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Long-term travelers aren’t the only ones that should pack fast-drying towels. They’re an absolute must-have in my packing list. Find out what’s the best travel towel for you to take on your next trip!
Best Travel Towels
Table Of Contents
Many travelers don’t realize how essential a travel towel can be. It comes in handy when hotel towels aren’t up to snuff, or if you take an impromptu trip to a lake or beach. And as they’re quick drying, a travel towel is a must for road trips, camping, and trekking.
We’ve rounded up our favorite travel towels that will work for any traveling situation.
Best Fast Drying Towels for Travel
Venture 4th Microfiber Travel Towel
The travel towel from Venture 4th is lightweight, quick drying, and compact. Whether you’re going to the gym, the beach, or camping, this towel is easy to toss in your bag so you’ll always be prepared for your next adventure. Plus, it comes in an adorable bag.
The high quality microfiber cloth provides an extra soft and gentle feel. Thin and ultra absorbent, this towel will dry you quickly and comfortably without taking up space in your bag or weighing it down.
You’ll want to look your best when you travel! Read my travel tips to Pack Light Stylishly!
Sea to Summit Quick Drying Towel
This DryLite Towel from Sea to Summit is exactly what you want in a travel towel: it’s soft but compact and quick drying. Available in five sizes from hand towel size up to a beach towel size. Ideal for backpacking, travel, boating or camping.
The microfiber has a super soft, ultra suede finish yet is still machine washable and easy to pack. It’s also lighter than your average towel so it won’t add weight to your luggage.
Packing cubes provide the perfect solution to protect your clothing from dirty towels.
OlimpiaFit Ultra Fast-Dry Towel
OlimpiaFit fast-dry towel, is made with premium material that shares the same smooth qualities as satin. They’re also super absorbent, odor-resistant, and won’t smell after drying. If you’re looking for a packable beach towel or swim towel, give this one a go! This towel is available in three sizes. The small is great for using as a hair wrap, while the medium and large can work as a beach towel or airplane blanket.
Turkish Towels are one so versatile for travel, these are TFG’s readers most recommended picks!
Rainleaf Fast Drying Microfiber Towel
Rainleaf Microfiber Towel
This super compact Rainleaf microfiber towel is made of microfibers and is lightweight and compact, making it a must for travelers, backpackers, and hikers. The fabric feels kind of like that suede fabric and can absorb tons of water while promoting rapid evaporation.
It’s amazing how much this small towel can soak up so much water and dry off your body quickly, cutting down your drying time in half.
Youphoria Sport Multi-purpose Travel Towel
Youphoria Outdoors Sport Towel
On the go and need a towel that can keep up? Try this one from Youphoria Sport. This microfiber towel can dry up to 10X faster than normal terry cloth or cotton towels. Just hang it outside for a few minutes and you can quickly use it again.
Using the finest blend of microfiber, it’s thin, soft, compact and super absorbent, making it the perfect post workout or shower towel because of its unique non-abrasive feel.
Fit Flip Ultra Absorbent Travel Towel
Fit Flip Ultra Soft Travel Towel
Packtowl Personal Ultra-Soft Towel
Packtowl Personal Microfiber Towel
PackTowl’s Personal Towel is a silky-soft hand towel that’s perfect for the face and body with a microfiber blend that offers unmatched softness on your skin. The antimicrobial treatment reduces odor retention and increases the life of your towel.
This towel can soak up four times its weight in water. Just wring it out and it’s nearly completely dry. We love this towel because you can machine wash it and leave it to air dry in a short amount of time.
BOGI Microfiber Quick Dry Towel
Bogi Travel Microfiber Towel
This lightweight backpacking towel from Bogi is the perfect travel towel for any type of traveling. Made from microfibers, it absorbs 3 to 6 times its weight in water while providing comfort and durability. Drying quickly, you won’t have to wait around or carry a wet towel with you as you head to your next destination.
Incredibly thin and compact, its light weight makes it easy to take with you anywhere. The medium size is perfect to take with you on a run or hike, as you can fit it into a small day pack.
Gear Aid Quick Dry and Compact Micro-Terry Towel
Gear Aid Compact Micro-Terry Towel
Rigorous, outdoor adventures call for durable supplies, like this McNett Tactical towel. This towel’s high-density microfiber weave is aggressive yet soft enough to comfortably clean off oil, dirt, and perspiration from your face and body. This can easily double as a medical towel, blanket, or wrap.
One of its most unique features is the silver treated microfiber. This makes it not only light weight and super absorbent, but it also inhibits the growth of odor causing bacteria, eliminating the need to wash daily.
Wise Owl Microfiber Sports Towel
Wise Owl Microfiber Yoga and Travel Towels
This Wise Owl travel towel is lightweight, compact, quick drying and soft to the skin – everything you want in a travel towel. This makes them superior to regular cotton towels, especially when traveling or going to your sports practice. As these towels take up less than 25% of the space of a regular towel, they are easy to bring everywhere.
Available in five sizes, the smaller size is a perfect compact size to dry your hair, while the larger size can easily wrap around your body as a full-size towel or blanket.
SportLite Microfiber Hand Towel
SportLite Ultra Light Travel Towel
This towel from SportLite is the official towel of the Los Angeles County Lifeguard Association, so you know it’s a good one! This towel utilizes 100% microfiber technology, making it perfect for the beach, the bath, airplane, or hiking.
People love this towel because it’s light, super absorbent, fast-drying, travel-friendly, and durable. It comes with a convenient hang-loop sewn in, so you can hang it up anywhere.
4Monsters Microfiber Travel Towel
4Monsters Absorbent Towel
Gone are the days of using hostel towels, or waiting hours for your bath towel to dry. This absorbent, lightweight, quick-drying microfiber travel towel from 4Monsters is the solution to all your problems.
The microfiber cloth is smooth like silk, while the durable material is antibacterial and odorless. It even comes with a snap hook to hang wherever you want. It is a great travel towel for the beach, hiking, or city stays where you want your own towel.
Which of these is the best travel towel for me? The Sea to Summit DryLite Towel in a blue color, size large. (I’m 5’2″ 110lb and a size large just barely fits around my body.)
Here’s a quick review of the best travel towel options. You can read more about each one in the article above!
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Why Should You Pack a Fast Drying Towel?
Here are some specific reasons to consider a quick-drying towel when traveling, whether you’re embarking on a short or long-term trip:
- Instead of packing a regular terry cloth towel on your travels, fast-drying towels take up less room and will dry in a fraction of the time.
- If you have a jam-packed itinerary and you plan to be in a new location every 1-2 days, then you need a towel that can dry quickly. The last thing you want is a wet towel in your bag after a morning shower.
- Fast-drying towels are perfect for beach vacations! Leave the thick, space-guzzling beach towel at home and get an extra-large travel towel instead. They don’t absorb as much as regular towels so they’re also easy to wipe and clear any sand.
- They dry your skin faster than regular towels because they easily absorb moisture. Time is valuable when you’re traveling!
- Budget accommodations such as hostels and guesthouses rarely provide towels. Even the odd Airbnb may only provide a limited amount of towels, so it’s best to have your own!
- They’re great for divers! If you’re a scuba diver this is the perfect way to get dry between dives without packing a thick towel. Fast-drying towels dry so quickly that should be nice and dry on back-to-back dives. If you’re interested in picking up any diving gear, check out our section on this fun and challenging activity!
- If you’re going camping, these are the perfect way to freshen up without adding bulk to your gear. If you want some extra packing tips, see our full category to find help with shoes, clothes, or gear
Note: travel towels are small in size because you can use them as a shammy to dry your body easily. However, if you want to wrap them around your body like a regular towel, then choose a size extra large.
What is your favorite travel towel? Share in the comments below!
For more tips and ideas on travel essentials, please read the following:
- Packing Cubes: Are They Really Worth The Money?
- 5 Flight Essentials For International Travel
- 8 Budget Travel Packing Essentials
- Top 10 Hostel Essentials – Don’t Leave these Our of Your Backpacking Checklist!
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It would be fabulous ifC this post be updated to 2021 and include dimensions and weight of the towels.
Hi Susan, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us! ?
The Discovery Trekking towel stays soft and feels lovely on your skin. Unlike the other travel towels it is Not made of microfibre. It also smells fresh even when washed infrequently.
My husband and I both travel with a Turkish hamam style towel, a Pestemal. We’ve used them as floor mats, blankets, picnic blankets, towel-towels, and of course, at the beach. It’s our must have! They dry really quickly and are so soft; I’ve never missed a “regular” towel. I appreciate their generous size when unfolded, wraps around my size 12 frame with ease 🙂
They’re awesome! I just lost mine this weekend so I hope to get a replacement very soon 🙂
One important question that too often gets overlooked is how a towel FEELS on your skin when you use it. Can you honestly say that any of these compact travel towels was nice and comfortable to use? Would you actually use them at home after your trip?
I challenge you to try a Snappy Towel and see the difference in how our snappytowels.com/collections/microfiber-travel-towels-sport-swim
That’s a great point. The way a travel towel feels makes all the difference.