I Was Never Picky About Bath Towels Before, but Now These Are the Only Ones I’ll Use (Plus, They’re on Sale!)

A few months ago, I moved into my first apartment, taking with me a bunch of hand-me-down towels from home that we had for years. I’ve always seen towels as being purely functional and never gave much thought to quality, so instead of investing in a fresh set, I chose to save my money. But once I settled in, I started to focus on the smaller details in my new place, including the fact that my bathroom towels were getting rattier by the day. So when I got the chance to try Kassatex’s Kyoto Bamboo Towels, I figured it was the perfect excuse to give my linen closet an upgrade.

Bamboo towels and other home goods have been growing in popularity recently for their sustainability benefits. “Bamboos are known for being the fastest growing plant on the planet, growing in some cases as much as 35 inches per day. Its fast growth rate means there would be no need for using harmful growth chemicals nor need to constantly destroy entire ecosystems,” Water-Pollution.org.uk founder Casper Ohm told Apartment Therapy in April. Compared to cotton, bamboo towels generally last longer, absorb more water, and are naturally odor resistant. 

When my set of towels arrived, I pulled the Ink blue washcloth, hand towel, and bath towel from the box and immediately noticed how much thicker and softer they were than my old 100 percent cotton ones. That shouldn’t really have surprised me, because I know from previous experience at a screen-printing job that bamboo is a delicate material that makes for a very soft fabric. Since Kassatex’s instructions suggested washing the towels before use, I gave them a spin in the washing machine and dryer (which I would have done anyway, but the reminder was nice). My old towels are usually still a little damp even after a high-heat tumble dry, but the Kyoto towels came out completely dry and just as smooth and dense as they were before going into the wash. Already an improvement!

Finally, it was time to actually use the towels — and that turned out to be the biggest eye opener. The Kyoto towels felt so much more plush than my hand-me-downs from home, which were thinner and rough against my skin. Wrapping myself in these more luxurious linens felt like such a treat after stepping out of the shower. The Kyoto towels were also super absorbent, making it much quicker to dry off, and I loved that there’s a little loop sewn onto each one so I can hang the towel on a hook when I’m done.

I’ve been using the Kyoto towels for nearly three months, and they’re honestly the only ones I reach for now. Besides loving how they feel, I also appreciate their higher quality. The grayish-navy Ink color still looks brand-new, even after repeated washes, and there are no signs of wear or loose threads. And unlike my old towels, these don’t leave fuzz in the dryer and on everything they come into contact with. At $35 each, the Kyoto Bamboo Bath Towels are a little pricier than what I’d usually spend, but I’m loving that extra little bit of luxury. In fact, I’m already considering adding the bright Coral color to my collection (they also come in Coal, White, Dolphin Gray, Ink, and Ivory Tusk). And with our exclusive discount code for AT readers, you’ll want to stock up too. Use code APT20 for 20 percent off sitewide so you can refresh your entire space.

As for those hand-me-down towels? They’ve now been relegated to cleaning rags.

Buy: Kyoto Bamboo Bath Towel, $28 with code APT20 (normally $35)