If you are a gym enthusiast, then you know how handy a gym towel comes especially after an intense workout. When you wipe off the sweat from the body and face, you are able to minimize transfer of germs. The towel also helps in keeping you feeling clean and dry, and it also keeps the body cool after an intense session of working out. There are a number of good reasons why you should consider having a gym towel, but it is generally a personal decision.

When you decide that the workout towel is indeed important for you, the next step would be to select the best. Towels are now designed in different categories to meet the demands of each and you can easily find gym towels in the market today. But what elements should really matter when looking for the best gym towel?

The material – Cotton is the best material for workout towel and most of the towels are actually made of cotton. This is because the cotton fibers are quick dry and super absorbent. If you are a regular at the gym, you definitely want a material that is easy to clean and dry and cotton makes a great choice. Cotton is also durable, but you have other options like linen, microfiber and cotton-polyester blends.

Absorbency – The main purpose of getting yourself a gym towel is to absorb the excess water in the form of sweat during or after a workout. Choose a towel with loops that absorb sweat easily; the more the loops the greater the absorbency rate of the towel. It should however not be as thick as a full bath towel because then it becomes easy for it to retain water between washes and you would also have to carry that extra weight in the gym bag. Still in under absorbency, never use fabric softeners and harsh detergents on your gym towel because they affect the absorbency.

Weight and size – The fabric density is what determines the weight of the towel; the thinner the fabric the lighter the towel and the less expensive it is going to be but then it means wearing down fast. A workout towel should be heavier to serve your regular users, but it should not be too heavy to trap moisture and harbor bacteria when not thoroughly washed or dried. Let the length of your workout help you choose the right size and weight. It is also helpful to consider packing requirements in relation to the gym bag you have.

Softness – The length of the fibers determines how soft your gym towel is going to be and how absorbent it really is. Lengthy fibers create softer towels, but because you really do not need extra absorbency with your gym towel, the standard fiber length will work just great with the workout towel. Choose a towel that is gentle enough on sensitive areas of the skin such as the face with premium cotton towels making some of the best because of softness without affecting durability in any way.