I really like the Vera Wang towels from Kohl's. Heavy cotton, great quality.

Restoration Hardware Turkish towels
802g of nice quality - hold up well, wash well & do the job

Lots of GWers w/same opinion

Sales 20% run 2x/yr Jan/July

Here is a link that might be useful: RH towels

About a year ago I asked the same question on the bath forum. I took all the responses and posted a list of the recommended towels. You might want to look it up. Prices range widely. Also some light thinner and some thicker. We ended up getting royal velvet from BB&B (with coupons).

I found the summary post.

In search of the best towels..
Here is a summary of brands and stores that our forum members have recommended. Also included results from CR and another towel test. These are in no particular order!

Pottery Barn
Restoration Hardware
Macy's - Hotel Collection
Costco - Charisma
Bloomingdales - Abyss, Christys
Calvin Klein Lush
Tuesday Morning
Kohl's - Laura Ashley, Vera Wang
Garnet Hill
Lands End - Bamboo/cotton, spa towels
British Christy Renaissance
Bamboo fiber towels
Company Store
Home Goods - Lacoste
Frontgate
Matouk Milagro
Pinzon
Yves Delorme Etoile
Target - Thomas O'brien, contemporary home
Sears - Colormates
Bed Bath & Beyond - Duet by Royal Velvet
Great Indoors - Lasting Color by Westpoint Home
Walmart - Canopy
Wamsutta Supima Classic

Am I allowed to condemn a towel rather than recommend? I recently purchased several of these JCPenney quick-dry ones; I cannot get over how they shed! Our shower and bathroom floors are forever covered in bits of lint from these towels, not to mention yourself after drying off!

Here is a link that might be useful: you'll need another shower after using these...

I'm glad you posted this, we need new towels and I was just going to ask the same question. My concern is absorbency, though. I bought some new towels years back, and they were nice and soft but didn't seem to absorb water. They do now after many washings. Is that par for the course with towels or are there certain ones that are absorbent right away?

Second (or 3rd) the recommendation for Restoration Hardware towels. Thick, but not too thick, absorbent and have lasted for many, many, many washes. If you can wait for sales, they are not crazy expensive.

We also like Vera Wang from Kohl's. We bought some for the master bath a while back and really liked them. Last week I bought some for guests to use and my aunt commented on how they were the softest towels she has ever used. I do cheat and run my guest towels through a fabric softener only rinse before they come. Still, they are nice without the extra treatment.

I also love Vera Wang white towels from Kohls. I usually purchase with 30% off coupon and also spend my $10 bonus bucks on them. I never use fabric softener on towels, I thought it affected absorbency.

Hi sewwhatsnew, I didn't know that about fabric softener and absorbency. We have hard water so maybe thats why we haven't noticed.

Hm, I always use dryer sheets and my towels have not lost absorbency, rather they start out with none and seem to gain it over time.

We've relegated our RH towels as pool towels now. We find them so thick and heavy, they're too cumbersome to use. Especially as we wipe down the glass shower walls after squeegee-ing. Just bought some Charisma from Costco and I'm not sure how they will hold up, but seem to do the job quite nicely. I've had really expensive towels from Bloomies (Christy) and less expensive from Homegoods. I've decided it's a crapshoot, try some and see how they work for you. One thing is for certain, they don't make them like they used to, my mother's Royal Velvet towels from 30 years ago are like new. Now the looping or something else tends to snag. Made in America? Not likely...

Thanks for replying everyone! I didn't get out yesterday to buy towels like I had hoped :( Unfortunately I can't wait for a sale, we really do need them now.
I know that I definitely don't like the towels labeled quick-dry or dri-soft (I think they're microcotton??) I bought a bunch of different hand towels a while back to try out and they are not absorbent at all!! And we don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets at all because of allergies, so I know that's not the issue.
My husband prefers a heavy towel, I prefer a lightweight one. I was hoping to find something mid-weight to appease both of us, but I think I may just get us separate towels.LOL
Yes compumom, you are right; I'll just continue to buy some and try them out.

For those of you that like the Vera Wang towels at Kohl's do you know if they are the "Cotton Blend" or the "Microcotton"?

Thanks!

Hi Charley526, on my Simply Vera, Vera Wang towels it says...70% Cotton and 30% Viscose made from Bamboo fibers.

Thanks jterrilynn! Those are the "Cotton Blend" towels. They are buy one get one free right now, can't wait to try them!

Another vote for the RH towels. We have been using ours nonstop for about nine years. We have 8 washcloths, 8 bath sheets and four hand towels for the two of us. They get rotated regularly so they wear evenly. The WCs started getting pulls in them about two years ago, but I think I might blame that on my washwer and dryer rather than the WC. The towels are just finally starting to show some wear an fraying at the edges.

My mom has some towels in her guest bath that I really dislike. I don't know what kind they are, but they have big loops and are very soft and fluffy to the touch. But they don't absorb worth a flip. Instead, they just push the water around on your body. Not what I want in a towel!

I looked for the perfect towel about 5 years ago. I just bought one towel at a time to try it out. If I didn't like it ,DH got it since he would be just fine with sand paper and never complain. The 2 I liked were RH and Bloomies own brand called Platinum. Those are my favorite. The Bloomies towels are somewhat softer.

This thread is timely for me as we're coming to the end of our bathroom renovation. I'd already decided on Restoration Hardware towels because of the colors. Our bath is slate, so the muted colors they have work well.

My question is how many towels do two people need? We were thinking of two color towels (stone and prairie). I was thinking four bath sheets, four bath towels, two hand towels, and four washcloths. Admittedly the washcloths and bath towels might end up more as decorations rolled in a niche or basket. (I like cheap washcloths for my face..exfoliation!). With a couple of bath mats it came to almost $500. Seems cuckoo. I'm cashing in my Amex points for a RH gift card, but can't seem to wrap my head around the number. Seems small after what we paid for the bathroom and Elfa closet, but jeepers, I'm a waitress! :)

Beth p.

I'm in the minority here but I absolutely love the JC Penney Linden Hill Quick Dri towels. I've had them for almost a year, they really have performed well for us. They do dry very quickly, I'm running the dryer less, and I think they are soft and plush. Mine have never shedded, not one bit, so I don't know what's going on there. I have about 20 of these towels stacked in my bathroom in the off white.

I really like Macy's Charter Club brand-it's a bit on the thicker side. I also like their Hotel brand, but note it comes in 2 grades. The higher grade is super thick/plush and may be too thick for your desires.

I ended up buying some Vera Wang Blended Cotton Bath Towels at Kohls to try out. We do like them very much so far, but I still find them to be too heavy/thick for my liking. But then I'm accustomed to my European waffle weave towels, which are VERY thin. I decided to just get myself more of my favorites and the Vera Wangs for everyone else. The bath towels ended up being $7.70 each after sale & coupons! Can't beat that. I was prepared to pay $28 each!

Now I'm on the hunt for the perfect facecloth...:D

I really miss the old Royal Velvet towels. We still have one or two from years ago.

Last year I bought a couple sale towels from The Company Store as a trial, 100% cotton, made in Turkey. We really like them, wish I'd gotten more. I'm trying to find out right now if they still make that type. I know it was their own brand.

Otherwise, for awhile I've just gotten what looks good at Tuesday Morning. Most are OK, a few are really good. You just never know until you wash them a few times. Only problem with TM is you can't get a whole bunch that match. We like to have a lot of towels. Also, I don't care what the label says, I use a little bleach and wash them on warm/warm. So they probably don't last as long as they should.

I refuse to buy towels made in China. Wish there were some still made in USA.

I've found some nice ones at Target. They have a big selection and are reasonably priced.

Bloomie's all the way...during their white sales. Hudson Park or WaterWorks brand. Towels and my preference, bath sheets.

We recently got some very nice thick, plush towels from Sam's Club that are very generously sized and are 100% cotton.

What towels do you recommend if I do not like thick towels? I don't want the super thin micro fabric. I don't think they absorb water very well. But, I can't stand using a thick bulky towel.

And the person who asked how many towels to get. I think 4 bath towels, 2 hand towels, and 4 white facial towels. Really, that is all I need in the master bathroom.

I really like my Ralph Lauren towels...not too thick, not too thin. Have lasted several years through occasional bleachings. (Teenager kept putting things on top of damp towels. All on the floor, of course. By the time I would discover them, they would be mildewy. Yuck!) Bought some of them at Macy's, but have had good luck finding them at tjmaxx and marshals.

>I've found some nice ones at Target. They have a big selection and are reasonably priced.

Yes, they are good quality and wear well, but beware the dye in darker colors. About ten years ago I bought a set of dark green and one of peacock blue, and those colors are still running enough every time I wash them to stain anything lighter that gets into the load with them (and I tried everything I could find to set the dye better). I always have to wash those separately.

No, no, no to Restoration Hardware! They are thick, cumbersome and take forever to dry between uses. After using them a couple of months, I donated them to get them out of the house.

For the member who doesn't want thick towels, I'd recommend Ralph Lauren classics. You can usually find them at TJMaxx/Homegoods stores at great prices. Nice quality, but not bulky. I've pieced together sets between Macys and TJMaxx.
Thicker- RL Greenwich towels, currently on sale at Horchow. if you decide to go that way, google for coupon codes. Thick, thirsty, soft, love!
I also have Restoration Hardware towels. These are my current favorites with some reservations.
#1 At first I thought I'd made a mistake. They were so bulky and heavy it was hard to wrap them around your hair. Washing and drying for several weeks took out the extra lint or whatever, so now I feel they are a comfortable thickness. Very nice.
#2 I have a "water saving" :( washing machine, and was struck by how quickly my RH towels stained. They didn't stain, it was my @#$$@W@Q$%%# washing machine! They are so thick I need to wash them in warm water, on the heavy duty setting. No more "stains".

My absolute favorite towels are Christy, but I'm not sure which exact ones. Online I see "radiance", "renaissance", etc. My grandmother has these towels and she has had them forever and they have held up, are super soft and absorbent and not too thick.

At my home I just buy Costco towels. Our bath towels seem to migrate to other areas of the house and since they easily end up being used to clean my husband's guns or the cars, I don't see the point of spending much money on them.