The 17 Very Best Bath Towels

Absorbency: High (600 GSM) | Material: 100 percent cotton | Style: Patterned, reversible

Publicist Kaitlin Phillips, who says she’s never been one to covet towels as long as they were “big, thick, and oddly colored,” loves ones by Autumn Sonata, a new homeware brand founded in Los Angeles and based in Amsterdam, for their “unbelievably good colors” that are “inky, mature (walnut, ecru), and notably forgiving of stains.” (Phillips says she owns “almost every design. I covet more.”) The tight collection is made with prints inspired by ikat weaving techniques, antique Japanese patterns, and 19th-century French trim. (Phillips says they are “reminiscent somehow of Norwegian glazed pottery,” or as her boyfriend describes, “late geometric.”)

Senior editor Simone Kitchens, who first saw them on designer Katie Lockhart’s Instagram and was sent some to test, also recommends them for their surprising patterns. “I like that you could have any assortment and they would look good together,” Kitchens says, adding that they would look particularly nice in a “super minimal tiled bathroom.” Both Phillips and Kitchens own the Ester pattern, a navy-and-ecru print inspired by traditional Katazome stencil practices. As for how they feel, Kitchens says the made-in-Portugal towels are “super absorbent” while Phillips likes the fact that they’re “legitimately reversible.” I was sent a pair to test as well, and I agree that the patterns are quite striking, vivid, and really gorgeous. I will note that the towels are on the smaller and thinner side (compared to the ultraplush Brooklinen, for example), but are among the most absorbent I’ve tried. They dry superfast, too. Kitchens notes that they come with unique washing instructions to prevent pilling: Before using, wash them once with distilled vinegar or baking soda, then a second time with detergent. While they can be machine-dried on low heat, the brand recommends line drying, which Kitchens does, to prolong their lifespan. After five months of use, they’ve become my favorite towel and still look just as nice, even though I machine-dry them on medium.