The best waffle towels
A waffle towel trades plushness for speed: it is dry on the rail before the next shower. The best ones tell you exactly what they are made of.
By Sawyer V. · · How we research
The short answer
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Quick picks
Tap any row for the full write-up. Prices are checked against Amazon rather than remembered — where we have no verified figure the button says so.
| # | Product | Best for | Renter | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No photo yet Waffle Towels Long-staple Turkish cotton at 240 GSM, OEKO-TEX certified, with an honest note about how waffle feels. | Fast-drying towels with the specs published | Safe | |
| 2 |  ONSEN Supima Waffle Bath Towel USA-grown Supima cotton, 31 x 57 in. at 470 g — about 410 GSM by our arithmetic — with a 60-shower trial. | A heavier waffle in American-grown cotton | Safe | |
| — |  ONSEN Supima Waffle Bath Sheet A good towel in the wrong size for waffle's main advantage: at 38 x 67 in., it has to be folded to fit most rails. | Skip this one | Safe | No buy link |
What waffle weave is for
A waffle towel is woven flat in a honeycomb pattern instead of with the loops of terry. Parachute describes its “three-dimensionality” as giving a larger surface to absorb water while letting air through to dry.
The practical result is a towel that is dry on the rail by the next shower, weighs less, and takes less room on a shelf or in a bag. In a small bathroom without much airflow, drying speed is the difference between a fresh towel and a musty one.
The honest trade-off
Waffle does not feel like terry. Parachute says so itself: honeycomb weaves “may not feel as immediately dry against the skin as terry cloth”. You pat rather than rub, and the first few seconds feel different. Most people either love that or go straight back to terry. The two are compared here.
Weight is the number to compare
GSM — grams per square meter — tells you how dense a towel is. Parachute publishes 240 GSM. ONSEN publishes weight and size instead, which work out to about 410 GSM for the bath towel and about 380 for the bath sheet.
Lighter waffle dries faster and packs smaller; heavier waffle has more body and holds more water. Neither is better — it depends on your bathroom and your preference.
Hang it on a bar, not a hook
This is the care rule most people break. Parachute’s instruction is direct: “Do not hang on a hook, as it can cause the wonderfully stretchy waffle weave to lose its shape over time.”
A bar also dries the towel faster, because it hangs open rather than bunched. If you rent and have nowhere to put one, no-drill towel bars are here.
Washing
ONSEN publishes the most detailed care: wash before first use, wash every three or four days in cold water on a gentle cycle, tumble dry low with wool dryer balls, and avoid fabric softeners and conditioners. Parachute lists its towels as machine washable.
If you rent
Every towel here rates Safe on our install rating. There is nothing to install, and they leave with you.
Every pick in full
2 we would buy, and one we would not. Each carries its Renter-Safe Install Rating, the published specs behind it, and the honest gap in what we know.
1. Best overall
Waffle Towels
Parachute · Waffle Towels · best for fast-drying towels with the specs published
Long-staple Turkish cotton at 240 GSM, OEKO-TEX certified, with an honest note about how waffle feels.
Parachute’s Waffle Towels are the pick because Parachute publishes the number most towel makers leave out: 240 grams per square meter. The fiber is “100% long-staple Turkish cotton” in an “open waffle weave”, certified to OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100.
The bath towel is 56 x 30 in., the hand towel 30 x 20 in. Parachute calls them “lightweight and quick-drying”, and it explains the trade in plain words: the honeycomb’s three-dimensional surface absorbs water and “promotes airflow to dry quickly”, but it may not feel as immediately dry on the skin as terry.
They are made in Turkey, with a 60-day return window.
Renter-Safe Install Rating
- Drilling
- None
- Tools
- None
- Time to fit
- None — it is a towel
- Power
- None
- Reversible on move-out
- Fully
Why: Nothing is fitted or connected. The only instruction that matters is Parachute's own: fold it or hang it on a bar, not a hook.
Read from published documentation, not from fitting one. Parachute — Waffle Towels, published GSM, fiber, sizes and care. How the verdict is derived: renter-safe ratings explained.
What’s wrong with it
A 240 GSM waffle feels thin in the hand next to a plush terry towel.
What we can’t tell you
Parachute publishes no shrinkage figure after washing.
Published specifications
| Material | “100% long-staple Turkish cotton” |
|---|---|
| Weave | “open waffle weave” |
| Weight | 240 GSM |
| Sizes | Bath towel 56 x 30 in.; hand towel 30 x 20 in. |
| Certification | OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 |
| Drying claim | “lightweight and quick-drying” |
| Parachute's own caveat | Honeycomb weaves “may not feel as immediately dry against the skin as terry cloth” |
| Care | Machine washable; “Do not hang on a hook, as it can cause the wonderfully stretchy waffle weave to lose its shape” |
| Made in | Turkey |
| Returns | 60-day return policy |
Source: Parachute — Waffle Towels, published GSM, fiber, sizes and care
#ad We have no verified live price for this one right now, so we are not showing a number. How we’re funded.
2. Best Supima waffle
ONSEN Supima Waffle Bath Towel
ONSEN · Supima Waffle Bath Towel · best for a heavier waffle in american-grown cotton
USA-grown Supima cotton, 31 x 57 in. at 470 g — about 410 GSM by our arithmetic — with a 60-shower trial.
The ONSEN Supima Waffle Bath Towel is the heavier option. ONSEN uses “100% USA-grown extra-long-staple Supima® cotton” and publishes the size and weight: 31 x 57 in. and 16.5 oz, or 470 g.
ONSEN does not publish a GSM, but its figures let you work one out. 470 g over 0.79 x 1.45 m is about 410 GSM — our arithmetic, not ONSEN’s figure. That is much denser than Parachute’s 240, so expect a towel with more body and a little longer on the rail.
It is OEKO-TEX certified and comes with a “60-Shower Trial”.
Renter-Safe Install Rating
- Drilling
- None
- Tools
- None
- Time to fit
- None — it is a towel
- Power
- None
- Reversible on move-out
- Fully
Why: Nothing is fitted, mounted or connected. It arrives, it goes on the rail you already have, and it leaves with you.
Read from published documentation, not from fitting one. ONSEN — Supima Waffle Bath Towel, published dimensions, weight, fiber and care. How the verdict is derived: renter-safe ratings explained.
What’s wrong with it
The extra weight means it dries a little slower than a lighter waffle.
What we can’t tell you
ONSEN publishes no GSM itself; the 410 figure is ours, from its published weight and size.
Published specifications
| Dimensions | “31 x 57 in or 79 x 145 cm” |
|---|---|
| Weight | “16.5 oz or 470 g” |
| Material | “100% USA-grown extra-long-staple Supima® cotton” |
| Weave | Open waffle weave |
| Certification | “OEKO-TEX® certified” |
| Care | “Wash before first use”; “wash every 3-4 days in cold water on a gentle cycle”; “tumble dry low with wool dryer balls”; “avoid using fabric softeners & conditioners” |
| Trial | “60-Shower Trial” |
| GSM | Not published |
Source: ONSEN — Supima Waffle Bath Towel, published dimensions, weight, fiber and care
#ad Price $59.00 as of October 18, 2026. Prices change; Amazon’s listing is the one that counts. How we’re funded.
The one to skip
ONSEN Supima Waffle Bath Sheet
ONSEN · Supima Waffle Bath Sheet · best for only with a wide, empty rail
A good towel in the wrong size for waffle's main advantage: at 38 x 67 in., it has to be folded to fit most rails.
The ONSEN bath sheet is the same Supima waffle, bigger. The size is the problem.
ONSEN publishes 38 x 67 in. and 22.2 oz. The reason to choose waffle is that it dries fast, and it dries fast because air gets through an open weave hanging in a single layer. Folded double to fit a standard rail, a bath sheet loses much of that advantage.
If you have a wide rail or a heated rack, it will be fine. For most bathrooms, the bath towel above is the better buy — and if you want a big towel, terry may suit you better. Waffle against terry is here.
Renter-Safe Install Rating
- Drilling
- None
- Tools
- None
- Time to fit
- None — it is a towel
- Power
- None
- Reversible on move-out
- Fully
Why: A bath sheet asks nothing of the room. The only thing worth checking is whether your rail is wide enough to hang 38 inches of it.
Read from published documentation, not from fitting one. ONSEN — Supima Waffle Bath Sheet, published dimensions, weight, fiber and care. How the verdict is derived: renter-safe ratings explained.
What’s wrong with it
Needs a 38 in. rail to hang in one layer.
What we can’t tell you
Nothing about the fabric; it is a sizing call.
Published specifications
| Dimensions | “38 x 67 in or 97 x 170 cm” |
|---|---|
| Weight | “22.2 oz or 630 g” |
| Material | “100% USA-grown extra-long-staple Supima® cotton” |
| Weave | Open waffle weave |
| Certification | “OEKO-TEX® certified” |
| Care | “Wash before first use”; “wash every 3-4 days in cold water on a gentle cycle”; “tumble dry low with wool dryer balls” |
| Trial | “60-Shower Trial” |
| GSM | Not published |
Source: ONSEN — Supima Waffle Bath Sheet, published dimensions, weight, fiber and care
There is no buy button on this one. It is easy enough to find if you want it anyway — we would rather point you at something that is still on the wall in a year.
Where to buy
Everything recommended on this page, in one place. Each link is an Amazon Associates link — we earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and it never decides a pick.
- Check price on Amazon
Waffle Towels
Parachute · Waffle Towels · Renter verdict: Safe
- $59.00View on Amazon
ONSEN Supima Waffle Bath Towel
ONSEN · Supima Waffle Bath Towel · Renter verdict: Safe
#ad Prices are not shown because we only publish figures we have verified on the day. How we’re funded.
Questions people actually ask
are waffle towels better
Better at drying quickly and packing light; not as plush as terry. Parachute itself says waffle 'may not feel as immediately dry against the skin as terry cloth'. It depends on what you want from a towel.
can you hang waffle towels on a hook
Parachute says not to: hanging on a hook 'can cause the wonderfully stretchy waffle weave to lose its shape over time'. Fold it or hang it on a bar.
what gsm is a waffle towel
It varies. Parachute publishes 240 GSM for its waffle towels. ONSEN publishes weight and size instead, which work out to about 410 GSM for its bath towel by our arithmetic.
do waffle towels get softer
Neither maker publishes a claim about that, so we will not make one. What both publish is care: ONSEN advises cold washes on a gentle cycle and no fabric softener.
Sources
Read next
Back to Bath Textiles.