The Complete Beach Towel Size Guide

Beach towel sizes directly impact comfort and functionality. From compact travel towels to oversized lounge towels, each size serves a different purpose. For businesses, the right towel size is directly related to customer satisfaction.

In this article, we outline industry-standard sizes for beach towels, highlight their applications, and share techniques to select the right one for your business.

Standard Beach Towel Sizes

Beach towels generally come in large sizes. Good enough to wrap around your body or spread on the sand for a comfortable tanning session.

Table 1 – Quick size guide for beach towels.

Beach TowelSizes	Dimensions(inches)	Dimensions(centimeter)	Best For
Small	16×28 in	40×70 cm	Hand / Face Use
Medium	28×36 in	70×90 cm	Kids Beach Towels
Large	30×60 in	75×150 cm	Teens / Adults
Extra Large	36×72 in	90×180 cm	Larger Individuals
Beach Blanket	72×72 in	180×180 cm	Families

1. Small Towels (16×28 Inches)

There are no small beach towels. Instead, beachgoers use regular hand or bath towels. They are easy to carry in your bag and quickly dry off your face and hair. You are only limited by design options. Hand towels come in a terry cloth design. Unfortunately, these fluffy towels can attract sand particles.

Why Choose Small Beach Towels?
Benefits	Drawbacks
Easy CarryingLightweightMore Absorbent by SizeEasy to Wash	Easy to LoseAttracts SandBad at Body Drying

2. Medium Towels (28×36 Inches)

Beach towels are usually large, but occasionally you will find smaller options. These towels are targeted towards children or people looking for easy portability.

Why Choose Medium-Size Beach Towels?
Benefits	Drawbacks
Easy CarryingLightweightSuitable for Children	Cannot Wrap Around Yourself

3. Large Towels (30×60 Inches)

This is your standard beach towel size. It’s suitable for all ages and almost all body types. Large beach towels provide enough space for you to sit on them like a blanket.

Most sand-resistant towel designs are only available in this size or larger. This design repels sand without affecting the towel’s absorbency.

Why Choose Large Beach Towels?
Benefits	Drawbacks
Full Body DryingWrap Around SizeRepels SandWidely AvailableGood Ground Coverage	Not for All Body Types

4. Oversized Towels (36×72 Inches)

Oversized towels are mostly designed for larger individuals and families. With a towel this size, you only need to carry one to the beach. It provides just enough extra space that you can sit on it with your partner or child.

Of course, there is also the matter of personal preference. Some people like the extra space for tanning. Most beach towels can also be used as bath sheets.

Why Choose Oversized Beach Towels?
Benefits	Drawbacks
Better for Larger PeopleMore Surface AreaBetter Absorbency	Hard to Carry

5. Beach Blankets (72×72 Inches)

Beach blankets are different from beach towels. They are bigger towels that are designed to be spread on the ground like a blanket. You can get one large beach blanket for the entire family or friend group. Then each person can have their own smaller hand towels for personal hygiene.

Why Choose Beach Blankets?
Benefits	Drawbacks
Family UseGreat for TanningGood Value for Money	HeavyHard to Pack

Why Are Beach Use Towels so Large?

The main reason for the beach towel being so large is its flexibility. You can use a large beach towel in several ways. Here are four factors customers consider when they choose towels for the beach.

1. Picnic Mat: Large towels protect you from the hot sand.
2. Wrap Around Body: Wrapping the large towel around your waist makes for privacy.
3. Better Drying: Beach towels increase their absorbency by increasing the towel size.
4. Family Use: Instead of carrying three or four individual towels, you can bring just one large beach towel.

How to Choose the Right Beach Towel?

In this section, we help you choose the perfect towel for the summer.

1. Beach Towel Sizes

The perfect towel is one that suits your body size. However, large towels are a good overall choice because they strike the right balance of comfort and portability. But you can always look at other options.

• Small Towels: Highly Absorbent & Portable
• Medium Towels: Lightweight Option for Shorter Individuals
• Large Towels: Good for Tanning & Wrapping Around the Body
• Extra Large Towels: Comfortable Option for Larger Individuals

Nowadays, larger towels often come with built-in pockets. These pockets can carry your phone, glasses, sunscreen, and other essentials.

2. Towel Material

Beach towels are available in natural cotton or high-performance microfiber.

1. Cotton beach towels are known for their softness and absorbency. This is mostly due to the long fibers used in manufacturing. However, they are generally heavier compared to microfiber towels. Turkish cotton towels are luxury options that are mostly reserved for high-end hotels.
2. Microfiber towelsare twice as absorbent as cotton towels. All while being thinner and fast drying. Additionally, you can get microfiber towels in ultra-fine weave options for a luxurious feel.

Direct light from the sun can damage microfiber towels more easily. But with proper care and attention, sun damage shouldn’t be a concern.

3. Weight and Portability

The manufacturing industry uses GSM (grams per square meter) to measure towel density. In general terms, it measures the thickness of a towel, regardless of the size.

Towels with high GSM weight are considered a luxurious option. They contain more material and feel hefty. But beach towels come in lower GSM variations compared to equivalent-size bath towels.

Table 2 – How GSM affects beach towel performance.

Beach Towels	High GSM Towels	Low GSM Towels
Advantages	Premium FeelSuper AbsorbentInsulation from Hot Sand	LightweightEasy to Fit in BagsQuick Drying
Disadvantages	Heavy & Non-PortableGets Heavier in WaterLong Drying Times	Less Absorbent

Hotels, resorts, and other hospitality businesses prefer thicker (higher GSM) towels because they convey a premium texture and luxury feel.

4. Quick Drying Times

Three factors affect the drying time of beach towels.

1. Material: Microfiber beach towels dry faster.
2. GSM: Lower GSM towels are thinner and thus dry faster.
3. Weave: Loose-weave towels have better airflow and are quicker drying.

You always want a quick-drying beach towel. This way, you don’t have to carry around a wet and heavy towel on a beach day.

5. Sand Resistance

It’s always hard to remove sand from your beach towels. The best solution is to get a sand-resistant towel. Microfiber towels are more sand-resistant because of their tighter weave. Any textured towel will inherently attract more sand.

6. Maintenance

The last thing you want, after a fun beach day, is to worry about cleaning your beach towels. Here is a quick microfiber towel washing and maintenance guide.

1. Microfiber towels should be handled with proper care. You need to wash them on a gentle cycle and avoid tumble drying. We generally recommend air drying out of direct sunlight.
2. Next, you want your towels to be completely dry before storing them. Damp towels can become a hub for bacteria.
3. Lastly, you should avoid fabric softeners. They can coat the towel fibers with an invisible paraffin coating. It makes your towels soft but also compromises their absorbency.

Beach Towels Come in Cotton & Microfiber: Which is Better?

We mentioned this above, but let’s quickly go over all the key differences between the two towel materials. You can learn more about microfiber vs cotton towels here.

Table 3 – Quick comparison between cotton and microfiber beach towels.

Towel Properties	Microfiber Beach Towel	Cotton Beach Towel
Material Composition	Polyester & Nylon Blend	100% CottonOR Cotton & Polyester
Water Absorption	Absorbs 5-7x its Own Weight	Absorbs 3-4x its Own Weight
Drying Speed	Quick Drying	Slow Drying
Portability	Lightweight & Compact	Soft but Heavy
Towel Feel	Smooth Texture	Plush Feel
Sand Resistance	Very High	Medium
Hygiene	Bacteria Resistant	Unhygienic When Damp
Durability	Resistant to Shedding	Resistant to Wear & Tear
General Cost	Slightly Higher	Budget Friendly

Here are some important things to note.

1. Towel Pricing is Complicated

Firstly, microfiber beach towels generally cost more than cotton options. But other factors can affect the final price a lot. Towel GSM weight, print quality, weave options, edge stitching, and other factors are often more important than material choice.

A premium Turkish cotton towel is several times more expensive than any microfiber towel. Despite not being particularly more absorbent or softer, cotton can often end up being more expensive.

2. Portability is More Important

Another important thing to note is portability. A beach day shouldn’t feel like a camping trip. Packing light is often the goal for many beachgoers. You want a light bag that doesn’t strain your shoulders. In such cases, microfiber towels are the gold standard.

Microfiber towels are thinner, which makes them easy to fold, carry, and store.

Guide to Beach Towel Procurement for Your Business?

In many ways, beach towels are a more profitable venture than regular bath towels. That’s because beach towels wear quickly due to the sand and harsh UV light from the sun. Meaning customers more regularly replace their old beach towels.

Here is a quick procurement guide for businesses that deal in beach towels.

1. Business Compatibility

Let’s start with all the ways businesses can utilize beach towels.

1. Beach Clubs: Branded towels with your club logo and color. It adds to the exclusive appeal of your club.
2. Resorts & Hotels: Seaside hotels need custom beach towels for their customers.
3. Spas & Wellness Centers: Spas can also use beach towels for their various services.
4. Water Parks & Swimming Pools: All swimming-related businesses should have beach towels for their customers.
5. Yoga Studios: Beach towels make a great yoga mat. It’s more portable than a rubber mat and easier to wash.
6. Promotional Gifts: Beach towels can be part of a care package or gift basket.

2. Quality Assurance

Before you order a towel, request an early sample from the microfiber towel factory. Wash your samples thoroughly and assess their performance.

1. Color Fastness: Look for faded colors after washing.
2. Print Performance: See if the printed design is affected by the wash.
3. Shedding: Poor quality towels shed loose fibers after every wash.
4. Consistency: Two samples from a towel factory should always have similar performance.

3. Towel Sizes & Weight

Towel sizes and weight affect your price per unit. As a business, you should always assess the value of a towel based on size and weight. Heavier towels feel premium, but they are less suitable for beach use.

Contrarily, large towels are more expensive, but they offer better customization options. Which increases customer interest.

4. Customization Options

Customization is key to any business procurement. There are several ways you can customize a microfiber cloth or towel.

1. Towel Colors: Dye your beach towels in a unique color that represents your brand.
2. Printing: Dye sublimation printing is the most common way to add detailed designs to a beach towel.
3. Brand Logo: You can add a logo to a towel by embossing, embroidery, or stitching a tag.
4. Sizing: You can make your towel brand stand out by offering non-standard sizes that cater to different body sizes.

5. Bulk Procurement & MOQs

Bulk purchases are a great way to save money and stock up on beach towels. Most towel manufacturers have a minimum order quantity (MOQ) requirement. Meaning you have to order a specific number of units from the manufacturer.

Chinese microfiber towel manufacturers offer more flexibility in procurement. Therefore, most businesses turn to China for custom towel production.

Conclusion

Beach towels are mostly available in large sizes. Larger towels are versatile and appeal to most customers. So manufacturers stick to larger designs to maximize their profits. Additionally, full towel printing looks best when it’s on a large towel. Smaller towels are more portable and travel-friendly. But they cannot match the usability of a large beach towel.

Get Your Perfect Beach Towel from Manywell

Manywell is a leading manufacturer of microfiber towels. We specialize in high-quality printed beach towels. You can also get general-purpose microfiber cleaning cloths and cotton towels.

We offer full customization on beach towels. Our microfiber towels are print-friendly and don’t fade over time. You can also request early samples and schedule a factory tour for quality assurance. Contact us today!