The best bath towels for turning your bathroom into a luxury retreat, tried and tested

• Sizes available: Face Cloth, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet, Super Jumbo
• Fabric: 100% cotton
• Colours: White, Pearl Grey, Soft Grey, Oatmeal, Slate

The White Company is almost synonymous with the idea of a luxury towel, and if we had to pick where you're most likely to find the fluffy luxe white towels of your dreams, it's most definitely the place you should be hitting up first based on our towelling experience. There's very good reason why these are currently our best bath towel overall. One of The White Company's biggest bestsellers, these hydrocotton towels have a soft ribbed design offering a lovely contemporary look and they are made with ‘low-twist’ technology, which means they aren’t just gloriously fluffy but you won't be waiting an age for them to dry too.

With a 500 gsm weight, they are a solid medium-weight in bath towels lingo and you can throw them in the washing machine, too, which is useful as hand-washing bath towels really wouldn't be the one. Available in five sizes, including super jumbo size – yes please, we will take two – these are without a doubt some of the best towels in the business (especially for a quick-drying towel that still has a luxury feel). And if you're not set on the traditional white, you've got a generous range of neutral colours (of course, it is The White Company after all) to choose from, including pearl grey, soft grey, oatmeal, and a darker slate. Sadly no bright colours here, but there are matching bath mats if you really want to give your bathroom five-star hotel vibes and they come in matching neutral colours too. From £6. At thewhitecompany.com

• Sizes available: Face Cloth, Guest Towel, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet, Extra Large Bath Sheet
• Fabric: 100% Egyptian cotton
• Colours: 40

One of the most trusted retailers on the high street – and for good reason – John Lewis will pretty much have you more than covered when it comes to home furnishings. Bedding, sure, furniture, sure, even mattresses are available. It also offers a range of towels too however (unsurprising perhaps given that's the feature you're reading), from its Ultimate Hotel Cotton Towels to these lovely Egyptian Cotton Towels. Finished with a Life Natural treatment, which is a natural peppermint that contains antibacterial protection, they're also designed to be fresher for longer – but without the minty fragrance. We adore them in our home, and we really rate their absorbency and durability. We've had them a while and they are still going strong we are pleased to say.

There's serious plushness here, too, with these towels boasting a heavyweight 700 gsm (we are talking towels here still, not boxing) and the Egyptian Cotton used here has been officially certified by the Cotton Egyptian Association (CEA) to make sure the growing conditions are the best out there. If that wasn't enough to convince you, they are available in a huge range of colour options too – 40 colours to be exact so there's everything here to add luxury, serious fluff and some personality to your bathroom suite. Our favourite colours are the Raw Sienna and Sage, but we'd be surprised if you couldn't find a colour that complemented you bathroom from this selection. From £6. At johnlewis.com

• Sizes available: Face Cloth, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet, Bath Mat
• Fabric: 100% cotton
• Colours: 20

Piglet in Bed is one of our favourite bedding brands, and what do you know, they do some super bath towels too. Excellent news. All the Cotton Towels from the company are made from 500 gsm zero-twist cotton, making them lovely and soft, medium-weight and absorbent. They aren't the thickest towels on our list, but that's not to say they aren't excellent. We found them very absorbent and we love the colour options available, from the Meadow Green to the strip options that have tassels on the end for something a little different - perfect for a guest towel.

There are four sizes available, from face cloth to bath sheet, and each of the plain colours has a discrete contrasting stripe that adds a little bit of character. Bath towels should be allowed to have a personality too after all. The cotton in Piglet in Bed's towels is sourced in partnership with the Better Cotton Initiative and made in Portugal in a facility accredited to Oeko-Tex Standard 100 so they are doing their bit for the environment too. You can machine wash them at 40 degrees, and tumble dry them, though it is recommended you avoid a dose of the old fabric conditioner as this can reduce the absorbency and you definitely don't want to do that when it comes to a towel. From £6. At pigletinbed.com

• Sizes available: Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet
• Fabric: 65% combed cotton and 35% bamboo
• Colours: Charcoal, White, Blue

Panda became one of our favourite brands for bedding a few years ago, and while we could talk to you endlessly about how much its mattress topper changed our sleep for the better, its towels are well worth their own conversation. They are responsible for changing our shower experience for the better so we suppose we owe them rather a lot. There's a lot to be said for a great shower experience, especially when that continues post shower so we can't stress enough how much of a game-changer a decent towel can be. As with all Panda products, bamboo is blended with cotton for a soft, absorbent and quick-drying construction which makes the most of bamboo's naturally antibacterial properties to keep things fresher for longer.

It's a long staple cotton, said to be “the most exquisitely refined cotton” you can get, and claimed to be “softer, stronger and sleeker than ‘normal’ thread” which is something to do with its spinning process. What you need to know is that the Panda Bamboo Towels are wonderfully soft and plush – think wrapping a cashmere jumper around yourself when you get out of our steamy shower. The colour choice is a little limited with only three options (the brown doesn't exactly scream pick me to us either), but there is plenty be said for a plain white towel. We'd recommend treating yourself with the large-size ‘bath sheet’ for peak post-bath cosiness too. From £17. At mypandalife.com

• Sizes available: Face Cloth, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet
• Fabric: 100% cotton, 500 gsm
• Colours: Charcoal, Light Grey, White

Looking for fluffy towels or anything interiors related that won't break the bank? Dusk very often has the answer. It's one of our go-to retailers for everything from bedding and garden furniture to sofas and beds. Of course – given the nature of the article you are currently reading – it is also a top choice of ours for towels too. The Monaco Supreme Cotton Towels are available in three colours – white, charcoal and light grey – and they are created with a zero-twist technique. That technique is designed to keep them feeling soft, without ruining their ability to absorb water – and so far that's been the case in our experience. We've had them for several months and they are still delightful.

Beautifully crafted from soft 100 per cent cotton (and with a stunning ribbed design that echoes that of other rivals multiple times the price), this is a safe choice for pretty much everyone. And while the price may make you skeptical, Dusk has managed to emulate the feel of more luxurious towels, but only for a fraction of the price. At 500 gsm, they match the weight of our favourite White Company pick, and while they are a little thinner than some others we have tried, they look the part, and they feel the part too. As with The White Company, there is also a matching bath mat in two sizes so you really can kit out your bathroom without having to commit daylight robbery in the process. From £3 £1. At dusk.com

• Sizes available: Face Cloth, Guest Towel, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet
• Fabric: 600 gsm Egyptian cotton with StayNew long-lasting technology
• Colours: 36 options available

Another high street fave, Marks & Spencer brings the goods with everything from garden furniture to dining tables, and plenty in between. If silky soft towels are what you're after however, rather than the fluffier kind, it's Marks & Spencer that you'll want to be turning to. Available in a range of sizes, from face towels to hand towels, guest towels and bath sheets, and in colours that span from dark ochre to sage green, the Super Soft Pure Cotton Antibacterial towels have a 550 gsm weight and are made from a cotton blend to maintain a ‘soft to touch’ feeling. It isn't all about plushness though. There's a plant-based antibacterial finish made of linseed oil, which its kinder to the environment, and there's responsibility sourced cotton too so you can get out of your bath knowing you are doing something small for the earth at the same time as drying off.

Meanwhile, Marks & Spencer's ‘Stay New’ technology is designed to make sure the towels don't degrade or change shape after washing and from our experience so far, that's certainly seems to be the case, though we can't tell you whether it's the Stay New tech or just that these are a decent towel. There has been a little bit of shedding but it hasn't affected how the towels feel for us so we will forgive those little fluff balls on the floor for now. Overall, we are big fans of these towels; so much so that we'd happily buy another few colour options. With 36 on offer, it only seems right to have a couple to mix and match, right? Quick drying, silky soft and both washing machine and tumble drier friendly, you can't really go wrong with these. They aren't just towels, they are M&S towels. From £3. At marksandspencer.com

• Sizes available: Face Cloth, Hand Towel, Bath Towel, Bath Sheet, Guest Towel, XL Bath Towel, XL Bath Sheet, Bath Mat
• Fabric: 100% cotton
• Colours: 19 colours available

It never pays to overlook the basics when you’re shopping for items like bath towels. And sometimes, the most obvious stores and brands can actually have some of the best items around. In this case, Dunelm comes through in full force. Fluffy, absorbent and made from 100 per cent cotton, its ‘Ultimate' bath towel makes for the perfect staple bathroom item. They are luxuriously fluffy and wonderful to wrap around yourself when you step out of the shower or bath. There's a 600 gsm weight so they are plushier than some others on our list, whilst offering great absorbency in our experience.

We’re also very here for the wide range of colours available, from classic white to sapphire blue, vintage pink, bottle green, and even ochre, you’ll be able to find a towel shade that fits your bathroom and design style to a tee. The sizes on offer are pretty great too, with everything from a face cloth (that's not going to be big enough to wrap around you, just so you know), to an XL Bath Sheet that is probably big enough for two. Also, did we mention the price, because it really is reasonable for a machine washable, tumble drier friendly and responsibly sourced towel. From £2. At dunelm.com

• Sizes available: 2x Face Cloths, 2x Hand Towels, 2x Bath Towels, 1x Bath Sheet
• Fabric: Egyptian cotton
• Colours: Subtle Grey, Charcoal Dark Grey, Pink, Pure White

Truly luxurious towels manage to strike that fine balance between actually drying your body post-cleanse and making you feel as comfortable as possible while doing so. Hampton & Astley’s Egyptian Cotton range confidently strides along that line for a premium, unmistakable soft experience. We’d recommend the seven-towel set because frankly, you can never have enough different towel sizes, and there are also a good range of colours, though at the time of writing, this set was sold out, except for in pink. We've kept them in this list because they often drift in and out of stock and if you aren't desperate for your new towels right now then you can sign up to be notified when they come back in.

They are worth waiting for in our opinion as their soft, fluffy and indulgent 650 gsm thickness will populate your bathroom and linen cupboard with the decadent drying tools of your dreams. The seven-piece set includes an extra large bath sheet, two bath towels, two hand towels and two face cloths so you should always have a fresh towel to hand. We love them for their luxurious feel and excellent absorbency, as well as the fact they get fluffier and thicker in the first couple of washes so they become even dreamier. If you think seven towels is a little much, you could always give the six-towel set a try. £176 £88. At hamptonandastley.com

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