The 10 Best Waffle Towels to Complete Your Bathroom

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

Gentlemen, we really need to step up our textiles game. Only owning one or two towels is bad behavior. I don't care if they're the best bath towels ever or one of these do-everything waffle towels. No potential S.O. wants to come over and share a towel with you. It feels weird having to say this, but men continue surprise me every day. Buy a damn towel set.

To be fair though, this is not a gender-identity issue. There's a lot of people out there who are growing up, ditching the futon, and undertaking a big home refresh. Because wrapping up in a new, clean, soft bath towel is a feeling like no other—up there with falling onto the perfect mattress, taking an alfresco summer nap, or brewing the perfect cup of coffee—we feel it's our duty to help you wade through all the potential options.

Finding the perfect bath towel is tough. Some like plush, some like airy, and everyone likes absorbent. But if your main criteria are airy and absorbent, we'll always recommend waffle towels. They're a lighter, space-saving alternative to your traditional terry cloth towels. Though not as common, they're just as effective and perfect for those that don't want to deal with the heft of terry cloth. As such, we went out and found the 10 best waffle towels money can buy. If you're new to this game, or just need a refresh, these are the brands worth your time.

Waffle Bath Towel Bundle

I've written at length about why I love Brooklinen's waffle towels, so I'll keep it short here. The main reason is that they were the only waffle towels that I found myself reaching for before a plush towel. Every other towel on this list is great, but Brooklinen makes the towel that turned me into a Waffle Towel Guy.

Tangibly, they're incredibly absorbent, ridiculously soft, and they don't shrink or get messed up in my industrial-strength laundromat dryers. They're the perfect waffle towel.

Complete Set

Anyone who has ever explored the world of bathroom essentials knows about Onsen and its fine, luxurious waffle weave. The brand is named after the traditional style of Japanese hot spring spa, and rightfully so.

The long-staple towels really bring that traditional spa experience home. The oversized waffle design can substantially accelerate the absorbing and drying process. We recommend getting a whole set of towels, but start individually if you like.

The only thing we didn't love about these, especially compared to Brooklinen, is that they shrunk a tad too much. I'd love to launder them gently, but I go to a laundromat. I'm not paying extra to have dry them separately. That said, I line dried them once or twice, and that fixe the issue.

Imabari Waffle Towel (Set of 6)

The Citizenry's Imabari Waffle Towel is loomed in a family-run mill in Japan with over a centennial of craftsmanship in making towels. That pedigree shows in the towel's long-staple Pima cotton, sleek flat-edge hem, and oversized waffle weave. This is as luxurious as waffle towels get. If you do choose to splurge on a whole set, even simply wiping some sweat off yourself with a face towel can feel rather decadent.

Waffle Bath Deluxe Bundle

Cozy Earth makes incredible textiles—all of which feature some amount of bamboo viscose, which is marketed as a more sustainable alternative to cotton. These waffle towels are no different.

We found them to be light, soft, and incredibly absorbent. And as far as sets go, Cozy Earth's Deluxe Bundle is the most complete we've found. For $300, you're home is fully outfitted, but you can also grab a smaller set if you're living alone.

Organic Cotton Mosaic Towels

Technically, these aren't "waffle" towels. They're actually a jacquard that, in person, feels a lot more bespoke than anything else on the list. The intricate three-colored weave is so singular, it looks as though these towels were made specifically for you.

In practice though, these do feel and perform incredibly similar to waffle towels. The jacquard has some natural gaps which give these towels the same airiness and absorbency that you expect from a waffle set. They're fun, look expensive, and feel as nice as anything on this list.

Waffle Terry Bath Towel Set

If you're buying your first set of waffle towels, maybe start with something familiar. These towels from Boll & Branch combine waffle and terrycloth in a double-sided towel.

These hybrid towels that have waffle indentation in the front, which gives them great absorbency. Then, there's plush terrycloth on the back. Both sides feel lovely to the touch, so it's a win-win.

The only downside is that the terrycloth backside makes these less airy than true waffle towels. Something to consider.

Waffle Bath Towel

Parachute Home kind of reigns supreme in the world of organic of bedding and bathroom fabrics. These dreamily soft, lightweight waffle towels met every demand we set for our waffle towel testing.

They're made of 100% long-staple Turkish cotton, come in some beautiful colors, and can turbo-dry themselves. At with a not-too-unbearable price, it's very enticing.

Waffle Towels

The first waffle towel we gave a go were Ettitude. We started here because one, Ettitude has been a thing in the waffle towel world for a while. And two, its waffles are not dramatically large or ridged. It makes sense as a starting point for testing, and it makes sense as a first waffle towel you would buy.

The towels are on the thin side, but they withstood daily use quite well. And since it's made in almost see-through bamboo lyocell, these feel light and airy to the touch.

Organic Plush Waffle Towel

West Elm makes its waffle collection in a handful of colors, from olive green to mustard yellow to a lovely little beige. While its waffles not the deepest, nor the most airy, they're deep enough to trap and wick a ton moisture.

We also loved how lightweight they are, and the swirl design on the waffles is a unique touch. On top of that, a towel is only $34, and a hand towel is $19. These are a great deal.

Waffle Bath Towels

If you like stay on the statistical side of things, Gilden Tree's waffle towel dries 40 percent faster than its terry ones. We're not sure how we'd quantify that, but we'd say it's about accurate.

Another cool thing about these towels is they're made extra large. That means we didn't have to worry about that 15 percent shrink. I threw them in my industrial-strength laundromat dryer on high, and they came out well sized. By the next wash, they'd stretched out again.

The texture on these fe; rougher than most other waffles, but we didn't hate it. And best of all, you can get these on Amazon, so the whole process is stupid easy.

What Is Waffle Towel, and Why? Some FAQs

Do waffle towels dry more quickly?

Yes. Compared to any other towel weaves, waffle towels do their job the quickest.

Are waffle towels better than terrycloth?

A lot of people tend to opt for plush terrycloth towels with soft woven loops. Those are fine, but they take a long time to dry and lose their plushness over time. Waffle towels are more lightweight, absorb more water, and dry more quickly. Plus, they are thinner and take up less space in a linen closet.

Who should try waffle towels?

First, people in hot and humid climates. Waffle towels are a great option for drying off quickly, so you don't become a sweaty, sticky mess post shower.

Second, we find that a lot of guys prefer waffle towels to terrycloth, since they want something more efficient, more sanitary, and less plush.

Do waffle towels shrink in the laundry?

Yes, especially if you dry them. It's a fact of the weave. It doesn't affect the performance at all, and they'll stretch back out in between washes. If you don't like that, you can line dry them, or you can give them a few tugs immediately after they come out of the dryer.

How We Test Waffle Towels and What to Look For

If you want to go off-script and test your own waffle towels, fine. Here are our grading criteria.

Absorbency - How much water does a towel absorb? How quickly does it dry you off?

Dry Time - After drying, how long until the towel is ready to go again?

Durability - All the waffle towels on this list met our high standards here, but we've used some waffle towels that start to fray way too easily. Be careful out there.

Ease of Cleaning - Towels are going to get dirty sometimes. It's a fact of life. How well can you get stains out? How soon until they discolor?

When Is the Best Time to Buy Waffle Towels?

We are constantly searching for the internet's best sales and deals, so we'll let you know when waffle towels are part of that.

That said, the best times to buy waffle towels are the end of seasons. President's Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day—these are the times when textile brands are cycling through inventory. That's when you'll score good deals on waffle towels.

Why Trust Esquire?

We are committed to testing fucking everything. We don't believe in internet research, we believe in human research. We actually drink the alcohol, use the sheets, stay in the hotels, and of course, we used these towels for real. We're only recommending the best of the best, because that's what you deserve.

You Might Also Like

• Kid Cudi Is All Right

• 16 Best Shoe Organizers For Storing and Displaying Your Kicks