What are the Best Baby Bath Towels?

Oh baby bath time. How you come with so many rubber bath toys, specific tear-free shampoos and washes, bathtubs that range from simple to extravagant, and towels. Yes, those cute towels we wrap around our babies that make us pull out our cameras, snap a picture, and share it on social media. And boy do those heart-faced reactions come gushing in. Because nothing is cuter than a squeaky-clean baby wrapped up in a towel; especially a hooded towel. 

So if you’re looking for the perfect towel that is soft, can absorb the most amount of moisture, and keep your baby warm after a bath, you’re in luck! We’ve listed our best baby towels to make life as a new parent just a little bit easier. 

Towel Materials

When parents shop for baby products, they’re almost always looking for the cutest finds. You know the cutest, most plush blankets, the cutest pajamas that make babies irresistibly snuggly, and even the cutest little nightlights that go with the theme of their nursery. Cute, cute, cute. And almost all baby bath towels are ridiculously adorable, mostly due to the precious bare baby bodies they’re wrapped around. Go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back parents, because you made those beautiful little babies.

But besides the aesthetics of baby washcloths and towels, you also have to consider the materials before purchasing. You don’t want to dry off your baby only to find the towel was scratching and scuffing up your baby. Yikes. 

Let’s go over some of the fabric terms before we begin. Because you know, not everyone is a connoisseur of textiles – and personally, we don’t expect you to be. You’ve already got a lot going on in that busy head and home, new parents. 

Many products made of fabric will include a tag that reads something like this: “made with all natural material.” Natural fabrics include cotton, linen, silk, wool, and cashmere. They’re noteworthy because they are both comfortable and breathable. If you’ve already shopped around for some baby towels, you probably noticed most are made from cotton. 

There are also fabrics that are synthetic.This means that the fibers were made by humans through a process of chemical synthesis. The result? Fabric that is more durable and can pick up dyes easier than natural fibers. Synthetic fabrics most commonly include nylon and polyester. Many items are made from a blend of both natural and synthetic fibers and most commonly you’ll see baby towels made from both polyester and cotton, if not cotton alone. 

Lastly, there is a group of fabric that isn’t quite natural or synthetic in the most common sense. These are cellulose fibers which can be obtained from the bark, wood pulp, or leaves of plants. The result is often referred to as rayon fabric and imitates the look and feel of natural fibers. They’re often advertised as being more eco-friendly than most other fabrics because they come from renewable sources and are more sustainable. 

Cotton. This is the fabric people are most familiar with. Check the tag on the back of your t-shirts – we’re almost certain you’ll see cotton written on there. Cotton is often the fabric of choice in the world of textiles because it is long-lasting, soft, absorbent, and budget-friendly. Cotton is a great choice for bath towels because it is gentle on your baby’s soft body and can absorb and dry quickly. 

Polyester. This is a synthetic fiber that is has great resistance and strength and is often blended together with cotton. Depending on the type of weave, polyester fabrics can range from soft-textured to rough, so make sure you shop wisely.

Bamboo. Fabrics that claim to be bamboo are usually not made by mechanical crushing of the plant. Rather, they are made from cellulose which is extracted from bamboo; think bamboo leaves and inner pith of bamboo trunk. The Federal Trade Commision rules that unless yarn is made from directly from bamboo fiber, it must be called rayon. But if towels are claimed to be made from bamboo, the result is usually very soft and very absorbent for your little one. 

The low-down about organic materials

You’ve heard of organic food. More and more grocers are selling organic fruits and vegetables which claim to be grown without any pesticides, herbicides, or other chemicals. 

But what on earth are organic baby washcloths? Well, the process in which they are grown is identical to organic foods. Textiles that are considered to be organic are grown in controlled settings – no chemicals, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, and maybe some other -cides that we can’t think of are used on them. Only natural fertilizers, soil, and water are used during growth. 

95% of a product’s fabric must contain the organic fabric in order to be considered organic.

Parents look for organic fabrics in many things such as clothes, blankets, and you guessed it, towels. This is so no harmful chemicals touch their children’s new, soft bodies. It’s especially something parents with babies who have sensitive skin look for. 

Organic fabrics make great washcloths. Oh, the amount of washcloths you will collect. Many baby towels often come in sets with matching washcloths, too. You’ll use them to wash your baby’s face and body during bathtime, keep your baby’s head warm, to cover your baby in order to avoid accidents (boy moms, you know what I’m talking about), to clean off drool and spit up, to use as burp cloths, and so, so much more. Washcloths are versatile and have infinite uses. So it’s important to buy washcloths that are non-scratching, and organic fabrics claim to do a great job at that. 

Many towel sets are made with cotton terry cloth. This means the cotton is woven or knitted in a way that created loops to absorb great quantities of water. Although terry cloth is almost always made of cotton, it can sometimes contain polyester as well.

If a product claims to be made from organic material, always look (or ask) for a certification.

Towel weight

Excuse me, what? Is this a new trend like weighted blankets?

No.

Towel weight is the equivalent to thread count in bedsheets. Towels come with a special number, tagged as GSM, or grams per square meter. This number tells you how heavy, or light, the fabric actually is. It’s a great way to measure the quality of a towel. The higher the number, the heavier the towel, and the higher capacity for absorption.

Towels normally range between 300-900 GSM. 750 GSM and above are considered to be luxury towels – they’re heavy and absorb quickly. The downside is that they take longer to dry. Towels with a GSM between 300-450 are lightweight towels that are usually used for dishwashing or other household cleaning. Then we have the middle range – that’s where most bath and beach towels sit. Between 450-750 GSM. 

Wash care for baby towels.

Babies have sensitive skin. It’s important you’re aware of the products you use to wash, massage, and moisturize your baby. It’s also important that parents use gentle clothing and towels in order to prevent any scratching or rashes. 

It may seem trivial, but keeping baby towels clean and fresh will protect from skin scratching and rashes – and those can very easily affect your child’s health. 

It’s good practice to keep your child’s load of laundry separate than the rest of the family’s. At least while they’re infants. Adult clothing might sport dirt and scents that could transfer to your baby’s clothing – and that’s not so great for sensitive skins. 

Detergents

Many parents opt to buy laundry detergents that are specifically catered to newborn clothes – they’re usually free of dyes and perfumes, along with any other harsh chemicals. They’re gentle, but often can be a little weak in taking out tough stains. But going for detergents that are free of these harsh chemicals is often the best practice. 

If you don’t want to purchase two separate detergents for your family, try safer and cleaner ones that can be used for all of your laundry loads. Look for some keywords such as gentle, chemical-free, dye-free, no perfumes or scents, etc.

And when you’re washing baby towels, skip the fabric softener, that always makes it longer for your towels to dry.

If you’ve got a particularly foul smelling towel, set your wash up on the hot cycle and add a cup of vinegar to the load. This will remove any bad odors.

How often should you wash baby towels?

So you’ve given your baby a bath. And now you’re juggling with putting dinner away, washing the dishes, getting your older kids to bed, fixing lunches for school. Whew! We know how chaotic those last few hours of your day can be. But amidst it all, don’t make the mistake of tossing the wet towel somewhere. It can sit and collect mildew and wreak havoc on your nose. Best practice is to hang the towel to dry after each use. 

And once you’ve dried off your freshly bathed baby with the towel 2-3 times, it’s time for a wash. Using the same towel more than that without washing can cause your little one to break out in a rash and/or be itchy all over. The bacteria that inevitably collects on towels can irritate sensitive new skin. 

How often should you bathe your baby?

Many parents include an evening bath as part of their baby’s nightly bedtime routine. It isn’t actually necessary for you to baby to bathe every day. A bath 2-3 times a week is sufficient enough to keep your newborn clean. But if you’d like to keep your nightly routine which includes a bath for your baby, that’s perfectly fine too. Just make sure not to give your baby more than one bath a day – that can dry out her skin.

Between baths, you can keep your baby clean by using a good quality wet washcloth. Cleaning your newborn’s privates is important – ensure you use warm water and a soft cloth often.

Our Top Baby Bath Towel Picks

Organic Bamboo Hooded Baby Towel by San Francisco Baby

Hudson Baby Unisex Baby Animal Face Hooded Towel

Natemia Extra Soft Rayon Bamboo Baby Hooded Towel

Burt’s Bees Baby Hooded Towel

Organic Bamboo Baby Hooded Towel by Miniboo

Luvable Friends Animal Face Hooded Towel