Home & Garden Home The 6 Best Turkish Towels of 2023 Our favorite are from the Fouta Bath Collection by Serena & Lily. By Steph Dyson Steph Dyson Steph Dyson is a bilingual freelance travel writer, guidebook author, and blogger originally from the UK. She covers sustainability and adventure travel for Treehugger. Learn about our editorial process Updated August 2, 2022 Share Twitter Pinterest Email Home Green Living Pest Control Natural Cleaning DIY Family Thrift & Minimalism Sustainable Eating We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Getty Nothing says bath time luxury quite like a traditional Turkish hammam towel. If you’ve never before come across one before, let us introduce you to this versatile and cozy bathroom favorite. Dating back to the 18th century, the hammam towel, also known as a peshtemal or fouta as, has its roots in Turkish hammams or public baths. They're often striped, and adorned with fringe or tassels. Admired for its absorbent qualities and ability to stay light when wet, this towel is crafted from flat-woven, long-staple cotton into pretty pastel designs and is thinner than conventional towels. As a result, it’s a fast-drying addition to your bathroom and that helps keep centuries-old craftsmanship alive. We researched the market to find the best Turkish towels available. The Rundown Best Overall: Serena & Lily Fouta Bath Towel at Serena And Lily Jump to Review Best Budget: West Elm Organic Turkish Towels at West Elm Jump to Review Best Splurge: Coyuchi Mediterranean Organic Towel at Wayfair Jump to Review Best Bath : hamam Tassel Bath Towel at Abchome.com Jump to Review Best for Beach: FiveADRIFT Beach Towel at Fiveadrift.com Jump to Review Best for Travel: Quiquattro Kai Ula Pestemal Set at Quiquattro.com Jump to Review Best Overall Serena & Lily Fouta Bath Towel 4.2 Serena & Lily View On Serena And Lily Serena & Lily's Fouta towels are our top pick because they combine beauty and sustainability. Emulating the stylish patterns of the foutas that inspired them, these luxurious bath towels are an art form in themselves. They’re decorated with understated yarn-dyed stripes in herringbone weave on the front and woven together with absorbent terrycloth on the back, to combine elegance and practicality. They’ve been OEKO-TEX certified, meaning the towels are free of any harmful substances. Serena & Lily offers washcloths, hand towels, and bath towels (and convenient sets that combine the three) at an affordable price. There are currently three colors to choose from. A double-weave makes these towels superbly plush and the perfect thing to wrap yourself up with after a long, hot bath. Price at time of publish: $48 Best Budget West Elm Organic Turkish Tassel Towels View On West Elm Turkish towels are marketed as a luxury item, and that often comes with a high price tag. However, West Elm's organic towels are refreshingly affordable. They're available in two colors of stripe (black or gray) and two sizes (bath and hand), and have tasseled fringe. The hand towels could also be used a dish towels in the kitchen. We like that they're certified by both GOTS and OEKO-TEX. Price at time of publish: $30 for Bath towel Best Splurge Coyuchi Mediterranean Organic Towel 4.8 Coyuchi View On Wayfair View On Anthropologie View On Coyuchi.com Fine patterning is the defining feature of these luxurious-yet-lightweight mediterranean towels. The cotton from the Aegean region of Turkey is considered some of the finest in the world thanks to its long fiber length. This cotton contributes to the towel's soft, highly absorbent and fast drying qualities, and lends itself to decorative designs. These Turkish towels are crafted from yarn-dyed organic cotton and fringed with a delicate hand-knotted border, and will quickly become a statement feature in your bathroom. Five different colors are available. What’s more, these stunning towels come from a company committed to sustainable manufacturing methods through and through. Much of Coyuchi's cotton is Fair Trade Certified to protect the growers who produce it, while it also contributes to carbon-neutral farming through a 1% For the Planet membership. We think that's plenty of reasons to splurge. Price at time of publish: $158 Best Bath hamam White Meyzer Tassel Bath Towel View On Abchome.com If you want all the pros of a Turkish towel in a classic white bath sheet, this towel is the best of both. It's big, measuring 39 x 59 inches, so you can fully towel-off. It's made from 100% organic cotton and treated with Microban technology to give the towel additional antimicrobial properties. The weave has a subtle striping at two ends of the towel, and is trimmed with handmade tassels. However, this option is among the more expensive Turkish towels out there. Price at time of publish: $75 Best for Beach FiveADRIFT Beach Towel FiveADRIFT View On Fiveadrift.com Turkish towels are perfect for the beach, because they dry faster and are so light and easy to carry. We love that FiveADRIFT sponsors beach cleanups, so that every towel sold removes the equivalent of 75 water bottles from the ocean. The towels themselves are also extremely sustainable, woven from a 100% natural blend of hemp and organic cotton fibers. They're also OEKO-TEX and the company is a Certified B Corp that donates 100% of profits to charity. Price at time of publish: $65 Best for Travel Quiquattro Kai Ula Pestemal Set Qui Quattro View On Quiquattro.com One of the defining features of a good Turkish towel is its versatility. As such, you can rely on it never looking out of place, regardless of the situation. Larger than standard bath towels, they work well as blankets, or as a handy shawl. Hand woven by female artisans in Turkey, these are the real deal. Both lightweight and punching above their weight in terms of absorbency, they can to serve you well lounging on the beach or as a wrap on a chilly flight. Even better, they get softer with every wash, making them an addition to your beach kit that you won’t want to forget. Quiquattro supports education charities helping young women attend schools in the country. Price at time of publish: $70 Final Verdict Our top choice for Turkish towels is the Serena & Lily Fouta. We also like the affordable Organic Turkish Tassel Towels from West Elm. What to Consider When Shopping for Turkish Towels Sustainable Fabric Turkish towels can be ethically sourced directly from the artisans themselves, but there are a couple of things to look out for when choosing your next favorite towel. Keep an eye out for certifications such as the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), which is used to indicate textiles that have a minimum of 70 percent organic fibers. OEKO-TEX certified is another industry-leading credential that verifies products do not contain chemicals that are known to be harmful to human health. Ethical Labor Practices As members of a global community, we can support fair labor practices by purchasing products from companies that have Fair Trade certification and invest in other initiatives to support the communities making textiles. Why Trust Treehugger? We researched dozens of Turkish towels to find the most sustainable and ethical options on the market. Treehugger hopes to make sustainable living easier for our readers by providing straightforward advice and recommendations.