How to choose the right towel.

We all love to pamper ourselves with luxurious towels, but which is the perfect towel, and do you really have to spend a lot of money for the ultimate post-bath dry down? Towels vary in softness, durability, weight and absorbency, all depending on the material and manufacturing of the towels. Let us explain the varieties.

TOWEL MATERIALS

Organic cotton:
Simply grown organically in subtropical countries. Made from non-genetically modified plants, without the use of synthetic agricultural chemicals, like fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides and pesticides.Organic cotton uses less water to grow, neither does it poison the water, soil and air, simply because it doesn’t use harmful chemicals. So overall it is better for the environment. One thing to bear in mind is that only about 1% of the production of cotton globally is organic. It is intensive to grow and can be very costly. Ultimately affecting the price you pay for your towel.

Egyptian cotton:
Like pima cotton, Egyptian cotton is an extra-long staple cotton, making it soft and vibrant. Egyptian cotton is grown in the hot and dry climate alongside the Nile River in Egypt. It is regarded as the finest cotton in the world, however for a number of reasons too complex to explore here, Egyptian cotton is becoming increasingly rare, and in fact since 2016 the number of bales produced is at an all-time low. As a consequence of its scarce supply Egyptian cotton has become disproportionately expensive and often other cotton is being passed off as Egyptian cotton.

Pima cotton:
Pima cotton, like Egyptian cotton, is regarded as the finest cotton in the world. Pima cotton is grown in the South Western parts of America. Pima cotton creates a luxurious smooth fabric that is resistant to fraying, tearing, pilling, wrinkling and fading.

Turkish cotton:
Like Pima and Egyptian cotton. Turkish cotton is also an extra-long staple cotton. It is however grown exclusively in the Aegean Region in Turkey. Turkish cotton becomes even softer, fluffier, and more absorbent with successive washings.

Upland cotton:
You might have heard of this type of cotton. Known for its relatively short cotton fibers, Upland cotton is perfect for producing everyday affordable products. It is the most common type of cotton used in America.

Bamboo:
Bamboo towels are made from bamboo fibres. The towels are either made from 100% bamboo yarn or blended with cotton yarn. Bamboo Towels are naturally more breathable and work against bacteria, mildew, dust and odours.

TOWEL MANUFACTURING
Raw cotton must be processed prior to be used as a material for towels.

Note: Staple means the length of the fibre. A fibre is a natural or synthetic long substance, like a yarn or thread. Yarn is thicker spun fibres.  

Ringspun cotton towels:
These towels combine the long and short-staple fibers tightly twisted together to make them smoother and stronger. The cotton has been through a spinning process that softens and straightens each fiber.Ringspun towels are extremely durable and can withstand repeated washing and drying.

Combed cotton towels:
These towels are literally as it sounds; combed. This method removes shorter threads and unnecessary material, leaving only the strongest and longest cotton fibres to be woven into the towels.  

Terry towelling:
This is also referred to as Terry Weave, Turkish towelling or Turkish Terry. The term ‘terry’ comes from the French word ‘tirer’ meaning ‘to pull’. Cotton Terry towels are pile woven and have multiple uncut loops to help make the towel ultra-absorbent. A pile weave has a ground fabric plus an extra set of yarns woven into the ground fabric. The loops appear on either one or both sides of the fabric. It is often used to make sportswear or bathrobes. The longer the loops, the more absorbent the fabric will be.

Zero Twist cotton towels:
Zero Twist is also referred to as De-twist, Zero Twist Weave, Low Twist, Quick Dry or Micro cotton. These towels are by far the fluffiest towels you can get your hands on! The yarn is twisted from the long staple cotton fibres. The twisting method gives the fabric more strength. The more the yarn is twisted, the stronger the material. If a Zero Twist towel is made from a high quality cotton, like Pima or Egyptian, it only needs a low twist to keep the softness, because of the naturally strong quality of the cotton used. If you care about the environment than a Zero Twist towel is what you need. It is very absorbent and quick drying, thus saving energy.

TOWEL WEIGHT (GSM)

The weight of a towel is measured based on the weight per meter. We recommend towels ranging from 450 up to 750 grams per meter (GSM). The heavier the weight often means that the weave is denser and more loops are used to create this weight. Resulting in the towel being too heavy to fully function in terms of absorbency and care. It happens that heavy towels can also leave fluff behind on your skin. They can also become very heavy to handle when the towel is wet and they take much longer to dry.

TOWEL SIZING (APPROX.)

Bath Mat 60x90cm.
Face towel 30x30cm.
Hand towel 50x90cm.
Bath towel 70x125cm.
Bath sheet 90x150cm.