Wamsutta towels were a classic for a reason. Crafted from pure pima cotton and finished with intricate edgework, Wamsutta combined durable materials with delicate design to make timeless towels.
Perhaps you remember Wamsutta towels from your childhood, or you've read glowing reviews online, and you're looking to invest in your own set. Either way, you're out of luck: it's almost impossible to find anything bigger than a Wamsutta washcloth, in store or online. Once you've taken Wamsutta out of the equation, you might not know where to turn for top-quality towels.
I handle all things bedding and bath here at H&G, I can tell you exactly what happened, and where to buy the best bath towels in Wamsutta's absence.
What are Wamsutta towels?
'Wamsutta' has become shorthand for top-quality toweling: so much so, that you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a particular type of material or weave. In fact, 'Wamsutta' refers to Wamsutta Mills, an old textile manufacturing company.
Established in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the Wamsutta Mills opened for business in the mid-1840s. The factory was wildly and rapidly successful, producing millions of yards of cotton cloth each year. This wasn't just any old cotton, but premium stuff for shirts, sheets, bedding and bath towels.
In the 1980s, the Wamsutta brand was acquired by a multinational corporation, known as Springs Global. The rights changed hands a few times after that, until they settled with Bed Bath & Beyond in the 2010s.
As you might remember, Bed Bath & Beyond went bust last summer, and Wamsutta went down with it. These days, it's almost impossible to find a set of Wamsutta towels, whether in store or online. The best I could find was this Wamsutta Ultra Soft Micro Cotton Wash Cloth at Walmart. Sure, you could dry your hands with it, but you'd struggle to use it for your hair or your body.
What are the best alternatives to Wamsutta towels?
Now that Wamsutta's off the table, you'll need to look elsewhere to find premium bath towels. I've rounded up a few of my favorites at the fairest prices you'll find online.
For bumper bundles, try Brooklinen. Their Super-Plush Towel Move-In Bundle contains everything you need to restock your linen closet, from washcloths to bath mats. Alternatively, you can buy in bulk at The Company Store and save hundreds on Turkish cotton toweling. If there is such thing as a statement towel, you'll find it at Bed Threads. Each of their terry cloth towels comes in multiple colorways, include cute checks and bolder prints. I like their Rosewater & Sage Set best, though their White & Oatmeal Set is more versatile, and should blend with any bathroom color palette,
You could also shop for towels by material. Turkish cotton towels should dry fast and smell fresh, while Egyptian cotton towels might be more absorbent: it all comes down to the most minute details of material and weave.
Linen bath towels feel light, yet fluffy. They're easy to wash, effortless to maintain, and tend to come in cooler colors. For eco-conscious shoppers, I'd recommend bamboo bath towels. They're strong enough to withstand regular washes, yet soft enough to soothe sensitive skin straight out of the shower.
I haven't tested each and every one of these towels. There's only so much space in my linen closet. Where I haven't been able to get my hands on a towel, I've scoured the specifications and read countless customer reviews to make sure I'm recommend top-quality towels.
These Turkish cotton towels have the look of an old Wamsutta set. You can pick up two washcloths, two hand towels and two bath towels, in a wide range of bold hues and cute pastels, for less than $100 when you shop at The Company Store.
Brooklinen just sent me a set of their Super-Plush Bath Towels to test, and I'm loving them already. Each bath towel boasts a GSM rating of 820, which is the sort of thing you'd expect to find in luxury spas or hotels.
Made from long-staple Turkish cotton and woven with Spinsoft technology, these bath towels are thicker and fluffier than most you'll find on the market. They're longer, too, designed to dry the whole body, not just the torso.
The best thing about Bed Threads is the range of colors. Their bath towels are woven from French flax into terry cloths, and come in bold block colors, as well as subtler prints and patterns, like this white and oatmeal check.
These bamboo bath towels feature a unique rice weave, with lots of little air pockets to promote quick drying. If you like the look and feel, you could shop the matching set of bath sheets, hand towels, and washcloths.
This organic bath set includes six Turkish cotton towels and a matching bath mat: not bad for $300. Each piece features long loops which boost absorption and feel soft against your skin.
Matouk make some of the world's best luxury bedding, and they do a seriously good line of bath towels, too. Their Milagro set includes a bath towel, a hand towel, a fingertip towel, a washcloth, a bath sheet, and a tub mat, rendered from the finest cotton.
Onsen upgrades the waffle weave, so beloved by beach towel brands, and elevates it for their luxury bath towel set. Each piece is made from American-grown long-staple Supima cotton for supple softness.
This bath towel set is made from premium fine combed Egyptian cotton, which is one of the most absorbent materials on the market. Each of these towels features a neat locker loop, ideal for hanging up in the gym or at home.
Final thoughts
Once you've invested in a set of the best bath towels, it's important to take good care of them. It's worth learning how to wash new towels to increase absorbency and keep bacteria at bay.
Perhaps you've made it to the end of this article and realized that you're looking for a bath sheet, rather than a bath towel: something large and luxurious that wraps right the way around your body. Bath sheets are thicker and fluffier than bath towels, but you'll have to splash some cash to get that additional fabric. We've laid out the pros and cons of bath sheets vs bath towels to help you make an informed purchase.
