you can easily squeeze it into a bag.
| Size | Pocket size 37 x 37 cm, large 110 x 65 cm, extra large 130 x 75 cm, giant 150 x 90 cm |
| Colour | Multiple patterns available |
| Material | Polyester microfibre |
| Washing | Unspecified |
Buying guide: The best gym towels
Different towel materials explained
There are a wide variety of gym towels available, and a few different materials, including cotton and microfibre. There are pros and cons whichever material you're considering. Here's a few things to think about with each.
Microfibre
Microfibre towels are usually made from nylon or polyester. This makes them both extremely lightweight, and highly absorbent. Microfibre towels can often absorb several times their own weight in water – perfect if you're doing a workout where you're going to sweat a lot. Microfibre is also naturally hypoallergenic, so if you have any allergies or particularly sensitive skin, this might be helpful. These towels feel extremely soft as well.
There are some downsides, though. Microfibre towels are generally more delicate than cotton towels, so need more careful washing and drying. It's often recommended to hand wash or cool wash these towels, or to limit how much detergent is used, or to avoid putting them in a tumble dryer, for example.
They are also less environmentally friendly because they are made from synthetic fibres. These fibres don't degrade as quickly as cotton. But because the towels themselves are more delicate, the likelihood is you'll be replacing a microfibre towel more often than a cotton towel.
Cotton
Cotton towels benefit from being slightly cheaper (in general) and more durable than microfibre towels. They are also easy to wash and dry, and can withstand a wash cycle, or time in the tumble dryer, far more than a microfibre towel can. Cotton is also a natural fibre, and has a slightly smaller environmental impact than the synthetic materials used in microfibre. Cotton still requires plenty of water to grow, and is often treated with pesticides, however.
Compared to a microfibre towel, a cotton towel is bulkier and will therefore take up more room in your bag. It will also typically take longer to dry after use.
FAQ: the best gym towels
Not sure where to start when looking for an at-home or gym towel? No problem. We've pulled together a guide on how to make the most of this exercise accessory.
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What's the best gym towel?
Ultimately, the best gym towel for you will depend on a few factors – price, material, and size, for example, are all likely to play a part in your choice. Our top choice – the Eono Microfibre Towel – offers a variety of sizes and colours, and the microfibre material means it's highly absorbent, but also dries quickly. These are incredibly useful features for any gym towel. If you prefer natural materials, then the Adidas Towel is 100 per cent cotton.
What should I do with a gym towel?
This is a bit of a tricky question because what you do with your gym towel is completely up to you… Here are some ways we think you should use your gym towels:
• To help you dry off after doing cardio
• Use to cover a bench while you use weights
• Wipe away sweat when working out to avoid drips
• Extra support while practising yoga
• For jumping in the shower after working out
What size should a gym towel be?
There is no right answer when it comes to the best-size gym towel. Whether you’re looking for a towel to mop your brow with or something to throw around you, then there are lots of choices out there. We’d recommend choosing the size depending on what you want to use your towel for.
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When to wash a gym towel?
According to The Guardian, you should wash yours after every use along with your gym kit. Nobody wants a sweaty towel full of bacteria, so make sure you wash it to get rid of all those germs.
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Lily Anderson is a Senior Commercial Content Writer at Bauer Media, where she tests products for titles such as Heat, Closer, What’s the Best and Mother&Baby.
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