If your favorite family vacation ideas involve lounging on a sandy beach or wrapping up after a splash at an outdoor water park, you want beach towels that feel good against your skin and actually dry you or your kids off so no one’s dripping wet on your family beach vacation. And you want a beach towel that gets the job done and looks good doing it, too.
The Best Beach Towels for Summer
The best beach towels come in all different shapes, sizes, and fabrics. From terry cloth to cotton towels, oversized options to lighter weight and quick drying materials, here are seven perfect beach towels that earn the title of beach essentials for your summer vacations.
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1. Henbay Fluffy Oversized Beach Towel
Cabana-striped towels are a classic for a reason. And this fluffy oversized beach towel from Henbay, made from 100 percent American combed cotton, uses a special dying process to reduce fading. Double-stitched edges help it hold up to washings and frequent use, and it strikes a good balance between a thin towel and a super-plush option.
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“They are very vibrantly colored in lovely, bright, beachy and rich hues. The aesthetics are very pleasing to my eyeballs,” notes one reviewer. “Fluffy, soft, absorbent, and excellent quality! I bought three!” says another.
2. Wetcat Turkish Beach Towel
The lighter weight and quick drying Wetcat Turkish Beach Towels score points for their ability to soak up water despite being thinner than other more-typical options. One reviewer raves they are “much more absorbent than any luxe cotton loop towels that I have tried, and I have tried ALL the high-end towels.”
Because these Turkish beach towels dry quickly, you won’t be stuck with damp, slightly stinky towels after a day at the beach or pool. And since they aren’t as thick as other Turkish towels, they easily fit into a suitcase, beach bag, or kids backpack with ease.
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Says another reviewer, “I bought my mom and myself Wetcat towels to take to Florida, and they were perfect for the beach. They’re oversized so it was easy to lay out without getting my legs or arms sandy, plus the sand shook off easily.” With two dozen bold colors to choose from, everyone in the family can pick their favorite bright colors and easily avoid mixing up towels.
3. Voova and Movas Beach Towel/Bath Towel with Hood for Kids
Is there anything cuter than a kiddo wrapped up in a beach towel with a hood? This hooded beach towel and bath towel from Voova and Movas is made from 100 percent breathable cotton and features eco-friendly dyes and UPF 50+ sun protection. “It’s a great towel. Made of materials that hold up well after multiple washes and still feels soft!” says one reviewer.
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Prints range from the always-popular mermaid to colorful sharks, dinosaurs, and outer space designs. Parents appreciate this oversized beach towel for its size and the handy snaps that help keep it closed, perfect for a quick change at the beach with your little one. “The towel is very soft and just what we were looking for!” says one reviewer. “Would definitely recommend!”
4. ECCOSOPHY Microfiber Beach Towel
Multitasking items are always good to have on hand when traveling. This microfiber material beach towel from ECCOSOPHY not only helps dry you off after a swim at the beach or pool, but it can also do double duty as a tablecloth, picnic blanket, beach blanket, or yoga mat.
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The two-sided prints allow you to match your towel to your bathing suit color or mood. Prints range from bright stripes to tropical patterns. And these lighter weight beach towels come with their own mesh carrying pouch that make them easy to toss into any bag.
One reviewer says, “What I loved most about this towel is that it is very absorbent. It dried me up and then it too dried up super-fast!” Another raves, “Everyone who travels needs this in their carry-on.”
5. Sand Cloud Turkish Tie-Dye Towel
Score points with your teen by picking up one of these San Cloud Turkish towels in on-trend tie-dye. They’re a pricy option, but reviewers swear by their ability to dry quickly and repel sand. And they’re even Shark Tank approved. (The company accepted a deal with “shark” Robert Herjavec.) As one reviewer says, “Absolutely beautiful. So glad I didn’t get the cheaper knockoff version; I was very tempted. This is well worth the money.”
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Made of 100 percent Turkish cotton, these beach towels are said to become softer with each wash. Another reviewer comments, “I love it! Lightweight and perfect for the beach and pool. Plus it’s so cute!” And if tie-dye isn’t your thing, there are also striped versions in all kinds of color options.
6. L.L. Bean Seaside Beach Towel
Dry off in true preppy style with L.L. Bean’s Seaside Beach Towel. Opt for coastal prints like lobsters, oars, or alligators, or go for the bright colors of the new rainbow-striped version. Made of ring-spun cotton, these favorite beach towels are yarn-dyed to prevent fading and earn points for their plushness. “This is an amazing beach towel,” says one reviewer. “Thick, soft, absorbent, and looks great!”
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The beach towels can be monogrammed with up to 10 characters, so everyone in the family can claim their favorite design. And like a lot of products from the L.L. Bean, these towels earn praise for their durability.
Another reviewer says, “This is an excellent product! I bought several beach towels two years ago and they performed so well I purchased three more recently. They are large and colorful and held up well.”
7. Wildkin Kids 100 Percent Cotton Beach Towel
These plush cotton beach towels aren’t just cute, though with design options that include unicorns, dinosaurs, and planes and trains, they definitely are cute. But what elevates the Wildkin Kids 100% Cotton Beach Towel to the ranks of the best beach towels is that they also have the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 textile label, meaning they’ve been tested for harmful substances and deemed harmless for human health because they’re free of things like phthalates and BPA.
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The oversized towel’s extra roominess will keep up with growing kids. And as one reviewer says, “It’s even bigger than I expected, and our toddler loves the design!” The patterns coordinate with other Wildkin items, like lunchboxes and backpacks.
