Beach Towel Basics

Beach Towel Basics

October 24, 2016
  Beach Towels

How many beach towels does the average person own in a lifetime?  Not many!  Though it’s a sad situation, a few people may not ever own one.  If you are a beach towel owner, you know how great they are but just in case you don’t, here is a quick rundown of some beach towel basics.

Size

The most apparent characteristic of beach towels is the size.  Though bath towels have gotten bigger on average over the last several years, beach towels are about 30 percent bigger.  They are not only wider but some beach towels can measure nearly 6 feet in length.

Thickness

Most people think “thick” when they think of a towel, but beach towels are different.  Beach towels are thinner than all but the barest bath towels.  When compared to some of the more expensive bath towels, beach towels may be only a fraction of the weight.  It isn’t because the manufacturer skimped – it is all by design.  A thinner towel will dry more quickly – important at the beach.

Texture

Most towels are made of “terry cloth,” which has loops that function as fingers to grab the water.  The more loops, the longer those loops are, the thicker the towel.  Beach towels often only have loops on one side of the fabric because the loops on the other side were shorn off.  The non-loop side is smooth and may even feel a bit slick.  The shiny surface not only feels better to sit on, it repels both water and sand.

Color

You would have to look long and hard to find a bath towel in the wild patterns, colors and prints that beach towels commonly sport.  A beach towel doesn’t need to coordinate with wallpaper or tile.  Since beach towel designs are nearly as unique as fingerprints – it’s easy to find the right one on the beach.

Purpose

Beach towels are obviously used at the beach but they function as more than just a towel.  They serve as blankets and cover ups in addition to soaking up the ocean water, but the best purpose may be the fashion statement they make.

If you never get to the beach, you may never fully understand why bath towels don’t belong there.  But even if you only use it at the pool, a beach towel is still an object to marvel.