Can You Use a Turkish Towel as a Beach Blanket?

Yes. An oversized Turkish towel makes an excellent beach blanket. It resists sand, dries fast, and packs down small, so one flat-woven piece does the work of a bulky blanket and a towel. That is why a lot of beachgoers skip the heavy quilted blanket and bring a large Turkish towel instead.

A Turkish towel is flat-woven cotton rather than thick terry, which is what makes it work as a blanket. The flat weave lets sand brush right off instead of burying itself in the loops, so you shake it out and go. It also folds down thin, so a blanket-sized towel still fits in a tote next to your sunscreen and water bottle.

The one thing that matters is size. A standard beach towel is too small to sit and lounge on. For blanket duty you want an oversized version with enough width for two people to share, or one person to stretch out with room for a bag and a snack.

The Mediterranean Oversized Turkish Beach Towel Blanket ($45) is built for exactly this. It gives you extra-large coverage for lounging, still dries fast, and gets softer with each wash. See the rest of the sizes and styles in the Turkish beach towels collection.

Frequently asked questions

Are Turkish towels big enough to use as a blanket? A standard one is not. An oversized Turkish towel blanket is, with enough width for two people to share or one person to lounge with room for a bag.

Do Turkish towels keep sand off better than a regular blanket? Yes. The flat weave does not trap sand in loops the way terry or a quilted blanket does, so sand shakes off with a quick flick.

Can you still use an oversized Turkish towel to dry off? Yes. It works as both a beach blanket and a towel, and the flat weave means it dries quickly between uses.

How do you wash a Turkish beach towel blanket? Machine wash and air dry, and skip fabric softener. Turkish cotton grows more absorbent and softer with each wash.