I got a set of those green, organic, hippy towels on a discount from TJ Max. They’re a little rougher in feel, but the nice part about them is that they actually soak up water. I don’t know what waxy chemicals or dyes they use in those super soft towels but they don’t work as towels.
I like really big towels that I can wrap all the way around my rather large body. I have found that extra-large towels are sometimes sold as “bath sheets”.
Quick question- do you use fabric softener when you wash your towels? If so, that will reduce absorbency significantly (varies depending on brand/material of towel).
As far as brand, I’m not sure if Kohl’s takes Paypal, but I LOVE their ‘Sonoma’ brand towels.
I’ll second the Land’s End brand. I bought half a dozen of their bath towels about 7 or 8 years ago and they still appear as a brand new, fluffy stack of towels. Soft, extra large, absorbent. Worth the investment.
They work nicely. They also last forever; my parents have some that are 10 years old and they still look fine.
I’ve bought some huge bath sheets from Sears that are also very nice; 100% Supima cotton.
Seconded Beelzebubba’s remark about fabric softener. You can try using laundry balls instead (I have wool ones), or use **much **less fabric softener (I use half a sheet of Bounce free and clear).
Towels and pillows are things to buy once and be done with it.
I paid the price of real feather and down pillows in 1982. They went into zippered pillow cases.
Still nice and comfy.
The towels have aged, but I still have one of the bath towels from 1983 (Macy’s, when they still did the upscale thing - you pay, but you get quality. Don’t think that still applies.
They have to be 100% cotton and heavy and if they last less than ten years, you got ripped off. I have towels (and some pillow cases) older than my marriage; they’re Fieldcrest. But I have no idea what the brand is like now.
Oh, and bamboo does not last and linen does not absorb.
If you like fluffy soft towels, use a dryer; me, I’ve come to like a rough line-dried lowell.