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I get my towels from Smartbargains.com - They're not some fancy name brand, but they always have good deals and the towels work just fine.

I recently bought a set of Egyptian Cotton towels (2 towels, 2 handtowels and 4 washcloths) for @ $49.

I'm in the market for new towels and I've been considering some from Lands End, based on reviews from friends. I've never actually touched them. Has anyone had an experience with Lands End towels?

anyone have any fave organic cotton towels?

Am I the only person in the world who rarely uses a towel? I have a wonderful terrycloth bathrobe and a few of those hair twisty things you can buy at Bed Bath and Beyond and I rarely use my towels. It's a habit I got into in college, when dragging a towel and a bathrobe and all of my other shower stuff from my dorm room to the bathroom seemed like too much.

I just bought new towels from costco. it's like 20 bucks for six huge, soft white luxurious towels.

the jonathan adler towels from target are great for the price, too.

The Hotel Collection towels from Macy's are indeed soft and absorbent, but we have had a problem with our gray ones losing color in the wash in random splotches (despite no bleach ever having been used). Our vanilla colored ones are fine, but virtually every gray one we have is no longer fit for display.

My sister got the luxurious costco variety, and I second tomahto's endorsement on those - they're great quality and cheap to boot.

WARNING: Hotel Collection towels. I bought these towels and had to return them. They feel extremely soft, but the micro-modal mix is hardly absorbent. Try it out after you shower -- you will need a second towel to get all the water droplets off.

No matter how soft towels are, I think the #1 quality of any towel is absorbency. That's why I recommend the restoration hardware paradigm towels. My only complaint about the paradigm towels is the dye can easily be discolored if you use any beta or alpha-hydroxy creams on your face.

I have the Hotel Collection gray towels, but I haven't noticed any weird color issues. It's soo hard to find gray, too, isn't that weird? I use those for hand towels, but I've got these huge bath sheets from BedBath (in gray, yes) that are thinner, heh, "crispier", but that work BETTER than the big soft Hotel brand towels. It's funny like that.

Ultimately I love the bath sheets, but was NOT willing to spend like $60 on ONE TOWEL. The Hotel towels were a splurge during a big sale. I usually stick with Target or BedBath...but a macy's sale....droool.

I've got some JC Penney Towels. I think I paid $4.99 for them or something, and they're actually quite nice. But, maybe I don't have experience w/ really fantastic towels.

i love my towels from the company store. they are so soft and very thirsty :) their bath sheets are also nice and big!

http://www.thecompanystore.com/parent/Bath Towels Rugs/3601/VF95X_6/

sorry, that link should be...

company store company cotton towels

its not just about the name. I've gone through tons of towels with fancy names and not...My hotel collection towels have stood up so-so but my mom's Restoration Hardware towels still seem brand new (and amazing) after a few years of heavy use-I think they end up being a good bargain because of their quality. And, they come in a million colors.

"I'm in the market for new towels and I've been considering some from Lands End, based on reviews from friends. I've never actually touched them. Has anyone had an experience with Lands End towels?"

Yes, I've had Lands End towels in the past.

Everything from them is extremely well made, and their monogramming service is excellent.

anyone have a recommendation for me? i am in the market for super white towels. i don't like thick heavy ones, like the restoration hardware towels, which i find annoying when doing laundry b/c it takes up too much space and takes up energy when drying. also, really heavy ones pull on my hair too much when i wrap up my hair after a shower. i'm open to textures like herringbone, waffle weave, etc.

I'm going to ask a very embarassing question:

So..ummm...what does one use a washcloth for, exactly? Bath and hand towels are pretty self-explanatory, but washcloths?

I just want to know because I feel like I'm missing out on something!

Washcloths? I use nice white pristine ones for washing my face on days where I don't shower or at night for removing makeup etc.

I occasionally use my washcloths for a quick clean-up but generally my "body puff" scrubby has taken the place of the washcloth. In theory, using a washcloth with your cleansing product gets you cleaner than just the soap alone. I usually keep a stack of washcloths in a basket to use as individual "hand towels" so everyone isn't using everyone else's germy handtowel (and it reduces the laundry space hand towels take up).

Frette all the way. Their hotel range washes up just great.

I got a set of Wamsutta ones from Filenes a while back and they are fantastic, very plush and soft. I think they were maybe $6 each.

Talloush, I use wash clothes in the tub/shower most of the time. I'll occasionally use a handtowel. But I usually save hand towels for drying hands on or for removing make up.

But perhaps, that's just Me.

I've had white Charisma Classic cotton towels for 7 or so years and they've held up wonderfully. They are not so thick that they are a pain to wash/dry, and because they are 100% Supima cotton, they are very soft and absorbent.

That only problem has been with the small face cloths because the tags are bulky and start to unravel the edges. Next time, I'll buy another brand's face cloths.

-Figs

Washcloths: I think they're useful if you take baths, not showers. They help remove soap scum.

I sell bedding and linens all day long. The Christy Embrace towels are the absolute best! They don't shed even a little bit. The silk and micromodal have wonderful wicking properties (absorption) and makeup washes out of them very easily. I like them better than all the others. The towels are hemmed on all 4 sides and don't lose their shape. Also, the silk enables the towels to dry quicker than towels that are 100% cotton. These towels do not fade. I have had the same sets in my home for two years and they get washed every single week. They still look brand new. A note to everyone regarding laundering of towels. Don't ever use fabric softener or fabric softener sheets. The loops on towels are what makes them absorbent. Each loop is made to absorb water. Fabric softener is nothing more than wax. When you use it, fabric softener fills the loops with wax making them puff up and look fluffy. However, the wax in the loops retards absorption. Enjoy your towels and if you can, get the Christy. They also make another line called Renaissance which is also a good towel, 100% cotton - but the Embrace are superior!

I just saw this post... I'm looking for a new towel set (our current towels are sad), but my highest priority is absorbency. So many towels nowadays are ultra-soft, but they don't absorb water well and feel gross on wet skin. The last "organic" towels I got had to be laundered a lot to be absorbent... I laundered them about ten times, and there was only a mild improvement. Ick. I also generally prefer thinner towels, if anyone still makes such a thing.

Sphinxie:

Absorbency is the ultimate goal of a good towel. A lot of absorbency issues are created by laundering incorrectly. #1
- don't ever use fabric softener or fabric softener sheets. #2 - Don't use too much detergent. Use the least amount of
detergent you can when laundering. Next - towels that have a velvety look or feel and look darker when you rub the pile one way and lighter when you rub it the other - are called "sheared towels." These towels are made by cutting the loops off, leaving only straight fibers. These towels look very pretty and feel soft and smoothe, but have absolutely no absorbency due to the lack of loops. The more loops a towel has the more absorbent it is. Although they are not thin, the Christy Embrace towel is super absorbent. If you want a thin towel, try a brand that is on the less expensive side.

heads up on Restoration Hardware towels.. they're vegetable dyed, so you have to be careful with washing/care of them. they're the best towels i've ever had, and all my friends & family have them and love them!

before washing when you first get them home, put them in the rinse cycle of your washer with just them and a cup of white vinegar (very helpful if you got the darker colors).. this helps to set the color in the towels. then you can wash regularly in cold or warm with woolite... other detergents you want to use: nothing with scents, preservatives, color preservers, color brighteners, special dyes, or anything special in the detergent.. get the cleanest free-est detergent! All free & clear works great.. Tide HD works great as well. Also, most kinds of organic detergent works also.

also.. it'd be a great idea to get white (or ivory, or lighter colors) for your wash cloths or hand towels.. you have to be careful of certain chemicals in your cleaning products like benzol peroxyde or alpha hydroxy.. if they're good enough to strip makeup off your face, they're good enough to strip the color out of these guys too!

Talloush, I'm a guy, and I use a washcloth in the shower. I generally lather it up with soap and use it to clean my junk, if you know what I mean.

I've tried the poufy body scrubber things, but they feel a bit strange. So for now, it's the washcloths.

Land's End towels are fantastic, colors are no-fade, ends don't unravel, no shedding, etc. I wish I had just bought those when we got married.

Instead, I registered for Macy's Charter Club towels which royally suck. Shedding, pilling, unraveling, and not all the blue towels are the same shade of blue....SO annoying. Of course this only happens after you wash them a few times and then you can't take them back. grr.

Ralph Lauren Polo towels are fantastic too - hard wearing and no unraveling at the ends. I speak only for their solids though - my parents have both those and Land's End towels....jealous.

I have Abyss towels, and they are absolutely AMAZING. They are pretty expensive, but they have the widest variety of colors of I've ever seen and unique finishing. I LOVE them! They sell some of them for decent prices on bluefly.com now. I got mine at Bloomingdale's.

I love the Lawton towels from Ralph Lauren at www.horchow.com. Monogramming is free and adds instant decor to your bathroom. They are almost always on sale. Good quality and absorbent but not heavy.

I am looking to buy new towels. I saw some egyptian cotton at Overstock.com
Are egyptian cotton very absorbent? That is my no. 1 criteria. Softness is second.

if you have any experience with egyptian cotton towels, how do they compare to turkisk cotton towels...and those hardware restoration towels?

thx

Microcotton towels under the Hotel Brand (Macys) are the Best by any scale. They last longer; stay softer even after 2 to 3 years of usage; Color is not a problem at all. Their Finest version - none in the towel world to compare.

I just bought some Ralph lauren Lawton towels and was very disappointed! They not only shed loads of lint, but they started to unravel after one wash. I have had RL towels in the past, but these were awful. Must be a reason they are always on sale. Anyway, I am now trying to decide between Hotel Collection Microcotten and Land's End Spa Towels. Anyone?

Can anyone tell me where to get towels that have a design on them that look like a Persian carpet?

I love and stick with Abyss towels. I buy the Super Pile style from finelinenandbath.com. (I'll give them a plug). Since I like to change colors often they send me swatch samples of my color selection before I order. They were the only company that would do this for me. I refuse to try any other style or brand. I just don't need to. These towels are so plush and I love the color selections. Colors are vibrant. I can not think of ever using any other but the Abyss Super Pile. It's like a spa experience every time I use them. I highly recommend this brand.