You Deserve Better Towels

Summary

The Wirecutter Show: You Deserve Better Towels – Episode Summary

Release Date: February 19, 2025
Host/Co-Hosts: Christine Cyr Clisset, Kyra Blackwell, Rosie Guerin
Guest Expert: Jackie Reeve, Senior Staff Writer at Wirecutter

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Introduction: The Towel Dilemma

The episode kicks off with Rosie Guerin sharing a relatable household frustration: "I was doing some laundry last night, and I realized at a certain point that I had folded, like, eight towels. But the thing about these is none of them matched..." (00:36). This observation sets the stage for a comprehensive discussion on towel quality, types, and maintenance.

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Understanding Towel Types

Jackie Reeve delves into the three main types of towels, explaining their distinct characteristics and suitable uses:

1. Terry Towels

   • Description: The most common in the U.S., terry towels feature loops of yarn on both sides, making them heavy and plush.
   • Pros: Extremely absorbent and soft, ideal for wrapping up post-shower (11:01).
   • Cons: They are bulky and take up more storage space.

   Jackie explains, “Think of it as like a classic sort of hotel towel. It’s really soft.” (12:01).

2. Waffle Towels

   • Description: Recognizable by their 3D, honeycomb-like texture, waffle towels are lightweight and have a spa-like feel.
   • Pros: Quick-drying and stretchier, accommodating various body shapes (13:10).
   • Cons: Prone to snagging and can feel scratchier to some users.

   Jackie notes, “Waffle towels have a very spa vibe... they feel scratchier than a terry towel.” (14:17).

3. Peshtamal (Turkish) Towels

   • Description: Flat and densely woven, peshtamal towels are ultra-thin and highly portable, making them popular for beach use.
   • Pros: Easy to store and quick to dry.
   • Cons: They can feel clammy and less effective at absorbing water.

   Christine shares her preference, “I like that I can wrap them around my body and I’m not like, with a terry cloth towel that’s really thick.” (16:14).

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Absorbency: Beyond Human Senses

Jonathan Swan introduces a fascinating aspect of towel performance: humans lack a direct “wetness receptor.” Instead, we rely on temperature and texture to gauge moisture (07:11). This limitation means that the perceived absorbency of a towel varies individually.

Jonathan explains, “Everyone will kind of experience it differently... it's really subjective.” (09:00).

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Testing Towels: Challenges and Insights

Jackie Reeve outlines the rigorous testing process Wirecutter employs to evaluate towels:

• Material Composition: Preference for 100% cotton or linen due to their natural absorbency (18:08).
• Durability: High-quality towels can last between 5 to 10 years with proper care (27:19).
• Wash Cycles: Emphasis on washing towels multiple times to remove manufacturing finishes that affect texture and performance (20:48).

Jonathan advises, “Wash your towels at least one time before you use them. It takes about five washes to get all traces of those new finishes out.” (21:52).

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Cost Considerations

The hosts discuss the price ranges for different towel types:

• Terry Towels: $15 to $50+, with premium options like Frontgate's plush towel priced around $44 (25:44).
• Waffle Towels: Typically more expensive, often around $50 for quality options (26:12).
• Peshtamal Towels: Range from $30 to $50, balancing cost and functionality (27:00).

Christine mentions, “I have Amazon ones that are made out of cotton that I really like. They’re like six for $36.” (27:08).

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Care and Maintenance Tips

Maintaining towel quality involves specific care practices to preserve softness and absorbency:

• Avoid Fabric Softeners: These can coat fibers, reducing absorbency. Instead, use a good detergent without excessive additives (27:46).
• Dry Thoroughly: Ensuring towels are bone dry prevents mildew and odors (29:02).

Jonathan strongly recommends, “Do not put fabric softeners or dryer sheets in with your towels.” (27:46).

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Lightning Round: Quick Q&A with Jackie

In a rapid-fire segment, Jackie Reeve addresses common towel questions:

1. How often should you wash your bath towels?

   • Answer: Every three days. “You should change it every three days.” (28:43)

2. What to do if towels remain stinky after washing?

   • Answer: Use an appropriate amount of detergent, avoid overuse, and ensure towels are thoroughly dried. “Make sure you're using a good detergent. Don’t use too much of it.” (28:58)

3. How many towels per household member?

   • Answer: Two to four per person to maintain a rotation system. “Generally two to four towels per person.” (29:43)

4. Difference between bath towels and bath sheets?

   • Answer: Bath sheets are larger for more coverage. “Bath sheets are just bigger.” (30:09)

5. What defines a beach towel?

   • Answer: Larger size and shorter terry loops for portability and quick drying. “[Beach towels] are significantly bigger... and they dry faster.” (30:24)

6. When to replace towels?

   • Answer: When they start fraying, pilling, losing color, or feel less soft. “When they start fraying, if you notice that the edging is coming undone.” (30:44)

7. Disposal of old towels?

   • Answer: Donate to animal shelters or use for pet bedding if they're too worn for human use. “Call a vet’s office, call an animal shelter, see if they can use them.” (31:12)

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Takeaways and Final Thoughts

The episode concludes with the hosts sharing their personal takeaways:

• Christine: Astonished by the revelation about human sensory limitations regarding wetness. “The human body is wild.” (32:41)
• Rosie: Open to experimenting with different towel textures beyond her usual preference for terry. “I’m intrigued by waffle.” (32:59)
• Kyra: Recognizes the need for more and better-maintained towels, emphasizing the importance of regular washing. “I need to get more towels.” (33:31)

Jonathan wraps up with a personal anecdote, “I bought him a 120-piece bag of Japanese KitKats... he is living his candy dreams.” (31:37), highlighting the blend of practical advice with personal touches that The Wirecutter Show is known for.

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Conclusion

"You Deserve Better Towels" provides listeners with an in-depth exploration of towel types, their functionalities, maintenance tips, and purchase advice. With expert insights from Jackie Reeve and engaging discussions among the hosts, the episode equips consumers with the knowledge to select and care for towels that best fit their lifestyles and preferences.

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Timestamps

• 00:36 - Rosie discusses mismatched towels dilemma
• 11:01 - Introduction to terry towels
• 12:01 - Terry towels' plushness explained
• 13:10 - Overview of waffle towels
• 14:17 - Feedback on waffle towel texture
• 16:14 - Preference for peshtamal towels
• 18:08 - Importance of natural fibers in towels
• 20:48 - Importance of washing towels before use
• 21:52 - Washing towels to remove finishes
• 25:44 - Cost ranges for different towel types
• 27:46 - Advising against fabric softeners
• 28:43 - Frequency of washing towels
• 28:58 - Managing stinky towels
• 29:43 - Number of towels per household member
• 30:09 - Difference between bath towels and bath sheets
• 30:24 - Characteristics of beach towels
• 30:44 - Signs to replace old towels
• 31:12 - Disposal recommendations for old towels
• 32:41 - Hosts' personal takeaways

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Connect with The Wirecutter Show: For more product recommendations and in-depth reviews, visit nytimes.com/wirecutter or check out the show notes linked in your favorite podcast app.

Transcript

[Noah Chestnut]

Hey, it's Noah Chestnut from the Athletic. If you're into games and sports, pay attention. I'm gonna give you four sports terms. You tell me the common thread. Ready? Game. Match point.

[Jonathan Swan]

Set.

[Noah Chestnut]

This one's kind of a gimme. The answer is how tennis is scored. Do you want more of a challenge? Check out Connections Sports Edition. It's a new daily game for sports fans to play. Now go to theathletic.com connection.

[Jonathan Swan]

Towels especially, it's because cotton and linen are more absorbent. They're porous fibers naturally, and so they're thirsty. I'm not talking about, like, romantasy levels of thirsty hair. I just mean that they physically want to soak up a lot of water.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

I'm Christine Cyrclassette.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I'm Kyra Blackwell.

[Rosie Guerin]

I'm Rosie Guerin. And you're listening to the Wirecutter Show.

[Kyra Blackwell]

This episode is called YouTube. Deserve Better Towels.

[Rosie Guerin]

Guys, I was doing some laundry last night, and I realized at a certain point that I had folded, like, eight towels. But the thing about this, and I know this sounds random, but the thing about this is none of them matched.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Oh, yeah.

[Rosie Guerin]

And then I was starting to go back through my personal history, trying to remember where all these towels came from. I was like, they're all kind of in varying forms of degradation, I think maybe is a good way to put it. And I was thinking that maybe it's time for an overhaul.

[Jonathan Swan]

Right.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I just feel like that's how you come to collect towels over your life. It's like a really boring collector's item.

[Rosie Guerin]

I feel like leveling up is having a full set of matching towels.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

I mean, I feel like.

[Rosie Guerin]

Christine, you have a full set.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I definitely do.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Yeah, of course I do.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Are they all the same color, too?

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Well, you know what? Actually, I have some. I have a couple sets in different colors, but I will tell you that I didn't actually achieve that until my late 30s, early 40s. So.

[Rosie Guerin]

So is it fair to conclude that perhaps, Kyra, you do not have a full set of matching towels?

[Kyra Blackwell]

Don't look at me right now. She's setting me up because she knows I only have one towel.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Wait a minute. That seems pretty extreme. Are you like a. I'm worried for you, monastic person or something? Like, are you. You just, like. You just have, like, one chair in your apartment and one towel?

[Kyra Blackwell]

Okay, call me out.

[Jonathan Swan]

Christine.

[Rosie Guerin]

Dangling bulb.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Yes. Actually, that's my entire life. But I had a towel collection, but all of them just got so raggedy so fast. Are now all just rags.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Yeah.

[Kyra Blackwell]

And then now I just have one functioning towel.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Yeah, you know, this is actually, I think, pretty common. Towels are kind of one of those things that, you know, they don't last forever. They get raggedy, and it can be expensive to buy nice ones that will last. There's also just a ton of options out there. So I think there can be a little bit of decision fatigue to kind of figure out what you want.

[Kyra Blackwell]

And they're not cheap.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

No, they're not cheap.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So many things we talk about now.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

You know, I've also edited a lot of our towel coverage. And I just know that in general, towels can be really polarizing. Like, if you are in a partnership with someone and you like one kind of towel and they like a different kind of towel, it can be kind of hard to decide which ones to get. So, you know, they're just very, very subjective things.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I get that. I mean, I covered mattresses for a few years, and obviously people have different tastes. But the wonderful thing about towels is that you don't have to share. Like, you can just. This is your own. Yeah.

[Rosie Guerin]

By hotel.

[Jonathan Swan]

Yeah.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I'm so thankful that we, of course, have somebody to talk to about this, and that person is Jackie Reeve, which I'm so excited about, because Jackie is our in house expert who knows a ton about textiles, but she specifically covers towels and sheets, as you guys, I'm sure. Remember when we did our sheets episode.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

A few months ago, that was like one of my favorite episodes.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Yeah. So hopefully she's going to help me and all of us find a set of towels that we all like so we never have to think about this problem ever again. Or at least for the next five to ten years.

[Jonathan Swan]

Maybe.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Jackie's gonn walk us through the different kinds of towels you can buy. Secrets to figuring out the real texture of a towel before you invest in an entire set, which you know, this is going to save you money in the long run. And how to care and maintain for all of your towels. That's all coming up after the break. See you in a sec.

[Jackie Reeve]

I'm Jonathan Swan. I'm a reporter at the New York Times. You know, when people think about the media, your favorite podcast, you know, cable news panels, and different things, I think it's fair to say that myself and my reporting colleagues at the New York Times exist at the more unglamorous end of that spectrum. Our job is to dig out the facts that provide a foundation for these conversations. These facts don't just come out of the ether. It requires reporters to spend hours upon hours talking to sources, digging up documents. Also, if the story is a story that a powerful person doesn't want in print, there's threats of lawsuits and all kinds of things. So it's a really massive operation. There aren't that many places anymore who invest at that level in journalism. Without a well funded and rigorous free press, people in power have much more leeway to do whatever the heck it is that they want to do. If you think that it's worthwhile to have journalists on the job digging out information, you can subscribe to the New York Times. Because without you, none of us can do the work that we do.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Welcome back to the Wirecutter Show. With us now is Jackie Reeve, who is a senior staff writer. She's covered everything from bath towels to rugs. Even so, she actually told us in her sheets episode that she has a whole second laundry room in her basement just for all the things that she tests for Wirecutter, which is wild.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

That's truly wild. Jackie, welcome to the show.

[Jonathan Swan]

Thank you.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

It's really great to have you on again. I love talking about sheets. The last time with you and something that I think is just wild is you told us a little bit about the setup in your house for testing all of the textiles that you test at home. You test sheets. You test blankets, obviously towels. How many towels do you think you currently have in your home?

[Jonathan Swan]

Oh, my God. I mean, I. You know, towels. Do you mean like towels that have become rags? Because I've tested them into the ground.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Or do you mean towels that you.

[Jonathan Swan]

Could actually clean your body with?

[Kyra Blackwell]

Both.

[Jonathan Swan]

A couple dozen, probably.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Okay.

[Jonathan Swan]

I try to donate them on if they're not in terrible shape, but yeah, a lot of them become rags. And that doesn't count the ones that live in our greenhouse and outside with my chicken coop supplies. So the ones that are physically in the house, I'm sure I have at least a couple dozen.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

And how long have you been testing towels for wire cutter?

[Jonathan Swan]

Since 2017.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Okay.

[Jonathan Swan]

Wow.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Long time.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Okay. So a common complaint that we see on wire cutter is just about the absorbency. People just don't seem to like that their towels don't seem to be that absorbent or they don't think that they absorb water. Well, are there some towels that are just more absorbent than others? Like, what's really going on there?

[Jonathan Swan]

I mean, yes, there are towels that are more absorbent than others, but one of the tricky things with testing these is that humans do not actually have a wetness receptor. What? Yeah.

[Rosie Guerin]

So, like, what does that mean we.

[Jonathan Swan]

Don'T have a mechanism for identifying wetness directly? What our brains do is they formed all these other pathways and senses to tell when something is wet. But we cannot actually identify wetness. Insects can, but we can't. So what we use to detect wetness, temperature. Because when things are cold, we tend to identify them as wet more than when they're warm. So if you've ever taken like a load of clothes out of your dryer when they've sat for a while, if they feel cold and you can't tell if they're wet or not. I have had that happens to me all the time.

[Rosie Guerin]

Knock down, drag out arguments about whether the clothes are cold or wet. And I never knew why, because I always think they're just cold.

[Jonathan Swan]

Yeah, I do too. And I run them in the dryer for another 20 minutes. Even psychologically, because if they take the laundry out warm, I think it's dry.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

And I've gotten in trouble in the past for doing laundry, taking it out warm, and then finding out later it's clammy after it's, it's like cooled off and then been like, oh, I didn't dry it enough, but I thought it was dry when I took it out.

[Jonathan Swan]

Of the dryer 100%. And that's one of the other senses that we use. So we basically use temperature and texture. And so the way it feels, you can sort of tell if something's clammy or like if you get dressed and you're still damp and your clothes stick to you, you can tell that there's still moisture on your skin. But technically we do not have a wetness receptor. Smell comes in later. Like, have you ever done a load of laundry and you think it's good and dry and you fold it and put away? And then sometime later you pull a shirt out of a pile and you realize it stinks a little bit. It was probably not totally dry.

[Kyra Blackwell]

That's one of my least favorite sensations ever.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

It's one of my least favorite smells. Honestly.

[Jonathan Swan]

It's awful.

[Kyra Blackwell]

It's just like moldy. God, it sounds like humans need like a software update. That's such a flaw in our design.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Isn't that weird companion to let us know, like our little assistant?

[Jonathan Swan]

Yeah. So if you take that into account and you think about how different humans respond to temperature, right? Like, if you live with someone who's always changing the thermostat to the opposite of whatever you want it to be, you know, you run hot, someone runs cold. That makes it really Tricky to pin down wetness. But I think because those things are really different from person to person, then that, to me, that means that the way a towel feels to someone when they're drying off and that sense of how well it's absorbing is going to be different from person to person. Everyone will kind of experience it differently, which, you know, like, a lot of the things I test, it's really subjective, and it sort of makes identifying the best anything challenging because I can try and find the best thing for the most people, but it's never gonna be perfect.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Right.

[Rosie Guerin]

So it must be, then really difficult to actually test absorbency, like, in an empirical way.

[Jonathan Swan]

I mean, we would need a lab, really, to be able to tell. So it's wildly challenging. And so when I've done panel tests for towels, I rarely have someone give me the same answer for absorbency. You know, like, I don't get a consensus when I do that. Everybody experiences it differently. And so a lot of what I'm looking at is texture, which is also different from person to person, but, like, texture, overall quality, how it washes, does it pill, does it fall apart? You know, does it hold its color.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

All that good stuff.

[Rosie Guerin]

So, Jackie, this question might be simplistic, but I do want to zoom all the way out. Can you lay out for us the main types of towels you can get? What are my options if I'm going into a store and shopping online?

[Jonathan Swan]

All right, so a terry towel is the most common in the US it's been, you know, sort of generally the most popular for years. And it is made with loops of yarn that are attached to a base layer from both sides. So it's going to be loops on the front and the back. It is heavy because it just has more material in it. The way they're constructed is not dissimilar to a carpet.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

And we think of these terry towels as like the plushest, softest kind of towel. Right.

[Jonathan Swan]

Think of it as like a classic sort of hotel towel. You know, wrap yourself up in it. It's really soft. If you are someone who likes to wrap up in a towel and hang out in it for a while, a good plush terry towel feels amazing. Terry towels are going to be the heaviest towels by weight, and that's actually a feature, not a bug. Part of how terry towels are measured and advertised is by weight. And because there's so much material on them and it sticks up off the surface, they take up more room to store.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Okay, so that's terry towels. The next type of towel is waffle towels. Right. Can you tell us about those?

[Jonathan Swan]

Waffle towels are, I would say, on the rise. And they look like waffles. They are very light, and they have sort of a 3D look to them. So they're covered in tiny little pockets of material. You can look into them and see some dimension, like a pie lattice or a honeycomb. It's woven with just layers of yarn. There's no material in the middle that a waffle towel is attached to. It is just straight woven on a loom with layers of yarn going over and under each other in a pattern to make those little 3D pockets that you could just, like, plop some butter and syrup into. And so if you held a waffle towel up to the light, you probably could see through it, you know, because it's just yarns in layers, whereas a terry towel, you can't see through it because there is material in the middle that both sides those loops are attached to. And so, by weight, waffle towels are super lightweight. And because you can see through them, you know, they dry pretty well. You know, they do the job with less material, basically.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I feel like I associate waffle towels with, like, spa robes.

[Jonathan Swan]

They have a very spa vibe, for sure. I think of terry towels as classic plush, fat hotel towels and waffle towels as, like, soothing spa towels. Yeah, yeah. It's very stretchy, too, as a material, because of just the way it's woven. It has a little bit more give. And so that is appealing for some people. You know, different body shapes, things like that. And cons are that they snag really easily because that material, the way it's made, all those yarns, are just very accessible to, like, the surface of a towel. So if you hang it on a hook, you could stretch out a hole in it. You know, if you snag it on something, you could pull out a thread of the yarn and, you know, kind of distort it. And also, people have really strong reactions to the texture of waffle towels. I mean, I don't want to say scratchy, because that makes it sound like a negative, but that's something that we hear a lot for feedback on waffle towels is that they feel scratchier than a terry towel, and some people really are into it. You know, we also talk to a lot of people, and, Christine, I think you're in this camp, too, that they like a little texture to your towel.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

I like a little scratchiness. I don't like to be pampered by my towel. I want it to, like, scratch me a Little bit.

[Kyra Blackwell]

But you like a terry towel the best, don't you?

[Christine Cyrclassette]

No, no, my husband likes the terry towel, and I, I, I actually prefer your next category, Jackie.

[Jonathan Swan]

Yes. And I know this. Peshtamal towels. I know this is your jam. So peshtamal towels, I would say, like, really gaining popularity maybe 10, I don't know, 10 years ago, before waffle towels started to become the ones I see the most. Peshtimal towels were a popular alternative. And they are sometimes also called Turkish towels, which can be confusing because terry towels are sometimes also called Turkish towels just because of where the cotton is grown. But like, let's say a Turkish style towel, a peshtimal towel, it's going to be flat, woven, kind of like a tea towel, super thin. There's no height to it, so there's no material standing up from a base. And again, if you held it up to the light, it's pretty densely woven and you're not going to be able to see through it. I mean, I would say it's probably the lightest of the three and certainly, like, the easiest to store in a closet. Right. They fold up really flat. Some people use them as beach towels because they're really easy to throw in a bag, too, and just be on the go with it. The cons are, again, people find them too thin and scratchy because it's just straight, flat yarn. You know, that you're rubbing back and forth, like across your body. It's just going to have a different feel to it than terry. And another con that we hear from people is that they feel more wet after you use them than a waffle or terry towel. And that's because, because they're flat, whatever water you transfer to it is right there on the surface. So they're gonna feel cold and a little clammy immediately. And some people, when the towel feels really wet, it gives them this feeling like you're just moving water around and you're just touching a cold, clammy thing to your body. It doesn't actually feel to some people like it's getting you dry.

[Rosie Guerin]

So, Christine, is it masochism or what is it that makes you love the pestremel talk about it?

[Christine Cyrclassette]

I like that they're lightweight. I do like a little texture. Like the peshtimal towels I like, they're not super scratchy, but they, I really like that I can wrap them around my body and I'm not like, you know, with a terry cloth towel that's really thick. It's kind of hard to wrap it around your body and, like, you know, keep it on. Fasten it to fasten.

[Jonathan Swan]

It's more rigid.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Peshtamal is so lightweight that you can just wrap it around. I can walk around. I kind of almost feel like I'm wearing a robe or something. And my kids also really like the peshtimal now. My husband hates it. He does not like it. He feels like it's. It's just pushing the water around. He also doesn't like that it does get really wet. Think about just having a huge tea towel and wrapping it around your body. That would be really gross for some people, and for me, I think it's awesome.

[Jonathan Swan]

Like, I like it.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I'm team your husband. I do not like it like that feeling. Not a fan.

[Jonathan Swan]

Bechamel towels are popular in, like, hot climates, you know, where, like, I mean, if you lived in the tropics, would you want to wrap up in a terry towel? Maybe not. You know, that just might be a lot to deal with.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

I think that's why I like them, because I really just want to be living in the tropics.

[Jonathan Swan]

Right.

[Kyra Blackwell]

You can.

[Jonathan Swan]

You can imagine, like, you know, it has kind of a beach vibe. Beach, spa, hotel. That's how I sort of think of the three categories.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Okay, we're gonna take a quick break, and when we come back, Jackie is gonna debunk some towel myths. We'll be right back. Welcome back to the Wirecutter Show. This episode, we're talking with Jackie Reeve, our textile expert, and we're talking all about towels.

[Kyra Blackwell]

It's always so fun with Jackie.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

It really is.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Yeah. So if you're out in the wild and you want to buy a good towel, what do you recommend, Jackie?

[Jonathan Swan]

People look for on labels, so 100% cotton first or linen. And a cotton linen blend is also fine, you know, but you just want it to be entirely made up of natural fibers.

[Rosie Guerin]

Why is that the case with towels especially?

[Jonathan Swan]

It's because cotton and linen are more absorbent. They're porous fibers naturally. And so they're thirsty. Not thirsty. Like.

[Rosie Guerin]

Like, they want to. They want.

[Jonathan Swan]

Not thirsty. Like, thirsty. Yeah. No, thirsty. Like, they absorb a lot of water. I'm not talking about, like, romantasy levels of thirsty hair. I just mean that they physically want to soak up a lot of water. And so synthetic towels, like, those fibers are finer. They're much smaller, thinner material, and so they don't have as much space to hold water as a good natural fiber, like cotton or linen, and they feel totally different. And so, yeah, we tend to just recommend cotton and linen because they're the most durable and so they last longer, they feel great, and they're, you know, fantastic.

[Rosie Guerin]

What about microfiber that supposedly dries super fast?

[Jonathan Swan]

Don't do it.

[Rosie Guerin]

No, no, no. But what about another nostalgia hit? Why are we all not just toweling off our bodies with the shamwow?

[Jonathan Swan]

Don't do it. Don't do it.

[Rosie Guerin]

But that being absorbed six gallons of water. I saw it on tv.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Do you remember what it feels like when it dries off?

[Jonathan Swan]

It's like trying to towel off with a sheet of cardboard.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Yeah. Well, also because, like, a shamwow is kind of one type of material, and then a microfiber cloth is another type of material. And we have a lot of cleaning guides, and we recommend microfiber cloths in almost every single one of those guides. And it's because they have these little fibers that are really great at picking up dust, and they don't leave streaks and stuff. But if you touch those with your skin, they just. It feels like those little fibers are grabbing onto your skin in a very unpleasant way.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So gross.

[Jonathan Swan]

Yeah.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

It's not like a scratchy, nice way. It's kind of like a.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Like it's trying to get at you.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Yeah. It's not. It's not nice.

[Kyra Blackwell]

When I clean with microfiber, I have to wear gloves. Like, the texture is so uns.

[Rosie Guerin]

You can't pick it up in the winter if you have dry skin.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Yeah, it just like, you're going to be, like, flipping your hand trying to get rid of it. Yeah.

[Jonathan Swan]

The static alone. Don't dry yourself off with a microfiber towel and then touch a metal door knob. It'll ruin your day.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

You heard it here first, folks.

[Rosie Guerin]

If you walk away with nothing.

[Jonathan Swan]

Let'S.

[Rosie Guerin]

Say I know I like a plush towel, for example. I can go into a store and feel a bunch of terry towels and pick the one that feels softest.

[Jonathan Swan]

Yeah.

[Rosie Guerin]

Is that going to be enough to know if I'll continue to like the way it feels and drives me off once I get home and take it for a spin?

[Jonathan Swan]

Yes and no. It does make a lot of sense to touch towels in a store to see how they feel. However, what I think you're really looking for is like, do I like how fat? Do I like the weight of this? Do I like the. If you run your hand over it, do I like the way the terry loops kind of move in the wind? That kind of thing. But just like with sheets and every other Textile that I write about and we talk about towels come with a ton of finishes on them. And so how a towel feels on a store shelf or when it arrives at your house brand new is probably not the way it's going to feel after a few washes. And in fact, we definitely recommend wash your towels at least one time before you use them. And it takes about five washes to get all traces of those new finishes out of a textile. And towels use a ton of them because if you think about it, they're more saturated with dye than a lot of other household textiles. They're more colorful and boldly colorful than like your sheets and, you know, some blankets even, they're really rich. And that's cause they just have. Have lots of dye in them. And so that changes the surface feel of a towel when you have that much dye in it. And also they don't want those dyes to fade before you. The shopper gets them and gets to go, oh, look at this amazing red towel. And so they put a ton of things. You know how you put like moisturizer on your skin to keep it locked in. Right. Towels are the same. And so part of the manufacturing process involves putting a lot of extra things to make them soft, to make them lustrous, to make them look amazing, and to keep that color on them as long as possible. And so you can absolutely touch a towel in a store to get a sense of whether or not you like it. But in terms of softness and how it's gonna feel on your body after a shower, you really need to wash them a bunch of times before you get all of those extras out and get to the true feel.

[Rosie Guerin]

My mom is out in the world evangelizing your coverage. Jackie on Wirecutter, specifically.

[Jonathan Swan]

Rosie's mom is my biggest fan.

[Rosie Guerin]

Yeah. And she came over the other day and she bought me a set of L.L. bean flannel sheets because she knows the way to my heart. Yeah. And then she's talking to me about, she's like, well, you gotta wash em because the conditioners and the this. And I'm like, do you listen to my show?

[Jonathan Swan]

Do you know Jackie Reeve?

[Rosie Guerin]

So anyway, a lot of this is ringing true and I. And I love it. And it's interesting to me that it is a lot of the same stuff for towels as well.

[Jonathan Swan]

It's true for towels. It's maybe even more true for towels than it is for sheets because you're using towels in one of the most vulner vulnerable situations you could be in. Right. It is Right. In all the nooks and crannies of your naked body.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Yes, it is.

[Jonathan Swan]

And so how it feels is, you know, one of the most important things about how it works, especially, you know, tied into how we sort of understand wetness and all that kind of stuff. And so you definitely have to wash them several times, which makes it really challenging to buy like six towels at once.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Well, this is something I want to ask you. So, okay, if you're going to buy six towels, that's a big investment. That's like 15 to 30 bucks a towel at least. I mean, you don't want to buy a bunch of towels, wash them five times and be like, oh, I hate like these. Yeah, that's like a very frustrating experience. So what's your advice like to get a sense of what that towel will feel like?

[Jonathan Swan]

I would say buy one bath towel first and see if you actually like it before you commit to buying more. Having said that, that also comes with its own challenges, especially for more budget friendly towels. One thing that we run into with our guide all the time, our top and like upgrade pick towels are expensive. And a big part of why that is is because they are consistently available. Like, more high end towels don't get discontinued as often. But a budget towel, like a towel from Target or Walmart, maybe even Amazon, they get discontinued constantly. And so our budget picks are the first ones to disappear. You know, sometimes even while I'm writing a guide, I'll be like, this is a great new budget towel and I've had it just disapp while I'm writing the guide. They go that fast.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So frustrating.

[Jonathan Swan]

It's so frustrating.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Basically, you buy a cheap towel, you need to go home and wash it immediately, five, five times, and then decide just you've got a whole weekend task ahead of you.

[Kyra Blackwell]

And then if you like it, you go and buy it in bulk, call.

[Rosie Guerin]

Out of work, go home, wash it five times.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

I'm sorry, I have an emergency.

[Rosie Guerin]

Then buy 300 of them.

[Jonathan Swan]

I give you permission to take a day off work to do a towel experiment and like, find what you like and then go back and stock up on them because we cannot promise that they will still be there.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Okay, so now that we know what we're looking for, can you tell us how much we should expect to spend on each type of towel?

[Jonathan Swan]

Yeah. Good news is you don't have to spend a fortune. The bad news is you very well might. So for like a terry towel, the good ones that I've tested can be as low as like $15, which is where a lot of our budget picks end up landing. They can be as much as $50 or more. And inflation has some things to do with that. Two of our longer running Terry picks are close to that 50 range, but for, like, our top pick towel, that.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Front gate towel, which is a super plush terry towel.

[Jonathan Swan]

Such a nice towel. Yeah, it is a really great towel, but it is significantly more expensive today than it was when we first recommended it in 2017. It was 28 or 29 when I first tested it, and I think it's currently 44.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Wow.

[Jonathan Swan]

But the towel itself really hasn't changed. It has just gone up for whatever reason. Waffle towels are consistently more expensive. We've found some really great budget waffle lately, and that's a pretty, like, new addition to the world of towels that we've been testing. But good waffle towels are often 50 bucks, so waffle is typically more expensive. And then Peshtimal is, you know, sort of similar. It's in the sort of maybe 30 to $50 price range for, like a good one. I mean, Christine, I don't know how much you spend, you know, I know you like a. I know you love them.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

I do. I. I have spent up to 30. I also have like these Amazon ones that are made out of cotton that I really like. They're like six for 36.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Oh, my gosh.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Yeah. I mean, super cheap. I like them. I don't know.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I have one final question. How long should you expect a quality towel to last?

[Jonathan Swan]

5 to 10 years for a good towel. And that sort of tracks with the testing I've done at this point. Like the. I still have and use the first Frontgate towel that I tested in 2017. And it obviously does not feel the same as a brand new towel, but it is closer than you would think. It's pretty fantastic.

[Kyra Blackwell]

That's pretty good.

[Rosie Guerin]

You're never going to be able to like, revive a towel, right?

[Jonathan Swan]

Not really.

[Rosie Guerin]

Yeah, once it's sort of not plush and soft anymore.

[Jonathan Swan]

Yeah, I mean, people do by adding dryer sheets to them. And I will say absolutely. Do not, not put fabric softeners or dryer sheets in with your towels. Of all the things that you do laundry, you know, that you wash in the laundry. Towels are the one thing that you should absolutely just never go near with that stuff because it affects their absorbency. So if you're worried about how well a towel does its job, basically all you're doing with the fabric softener is you're adding on the Same kind of conditioners that are on it. When it comes new, you spend all that work to wash them out to get that feel. You're just putting on another coating, basically to make it soft. And it's an artificial feeling. It will affect performance.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Okay, Jackie, this is my favorite segment that we do. We're gonna do a lightning round. I'm gonna give you a. Like a rat, A tat. Tat list of questions. I don't want you to overthink it. Just answer as quick as you can.

[Jonathan Swan]

Okay.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

How often should you wash your bath towels?

[Jonathan Swan]

Every three days. You should change it every three days. You can throw it in the hamper till you wash it, but every three days.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

What?

[Jonathan Swan]

Yep.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

I know. I feel like people are often shocked by that, but. Yeah, you got skin that's coming off on it. It's. It's a. It's a good idea to wash it frequently. Yeah.

[Jonathan Swan]

All right.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

What do you do if you just have stinky towels? You just. You've washed them and they still stink.

[Jonathan Swan]

Make sure you're using a good detergent. Don't use too much of it. Any extras that you add to the laundry can build up on a towel. And then if you have a stinky towel, for whatever reason, just throw it back in the wash. And also make sure that it is. I say bone dry for things, and I understand that that is, like, maddening because I've also said we can't feel wetness. So, like, what are you talking about, woman? But get it as dry as humanly possible, because any moisture left on that towel while it sits in storage and hangs out, you know, is going to make it stink.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

And just a quick aside, like, the right amount of detergent should be probably around 2 tablespoons for a large load, right?

[Jonathan Swan]

Yeah.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Yeah. Okay, great. All right. How many towels should you have per person in a household?

[Jonathan Swan]

Okay, I like this question because I just finished working on this piece about linen closets, and I talked to a bunch of professional organizers and asked them how many sheets and towels and things you should have. And generally two to four towels per person.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

That is so many towels.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I have, like, one and a half.

[Jonathan Swan]

Yeah. You want to have enough to rotate them out every three days and basically keep up with your own laundry cadence.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

What's the difference between a bath towel and a bath sheet?

[Jonathan Swan]

Bass sheets are just bigger. So if you're taller and you need more height when you wrap it around your body, or if you're larger and you need more width to cover your body, bath sheets are just Bigger.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Okay, that's great. So what is the deal with a beach towel?

[Jonathan Swan]

Beach towels are bigger. First of all, they're significantly bigger because you're also using them as like a blanket to lie on. And they are generally a shorter terry, and that is to make them lighter to carry. Throw in a bag, fold up smaller, and the idea is they'll dry faster.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Okay, how do I tell when it's time to replace my towels?

[Jonathan Swan]

I would say when they start fraying, if you notice that the edging is coming undone, you know, and you're, you're seeing threads everywhere. If the surface is pilling a lot and you're like, you know, picking off little bits of fluff, if the color is really gone or if you just don't feel like they're feeling as good as they used to, but physical signs that they're falling apart, unraveling.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Okay, so for dead towels, you mentioned you like to use yours in your chicken coop. Yes, but for like, like the regular people amongst us who don't have chicken coops, what do you recommend doing with old towels?

[Jonathan Swan]

Reach out to animal shelters. If they're in bad shape, I wouldn't donate them, you know, on to, for other humans to use. But animal shelters, I mean, they need so many supplies, blankets, all that kind of stuff. And so towels are great. Call a vet's office, call an animal shelter, see if they can use them.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Before we wrap, we ask all of our guests one last question. What's the last thing you bought that you've really loved?

[Jonathan Swan]

I think the best thing that I bought for anybody for Christmas is, and this might even be in one of our gift guides. This is how I heard about the company, at least. We went to Japan last year for spring break and had this amazing trip. And so for my husband for Christmas, I bought him from Sugoi Mart. I think that's how you say it. I bought him 120 piece bag of Japanese KitKats. He is living his candy dreams with that bag of KitKats. That has been a highlight of our January. Of my January is hearing him talk about how much he's enjoying all those Kit Kats.

[Rosie Guerin]

I have that bag.

[Jonathan Swan]

Oh, you do?

[Rosie Guerin]

Yeah, I do.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Is it good?

[Rosie Guerin]

I now have to hide it from my family.

[Jonathan Swan]

Yeah, I haven't seen it since I gave it to him. Me and my daughter have not had a single one of those Kit Kats.

[Rosie Guerin]

Went over well. Thanks, Jackie.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Thanks, Jackie. No problem.

[Rosie Guerin]

Always fun to have you, Jackie back again with all of the info nuggets and gems Just straighten them out. That I never knew about towels or textiles.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

I've worked with Jackie for years, and I feel like I just learned a bunch of stuff I actually didn't even know. It's awesome.

[Rosie Guerin]

What are your takeaways from this one?

[Christine Cyrclassette]

So, okay, I gotta say, this whole detail about us humans not having wetness receptors is blowing my mind. And I feel like it's my new cocktail party chatter. Like, by the way, did you know, I feel like this is that kind of thing. It's like this is just wild. The human body is wild.

[Jonathan Swan]

Why don't we have that for me?

[Rosie Guerin]

I think I am gonna be more open to different textures than I have previously. I've always gravitated toward Terry, but I'm intrigued by waffle. I also appreciated Jackie's shorthand to remember what the textures should remind me of. Terry giving that hotel kind of style. Waffle giving spa and peshtimal giving that sort of beach.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Yes.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So good. I have a lot of takeaways. First one being I need to get more towels.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

More than one towel.

[Kyra Blackwell]

It's like one and a half cristine. Okay. I have a backup. I just don't like it that much. I have a backup that I hate. Guess I'll work on that. Also, I need to be washing my towels more than once a week. Apparently it's every three days.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Yeah, I mean, I guess it depends. If you only take three showers a week, then you're probably fine.

[Jonathan Swan]

No, I don't.

[Kyra Blackwell]

No, I take like two showers a day with my one crappy towel.

[Rosie Guerin]

My. Dude, you need to do that math because you're gonna need more than one extra towel. Yeah, we'll sidebar. Okay, that's it for us. If you wanna find out more about Wirecutters coverage or if you wanna check out any of the products that Jackie recommended today, if you wanna find out more information about her reporting on towels, go to nytimes.com wirecutter or of course, you can find a link in the show notes. And that's it for us. Thanks, y'all.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Thanks. Bye. Bye. Here's what's coming up next week on the Wirecutter show.

[Jonathan Swan]

Turning on and off your router and modem actually will cover a multitude of sins.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

What do you mean by sins? Make sure you're following the show on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss it. The Wirecutter show is executive produced by Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel. Engineering support from Mattie Mazziello and Nick Pittman. Today's episode was mixed by Katherine Anderson. Original music by Dan Powell, Marian Lozano, Alicia Ba Itupe and Diane Wong. Wirecutter's deputy publisher and general manager is Cliff Levy. Ben Fruman is Wirecutter's editor in chief. I'm Christine Cyrclassette.

[Kyra Blackwell]

I'm Kyra Blackwell.

[Rosie Guerin]

And I'm Rosie Guerin.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Thanks for listening.

[Jonathan Swan]

Yeah, it's just something that you order from a catalog or order online but doesn't have a physical store.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Order from a catalog.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

A catalog. Kyra doesn't know of such things. Of these. These catalogs of yay, older days or whatever.

[Jonathan Swan]

I talk to Kyra and I feel as old as the hills.