Never use your gym towel to wipe away sweat on your body. That would be gross! Instead, have a smaller towel for wiping the sweat off of your face. Caring for Your Gym Towel Or for something more familiar, our 600GSM Egyptian Cotton Gym towels provide great all round coverage when it comes to soaking up sweat and providing total comfort.

And that's where gym towels come in. If you don't sweat much, there's no need for a towel, Dr. Gohara says, but for everyone else, "gym towels are great for those who feel as though sweat is accumulating on their skin." If sweat sits on your skin for an extended period of time or dries there, it can clog pores, leading to leading to acne and preventing your skin-care routine from properly penetrating your skin. A good rule of thumb is that if sweat drips off your skin, consider a towel, Dr. Gohara says. The first thing you need to know is to NEVER USE BLEACH OR FABRIC SOFTENER on microfiber towels! The bleach will destroy the fibers whereas the fabric softener causes a waxy film on the fibers (thus preventing them from being absorbent).

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Why we love it: The fact that it's GOTS-certified and claims to be free of toxic chemicals is a huge win. "Many towels are made of synthetic materials and chemicals that can break down into tiny particles that you can inhale and ingest (if they become dust-like particles and are on your fingertips)," Gushée says. Plus, reviewers rave about their incredible softness. You should wash your gym towel after every use if you can. Nobody wants a sweaty towel full of bacteria after all! Remember to follow the care instructions provided by the towel manufacturer to help keep it clean, fresh, and free from any unpleasant odours. There is no right answer when it comes to the best-size gym towel. Whether you’re looking for a towel to mop your brow with or something to throw around you, then there are lots of choices out there. We’d recommend choosing the size depending on what you want to use your towel for. Lily Anderson is a Senior Commercial Content Writer at Bauer Media, where she tests products for titles such as Heat, Closer, What’s the Best and Mother&Baby. Because I don’t like sweat dripping into my eyes, I do keep a smaller sweat towel handy for moping my brow. But I don’t ever wipe away the sweat on my body.

It also needs to be long enough so that you can bring it up to wipe your face, without having to take it off every time. The Yogitoes+ Repreve Yoga Mat Towel is also easy to wash, and the instructions are simple to follow for extended use. Just don’t expect this silhouette to be as versatile as other options in this list. The large 71-inch length is too cumbersome to add to your strength training, cycling or running get-up, but if I’m being honest, you’ll likely want to save the grip-retaining qualities for those sweaty flows, anyway. The type of material that’s best for you will depend on how you plan to use your gym towel. “Cotton is a popular choice, as it is absorbent and can be easily thrown in the washing machine,” Zhou says. Microfiber is a better fit for activities like hot yoga, where you’re depending on your towel to provide some grip. Gym towels made with materials like polyester and nylon tend to be more durable and will likely hold up to repeated use and washes.

Best gym towels at a glance:

Without an absorbent sports towel creating a barrier between you and the equipment, the machine WILL get wet. It is rude and inconsiderate to leave this wetness on the machine. Most gyms do have paper towels and sanitizer which can be used for cleaning equipment after you use it, but a gym is much better. If you're wondering what makes a gym towel the best option, compared to just grabbing any old towel from the cupboard, here's why: IF you’re a regular gym goer - or even if you’re not - it’s well worth investing in a great gym towel.

Bringing your own gym towel just means you won’t ever have to worry about your gym running out of towels, which happens all the time during busy periods. Some towels are also designed for cooling, which is a great addition if you easily overheat. Best gym towels at a glance:If you’ve ever used a microfiber towel before, you know they can feel rough on your hands if they’re even slightly dry. I never got that uncomfortable feeling with this towel, which makes a huge difference when you’re handling weights. Yes, even your gym towel can play a role in your efforts to live a more sustainable life. Take this option from Facesoft. The Aqua Cotton construction is biodegradable, meaning this cloth won’t sit around in a landfill or dump when it comes time to toss it. Despite this earth-friendly note, though, I don’t suspect you’ll need to plan for refuse anytime soon. The fabric is ultra soft to the touch, and the easy-to-wash makeup is durable enough for months and years of wash cycles ahead.