Best Travel Towel: Top 5 in 2022

By Alice Ross | ACCESSORIES

Feb 08
Best travel towel top 5 in 2022

It's extremely important to pack the best travel towel with you every time you travel. Travel towels, together with other travel accessories, are designed for a particular purpose, so they're great, or rather, a critical accessory for when you travel. Yes, they're more expensive but you will get what you pay for.

I first learned about travel towels when I was younger. My sister went off traveling and packed what seemed like the smallest and tiniest towel I'd seen. I thought it made no sense to bring what looked like a useless piece of cloth.

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**Below, you'll find more detailed reviews, but you can also click links above to check current prices and read customer's reviews on Amazon.

I still did not get the message the significance of travel towels when I traveled for the first time. I taking a big, heavy towel would be the best travel towel when going to the beach... turned out, it wasn't. First of all, it took a lot of space in the bag, secondly, it took the time to dry up, and third and lastly, it smelled in my backpack.

The best thing about using a towel particular for traveling is the exact opposite of all things that I didn't like about large big towel. They're made with penetrable material so they easily dry up. It's really essential when you're traveling as you wouldn't have a lot of time to allow it dry before packing it up.

towel

Another thing I like about them is that they're so compact so it takes up less space. While regular towels are available in different sizes, travel towels are thinner so it takes up less space in your bag.

These towels are also not heavy. For most travelers, every ounce matters so it is important that the weight of your towel is light. Most travel towels are up to 3 times lighter compared to a regular towel. So, in order to lighten your load and save money on check in baggage, it's better to pack these types of towel instead.

blanket

Lastly, they soak the water in. Travel towels are made of materials that can soak up from five to nine times their weight in water. They're a lot more penetrable than cotton towels and you can use them for different purposes.

So, no matter where you go on your trip, forget your massive cotton towel at home. Instead, pack a specifically designed quick-dry travel towel. You will save space, weight and you will be able to keep yourself dry.

Choosing the Best Travel Towel

We have all been used to traveling with the typical cotton towels we use at home, but if you have been doing water-related activities such as surfing, swimming, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, scuba diving, or even simply backpacking, having this type of towel in your bag would be the best one you carry with you. Below, how to choose the best travel towel perfect for your needs.

Choosing Travel Towels for Traveling

towel for traveling

Because hikers are usually on the move faster than travelers, it's that much more important that their travel towels dry instantly.

The materials used are ideal for traveling. And because of the packing restrictions, travelers want their towels to be as compact as possible. With space you save in your bag, you could put more souvenirs or food.

Drying with Travel Towels

best towel

Together with my fellow travelers, I've found the pack towel to be extremely absorbent, although it's not as effective as drying with a typical home towel. The microfiber material used in making a travel towel has a possibility to "stick" – it does not glide smoothly on the skin unlike the cotton does, so you might find you are patting yourself to dry!

However, travel towels do dry rapidly as long as it is placed in a spot where the air is able to circulate. I like securing the small loop of the towel on a rail of the top bunk in my hostel – it dries quickly!

Ideal Size for You

Every time you travel, you have to consider the opposing demands of space against functionality. You may not have much enough room, so you choose a small towel for you to use, but that might not be very convenient to dry yourself with after taking a shower or when hanging out at the beach!

Choosing the size of the towel to buy should depend on the size of the bag you are planning take on your vacation.

Choosing the Right Color for You

travel towel

Okay, there's no guide to choosing the "right" color for you. However, let me say this, you don't have to make your towel boring! You can make a statement by adding a bit flare to your travel kit. There should not be a problem towel with adding a character.

The Best Towel for Your Adventures

There are some features you must look at when shopping for the best travel towel. Here are some of them:

Absorbency: This is the number one thing you have to check out because there's no point of using a towel if it cannot absorb wetness!

Drying Time: There is no worse than having to pack your stuff for your next destination only to find out that the towel is still wet from yesterday... or worse, moldy and smelly!

hat on towel

Shrinkage: To find up out which towels will wind up being much smaller towels than you bargained for, we measured each one when it was brand new, and then again after the 1st and 5th wash cycles. (Generally, the majority of shrinkage takes place after the 1st and 5th washes.)

Strength: Will the towel last for a long time? You are not buying a travel towel that you could only use for a weekend getaway. It's best to buy a travel towel that offers you its maximum benefits as well as provides you with a long life.

Color: I know I mentioned that it's best to find a color that will give character, but if possible, choose a darker color so that it won't look dirty easily.

Top 5 Best Travel Towels

One of the most underrated travel essentials when going out for an adventure is the towel. The travel towel is usually something of an extra in terms of packing your travel bag, and it is not hard to see why. It tends to be huge, for one, and usually the possibility that your accommodation will have towels you can use for free anyway, so you may think that bringing a towel is not necessary.

However, sometimes, this is not a good idea to just rely on the free use of towels in hotels. But what if you are planning to go camping, go to the beach, go diving, or some water-related activities? You cannot use hotel towels all the time! Here is our list of the top 5 best travel towels you may want to check out if you want to shop for one:

Trusted by many athletes and travelers, this towel is one of the best towels you will find. The Youphoria towel has an extremely snug knit design which means it absorbs more water and is resistant to dirt. It also claims to dry a lot more times quicker than a typical towel.This travel towel comes with mesh carry bag as well as a hanging loop where you can use to hang it to dry. It is big enough to use to wrap up your body after eating. It has a soft texture with a suede feel. Regardless of its big size, you can easily roll it up small enough to not consume a lot of room in your bag.

98
/100

Editor's Rating: 98/100

Price On Amazon: from $9.99


Pros

  • Large but thin
  • Folds to small size
  • Extremely absorbent
  • Very soft to touch
  • Tight knit design
  • Comes with a carry bag

Cons

  • Some find them smelly
  • Can be rough on the skin of some

The Wise Owl Outfitters camping towel is an upgrade from usual microfiber towels due to how nice it feels when rubbed on the skin. We won’t describe it as “soft,” but it doesn’t give the annoying grid on your skin. Our favorite thing about this towel is the extra effort the company put up to market, sell, and offer customer care for a trivial product like this.
This towel features contrast borders, rubbery finish, and a trendy owl cartoon logo. This travel towel has a rubbery finish. Because it will not give you harsh feeling, you can use it on little kids. Regardless of how you fold this towel, you can put it back in your pouch without trouble. It dries off fast.

97
/100

Editor's Rating: 97/100

Price On Amazon: from $13.95


Pros

  • It has attractive design and many color selections
  • It feels good on the skin
  • It dries and absorbs quickly
  • It comes with a mesh carry pouch

Cons

  • The size is smaller than typical towel

The great thing about this beautiful towel is that despite its large size, it weighs only 0.3 kilograms. The material that used to make this towel is of high quality that offers very soft and quick drying. This towel also promotes hygienic and healthy conditions because of the antibacterial qualities that help in the controlling body odors and preventing bacterial development.
This is a nice set of antibacterial microfiber towels ideal for traveling. They come in a pouch which makes packing them easy and ideal for people who want to travel light. They are also available in many color selections.

95
/100

Editor's Rating: 95/100

Price On Amazon: from $13.35


Pros

  • It is available in two colors
  • It is very soft
  • It is absorbent
  • It is antibacterial
  • Each towel has clip corners
  • It dries off quickly

Cons

  • It is not easy to put back in the pouch

If you want an assortment of lightweight towels for your next travel, then WildHorn Outfitters towel is a good choice as it has three different travel sizes for you to choose from. A big one used for bathing, one for you to carry around, and one to use to dry your hands.All of these towels can hold 3 to 4 times their weight in water. Additionally, the quick dry feature has been designed to let you use them multiple times throughout the day. These towels dry up ten times faster than typical towels you use at home. You can dry them from anywhere as all of them have a hook for easy hanging.

93
/100

Editor's Rating: 98/100

Price On Amazon: from $23.99


Pros

  • Can hold twice or three times its own weight in water
  • Every towel has hang loops
  • No lint
  • Colors hold through constant washes
  • Soft and gentle material
  • Dries up fast
  • Doesn't take a lot of space in the bag
  • Carabineer on mesh bags

Cons

  • Stitching around the edge of the towel rather than laser cut edge
  • Can be hard to fold up the towels flat to fit in the mesh bag

Unsurprisingly, Rainleaf creates high-quality towels ideal for any purpose or any seasons. This towel was produced using high-quality microfiber. This has the superabsorbent quality and thanks to the material it is also thick and strong.
The softness and high level make this product one of the best travel towels you will find today. But what truly separates this from others is the compact size and extra smoothness. This towel can easily fit in your bag whenever you want. Because it dries quickly, traveling with it is so easy. It is also perfect to use when swimming or doing other anything outdoors.

90
/100

Editor's Rating: 90/100

Price On Amazon: from $8.55


Pros

  • It is very soft and comfortable when used
  • It is antifungal and antibacterial
  • It is small in size
  • It is quick drying
  • It is fast absorbent
  • It is easily washable
  • It is durable and high quality

Cons

  • Fabric softener may damage the fabric

Conclusion

Having a travel towel with you when traveling is extremely beneficial, however, with the options available, how would we choose? The best way is to find the features that are important to you the most. If you are looking for the cheapest ones with good features but can compromise some drawbacks, then Camping Towel by Wise Owl Outfitters or Relefree Microfiber Towel are good choices.

If you are looking for ones that hold a great weight and you are willing to invest some more money, go for WildHorn Outfitters Microlite Microfiber Quick Dry Travel, RainLeaf Microfiber Towel, or Youphoria Sports Multipurpose Travel Towel.

So, which one suits your preference and why? Share them in the comment below!

Rating: 4.5 (10 votes)

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Alice Ross, a long-term traveler who left the corporate world to travel the world. I chose to live life on my own phase and live day by day while immersing myself in new experiences, new knowledge, and new people in a different walk of life I met along the way.

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(1) comment

Dan Plante October 7, 2017

Heres another take on the travel towel.
This 1 has you covered for a multitude of situations.
Chawel towels are designed to be used as more than just a quick dry towel.
1 – a blanket or sleeping bag for cold air conditioned train/bus rides, or unexpected overnight layovers in the airport
2 – changing room, for public places like the beach, with no bathroom/changig room options
3 – travel/neck pillow
4 – ever more possibilities like a laundry bag or bag for your dirty/sandy wetsuit.

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