How to decode surface densities and thread counts (especially when you can’t feel the towels in person)?
Photograph from Steal This Look: Soho House Berlin Bathroom. In simple terms, a towel with a higher surface density will be more absorbent when drying you off post-bath, but will take longer to dry when hung back on its hook.
1. Remember the rule of surface density.
2. Go for cotton.
When it comes to material, 100 percent cotton is more durable and soft than cotton blended with rayon or other materials.
Photograph by Nicolas Mathéus, as seen in Fontevraud Abbey in France: The Ultimate Haunted Hotel.
3. Specifically: Egyptian, Turkish, or pima cotton.
(See also: Greatest Hits: 10 Favorite Baths à la Française.).
Egyptian cotton has long been thought of as the most top-of-the-line cotton, but Good Housekeeping’s careful vetters say that towels labeled “Turkish cotton” or “made in Turkey” performed slightly better than their Egyptian cotton counterparts.
4. Pick your texture.
Nowadays towels come in more than just standard terry: textures like waffle weave, ribbed, and flat-woven are now on the market.
There are a surprising number of terms used to describe how the threads are woven into the towel: you might see “two-ply,” “combed,” “ring-spun,” or “zero twist” on the tag.
5. And your construction.
5. Know the difference between “sheet” and “towel.”
Towels on the edge of a bath, as seen in Villa Fabrica in Santorini (also seen in Trend Alert: 13 Sculptural Baths and Showers).
But keep in mind that there are more sizes on the market: bath sheets, which are oversized and meant to be extra luxurious, range in size from 35 by 60 inches to 40 by 70 inches, while standard bath towels measure about 27 by 52 inches.
6. Look for double-turned edges.
Double-turned edges means the hems are double-stitched, for more durability and less fraying.
7. Choose loops vs. no loops.
Photographyby Jessica Comingore for Remodelista, from Steal This Look: A Barbara Bestor-Designed Master Bath in LA.
This was one of my main considerations in looking for towels: I wanted a set with hanging loops, so that I could more easily hang them from a hook (rather than fold them over a towel bar) to save space in my small apartment bath.
Here’s a good rule of thumb we outlined in our storage book: “We stock at least two bath towels and hand towels per family member, along with plenty of washcloths.” If you’re in a particularly small space, one per family member and a couple extras for guests are acceptable, so long as you commit to frequent washings.
8. Don’t buy too many.
Washing towels before use is good practice, and not just for hygienic reasons: it also conditions the towels and helps them reach peak absorbency.
9. Lastly: wash towels before you use them.
Photography by Andres Gonzalez for Remodelista, as seen in House Call: An Exercise in Order with Architect Barbara Chambers.