When searching for the best gym towels, you should prioritize material, size, and whether they're easily portable or you’ll need a carrying case. To find the best gym towels on the market, we considered dozens of options, searching for the most effective, durable, and absorbent ones with help from experts.
Fleur Powell, fitness coach at Nordic Lifting, says absorbency is key when choosing your gym towel. She recommends absorbent gym towels with longer fibers, which increase a towel's absorption. She urges exercisers to look for sufficiently absorbent towels that aren't so thick or heavy that they're cumbersome to use or hold bacteria.
Gym towels are a must-have in your gym bag . When you’re sweating during a tough workout, a high-quality towel can keep you feeling clean and fresh, so you stay focused. They’re a safety essential, too—use them to absorb sweat and avoid slippery exercise machines.
Best Overall
PackTowl Personal Quick Dry Microfiber Towel
Amazon
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Pros
Machine washable
Quick-drying
Comes with storage pouch
Cons
Colors may bleed
PackTowl’s Personal Towel is our top pick because it has an antimicrobial treatment to prevent odors from building up and comes with a convenient storage pouch. It’s thin, lightweight, and comes in various colors and sizes: Choose from a face, hand, body, or beach towel.
Absorbency is key when it comes to finding the right gym towel, and the PackTowl can hold up to four times its weight in water. Whether hiking the trails or toweling off after a tough workout, this durable towel can do it all. Sore arms following a lifting session? No worries—it’s easy to wring out your towel in seconds.
While the PackTowl is machine washable for easy care, some users have noted that the dye can bleed. Consider washing your towel before using it to prevent any bleeding.
Price at time of publication: $23-$45
Key Specs:
Material: Polyester, nylon | Sizes: 10” x 14”, 16.5” x 36”, 25” x 54”, or 36” x 59” | Care: Machine wash
Best Budget
Utopia White Salon Towels
Amazon
View On Amazon
Pros
Lightweight
Absorbent
Soft material
Cons
May fray over time
Looking for a simple stack of towels you can keep on hand whenever you’re ready to hit the gym? We recommend this cotton set from Utopia. Keep a few on hand in your gym bag to get out the door fast—since you get 24, you’ll never have to worry about not having a clean towel ready when you want to squeeze your workout in, and you will have enough to keep a couple by the treadmill desk if you happen to break into a sweat.
While this set is more expensive than other single towels on our list, the price works out to under $2 a towel. Made of 100% cotton, these towels are lightweight and absorbent. And we like that they’re soft yet strong enough to wipe down sweaty gym machines easily. However, some users note that they may fray over time.
Price at time of publication: $44
Key Specs:
Material: Cotton | Sizes: 16” x 27” | Care: Machine wash separately
Best Cooling
Cool Links Instant Cooling Towel
Cool Links
View On Thecoollinks.com
Pros
Multiple ways to use
Magnetic closures
Wide range of colors
Cons
Only lasts for two hours
May be less absorbent compared to other options
The Instant Cooling Towel from Cool Links is our pick for the best cooling towel to help you stay comfortable in hot weather. Whether you prefer to wet it or fill it up with pre-frozen cubes, you’ll get around two hours of cooling relief. While these towels aren’t meant to absorb sweat, they are moisture-wicking. So as the cubes melt, you won’t have to worry about condensation putting a damper on your workout.
We like that the cubes in Cool Links’ towel won’t weigh you down–even a frozen towel weighs in at just 1 pound. Magnets hold the cubes in while you sweat, while an additional magnetic tab keeps the towel sitting comfortably around your neck and shoulders.
Price at time of publication: $25
Key Specs:
Material: Fabric, magnets, non-toxic cubes | Sizes: Not listed | Care: Machine wash
Best for Your Gym Bag
lululemon The Towel
Lululemon
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Pros
Wide range of colors and patterns
Soft fabric with good grip
Quick-drying
Cons
Colors may bleed
From a brand known for its high-quality leggings, lululemon’s The Towel is our pick for a quick-drying gym towel that can take you from your yoga class to the shower. We love that it has the absorbency of a cotton towel while still providing the softness and grip expected from a tech fabric. (For even more grip during hot yoga classes, you can lightly spray the top side of The Towel with water.)
And while it’s large enough to cover your entire yoga mat, it also rolls up into a small, lightweight bundle that can easily fit in your gym bag. Caring for The Towel is simple—it’s ready to toss back in your bag after a quick wash. But some users noticed that the colors can bleed onto yoga mats, especially with the darker patterns.
Price at time of publication: $38
Key Specs:
Material: Polyester | Sizes: Yoga mat (26” x 71”) | Care: Machine wash cold with like colors, tumble dry low
Best for Hot Yoga
Yogitoes Manduka Yoga Towel
Yogitoes Manduka
View On Amazon
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View On Everydayyoga.com
Pros
Good grip
Can be used dry or wet
Made with sustainable materials
Cons
Silicone grips may be uncomfortable for some
We recommend Manduka’s YogiToes Yoga Mat Towel for a yoga towel that can take heat during hot yoga classes. It’s available in several modern colors and patterns and comes in two large sizes. Silicone grips anchor the towel firmly to your mat, so you can ease into Pigeon pose without worrying about slipping and sliding. However, some users note that the grips can feel uncomfortable under their palms.
We like that you can layer this towel on top of your yoga mat dry or spray it with water for an even better grip. Rest assured that your hands and feet will stay put, no matter how tough your class gets.
Price at time of publication: $67-$69
Key Specs:
Material: Recycled polyester, polyester, nylon | Sizes: Standard yoga mat (68” x 24” or 71” x 24”) or long yoga mat (79” x 24”) | Care: Machine wash cold, tumble dry low or hang dry
Best Cotton
Brooklinen Super-Plush Hand Towels
Amazon
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Pros
Wide range of colors
Soft material
Convenient size
Cons
Long drying time
May fade in wash
Ready to add some luxury to your next workout? These Brooklinen towels are our pick for the best ultra-plush cotton gym towels on the market. They’re large enough to drape over the treadmill when you still have many miles left but small enough to easily tuck into your gym bag next to your favorite sneakers.
Since these towels come in packs of two, you can toss one in the wash after each gym session and still have a second ready to go. Some gym goers say these towels can take a long time to dry, so you may want to up the drying time for each cycle.
Price at time of publication: $49
Key Specs:
Material: Cotton | Sizes: 20” x 30” | Care: Machine wash warm or cool, line dry or tumble dry low
Best Compact
Matador Nanodry Towel
Moosejaw
View On REI
Pros
Absorbent
Quick-drying
Comes with travel case and carabiner
Cons
Carrying case is heavy
For a full-size towel that you can easily bring with you on the trail or to the gym, we recommend Matador’s Nanodry Towel. This quick-drying towel makes it easy to dry off after your shower and get moving. It’s absorbent but lightweight, so you won’t be hauling around a wet towel all day.
The Nanodry also comes with a travel case and a carabiner. We like that the towel has a front-release buckle, so you can hang it up wherever you are. Some users note that the carrying case can feel heavy, so you may want to fold it up and tuck it into your bag instead.
Price at time of publication: $35
Key Specs:
Material: Polyester | Sizes: 52” x 24” | Care: Machine wash
Best Microfiber
Desired Body Fitness Gym Towels
Amazon
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Pros
Anti-odor
Quick-drying
Budget-friendly
Cons
May be too thin for some
Desired Body’s Fitness Gym Towels are our pick for the best microfiber options—and they come in a set of two. They’re compact and ideal for carrying around the gym, whether you’re looking for something to wipe down machines or to keep you cool and dry. Gymgoers love the way these towels remain odor-free, even after multiple uses.
We like the loop on each towel, which makes it easy to hang them to dry after each wash. And at a bargain price for two, they’re also budget-friendly. However, some users note that they are very thin compared to other towels.
Price at time of publication: $19
Key Specs:
Material: Microfiber | Sizes: 44” x 16.5” | Care: Machine wash
Best Sweat-Wicking
Under Armour Project Rock Towel 2-Pack
Under Armour
View On Underarmour.ca
Pros
Modern design
Quick-drying
Cons
Material may cling too much for some
For a sweat-wicking towel that won’t let you down, even during tough workouts, we recommend Under Armour’s Project Rock Towel. This two-pack of absorbent towels features a sleek, modern design made from brushed fabric that quickly pulls sweat away, so you can stay focused. But they’re also quick-drying, meaning they won’t weigh your gym bag down or hold onto unpleasant odors.
After each use, you can use the embroidered eyelet on the corner of each towel to hang it up if you cannot throw it in the wash right away. However, some users note that the fabric clings to itself, even after a few washes.
Price at time of publication: $55
Key Specs:
Material: Polyester | Sizes: 16” x 28” | Care: Not listed
Best Quick-Drying
Waffl Towel
Waffl
View On Wafflstore.com
Pros
Lightweight
Compact
Cons
Design includes large logo
Absorbent and lightweight, the Waffl Towel can hold up to four times its own weight in water or sweat—and it can effortlessly wick it all away, too. We love that it dries four times faster than other cotton towels, which is ideal when you’re on a tight schedule after your shower at the gym. This also stops the towel from smelling damp or musty over time.
The Waffl Towel is easy to toss into your gym bag, as its thin design takes up less space. The waffle pattern isn’t just functional: It’s stylish, too, and comes in a range of bright colors. But the large, embroidered logo may be unpleasant to some.
Price at time of publication: $27
Key Specs:
Material: Cotton | Sizes: 59” x 37” | Care: Not listed
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