In a Nutshell:
- Beach towels made with recycled plastic shed microplastics that are bad for humans, animals, and the overall environment.
- The best natural fabrics for a sustainable beach towel (that doesn’t include plastic) are organic cotton, linen, or hemp. (Organic cotton is the most common one!)
- While you can absolutely use a bath towel as a beach towel, there is a difference in how a beach towel is woven, the materials used, and the expected durability compared to a bath towel.
- I’ve researched a bunch of companies to save you some time.
- My favorite overall is Coyuchi.
- Weezie is the best for personalization (including for kids).
- Sand Cloud is great for travel-friendly and oversized towels.
- Finisterre has organic changing robes for adults.
+ even more options below!
What's In This Guide:
- Where to Get Sustainable and Organic Cotton Beach Towels
- Coyuchi
- Weezie (options for the whole family)
- Sand Cloud
- Boll & Branch
- Crate & Kids
- Stray & Wander
- Delilah Home
- Finisterre (organic changing robe!)
- Even More Brands to Choose From
- What About Beach Towels Made From Recycled Plastic?
- What Are Turkish Towels (and Why Are They So Popular)?
- 🍋 Join Thousands of Subscribers Reducing Toxic Chemicals
This guide contains product recommendations and we may receive compensation if you purchase through certain links. As always, we only make recommendations that are genuine!
Some of the best natural & sustainable fabrics for beach towels are:
- Organic cotton: Soft, super absorbent, and grown and harvested in a more sustainable way than traditional cotton.
- Hemp: Very durable, water-absorbent, and requires less water to grow because it is naturally resistant to pests it requires little to no pesticides.
- Linen: Also super absorbent, breathable, and it dries quickly (while cotton tends to hold onto water for longer). Linen is also a hypoallergenic fabric that requires little (additional) water, pesticides, or fertilizers to grow with.
When it comes to beach and pool towels, there is no shortage of eco-friendly brands that are:
- Plastic-free (more on that below)
- Super absorbent
- Plush (if you want)
- Durable
- Easy to travel with (rolls up small)
- Kid-friendly (personalized? hooded?)
- Fun & colorful!
Where to Get Sustainable and Organic Cotton Beach Towels
To curate these brands I’ve followed a few key criteria such as:
- Fabrics that are free from synthetics (especially including polyester and “microfiber”).
- The use of ethical practices throughout the manufacturing process (such as using Fair Trade certified factories)
- The use of non-toxic and/or natural dyes to color fabrics
- Third-party certifications such as GOTS, OEKO-TEX, and more.
Here are my picks:
Coyuchi
Material: Organic Cotton
A top brand for organic and non-toxic home goods, it’s no wonder one of my favorite eco-friendly beach towel brands is Coyuchi. Their towels are made out of 100% GOTS certified organic cotton that’s grown and woven in Turkey.
They have a few different collections:
- their Tomales towels, which are inspired by the gorgeous striped sarape blankets of Mexico
- their Mediterranean towels, which have a flat weave and a more traditional Turkish towel aesthetic if you like that
- and some lightly more plush, striped options
These towels are not only made out of safe, natural materials, but they come from a brand I trust to manufacture truly high-quality goods AND they look beautiful in any space.
Weezie (options for the whole family)
Materials: Organic long-staple cotton
Weezie’s plush towels are made in Portugal using 100% organic long-staple cotton. They’re hypoallergenic and OEKO-TEX® certified, too.
Not only that, but these towels are cut and sewn in such a way as to minimize linting as well as the amount of sand they pick up. They carry several different colors and patterns, from sea foam green to bright yellow stripes.
They also have super cute cover-ups for kids to keep your little ones warm while they play at the pool or beach.
And if you want to make things extra personalized for the family, you can add your own monogram, too.
P.S. If you’re looking for more great options for babies and toddlers, check out this article for our favorite hooded towels for little ones. Even though they’re *technically* bath towels, you can easily take them to the pool or beach.
Sand Cloud
Materials: Organic or conventional Turkish cotton (they have both options)
Sand Cloud towels are definitely made for the beach. They’re thick enough to absorb water but thin enough to roll up tightly for traveling. Their design allows them to dry fast and repel sand.
They have a huge collection to choose from, from solid colors or stripes to marine animals, patriotic designs, and a lot more. They also have oversized cotton beach towels, which they call “Party Blankets.”
They have sizes for adults, kids, and babies. They also have hooded towels and ponchos for babies and toddlers.
Plus, 10% of profits go toward marine conservation.
Boll & Branch
Materials: GOTS certified organic cotton
They offer a more plush beach towel that comes in a few different designs. It’s made of 100% organic cotton, is OEKO-TEX certified, and is also made in a Fair Trade certified factory.
You can get a Starter Bundle that comes with four towels, but you get to choose which design you want for each one. Or, go for the whole bundle, which comes with an organic cotton beach tote.
Crate & Kids
Material: Organic cotton
Turtles? Tucans? Cheetahs? These kids’ towels are so cute.
They are made in Turkey out of 100% GOTS certified cotton and are OEKO-TEX certified.
You can get them customized with your child’s name (or not). They have hooded options as well.
Stray & Wander
Material: Organic Turkish Cotton, Linen, Bamboo
Stray & Wander has a great collection of lightweight beach towels that are made out of organic Turkish cotton. (Some of the varieties also contain a portion of bamboo or linen fabric.)
They have several different sizes and colors—some have tassels, some have stripes, some are brighter while others are more neutral.
Turkish towels are extremely water absorbent and great for traveling because they can fold or roll up easily without taking up a ton of space.
In addition to their regular beach towels, Stray & Wander also carries blankets, small towels (which can be good for little ones or for your hair), as well as “Roundies,” which are great for playing at the beach or in the backyard!
Delilah Home
Material: GOTS certified organic cotton
Delilah Home is an organic bedding brand, but they have an organic cotton beach towel, too. (They only have one option at the time of publication.)
It’s made with 100% extra long organic cotton fibers, is thicker than most bath towels, and has a sand-resistant design so that the sand falls off of it instead of sticking to it.
Finisterre (organic changing robe!)
Material: Organic Cotton
Certifications: GOTS
Need to make a wardrobe change at the beach or pool? This clever robe/towel combo is made from super-soft GOTS certified organic cotton and eliminates the need for any embarrassing towel mishaps!
It’s got plenty of room so pretty much any family member can use it.
Oh, and it has a hood, too!
Even More Brands to Choose From
Hilana: Made of 50% recycled and 50% conventional cotton, these are a more affordable option. | Amazon
Of Earth & Salt: They have some towels that are more plush and can double as a bath or beach towel. They are made in Turkey out of 100% organic cotton. Colorful, too!
Seabedz: These towels are different! They have an embedded pillow, a secret pocket, and they transform into a beach tote for easy carrying! They’re made of 100% organic Turkish cotton.
What About Beach Towels Made From Recycled Plastic?
A lot of beach towels on the market have traditionally been made out of conventional cotton and/or polyester.
As a synthetic, polyester has a heavy environmental impact, so some brands started using fabric made from recycled plastic bottles instead. And while these recycled towels could be considered a better option since they don’t use virgin materials, they come with a few downsides, one of them being microplastics.
As we use and wash synthetic fabrics (including towels), tiny microscopic pieces of plastic shed from the fibers and wash into our oceans and other waterways. They’re not good for anyone involved in our eco-systems—the plants, critters, or humans. And as you can imagine, these plastics are really difficult to clean up.
In addition to the microplastic problem, here are some other things that make matters worse when it comes to recycled synthetics:
- There’s some indication that recycled plastics may actually be more toxic than virgin plastic.
- The process of recycling plastic into a new product is also toxic, contributing to air pollution in the communities where it’s done.
- Compared to natural fabrics, polyester and other synthetic fabrics are more likely to contain toxic chemicals such as heavy metals, BPA, and more.
Sometimes, completely avoiding synthetics is really difficult… But these are some things you may want to consider when it’s time to buy new beach towels. You might want to go with a more natural fabric that’s healthier for humans and the environment as a whole.
What Are Turkish Towels (and Why Are They So Popular)?
Turkish towels are traditionally made from 100% Turkish cotton, a premium long-staple fiber known for its strength and softness. What makes these towels stand out is their flat-weave design: they’re thinner and lighter than typical terry cloth towels, but still incredibly absorbent and quick-drying.
They’re especially popular for beach and travel use because they pack down small, resist sand cling, and dry fast between swims. Plus, they get softer with each wash.
Is There Actually a Difference Between A Beach Towel & Bath Towel?
Whether you’re thinking about using a hotel bath towel for your trip to the beach or you’re debating if you really need new towels, it’s best to know what the difference is between beach and bath towels (if any!).
Obviously, the most sustainable thing is going to be to use what you already have. But that might not be the case if you end up needing to wash your towels multiple times to get the sand out. After writing about both organic towels and organic cotton beach towels I can say there are some slight differences that may make a difference to you:
- Size: beach towels are generally larger than bath towels and come in a larger variety of sizes.
- Durability: The weave of a fabric can help with its durability. Beach towels are not only subject to more variety of uses, but they’re woven in a way to take sand into consideration (and keep it from sticking).
- Absorption: Bath towels are meant to absorb water very quickly but don’t necessarily dry quickly. Beach towels, on the other hand, are made to dry quickly, get wet again, then dry again.
- Thickness: Bath towels generally stay in one place (the bathroom/linen closet at home) and therefore are often thicker in texture. By contrast, beach towels are transported more often, and packed in suitcases and bags, and therefore it’s more common to see thinner fabrics and styles.
At the end of the day, the choice is yours!
Conventional beach towels often contain synthetics fabrics that lead to microplastic pollution, which isn’t healthy for humans or our environment. So, the next time you need a beach or pool towel, you might want to choose from one of the natural, non-toxic, and eco-friendly brands above!
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