Yes. Bamboo beach towels are soft, and they tend to get even softer with each wash. Bamboo fibers are naturally smooth and round, so a bamboo or bamboo-cotton towel drapes gently against the skin without the stiff, scratchy feel that some cotton towels have straight out of the package.
Softness comes from the fiber. Bamboo fibers are fine and smooth, which gives the finished towel a silky hand-feel and a light drape. Blend that bamboo with cotton and you keep the smooth surface while adding the absorbency and durability cotton is known for. The result is a towel that feels soft to wrap up in but still dries you off.
A flat-weave build helps too. Instead of the thick, looped pile of a traditional terry towel, a Turkish-style flat weave lies lighter and thinner, so it folds down small and breathes in warm weather. That lighter feel is not the same as a plush hotel towel, and a brand-new flat-weave towel can feel thin at first if you are used to heavy terry. It softens quickly with use, and the payoff is a towel that packs flat, shakes off sand, and dries much faster.
The softness also builds over time. Bamboo and cotton fibers relax and open up as they are washed, so the towel you use all summer feels softer in September than it did in June. A cold wash and a low-heat dry keep the fibers happy and hold that softness longer.
The NIXY Acelia Bamboo Turkish Beach Towel ($35) is woven in Turkey from a bamboo-cotton blend for that smooth, soft drape, and like every NIXY towel it is a limited weave, so once a pattern sells out it is gone.
Soft against the skin, light in the bag, softer every wash. That is what you are getting with a good bamboo beach towel.
Frequently asked questions
Are bamboo towels softer than cotton towels?
Bamboo fibers are naturally smoother than most cotton, so a bamboo or bamboo-cotton towel tends to feel silkier against the skin, especially when new. Many towels blend the two to get the smooth bamboo hand-feel with the absorbency of cotton.
Do bamboo beach towels get softer with each wash?
Yes. The fibers relax and open up as they are washed, so a bamboo-cotton towel keeps getting softer with use. Wash cold and dry on low heat to protect the fibers and hold that softness.
Why does a new flat-weave towel feel thinner than a terry towel?
A flat weave lies lighter and thinner than looped terry, so it feels less plush at first. That lighter build is what lets it pack flat, dry fast, and shake off sand, and it softens quickly once you start using it.
0 comments