I Love This Plush Checkerboard Bath Towel So Much That I Can’t Travel Without It

It’s true: I’m one of those people who occasionally brings their own towels and blankets on trips. Not every time, but when the mood strikes, it hits strongly. And if you know me, you know I can be a bit picky about my bath towels. It’s not that I’m difficult to please, I just know how towels can really pile up if you don’t take the time to really get to know your favorites. Like the rest of my home, I tend to be drawn to color with bath linens, too. In fact, the only white towels I have in my possession are the ones I use for my hair. So, when I caught a glimpse of Brooklinen’s vibrant and colorful Checkerboard Bath Towels, I knew I had to try them. With a weekend trip to Lollapalooza coming up, it was also a fantastic opportunity to take the towel on a test run out in Chicago.

If you’ve seen the Checkerboard Bath Towel on Brooklinen’s website, let me be the one to tell you that the towels are even more stunning in person. They’re extra-large 100-percent Turkish cotton with a bright gradient checkered pattern that’s inverted on its reverse side. It gives total summer vibes, and the sunny vibes don’t disappear once the season is over. Needless to say, when I started packing for Chicago, I knew it was the towel I wanted to bring. Just a heads up: These are plush towels, so giving them a good wash after removing them from the packaging is highly recommended. After the first wash, there isn’t much shedding in subsequent washes. In the month that I’ve had them, the towels have remained as soft as they were when they arrived. 

Spending a long day under the sun in downtown Chicago for the music festival meant a shower was a must. And this was when the bath towels were truly put to the test. I’ve had other plush-like towels that continued to shed significantly after a few washes, which would leave fibers all over me after drying off. That didn’t happen with this Brooklinen towel. Were there a couple of fibers here and there? Sure, but only a few, which is understandable with new towels. It was also very absorbent and soft, which made my trip feel more like a vacation than the nice hotel we were staying in! What really impressed me, however, was the size of the towel: It measures 30” x 58”, making it slightly smaller than a bath sheet. Combined with its dynamic pattern and thickness, its size makes it incredibly versatile. Like I said, it was the first towel I thought to bring to Chicago, but you can also use it as a beach towel, take it on a day out, or simply use it as an everyday bathroom essential. 

The Checkerboard Bath Towels are limited edition and starting to sell out, so the sooner you get your hands on a set (or two), the better. For a more subtle approach to the checkerboard pattern, Brooklinen also has other checkered products that you can get any time of the year, including the Checkered Bath Mat and Checkered Bath Runner.

Buy: Checkerboard Bath Towels (Set of 2), $75