Choosing the right salon towel affects your service quality, customer hygiene, and long-term durability. From washing and coloring hair to facials and spa treatments, each salon service demands a towel that offers softness and performance.
In this article, we break down the critical factors that make salon towels special and provide key insights into the best salon towel options based on material, use case, and durability.
What Makes a Great Salon Towel?
Several factors contribute to a high-quality towel suitable for all salon applications. After careful consideration, we have narrowed down the list to seven important elements.
1. Material Quality
Your choice of towel material will directly affect several aspects of the salon experience. Here are the most popular material choices for salon and spa towels.
- Cotton Towels: Super soft and fluffy texture that results in superior skin feel and high water absorption. Ideally used as bath or hair towels.
- Microfiber Towels: Made from an ultra-fine blend of synthetic fibers, which results in a high absorption, fast drying, and thin towel. Ideal for hair and facial care applications.
- Bamboo Towels: Made from processed bamboo pulp and reinforced with cotton fibers, bamboo towels are antibacterial and hypoallergenic. Ideal wash towels for sensitive skin.
- Disposable Towels: One-time use towels are a hygienic option for nail salons in particular. They are often made from non-woven polymers, but some manufacturers make all-natural bamboo options.
In most cases, your perfect salon towel will either be a microfiber or a cotton towel.
2. Absorbency
Towel absorbency is a very important element for all salon services. Poor absorbency results in a dense, damp cloth that will irritate the customers above all else.
Two key factors determine the water absorbency of any towel.
- Size: Larger and thicker towels can hold more water. We recommend larger towels for hair treatment applications and as bath towels for spas.
- Fiber: Some fibers are naturally more absorbent than others. A square inch of microfiber holds more water than a square inch of cotton fabric. Therefore, you can get better absorbency out of microfiber hand towels.
3. Quick Drying
Good towel absorbency is a valuable attribute, but you also need to pair it with fast drying. Your salon towels are used several times a day. After each application, they need to be completely dry before reusing, or you risk mold and bacterial growth.
Thinner and low-weight towels are fast drying, but they are also less absorbent. The perfect salon towel should have high water absorption and still be fast drying. The closest thing that comes to a perfect solution is a microfiber towel.
You can either get several cotton towels and rotate between them or get a handful of microfiber ones that can be easily washed and dried.
4. GSM (Size and Weight)
High-quality towels and heavier towels are pretty much the same thing. Towel weight is a direct indicator of quality, absorbency, and durability.
GSM or Grams per Square Meter determines the amount of fabric used in the construction of a towel. Wholesale salon towels often skimp out on weight in favor of size.
- Towel Size: Determines the length and width of a towel. Generally measured in inches (in.) or millimeters (mm).
- Towel Weight: Determines the thickness of the towel. Heavier towels cost more than light towels while having the same size.
5. Bleach-Proof Design
Bleach-proof towels (also called stain-resistant towels) are made from 100% microfiber or cotton and specially dyed in bleach-resistant colors. Hair salons regularly bleach hair. When drying hair with colored towels, there is a risk of the color fading.
We recommend all salon owners use bleach-safe towels for their durability, appearance, and longer life span. You can use white uncolored towels. But even pure white towels will discolor and get a yellow hint on contact with bleach.
6. Softness vs Durability
There are too many towels on the market, each claiming to be the softest. But what does that actually mean? Let’s find out.
Towel softness is determined by several factors. Key among those factors are fiber quality, length, and weave options. We’ll discuss towel weaves in detail further down the article.
- Fiber quality refers to the base materials of a towel. Natural cotton fibers are softer than polyester. Some manufacturers use cotton blends (cotton + synthetic fiber). Cotton provides softness, and synthetic fibers such as rayon give strength.
- Fiber size directly impacts softness. Pressure gets spread out over lots of smaller fibers, which creates a more pleasant skin feel. All microfiber towel varieties feel softer because they use the perfect blend of ultra-fine polyester and nylon.
Softer towels will always be inherently less durable. There is a perfect towel that fits your application. Hair stylists generally prefer durability, while facial care always chooses softness.
It’s important to note that after regular use and exposure to salon chemicals, even the softest towels will lose their plush texture.
Different Weave Options for Salon Towels
Weaving is the process of transforming fiber strands into the right towel for your salon use. It’s an indication of high-quality stitching and craftsmanship.
1. Terry Weave
Terry weave, or terry cloth, is the most common towel design. It uses standing loops of thread, which increase the towels’ dirt collection and water absorption properties. Another variant of the terry weave is the twisted loop weave. It twists the loops after weaving for higher water absorption.
Terry weaves are the most affordable towel options. They are also the most likely to fray after frequent use.
2. Waffle Weave
Waffle weave is a flat design that uses a square stitching pattern that resembles a waffle. The up and down sections of the towel increase its surface area, resulting in a highly absorbent and durable towel.
Since there are no protruding elements that can get damaged, waffle towels stay soft even after heavy use.
3. Suede Weave
Suede is a flat weave that makes towels feel more like clothes. These towels have efficient moisture absorption because they can quickly soak up water. But due to their flat design, they can only absorb small quantities of liquid.
In a salon environment, these towels are used for maintaining hygiene, makeup removal, and general facial care.
4. Coral Fleece
Fleece weave uses single unbraided strands of fibers for a fuzzy fur-like texture. This design results in an ultra-soft texture that is perfect for facial care.
You need to be extra careful when washing and drying coral fleece towels. Hot water and harsh chemicals can damage the soft fibers and destroy the towel.
Best Salon Towel by Use Case
The best salon towels are the ones that fit your applications. Larger towels are better for drying hair, while smaller ones are ideal for facial care. We have compiled a list of recommended towels for each salon application.
Table 1 – List of various salon services and their ideal towel choice.
| Salon Service | Recommended Towels, | Reason for Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo & Blow Drying | Microfiber Towels | Gentle on hair, speeds hair drying, and is less likely to pull on hair. |
| Color Treatments | Bleach-Proof Microfiber Towels | Designed to resist bleach and coloring chemicals. |
| Makeup Application | Microfiber Face Towels or Disposable Towels | Clean surface, gentle on skin, and ideal for makeup removal. |
| Skincare Treatments | Cotton or Bamboo Face Towels | Gentle, antibacterial (bamboo only), and contains no plastic polymers. |
| Manicure | Small Microfiber or Disposable towels | Easy to use, less cleanup, and more hygienic for nail care. |
| Pedicure | Medium Size Cotton or Microfiber Towels | Comfortable, highly absorbent, and ideal for soaking feet. |
| Waxing & Hair Removal | Disposable Towels | Single-use towels are more hygienic and easier to dispose of. |
| Massage & Spa Treatments | Large Bath towels | Provides clients with comfort, warmth, and full coverage. |
Note: You should also have a separate set of towels just for salon cleaning & sanitization applications. We recommend microfiber hand towels and cloth for cleaning tables and equipment. A larger microfiber towel used in car washing is more suitable for cleaning large glass surfaces and mirrors.
5 Care & Maintenance Tips for Salon Towels
Proper maintenance will increase your towels’ life span and decrease your salon’s operating costs. Here are our top five care tips to keep your towels looking fresh.
1. Warm Water for First Wash
New towels always shed a little and leave lint behind. It’s important to wash them first in warm water to get rid of loose fibers. Without this step, you risk leaving lint on customers. You should always take proper steps to remove lint from your towels.
2. Avoid Hot Water
Hot water can damage towels and give them a stiff texture. Either use cold or slightly warm water when washing towels so they stay fresh-looking for longer.
3. Never Use Fabric Softener
Stop adding fabric softener to your towels. Fabric softeners coat the towels in a thin film, making them softer but reducing their water absorbency.
4. Use Mild Detergents
Harsh chemicals in strong detergents are more likely to damage the towel fibers and dull their vibrant colors. Mild detergents and a gentle wash cycle will increase your towels’ life span.
5. Air Dry Over Tumble Drying
We always recommend that you air-dry your salon towels. Heat can damage the towels, so avoid tumble drying. Similarly, don’t hang your towels in direct sunlight.
Conclusion
It’s very important that you choose the right salon towels for your business. Poor-quality towels leave a negative impression on your clients, which damages your brand reputation and decreases sales. We recommend picking towels based on your application. Use this guide to accurately judge your needs and choose towels accordingly.
Get Premium Quality Towels from Manywell!
Manywell is an expert in premium towel manufacturing. We specialize in ultra-soft and hygienic microfiber towels. You should also check out our all-natural cotton cloths and disposable towels for your various salon needs.
All Manywell products are fully customizable. Get towels in your salon colors, and your logo embroidered on the edge. Contact us today!
