Best: Overall

• Size: 70cm x 135cm
• Rating: 10/10

If you take your towels seriously, you’ll be relieved to know Scooms’s founders Emily and Jonathan Attwood share your concerns. They spent a year researching different yarns, weights and construction methods to come up with this heavenly, hotel-like towel that lost none of its softness even after several washes.

It’s made from a heavy, 100 per cent long-staple Egyptian cotton with a whopping 720 GSM, using a zero-twist loop to give a smoother finish that won’t irritate skin. The towel also meets Oeko-Tex Standard 100 to verify it has been tested for harmful toxins and chemicals. Though we were reluctant to get dry and be parted from it after showers, the towel is amazingly absorbent so did the job in half the time. We also liked the fact it comes with a hook sewn in for easy hanging, has double-stitched edging and has hand towels, bath sheets and bath mats to match. The only downside: our youngest tester was even less reluctant than normal to get dressed after bath time when wrapped in this.

Best: For fluffiness

Size: 70cm x 125cm

Rating: 9/10

There’s no need to compromise on softness just because you need a towel that will dry and be ready to use again in a hurry. This bestselling version from The White Company is made of luxe 100 per cent cotton but has clever low-twist technology which makes it extra fluffy, yet fast drying. At 500 GSM, it’s not quite as heavy as some of the others we tested, which means it was much speedier to dry when hung up on an unheated towel rail after use.

We assumed this softness would fade with washing but it stayed just as snuggly as the very first use and felt divine to dry with after a shower. We especially loved the ribbed texture which looked elegant in the bathroom, making it a great choice if you want a medium-weight towel. It comes in four neutral colours and all sorts of sizes from a face cloth to a bath sheet, but we’ve got our eye on the superjumbo option for major hotel bathroom vibes.

Best: For absorbency

• Size: 70cm x 140cm
• Rating: 9/10

Proof that a top-quality towel doesn’t need to have a wince-worthy price tag, this large, luxe towel from Soak & Sleep is a dream to dive into after a long bath. Available in 11 colours including dusky blue, light grey and classic white, the towel can also be paired with a full range including bath mats and face cloths. We also love that they’re sold in bundles for a discount if you need to buy more than one.

Made from 100 per cent certified Egyptian cotton, the towel has ultra-smooth yarns and terry woven to an impressive 700 GSM using a twisted loop pile. This makes the towel astonishingly absorbent and durable, so you won’t spot annoying snags within a few washes. We also found it got us dry fast, yet was still ready to use again in no time. There’s a sewn-in hook to hang up after use but if you have a towel this nice, we’d recommend airing it properly on a radiator instead.

Best: Bundle

• Size: 70cm x 135cm
• Rating: 7/10

What’s better than one plush towel? A whole stash of them of course, so you always have a clean one ready or can give one to guests. Any busy household needs a bundle of towels and this one should suit every need with two hand towels, two bath towels and an oversized bath sheet, all tied with a white ribbon. Weighing 700 GSM, all are made of 100 per cent Egyptian cotton and have long fibres for increased softness and strength.

Though they felt a little less smooth than other towels we tested, we were really impressed by their absorbency; they washed and tumble dried well too. They come in four colourways but we tested the dusky pink and washed them four times to be sure they really were colourfast as claimed and didn’t spot any fading at all. We reckon they’d make the ideal wedding or housewarming gift.

Best: Personalised towel

• Size: 76cm x 142cm
• Rating: 8/10

A new towel will make your bathroom feel like a haven, but if you really want to be swish, make it monogrammed. You can add any letters you like in up to eight different styles for £3.50 which would make this towel a great present. We also think it would be a great idea if you want to tell others to keep their hands off your towel.

At 650 GSM, there’s a pleasing weight to this towel but we especially loved its generous size which gave it serious wrap-around comfort. It’s made of 100 per cent Supima cotton, which is twice as strong as regular cotton and accounts for only the top 3 per cent of cotton grown in the US. This makes it soft but also means your towel will look good for years. Produced from extra-long fine fibres that are combed before being spun into a silky yarn, this towel felt just as good after washing as it did with the first touch and made our bathtime bliss.

Best: Towel with a difference

• Size: 70cm x 125cm
• Rating: 8/10

Available in three colours and weighing 650 GSM, this towel really made our bathroom feel like a high-end spa. It’s made of heavyweight cotton with a high pile base but unusually, has a wide 100 per cent linen border which gives it a noticeably different look from other towels. We also think this would minimise loose threads which is a definite bonus in our book.

The towel comes in a bale of four – two bath towels and two hand towels – so you can makeover your bathroom in one swoop. This is also handy to prolong the life of the towels as it’s easy to alternate use and keep them in perfect condition for longer. They were slightly less soft after tumble drying but still a pleasure to use. Plus, they’re made in a factory that the Made team has visited recently to ensure they’re responsibly produced which gets a big thumbs up from us.

Best: For colour choice

• Size: 70cm x 120cm
• Rating: 8/10

Bored of the same old white or grey towels? Deck out your bathroom in a shade that makes you smile with this soft towel with an equally pleasing price tag. The towel comes in an astonishing 42 colours so you’re guaranteed to find one you love whether it’s aubergine purple, burnt orange or lime green. We think this would be useful if you’re sharing a bathroom with others and want to make sure everyone knows which is your towel. Couples or families could even buy different colours to avoid a mix-up. Best of all, there was zero colour run during washing and we noticed no fade even after several washes.

Though there’s a decent weight to this towel at 600 GSM, we were also impressed by how quickly it dried after use. Even on an unheated towel rail, it was completely dry within a few hours – essential if you’re a twice-a-day showerer. Absorbency was excellent too, so we were bone dry in seconds. A great buy all around.

Best: Reasonably priced luxury

• Size: 70cm x 125cm
• Rating: 7/10

Proof that you don’t need to break the bank if you need to replace your towel, this soft version is a fantastic price yet comes from esteemed British manufacturer Christy. The brand produced the first looped terry towel in the 19th century and then presented its design to Queen Victoria who liked it so much that she ordered more. They have since produced special towels to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and are the official towel supplier at Wimbledon.

But you don’t have to be royalty to dry off in style. Weighing 550 GSM, the towel comes in eight different colours and is made of 100 per cent combed cotton with Christy’s signature terry cloth weave and a neat dobby border. It felt especially soft after washing and drying, yet still looked smart hung up in our bathroom after several uses as it dries quickly after each use. And if it’s good enough for the Queen…

Best: Statement towel

• Size: 100cm x 180cm
• Rating: 9/10

Say no to bog-standard towels and make a statement with this super-swish towel from Soho Home, the interiors collection from Soho House. Its covetable bath towels are the very same classic cabana stripe towels used in the House swimming pools so you’re guaranteed that decadent hotel feel (without the membership fee). Each House has its own colours so you can choose the shades or destination you prefer, from the bold red and white of Shoreditch House to the turquoise candy-stripes of the Little Beach House Barcelona.

We tested the towel from White City House in west London and loved the distinctive broad burnt orange, black and white stripes which mean it will always be a talking point. It’s embroidered with the White City House logo and has a smart monochrome trim inspired by the TV test card. Made of heavyweight Turkish cotton, it was one of the smoothest towels we tested but still dried wet skin in a flash. We also loved how huge it was, making it a dream to wrap up in after a bath. Don’t worry if you like to dry washing on the line either – it’s been tested and developed not to fade in sunlight.