In Search of Towels That Feel Good in Summer: Simple Questions About Towels, Answered by a Maker

The Towel Season Is About to Begin

Whether the day is clear and sunny or rainy, we've been sweating a little more lately—a sure sign that summer is on its way. And with it, we find ourselves reaching for "towels" more and more often. Towels are part of everyday life, of course, but in summer their use only increases. There's the hand towel for wiping away sweat, the bath towel for freshening up with a shower after a sweaty day out, and towels for leisure activities like the pool or the beach.

Now is exactly the time to think about which towel suits each occasion and each person, and how best to care for it. "How can I keep a towel soft?" "What should I do about a towel whose pile is coming loose?" "When is it time to replace it?" Let's work through these simple towel-related questions together with the pros—towel makers themselves.

First, Let's Review the Basics of Towels

Since towels touch our skin directly, texture is naturally what matters most. The deciding factors are the weave and how the pile is finished. To find the towel that's perfect for each occasion, let's first take a look at the different types.

【High Absorbency: Pile】

Pile weave is often considered the most common type of towel fabric. "Pile" refers to the fibers that stand up from the base fabric, and pile weave describes a textile woven so that these fibers appear on the surface of the towel.

Pile fabric is actually divided into two categories—loop pile and cut pile—but the one known as "towel fabric" is loop pile. Its hallmark is the round, looped threads that emerge from the base. These loops touching the skin are what create that fluffy feel, and the longer the pile, the softer and fluffier it feels.

Supima Léger Face & Bath Towel Set

This is the Supima Léger series from Ten-i-muhou. Loosely twisted yarn is used for the pile, and the weave itself is kept loose as well, resulting in a light, soft finish. You can enjoy the distinctive texture that only a fluffy pile towel can offer. Since it's lightweight, it's also great to bring along when traveling.

【Smooth and Gentle: Gauze】

Gauze is a material chosen even for baby clothing and medical supplies. Its defining feature is a smooth, gentle touch, and it's a material that grows softer—and dearer to you—with every use and every wash.

Thanks to its smooth, gentle touch, gauze is also often used for towel blankets

Clair Hooded Bath Towel & Bib Set

A hooded bath towel and bib set designed to wrap a baby's skin in soft comfort. Since both the bath towel and bib get used daily, it's handy to have a few on hand as spares while others are being washed. Each piece has a dual construction—pile on one side, gauze on the other. The pile is made with 100% organic cotton, while the gauze uses linen, so that smooth, comfortable feel lasts a long time.

【Fluffy and Springy: Waffle】

Waffle weave offers a gentle touch on the skin while its textured, uneven surface gives it a springy feel. The waffle's grid pattern also allows for good airflow, so it dries quickly and is easy to manage even after washing. Compared to pile weave, it's also less prone to shedding threads—a welcome bonus.

Rana Face & Guest Towel Set

Rana Mini Bath & Guest Towel Set

The Rana series from kontex has a plush softness reminiscent of knitwear. Its springy, cushiony feel is addictive from the very first use—it's a hugely popular series with a devoted following. The towels are woven slowly on low-speed Toyota looms, taking great care not to strain the yarn, which is why they have a satisfying sense of volume when touched despite being thin.

【A Special Case: Wabōfu, Woven from Hand-Spun Thread】

Among the items ZUTTO carries, some are made from fabric unique to a particular manufacturer. One such fabric is wabōfu (wa-bōfu) from Masuhisa Someori Kenkyusho, woven using hand-spun yarn, gently spun by hand rather than by machine. As the name suggests, hand-spinning (tetsumugi) is a technique in which thread is spun by hand using a spinning wheel rather than a machine. The result is a softness that retains the feel of raw cotton fluff, along with an uneven texture created by variations in the thread's thickness.

The Wabōfu Starter Set, featuring various kinds of towels

Wabōfu is a fabric that gains character the more you use it. The more tightly woven pieces absorb moisture especially well, making them ideal as bath towels or face towels. Meanwhile, the deliberately coarse-woven "ara-ori" towels have a soft, fluffy touch that's especially gentle on the skin, making them a great choice for washing your body.

What Makes a Good Summer Towel?

When choosing a towel for summer, here are the key points to keep in mind:
・Absorbs plenty of moisture【absorbency】
・Ready to use right after washing【quick-drying】
・Easy to bring anywhere【portability】

Portability can largely be determined by the size of the towel, but which towels are best when it comes to absorbency and quick-drying? Let's ask the towel professionals directly about their tips for choosing a towel and other things worth knowing when using one.

Asking a Towel Maker: Your "?" About Towels

This time, we spoke with a member of the development team at kontex, a long-established towel maker founded in 1934, who is deeply familiar with the manufacturing process.

Q1. There are so many different weaves of towels. If you want to choose based on absorbency and quick-drying, which type is best?

From left: Pile (Supima Léger Face & Bath Towel Set), Gauze (Flax Line Bath Towel), Waffle (Rana Bath Towel Set)

・If absorbency is your top priority, piletowels

・If you want both absorbency and quick-drying properties, waffle

weave is a good choice. That said, for those with sensitive skin or towels that will touch a baby's skin, gauze is recommended. Gauze is thin, dries quickly, and feels pleasant against the skin, so it's highly versatile.

Q2. How can I keep my favorite fluffy towel soft and absorbent?

First, wash it with plenty of water. If there isn't enough water, friction between the fibers can damage the fabric. If possible, it's ideal to wash towels separately rather than together with other laundry. Also, while you might be tempted to use fabric softener liberally to keep towels soft, this isn't really recommended. Softener coats the fibers, which reduces their absorbency.

Q3. Is there anything I should be careful about when I first start using a towel?

Flax Line Face Towel (Blue), Supima Angel Towel (Face Towel)

At first, you may notice dye or fine cotton fuzz coming off the surface of the towel's fibers. This mostly stops after 2 to 3 washes, but since the fuzz can transfer to other clothing, it's best to wash the towel separately if possible.

Q4. What are the key points to consider when choosing a towel?

Choosing based on the texture you like, or on functionality such as absorbency and quick-drying properties, are both good approaches, but another key point is to consider how you'll actually use the towel. Broadly speaking, there are two ways towels are used.

A typical example is a bath towel, used to dry off a wet body.Sports towels for wiping sweat and beach towels also fall into this category. Since absorbency is important here, thick, voluminous towels are best suited.

A typical example is a bath towel used to wash the body while bathing. Hand towels (oshibori) and towels used in the kitchen also fall into this category. Thin, lightweight towels that are durable and easy to wring out are best suited for this purpose.

Q5. What's the trick to drying towels properly?

It's important to avoid direct sunlight as much as possible and to dry the towel in a well-ventilated spot. Shake the towel a few times to let air into it, straighten out its edges, and then hang it up to dry. Additionally, brushing against the direction of the pile can add volume and softness. Please give it a try.

Q6. What should I do if pile loops start coming loose?

The pile loops of a towel are connected vertically. If you pull on one loop, the pile can come undone one after another, so if a loop gets caught on something or you notice a loop sticking out, don't pull on it any further—just cut it with scissors.

Q7. Is there a general guideline for when to replace a towel?

It depends on how often you use it, but some signs to look for include:

・When the fabric starts to feel stiff and rough

・When the original fluffy threads have thinned out and the fabric feels thinner

are both good indicators. Since towels are everyday consumables, the best time to replace them is really whenever the person using them starts to feel that something's off.

Even though we simply call them "towels," their usability and feel can vary widely. We hope that by understanding the characteristics of each product and keeping these key points in mind, you'll be able to enjoy your towels for a long time to come. We hope this has been helpful in finding the perfect towel for you.

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