Here’s How I Use GSM to Shop for Extra Plush Towels Online (It’s the Easiest Hack!)

Fall is just around the corner, and if you’re anything like me you’ve already begun to mentally transition from summer fun planning mode to prepping for the official start of cozy season. The cozy lifestyle is by far my favorite, so I’m always willing to invest in the essentials — like, a warm throw blanket, fall-scented candles, an oversized mug, and a plush bathrobe. 

I love a plush bath towel too, but until recently, finding one that truly meets my plushness standards hasn’t been easy. Instagram is always convincing me to buy new home items, and I’m often lured in by reviews of towel brands that claim they’re “the most comfortable ever” or “so so plush,” only to order a set and be pretty underwhelmed when it arrives.

In my experience, every towel promises to be plush, but if you’re ordering them online, and unable to feel one for yourself, you just won’t know what you’re getting until it arrives. At least, that’s what I thought, until I came across this savvy towel shopping secret shared by Miami-based home influencer Annalora Vanderbeek, whose hotel-aesthetic-friendly home’s popularity has helped her rack up hundreds of thousands of followers.

The secret is simple: When you’re shopping for towels online, Vanderbeek suggests always looking at the towel’s GSM, which stands for grams per square meter and is used to help determine a towel’s quality, softness, and overall heft. It’s a measure of the towel’s density — kind of like the thread count in sheets. Of course, listing a towel’s GSM is nothing new, but if you’re unfamiliar with the term — like I was — you may find becoming more familiar with it to be a helpful online shopping trick.

If you’re looking for something super plush and cozy, like those luxury hotel towels Vanderbeek loves, you’ll want a higher GSM, usually around 600 to 900. These towels are thicker, softer, and more absorbent, but be warned — they might take a little longer to dry.

On the other hand, if you prefer a lighter, quicker-drying towel for everyday use or for the gym, you might go for a lower GSM, say 300 to 500. These towels are more lightweight and tend to dry faster, although they won’t have that same thick, fluffy feel.

So, whether or not you find this trick to be as game-changing as I do really depends on what you want in a towel: Do you crave that spa-like luxury, or do you need something more practical and quick-drying? Understanding GSM helps you pick the perfect towel that suits your needs.

Vanderbeek uses GSM to shop for the “thickest, heaviest, and plushest” bath towels around — and by towels, she means “bath sheets,” because who doesn’t love a warm oversized towel to cozy up to after a bath or shower? She shared that her go-to cozy towels are the Madison Park Signature cotton set, which has a 800GSM. Instantly influenced, and curious just how good 800GSM is, I added a set to my Amazon cart, and ever since they arrived, I’ve been in love. They’re absolutely wonderful. 

I’ve finally found a hotel-quality cozy bath sheet set  — and a simple way to shop for more — just in time for my favorite cozy season. I’m definitely planning to buy more!

How do you shop for towels online? Do you have a trick or go-to shopping destination for finding the best bath towels? Tell me all about it in the comments below.

Buy now: Madison Park Signature Bath Towel, Set of 2, $44.95