The Best Beach Towels to Buy Right Now

Best Overall

“Aren’t all beach towels basically the same?” you ask. Not quite. Laguna Beach Textile Company’s are made from plush cotton that’s 50 percent thicker than most bath towels, so they’re ultra-soft. Plus, their 2.5- by 5.8-foot size offers plenty of room for sunbathing. But, if we’re being honest, the 500 five-star reviews is really what sold us.

Best Budget

According to reviewers, these 100 percent cotton towels hold up well after multiple washes and are absorbent and soft. “I was surprised how lush and attractive these were,” admits one buyer. All that for just $11 per towel.

Best Splurge

If you’re going to drop $100 on a beach towel, it may as well be stunning. The dip-dyed ombré design makes this one of the prettiest, most ‘gram-worthy beach necessities we’ve ever seen. And it’s oversize, making it ideal for really sprawling out.

Best Designer

The Italian luxury brand's iconic zig-zag pattern is recreated here in plush, long-wearing cotton. (And this is the ideal way to set off that basic black swimsuit you keep buying.)

Buy It ($275)

Best Graphic

The words translate to mean "Always in the sun." It feels glamorous, as if we might be toweling off on the shores of Saint-Tropez when, in reality, we’re just at the town beach.

Buy It ($54)

Best Turkish Cotton

This towel is so popular, and we can see why: The classic Turkish towel style is minimalist, chic and woven from 100 percent Pergamon Aegean cotton, which is super-light and dries quickly.

Buy It ($68)

Best Strapped

The leather carrier makes this towel the easiest part of setting up on the beach. Once you unroll it, the stripes and tassel trim will win you over too. Get one for each member of the family and you’ll never end up with an overflowing towel bag again.

Best for Kids

Trying to get them to keep their towel on for more than three seconds is a battle we will never win. But thanks to these towel ponchos, that just might change. The hooded design is wearable, rather than a classic wrap-around style, which means they’ll have both hands free to continue playing while they dry off. Featuring designs that range from sharks to ballerinas, there’s bound to be at least one style they love.

$17 at Amazon

Best Microfiber

Multiple buyers say that after trying this towel, they’ll never go back to a traditional cotton one. Its microfiber material dries three times faster than cotton, and sand rolls right off of it. It’s also thinner, and easily folds into a compact pouch that you can throw in the car.

Best Monogrammed

Simply type in your initials and select your preferred towel color, thread color, font and which side of the towel you’d like embroidered, and this Etsy seller will make it happen. Reviewers say that she produces high-quality towels and offers amazing customer service.

Best Round

This 60-inch diameter blanket gets raves for its roominess. "A great size to wrap up in," says one reviewer. "When it’s laid out, [it's] large enough for at least two to three people to sit on." Between the luxe cotton velour on one side and absorbent terry cloth on the other, what’s not to love?

Best Wearable

In SoCal, surfers dry off with these towels, change out of their wetsuits underneath them and use them as blankets to lay back on. And we're hereby adopting the practice for our lazier beach pursuits, namely admiring surfers.

Best Dual-Sided

This artist-designed towel gets our vote for "Most Likely to Become a Wall Hanging." Good thing its poly-microfiber top is colorfast, and the cotton pile reverse is absorbent.

Buy It ($32)

Best Portable

You fold up this 36-by-68-inch towel, then flip it inside out, and it's a handy tote to stash your sunscreen lotion and paddleball set it—handy!

Best Oversized

At 75-by-61 inches, this blanket isn't going to make you choose between getting your head or feet stuck in the sand. And the 11 colorways are so happy, and fade-proof due to their polyester-cotton fabrication.

Best Design

Globetrotting designer John Robshaw creates his coveted textiles from visual cues he collects around the world. This design is delightfully cottagecore on the side displaying birds, while the reverse sports a rich geometric pattern.