Gym Towels We Also Tested

We tested a total of 16 gym towels, but only 12 made our final cut. While these towels didn’t quite meet our standards, a few of their key features are worth mentioning.

• While we loved its fluffy feel and stylish look, Alo Yoga’s Keep It Cool Gym Towel seemed overpriced for a cotton gym towel, and it took up too much space in our gym bag. 

• Gatorade’s Sideline Towel was decently absorbent and easy to pack, but had a bare-bones feel and quickly saturated with sweat in the steam room. 

• Hosstile’s Gym Towel was the ideal size for our workout needs, but it has a rough logo patch that can irritate skin and ultimately seemed like a pricey hand towel. 

• Despite its travel-friendly size and quick-drying fabric, Your Choice’s Microfiber Travel Towel was just too small for most of our workout needs.

What We’ve Updated

• Since publishing our initial research-based roundup on the best gym towels, we’ve re-examined our previous picks and hands-on tested 16 brand-new products, using them during low-, moderate-, and high-intensity workouts. This is now a fully tested roundup, solely providing our hands-on experience with each recommended gym towel.

• We consulted two new experts, a fitness and yoga instructor and a personal trainer, to ensure our advice on selecting gym towels is current and accurate. 

• Based on our new testing data, we’ve added 6 new superlatives and replaced our top picks for 6 products, including our Best Gym Towel Overall, Best Microfiber Gym Towel, and more, to ensure our recommendations align with the current market. 

What to Look for When Shopping for Gym Towels for Sweat

• Materials: The type of material that’s best for you will depend on how you plan to use your gym towel. Cotton is a popular choice because it's absorbent and can be easily thrown in the washing machine, says Samantha Zhou, health and mental well-being manager at Freedom Dividend. Microfiber is a better fit for activities like hot yoga, where you’re depending on your towel to provide some grip. Gym towels made with materials like polyester and nylon tend to be more durable and will likely hold up to repeated use and washes. 

• Size: If you're looking for a towel to simply absorb sweat while you're working out, you may need a smaller towel. Conversely, if you need a towel to use after the shower at the gym or to layer on top of your yoga mat, opt for a larger size. Harte’s ideal towel is around 16 by 32 inches—large enough to be useful, but small enough to carry easily. You can also grab a towel available in multiple sizes and choose the right one depending on your plans for the day. 

• Care: Check the manufacturer’s care instructions before washing your gym towel to prevent damage. A simple machine wash is enough for many towels, but others require hand washing. Drying instructions may also vary, and you may need to dry your towels separately from the rest of your laundry. 

• Additional Features: Consider a carrying bag to make it easier to take your towel to and from the gym. Many yogis also enjoy hot yoga towels with grips that can be used wet or dry to enhance their practice. Woods prefers to use a yoga towel with corner pockets to secure it in place around her mat. 

How We Tested the Gym Towels

To find to best towels for the gym, we first asked fitness experts about which features to look for before researching dozens of towels from today’s top fitness brands. We then tested 16 towels at home, from yoga classes to long-distance runs to strength training and more. During testing, we evaluate each product based on the following key criteria. 

• Absorbency: While sweat is a hallmark of a productive workout, it can be distracting, get in your eyes, and make your equipment slippery—a significant hazard, especially for heavy lifters and hot yoga-goers. We carefully monitor how well each towel absorbs sweat during our workouts and whether it reaches a point of complete saturation. We prioritize towels that consistently keep up with our sweat levels and dry quickly after use.

• Design: We evaluate each towel’s design features and how they impact our experience using it. Upon close inspection and intensive use, we consider whether it feels like a purpose-built towel or like a general-use towel that’s marketed toward gym-goers. Our top picks feature intentional design elements, such as hanging loops for easy air-drying, that genuinely enhance our workouts. 

• Comfort: Sweat and a rough towel are a recipe for skin irritation. So throughout testing, we note how each towel feels against our skin, particularly on the face and neck. We check if it still feels comfortable when it’s damp and after multiple uses. 

• Durability: After washing each towel at least twice, we check for any signs of shrinkage, fraying, and color fading. Our favorite gym towels remain pristine after several uses and washes, indicating they’re built to last. 

• Value: Based on the median price of the towels we test, we consider whether each gym towel is worth its price tag. We give bonus points to towels that come in budget-friendly multi-packs, and those that justify their price with standout features. 

Our Experts

We consulted experts during our research, testing, and reporting process to help us understand the benefits of using gym towels and what key features to look for during testing. While we select products to recommend independently, we use our experts to guide our selections.

• Sondra Woods, AFFA-CFI, NASM-CWC, certified fitness instructor, NASM-certified wellness coach, and 500-hour registered yoga and mindfulness teacher at Mindful Impact Wellness

• Gabriella Harte, NASM-CPT, certified personal trainer at 24 Hour Fitness

• Samantha Zhou, health and mental well-being manager at Freedom Dividend

• Fleur Powell, fitness coach at Nordic Lifting
  

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best towel to take to the gym?

After rigorous testing over a five-week period, Nomadix’s Fitness Towel is the best overall towel to take to the gym, thanks to its superior absorbency, stylish design, and handy hanging loop. Acteon’s Microfiber Quick Dry Gym Towel is also a great pick, especially for those who want a more compact gym towel that can stand up to sweatier workouts.

What kind of towel is best for sweat?

Microfiber towels are the best for sweat because they typically absorb high volumes of moisture and dry much quicker than the average cotton bath towel. Acteon’s Microfiber Quick Dry Gym Towel is our top choice, as it can handle high volumes of sweat during intensive workouts. 

Are cotton or microfiber towels better for gym towels?

Microfiber towels are generally better than cotton for gym towels, as the fine fibers allow for greater airflow and typically dry much faster. However, some cotton towels have a fluffy, plush texture that feels great against the skin. Rogue’s Gym Towel is our favorite cotton gym towel because its plush, ultra-absorbent design feels comfortable against facial skin, it never hardens when drenched with sweat, and softens with every wash.

Why Trust Verywell Fit

Megan Foley is a Verywell Fit writer and professional ballet dancer with over nine years of experience writing about health, wellness, and fitness. She’s been packing a gym towel in her bag daily since her teen years to manage sweat during ballet classes and rehearsals. Her go-to towels are compact, soft on skin, and easy to throw in the laundry at the end of the day. For this article, Megan hands-on tested four gym towels and reviewed test results to help compile our top picks. 

Additional reporting contributed by Amanda Berkey, NASM-CPT

Amanda Berkey, NASM-CPT, is a certified personal trainer, former group exercise instructor, and health coach, so she's run into a gym towel or two. She has worked at Verywell Fit since 2022 and is currently a writer for the brand. She specializes in testing fitness equipment and recovery gear, including gym towels, Pilates mats, vibrating foam rollers, running shoes, and more. She uses her expertise to recommend high-quality options for Verywell Fit readers.