The way to Measure the Quality of a Bath Towel

The way to Measure the Quality of a Bath Towel

The standard of your bathroom towel may mean the difference between feeling warm and pampered once you come from the bath or shower — or wet and shivering. When selecting towels, you may have trouble deciding whether you are paying for quality or even just the brand name. Knowing the markers of quality — which include fiber, construction and weight — ensures that you find the best quality for your money.

Fibers

Quality towels may be made of 3 kinds of cotton: standard, Egyptian, or Supima. Combed cotton eliminates briefer threads, which prevents pilling and ensures a strong towel. Egyptian cotton tends to produce the longest threads and is actually the most absorbent and soft kind of cotton. Supima, which can be grown in the USA, lasts more than Egyptian but tends to create shorter threads, so it won’t sense as lush. Standard cotton is considered to be the smallest quality cotton, but it can still produce a good-quality towel. If the fibers are woven to create a soft, velvety texture which has a little weight, this implies great quality. A thin, scratchy texture implies a low-quality towel which may wear out fast.

Construction

A clear indicator of towel grade is at its structure. Towels are manufactured using three fibers, or threads, that form a stack or loop on the surface. These threads are combined through the weaving process in a certain pattern. Towel quality will vary based on the types of cotton and the depth of the yarn used to get the 3 threads, and the pattern they’re woven into. The yarns of an excellent towel are grouped closer together than towels of inferior quality, without gaps or holes appearing between them. An excellent towel typically has tightly woven fibers which are cut off so that they stand up, while lower-quality towels feel thin and limp and have a hairy appearance in comparison since the fibers are woven into small loops that tend to fray.

Absorbency

The stack, or loops, is what carries moisture into the fabric. High-quality towels utilize quality cotton woven into narrow loops to quickly absorb moisture. However, these loops may only hold the moisture to so long since they aren’t dense enough to keep it. The base of the towel works together with the loops by proving a place for the moisture to be stored. The base of a high-pressure towel is thicker than the yarn used to construct the stack so that it is able to keep that water absorbed by the stack. Sometimes softeners are used during production to mask a poor quality towel. If you pour a few drops of water on a towel, an excellent towel absorbs the moisture almost immediately, and the substance across the area tested is dry. If the water beads on the surface of the towel or spreads over the stuff, this indicates inferior quality.

Weight and Density

Towel weight is measured in GSM, or grams per square meter, which pertains to the density of the substance. Higher GSM evaluations of around 500 to 600 suggest a compact, plush towel. Towels using a GSM of less than 400 aren’t of high quality since they are generally thinner and less durable. The heavier a towel feels in comparison to other towels of the same size indicates a knitted towel since this means there is more cotton from the towel.

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