Choosing the best hand towels for the bathroom
As a place of intimacy, relaxation and comfort, the bathroom deserves special attention, whether in the home, a hotel, a gîte or a spa. Quality linen is a key element, if only for practical reasons. To combine comfort and elegance, you need to choose carefully which towels and hand towels to display and make available to your guests. With so many materials, textures and colours to choose from, how do you go about choosing the right hand towels to make all the difference?
Cotton, the ideal material for the bathroom
There is a wide variety of materials for hand towels, from synthetic to natural to blends. While natural linen is attractive for its lightness and natural look, it is not very absorbent. It is therefore more aesthetic than practical. On the other hand, microfibre hand towels offer the best absorbency, but rarely match the luxurious, cosy look of a bathroom.
Natural cotton is ideal for a number of reasons. Highly absorbent, it can be used to make towels, serviettes or bathrobes of various thicknesses and textures, and can also be a very important decorative element when entertaining guests.
In terms of hygiene and care, it is also one of the easiest fabrics to machine wash, thanks to its natural resistance to high temperatures and the strength of its fibres.
What weight to choose for hand dryers?
When choosing cotton hand towels, you need to choose between several thicknesses or grammages. Expressed in grams per square metre, or g/m², it represents the density of the fabric, which is important in terms of the amount of water that can be absorbed, the drying time of the towels and, of course, the softness you want to achieve.
For everyday personal use, 300/400 g/m² hand towels are perfectly suitable. Most luxury hotels and restaurants offer high-quality, single-use towels that can be washed. In this context, thanks to their thinness, they contribute to the luxurious aesthetic of the place, especially if they are well displayed.
Up to 600 g/m², this is the standard thickness most commonly used in private bathrooms. The best compromise between softness and regular use, it's the ideal choice for homes and families.
Long reserved for a clientele of luxury professionals, hand towels in 600 g/m² and above offer incomparable softness and absorbency. They can easily be set off in the bathroom decor and exude an atmosphere of luxury often found in the finest hotels and spas. They're the perfect choice for entertaining special guests or enjoying the comfort of the finest establishments at home.
Regular use and guest comfort: a question of size
The classic size for hand towels for everyday use in the home is 50x100 cm. Large enough to be used several times, they can be folded into a square for an attractive presentation. Chosen in a high grammage of over 600 g/m², they are more than enough to cover all the needs of guests and customers, while retaining that sought-after luxurious look.
The larger sizes, if they exist, are closer to small towels than to hand towels. But these models, which are over 100 cm long, are still widely used to cover the hair when getting out of the bath, or to sit on in a sauna or hammam. In fact, this is the size most commonly found in balneotherapy and wellness establishments.
The importance of harmony in bathroom design
As well as comfort, aesthetics are of course an important aspect of the bathroom. Colour, texture and finish can and should be matched to the overall ambience and design to deliver the best experience.
White, timeless and adaptable to all styles of ambience, remains the most classic choice. On the other hand, it gets dirty. Black cotton hand towels last longer and are more resistant to stains. On the other hand, they are harder to show off in the bathroom.
In addition to these classic shades, grey, blue and pastel colours can be used to create a cosy, warm atmosphere, or even to add a welcome touch of fantasy in a world where luxury has long been accustomed to dressing up exclusively in white.
To complete the picture, you can choose embroidered, textured or smooth hand towels, to match the lines of a modern bathroom as closely as possible. The addition of initials, the name of the hotel or that of the guests, embroidered in beautiful letters, will personalise the experience and leave a lasting memory of the establishment.
What's more, it's an excellent gift idea, to give to family, guests or to export the reputation of an establishment beyond its walls after a successful stay.