Towels

My father, William Woods, began his career working for a towel manufacturer in Northern Ireland. He has spent decades buying towels, learning what makes them different and, more importantly, what makes them better.

People ask him about GSM in much the same way they ask about thread count. His answer is always the same: a number can be useful, but it cannot tell you everything about quality. A heavy towel made from mediocre cotton is still a mediocre towel.

Where should you aim?

"Generally speaking, in the main, somewhere between 500 and 600 is where you should be looking at. Certainly nothing less than 500."

William Woods, who has been buying towels for Woods since the 1970s.

What William recommends

• 500 to 600gsm for everyday use. William recommends avoiding anything below 500gsm.

• Choose a looped pile. Cropped and velour towels look handsome, but their cut pile is generally less absorbent than a traditional looped pile.

• Consider the cotton. Long-staple Egyptian cotton offers softness, while carded cotton is a practical choice for towels that need to withstand frequent laundering.

• Think about drying time. Waffle and linen huckaback towels dry quickly after use, making them particularly useful in humid bathrooms.

• Avoid fabric softener. It can leave a coating on the fibres, reducing the towel's ability to absorb water.

Luxury towels should dry beautifully, feel calm against the skin, and stay plush after repeated washing. Our Egyptian cotton edit is selected for absorbency, weight, and a finish that looks crisp in a well kept bathroom. Our Ultimate Supreme range runs to 700gsm across five sizes and twelve colours, and it is the towel most of our customers come back for. Start with bath towels as your everyday foundation.

Choose the sizes you will actually use

If you want more wrap and warmth, add bath sheets. For basins and cloakrooms, hand towels keep the room feeling considered without trying too hard. Keep colours consistent across sizes for an easy, hotel level look.

What makes a towel feel luxurious

A good towel balances softness with structure, so it feels plush but does not collapse into lint. For bath towels, 500 to 600gsm is the everyday sweet spot: absorbent enough to dry you properly, light enough to dry itself between uses. Above 600gsm you gain plushness and lose drying speed, which is why the heavier weights suit a guest bathroom better than a family one. Look for a dense pile and tidy hems, then wash gently and avoid over drying. Rotating your towels helps the pile recover between uses, which keeps them feeling better for longer.

For early access to new towel colours, limited runs, and seasonal edits, you are warmly invited to join the Heritage Partnership.