These Towels Make Any Bathroom Feel Like a Five-Star Spa

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links. Here’s how we test products and why you should trust us.Florence Sullivan3 min readShop $92, nossara.comWelcome to the Esquire Endorsement. Heavily researched. Thoroughly vetted. These picks are the best way to spend your hard-earned cash.For the first two years in my apartment, I used the same department store towels I had in college: thick, not too absorbent, and over time decorated with a few bleached splotches courtesy of my benzoyl peroxide body wash. When it came time to think about replacing them (because, yes, we should be replacing our bath towels more often than we are), it was the dog days of summer. My bedroom was blissfully air-conditioned, but my shoebox bathroom was very much not. Every shower ended with me stepping out, wrapping myself in a bulky towel, and immediately starting to sweat again—a Sisyphean struggle.What I actually needed was a towel that was lightweight but still soft. Also, it had to be quick-drying enough to handle two-shower days. And because matching washcloths, hand towels, and bath towels are a must once you’re over the age of 23, but I like to have a little variety, they needed to have more than just white. The end of my search? These Nossara Japanese waffle towel set—coordinated, breathable, and made to the finest degree. They were exactly the bathroom upgrade I needed.Shop $92, nossara.comFlorence SullivanThese Towels Have a Long HistoryLook, I’m not saying you need to know the history behind every product you use, but when there’s a story, you care a little more. This story goes back to Imabari, Japan, in the late nineteenth century.The region is known for its exceptionally pure water, uniquely low in heavy metals and mineral hardness. Because Imabari’s water is so pure and gentle, towel manufacturers can wash away starches and impurities in the towels without damaging the fabrics used to make them. While hard water can cause cotton fibers to stiffen and flatten, Imabari’s water does not—so the soft, long-staple Pima cotton Nossara uses for its towels stays soft and fluffy.Imabari is also known for its strict quality-testing standard. The Imabari Towel Certification is to towels what France’s Comité Champagne is that specific sparkling wine. The Imabari Towel Certification uses a “five-second rule” absorbency test, meaning the fabric must sink below the surface within five seconds to prove adequate absorbency. When you combine that with generations of towel manufacturers who have perfected the art of making Japanese waffle towels over the past century-plus, you can trust that these are the cream of the crop.Shop $92, nossara.comFlorence SullivanThey’re the Perfect Balance of Lightweight and Absorbent So that’s the history, but how do they actually feel? Well, if my choice to write a whole article about a singular towel is any indication, they feel pretty damn great. The soft Pima cotton fabric feels good on post-shower skin, and because it’s so lightweight (thanks to the material and iconic waffle weave), it won’t make you sweat after a hot shower or in a hot bathroom. And even with being so lightweight, these towels are still super absorbent and quick-drying, which, to me, is even more important for hand towels that get used much more frequently than bath towels—so I love using the hand towels just as much.After the first wash and dry, the waffle weave deepens and shrinks a little, but that’s actually not a bad thing. Personally, I’ve noticed that the towels stay nice and soft after every wash. I’ve been using the bath towels, hand towels, and washcloths for the past couple of months, and I can confidently say I’ll be happily using them for the next few years. Also, these towels look as good as they feel. They’re minimalist masterpieces with helpful loops you can use to hang on a hook, and they now come in four shades: white, gray, navy, and the new charcoal colorway.Nossara is not a brand with hundreds of products—it makes one thing, and it makes that one thing supremely well. You can choose to try out a bath towel individually for $65, a hand towel for $32, or a face towel (washcloth) for $18; or you can save money and get a set of all three for $92, which would be my strong recommendation. So the next time you have to replace your bathroom towels, Nossara is the way to go.Shop $92, nossara.comPhotographs by Florence Sullivan