Outdoors & Fitness
The Best Travel Towels: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)
We compared four quick-dry travel towels on published weight and packed size, absorbency, fibre blend, care requirements and what each maker states.
The short version
The Matador NanoDry Packable Beach Towel is the one to buy: a full 60 by 30 inch towel weighing 5.5 ounces or 155 grams, packing into its own pocket at 6 by 5 by 1.8 inches, in PFC-free nanofiber that absorbs twice its weight, with a zip pocket for keys or a phone. The Dock and Bay Quick Dry Towel is the best documented and the nicer towel to use, in 83 percent recycled polyester and 17 percent recycled polyamide, published at 160 by 90 centimetres and 360 grams in Large or 200 by 90 and 485 grams in Extra Large, each with its pouch dimensions and full care instructions. The Sea to Summit Tek Towel trades speed for comfort, with a deep pile construction that feels like terrycloth in 80 percent RCS certified recycled polyester and 20 percent nylon, a hang loop with a snap closure and a moulded zippered EVA pouch. The Nomadix Original Towel is the one to skip for travel: it claims the highest absorbency here at four times its weight and is the largest at 72.5 by 30 inches, and it publishes neither a weight nor a packed size. Best for: hostel bathrooms, hand luggage and anyone still packing a cotton towel.
Our picks at a glance
- Matador NanoDry Packable Beach Towel - Buy. A full-size towel at 155 grams that packs into its own pocket.
- Dock and Bay Quick Dry Towel - Buy. Every dimension and weight published, for the towel and for its pouch.
- Sea to Summit Tek Towel - It depends. A deep pile that actually feels like a towel, at the cost of drying speed.
- Nomadix Original Towel - Skip. The most absorbent and the largest, and it will not say how heavy it is.
The verdict in 30 seconds
What mattered most
- Weight
- Towel size
- Packed size
- Absorbency
- Fabric
- Texture
A travel towel is judged on two numbers and almost nobody prints both. Packed size decides whether it goes in the bag or gets strapped to the outside, and weight decides whether you notice it. Everything else, absorbency, fibre blend, how it feels against skin, is a matter of preference that the marketing will happily discuss instead. The spread here is large: the lightest towel in this comparison weighs 155 grams and the heaviest published figure is 485, for towels covering roughly the same area.
A full-size towel at 155 grams that packs into its own pocket.
Best for: Carry-on travel and hiking, where the towel has to disappear into the bag.
- 5.5 ounces or 155 grams for a full 60 by 30 inch towel, which is a fraction of the weight of anything else here that publishes a figure.
- Packs to 6 by 5 by 1.8 inches into its own integrated pocket, so there is no separate pouch to lose and no strap on the outside of your bag.
- Quick-drying nanofiber that absorbs twice its weight, stated PFC-free, with a zip pocket for stashing keys, a phone or a card while you swim.
- Absorbs twice its weight where Nomadix claims four times, so it needs wringing out on a full-body dry.
- Nanofiber is thin against the skin and feels nothing like a bath towel.
- Offered in a single colour, charcoal, with no size options in this model.
- No washing or care guidance appears on the product page.
Every dimension and weight published, for the towel and for its pouch.
Best for: Beach and pool trips, and anyone who wants to know exactly what they are packing.
- The fullest specification here: 83 percent recycled polyester and 17 percent recycled polyamide, with Large at 160 by 90 centimetres weighing 360 grams and Extra Large at 200 by 90 centimetres weighing 485 grams.
- Pouch dimensions published alongside each size, at 24 by 14 centimetres and 28 by 15 centimetres, so you know exactly what goes in your bag.
- Complete care instructions: cold machine wash at 30 degrees, tumble dry low or air dry, no bleach, and specifically no fabric softener because it reduces absorbency.
- At 360 to 485 grams it is between two and three times the weight of the Matador.
- Absorbs twice its weight, the same as the Matador and half the Nomadix claim.
- Only two sizes, both large, with nothing hand-towel sized in this line.
- Flat microfibre rather than a pile, so it feels efficient rather than comfortable.
A deep pile that actually feels like a towel, at the cost of drying speed.
Best for: Longer trips and campsites where the towel gets used daily and comfort starts to matter.
- Deep pile construction with a soft terrycloth feel, which is the only towel here that does not feel like a technical fabric against the skin.
- 80 percent RCS certified recycled polyester and 20 percent nylon, with the certification named rather than the recycled content merely claimed, and an EVA pouch.
- A hang loop with a snap closure on every size so it dries on a hook or a line, in a moulded zippered EVA case, with packed weight and packed size both published.
- The deep pile that makes it comfortable also holds more water, so it dries more slowly and packs larger than a flat microfibre towel.
- Sea to Summit states the towel is not colourfast dyed and must be washed separately for the first few washes.
- Fabric softener must be avoided because it reduces absorbency.
- No absorbency multiple is published, where the other three all state one.
The most absorbent and the largest, and it will not say how heavy it is.
Best for: Beach and yoga use where absorbency and size matter more than what it weighs.
- Absorbs four times its weight in water, which is double what any other towel in this comparison claims.
- The largest towel here at 72.5 inches long by 30 wide, in 90 percent post-consumer recycled polyester, with Nomadix stating that one towel uses the equivalent of 30 plastic bottles.
- Odour-resistant and sand-resistant as well as quick-drying, which is a genuinely useful combination for a towel that lives in a bag.
- No weight is published anywhere, which on a travel towel is half the decision.
- No packed size is published either, so there is no way to know whether it fits your bag.
- One size only, with no smaller option for hand or face use.
- Nomadix charges a 12 dollar return label fee on returns, which is stated on the product page.
| Criteria | NanoDry Packable Beach Towel Top pick | Quick Dry Towel | Tek Towel | Original Towel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Buy it | Buy it | It depends | Skip it |
| Best for | Carry-on travel and hiking, where the towel has to disappear into the bag. | Beach and pool trips, and anyone who wants to know exactly what they are packing. | Longer trips and campsites where the towel gets used daily and comfort starts to matter. | Beach and yoga use where absorbency and size matter more than what it weighs. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $$ · mid-range | $$ · mid-range | $$ · mid-range |
| Weight | 155 g / 5.5 oz | 360 g Large, 485 g XL | Published as packed weight | Not published |
| Towel size | 60 x 30 in / 153 x 76 cm | 160 x 90 cm or 200 x 90 cm | Several sizes | 72.5 x 30 in |
| Packed size | 6 x 5 x 1.8 in | Pouch 24 x 14 cm or 28 x 15 cm | Published | Not published |
| Absorbency | 2x its weight | 2x its weight | Not published | 4x its weight |
| Fabric | Nanofiber, PFC-free | 83 percent recycled polyester, 17 percent recycled polyamide | 80 percent RCS recycled polyester, 20 percent nylon | 90 percent post-consumer recycled polyester |
| Texture | Flat nanofiber | Flat microfibre | Deep pile, terrycloth feel | Flat |
| Carry method | Packs into its own pocket | Zippered pouch included | Moulded zippered EVA case | Not published |
| Extras | Zip pocket for valuables | None | Hang loop with snap closure | Odour and sand resistant |
| Care guidance | Not published | Full, including no fabric softener | Wash separately first, no softener | Not published |
Which one is right for you?
- Carry-on travel and hiking, where the towel has to disappear into the bag. Buy it Matador NanoDry Packable Beach Towel
- Beach and pool trips, and anyone who wants to know exactly what they are packing. Buy it Dock and Bay Quick Dry Towel
- Longer trips and campsites where the towel gets used daily and comfort starts to matter. It depends Sea to Summit Tek Towel
- Beach and yoga use where absorbency and size matter more than what it weighs. Skip it Nomadix Original Towel
How we judged the field
A travel towel is a compromise between drying you and disappearing into a bag, so we started with the two numbers that describe the second half: weight and packed size. Between them they decide whether the towel travels or stays home. One maker here publishes both to the tenth of an inch, one publishes both for two sizes, one publishes them in a spec table, and one publishes neither.
After that, absorbency, expressed as a multiple of the towel’s own weight, which is the only performance figure this category offers and which has to be read against the weight to mean anything. Then fibre and construction, because flat microfibre and deep pile are genuinely different products and the choice is about how the towel feels rather than how well it works. Then the practical fittings: a hang loop for drying, a pouch or a pocket for carrying, and any extras like a zip pocket for valuables. And finally care guidance, which matters more here than in most categories because fabric softener actively ruins these towels and two of the four say so.
The Matador NanoDry Packable Beach Towel wins the argument this category exists to have. It is a full-sized towel at 60 by 30 inches, or 153 by 76 centimetres, and it weighs 5.5 ounces, which is 155 grams. For comparison, the only other towel here that publishes a weight starts at 360 grams for a smaller piece of fabric. Packed, it measures 6 by 5 by 1.8 inches and goes into its own integrated pocket, so there is no separate pouch to lose and nothing dangling from a carabiner. The material is quick-drying nanofiber, stated PFC-free, and it absorbs twice its weight in water. There is a zip pocket for keys, a phone or a card, which on a beach towel is the feature you appreciate the one time you need it. The compromises are the ones that come with 155 grams. It absorbs twice its weight where the Nomadix claims four times, so a full-body dry means wringing it out partway through. Nanofiber is thin and slick rather than soft. There is one colour and one size in this model. And Matador publishes no washing guidance at all, which is a gap given that fabric softener would ruin it.
The Dock and Bay Quick Dry Towel publishes more than anything else in this comparison, and it publishes the right things. The fabric is given as 83 percent recycled polyester and 17 percent recycled polyamide. Both sizes are fully specified: Large is 160 by 90 centimetres, packs into a 24 by 14 centimetre pouch and weighs 360 grams, while Extra Large is 200 by 90 centimetres, packs into a 28 by 15 centimetre pouch and weighs 485 grams, and Dock and Bay notes the Extra Large is big enough to cover a sun lounger. It dries twice as fast as cotton, absorbs twice its own weight, and comes with care instructions most makers omit entirely: cold machine wash at 30 degrees, wash similar colours together, tumble dry low or air dry, no bleach, and explicitly no fabric softener because it reduces absorbency. That last line is the mark of a company that understands its own product. The costs are weight and feel. At 360 to 485 grams it is two to three times the Matador, it absorbs the same multiple, there is nothing smaller than a large towel in the range, and flat microfibre feels efficient rather than nice.
The Sea to Summit Tek Towel is the one you would actually choose to dry yourself with. The construction is a deep pile with a soft terrycloth feel, achieved through a blended microfibre, which puts it in a different tactile category from the three flat towels here. The fabric is 80 percent RCS certified recycled polyester and 20 percent nylon, and naming the Recycled Claim Standard rather than simply saying recycled is a meaningfully stronger statement. Every size has a hang loop with a snap closure so it goes on a hook or over a line, which is the single most useful fitting on a towel that has to dry between uses, and it ships in a moulded zippered EVA pouch rather than a fabric bag. Sea to Summit publishes both a packed weight and a packed size. The trade-offs come directly from the pile. More surface area means more water held, which means slower drying and more bulk packed, and Sea to Summit is the only maker here that does not publish an absorbency multiple. The care requirements are also the strictest: the towel is not colourfast dyed and must be washed separately for the first few washes, and fabric softener is out.
The Nomadix Original Towel is the skip and it is a shame, because the towel itself sounds good. It absorbs four times its weight in water, which is double what anyone else here claims and would make it the most capable towel in the group. It is the largest at 72.5 inches by 30, it is made from 90 percent post-consumer recycled polyester with Nomadix stating that each towel uses the equivalent of 30 plastic bottles, and it is odour-resistant and sand-resistant as well as quick-drying, which is a genuinely well-chosen set of properties for something that lives damp in a bag. The problem is that for a product sold as a travel towel, Nomadix publishes neither a weight nor a packed size. Those two figures are the entire reason this category exists as distinct from ordinary towels, and without them you cannot tell whether this is a 200 gram towel or a 600 gram one, or whether it rolls to the size of a water bottle or a pillow. There is also one size only, with nothing smaller for hand or face use, and Nomadix states on the page that returns carry a 12 dollar return label fee, which matters if the size turns out to be wrong.
Matador NanoDry Packable Beach Towel vs Dock and Bay Quick Dry Towel: which should you buy?
Matador against Dock and Bay is the clearest choice in this comparison and it depends entirely on how the towel travels. The NanoDry is 155 grams and packs to roughly the size of a paperback, into its own pocket, with a zip compartment for your keys. If the towel is going in hand luggage or a rucksack you carry all day, nothing else here is competitive, and Matador publishes both numbers so you can check it against your bag.
Dock and Bay is between two and three times the weight, and it gives you a great deal more in return: two sizes both fully specified with their pouches, a named fibre blend to the percentage, a towel large enough to cover a sun lounger, and the only complete set of care instructions in the group, including the warning about fabric softener that keeps the towel working. It is also a more substantial piece of fabric to dry yourself with. Buy the Matador if weight and packed size are the constraint. Buy the Dock and Bay if the towel goes in a suitcase or a car boot and you would rather have the better towel.
What to look for
- A published weight in grams: it is half the reason to buy a travel towel and one maker here does not give it.
- A published packed size: either the folded dimensions or the pouch dimensions, since that is what has to fit in the bag.
- An absorbency multiple, read against the weight: four times the weight of a light towel may be less water than twice the weight of a heavy one.
- Flat or pile construction: flat dries fast and packs small, pile feels like a towel and does neither.
- A hang loop: the single most useful fitting, because a towel that cannot dry between uses will smell.
- Care instructions, specifically about fabric softener: it coats the fibres and destroys absorbency, and the good makers warn you.
Our final take
Travel towels live or die on two numbers, and it is remarkable how many makers publish only one. The Matador NanoDry is the one to buy: a full 60 by 30 inch towel at 155 grams that packs to 6 by 5 by 1.8 inches into its own pocket, with a zip compartment for valuables. The Dock and Bay Quick Dry Towel publishes more than anything else here, gives you two fully specified sizes with their pouches, and tells you how to wash it without wrecking it. The Sea to Summit Tek Towel is the nicest to use, with a deep pile that feels like terrycloth and certified recycled content, as long as you accept it dries slower and packs bigger. And the most absorbent towel in the group will not tell you what it weighs or how small it packs, which for a travel towel is the whole question.
Questions, answered
What size travel towel do I need?
Smaller than you think for most trips. A 60 by 30 inch towel, which is what the Matador and roughly what the Nomadix offer, covers a full-body dry and doubles as something to sit on. For hostel showers and campsites a towel around half that is usually enough and packs to almost nothing, which is why Sea to Summit and Matador both sell small versions alongside large. If the towel is mainly for the beach, buy the biggest one you will carry, because covering a lounger is a real use case and Dock and Bay sizes its Extra Large for exactly that.
What does absorbency multiple actually mean?
It is how much water the towel holds relative to its own dry weight, and it is the closest thing this category has to a performance figure. Nomadix claims four times, while Matador and Dock and Bay both state twice. It is not the whole story, because a heavier towel holding twice its weight may hold more water in absolute terms than a light one holding four times, and because a towel that holds a lot of water also takes longer to dry. Read it alongside the weight, and note that one maker here publishes the multiple and not the weight.
Why do these towels smell after a while?
Because they get packed damp and synthetic fibres hold onto the bacteria responsible. The fix is mechanical rather than chemical: wring the towel out properly, hang it to dry fully before packing, and use the hang loop that most of them include for exactly this reason. Nomadix builds in odour resistance specifically to address it. When a towel does start to smell, wash it hot without fabric softener, which both Sea to Summit and Dock and Bay warn against because it coats the fibres and reduces absorbency.
Microfibre, nanofiber or pile?
Flat microfibre and nanofiber dry fastest and pack smallest, because there is less material holding water, and they feel slick rather than soft. A deep pile like the Sea to Summit Tek Towel has far more surface area, which makes it pleasant and absorbent and correspondingly slower to dry and bulkier to pack. There is no right answer: if the towel lives in a rucksack and gets used once a day, pick flat, and if it is your towel for a fortnight in a rented house, pick pile.
Can I put them in the washing machine?
Yes, and there are two consistent rules. Never use fabric softener, which both Dock and Bay and Sea to Summit call out, because it leaves a coating that stops the fibres absorbing water, which is the one thing the towel is for. And wash a new towel separately, since several of these are not colourfast dyed and will run for the first few washes, which Sea to Summit states directly. Cold or warm wash, tumble low or air dry, and no bleach.
Deciding between the top two? See our head-to-head: Matador NanoDry Packable Beach Towel vs Dock and Bay Quick Dry Towel.
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