The Best Packable Travel Towels for 2023
Traveling and camping are enjoyable activities, and packing your towel should not be a chore.
Traveling and camping are fun activities that everybody should enjoy. You can travel to another city on work orders or just chill and take in the environment. Camping, on the other hand, is basically for fun and enjoyment, alone or with your loved ones. You can’t travel for days without some essential items to keep you active. People take cash, clothes, and bags to travel or enjoy themselves more. Another essential item for your well-being at camps and trips is your towel.
You need a towel to wipe away water droplets from your body and make it clean. Regular towels aren’t suitable for camping and adventure, and they don’t fit easily into carry-on luggage and backpacks. Camp towels are soft, fast-drying, highly absorbent, and light, unlike regular towels, which take up to four hours to dry. Camp towels are designed to ensure you enjoy smooth, stress-free trips.
Our Top Picks
Best Pick
PackTowl Personal
It is an excellent and durable choice for camping, traveling, and hiking.
Most cost-effective
Rainleaf Microfiber Towel
This is an affordable camp towel that absorbs water easily.
$12.99
Almost made the cut
REI Co-op Multi Towel Lite
It is light, soft, portable, and absorbs water excellently.
Our Picks For You
Best Pick - PackTowl Personal
Best Pick
PackTowl Personal
It is an excellent and durable choice for camping, traveling, and hiking.
The PackTowl Personal is the perfect choice for camping and traveling. It has an excellent antimicrobial treatment and comes with an attachable, strong, and durable storage pack. It has an excellent compact design, which makes it fit in easily. The PackTowl personal camp towel dries the body quickly, and the water evaporates and drains quickly for another use.
Who it is for
The PackTowl Personal Towel is the perfect packable camp or travel towel for anyone going on any outdoor activities that require a towel. Get this packable travel towel if you need a large and durable towel for yoga.
Why it is great
The PackTowl personal towel is soft and light, which makes it comfortable when used. All PackTowl personal towels use Polygiene Technology as their antimicrobial treatment, and this technology uses integrated silver ions to keep the towel fresh even after extended use. This amazing towel is super absorbent, as it can hold up to four times its weight in water, and it wrings out pretty quickly. The PackTowl personal travel towel dries faster than cotton towels, even with its antimicrobial coating technology. This towel can be used for camping activities and even yoga, yet with its soft texture, it doesn't allow sand and dirt to be absorbed into its fabric. You can easily fold any size of the PackTowl personal travel towel, even the largest size. The PackTowl personal travel towel is a nice investment that you will enjoy 100% returns.
Potential flaws
The hanging loop on the breathable pouch seemed flimsy and didn't attach easily to backpacks.
Other features
The PackTowl personal travel towel is available in face, hand, body, and beach-size options and multiple color options. This towel has a hanging loop and comes with a strong zippered pouch. The PackTowl personal travel towel is made with polyester and nylon, and these contribute immensely to its great comfort and durability. It is backed by a limited lifetime warranty by Cascade Designs, Inc., a company doing business as PackTowl.
Product specifications
Product Name: PackTowl Personal
Size options: face (10 × 14 in), hands (16.5 × 36 in), body (25 × 54 in), and beach (36 × 59 in).
Weight: Face (0.04 lbs.), Hand (0.18 lbs.), Body (0.4 lbs.), and Beach (0.60 lbs.).
Color: Bold Stripe, Blueberry, Charcoal, Clover, Coastal Lines, Dusk, Midnight, Mist Print, Pine Green, Ripple Print, Sky Blue, and Whirl Print.
Material: 15% nylon and 85% polyester.
Antimicrobial treatment: Yes, Polygiene Technology
Pouch: Yes
Warranty: Limited Lifetime Warranty.
Runner Up - Matador Ultralight Travel Towel
Runner Up
Matador Ultralight Travel Towel
This choice is light and doesn't take up much space.
The Matador ultralight travel towel is built with excellent nanofiber material and wipes away water droplets easily from the body. It has a compact design that saves space, which makes it easy to travel with. The Matador ultralight travel towel comes with an excellent attachable storage pack.
Who it is for
Get the Matador ultralight travel towel if you want a durable travel towel that comes with a sleek and easily attachable pouch. The Matador ultralight travel towel is suitable for gym activities.
Why it is great
The Matador ultralight travel towel is extremely light and doesn't take up much space in your bag. If you don't want to put it directly in your bag, you can put it in a pouch and attach it to your bag. The Matador ultralight travel towel has a compact design, which makes it more handy and easy to use. The ultralight towel wipes off the water quickly because of its great water-absorbent quality and dries off before you get back from your other activities. The Matador ultralight travel towel is made with nanofiber material, and this material contributes to its comfy and breathable surface. This towel comes with a side-release buckle hang loop, which you can use to air dry by hanging it somewhere safe. Users attested that the Matador ultralight travel towel is durable, as most of them used it for more than a year. It is easy to maintain and washable by machines.
Potential flaws
The Matador ultralight travel towel takes longer to dry when compared with the PackTowl personal towel. The ultralight travel towel lacks an antimicrobial coating, which makes it smelly if you don't wash it after use.
Other features
The Matador ultralight travel towels are available in two sizes: large and small. The large size is much more like the size of a regular household towel, while the small size is like a handkerchief to dry your hands on. These towels come in Powermesh pouches with HypalonTM handles and hang loops for portability and packability. The Matador ultralight travel towel is only available in charcoal, and it looks cool and classy. It has a ridge design around its edge, which makes it stand out among other towels. The Matador ultralight travel towel is backed by a refund policy.
Product specifications
Product Name: Matador Ultralight Travel Towel
Size options: are small (15 × 15 in) and large (47 × 24 in).
Weight: Small (0.05 lbs.) and Large (0.18 lbs.)
Color: Charcoal
Material: Nanofiber
Antimicrobial treatment: No
Pouch: Yes
Warranty: Refund Policy.
Most cost-effective - Rainleaf Microfiber Towel
Most cost-effective
Rainleaf Microfiber Towel
This is an affordable camp towel that absorbs water easily.
The Rainleaf microfiber towel is a budget-friendly towel that absorbs water excellently and dries up quickly. This camp towel is available in a variety of models that are durable and colorful. It is also available in different sizes, and every towel comes with an antimicrobial treatment. The Rainleaf microfiber towel is comfortable and easily accessible.
Who it is for
The Rainleaf microfiber towel is suitable for anybody who wants a budget-friendly, effective, and packable travel towel.
Why it is great
The Rainleaf microfiber towel is highly affordable and guarantees excellent service delivery. With a low price, the microfiber towel comes with an antimicrobial treatment that won't make it smell even if it isn't dried for two days. The packable microfiber travel towel from Rainleaf is versatile as it can be used for many outdoor activities, including outdoor sports activities. The Rainleaf microfiber towel is super absorbent, as it can absorb water up to three times its weight. This super soft towel gives the skin the amazing touch it needs, and it dries itself pretty quickly. You can use it to sit on beaches thanks to its sand-repellent surface. All these amazing features for a ridiculously low price - it is a great investment. You can fold it easily and place it in your bag without taking up much space.
Potential flaws
The handy storage backpack is quite big, which takes up more space than the towel itself. When compared with our best pick, we discovered that the Rainleaf microfiber towel doesn't repel sand excellently like the PackTowl personal towel.
Other features
The Rainleaf microfiber towel is available in six size options and numerous colors such as orange, blue, and so many others. It can be used in gyms, camps, and hotels. This towel is made of microfiber (15% nylon and 85% polyester) and comes in a large and strong storage bag. The Rainleaf microfiber towel is machine washable and easy to maintain. This towel is backed by a lifetime warranty.
Product specifications
Product Name: Rainleaf Microfiber Towel
Size options: 12 × 24, 16 × 30, 20 × 24, 24 × 48, 30 × 60, and 40 × 72 inches.
Color: Army Green, Blue, Brick Red, Gray, Green, Marine Blue, Mint, Navy Blue, Orange, Purple, and Yellow.
Material: Microfiber
Antimicrobial treatment: Yes
Pouch: Yes
Warranty: Lifetime Warranty.
Almost made the cut - REI Co-op Multi Towel Lite
Almost made the cut
REI Co-op Multi Towel Lite
It is light, soft, portable, and absorbs water excellently.
The Multi Towel Lite is made by REI Co-op, a reputable company. The REI Co-op Multi Towel Lite is light and portable for long journeys. The Multi-Towel Lite has a compact design and comes with a protective pouch. The towel is available in two colors and guarantees a soft touch when used on the skin.
Who it is for
Get the REI Co-op Multi-Towel Lite if you are a lover of a decent, soft, packable travel towel.
Why it is great
The REI Co-op Multi Towel Lite is a lovely towel that is super soft compared to most regular household towels made of cotton. It has a smooth surface that cleans the skin and mops up water easily. The multi towel lite from REI Co-op is made with quality materials and processing. This packable travel towel has a quick-attach hanging loop for hanging your towel anywhere, which makes it easy to hang for air drying. The towel wrings out pretty quickly and has nice odor resistance. The REI Co-op Multi Towel Lite is sand and dirt-repellant thanks to its textured surface.
Potential flaws
When compared with the aforementioned choices, the REI Co-op multi-towel lite ranks last in all aspects. It isn't backed by any warranty or refund policy.
Other features
The REI Co-op Multi Towel Lite is made with Bluesign®-approved microfiber and is available in three sizes. When you buy an REI Co-op Multi Towel Lite, you get an REI Lite towel and a breathable storage bag with a hanging loop. It is a good choice for camping and travel.
Product specifications
Product Name: REI Co-op Multi Towel Lite
Size options are: medium (29 × 16 inches), large (50 × 25 inches), and extra large (58 × 39 inches).
Weight: Medium (0.14 lbs.), Large (0.40 lbs.), and Extra Large (0.65 lbs.).
colors: alloy gray and mineral water.
Material: Microfiber
Antimicrobial treatment: No
Pouch: Yes
Warranty: No.
Who This Is For
These packable camp towels are for outdoor activity lovers who want light, quick-drying, compact, and durable towels.
Packable travel towels vs. normal towels: what’s the difference?
The major difference between a packable travel towel and a normal towel is the construction. Regular household towels are too heavy, big, easily stained, difficult to wash and don’t dry quickly. We aren’t undermining normal towels, but with their construction, they are not appropriate for outdoor activities such as camping and traveling. A packable travel towel is light, compact, portable, and dries quickly.
Do you need different kinds depending on the activity you’ll be doing?
No, you don’t need different kinds of packable travel towels for different activities. Companies may put labels on and categorize their travel towels, but they are almost the same. You can use a packable travel towel to clean your body after a shower and use the same model to clean your face after an exercise. You can drop it on the floor and sit on it. Though we would recommend that you buy more than one piece so that they have different functions,
Is an antimicrobial coating preferred?
Yes, the antimicrobial coating is an important feature that an excellent packable travel towel should possess. Packable travel towels with an antimicrobial coating are usually odor-free, as the coating eliminates all forms of microorganisms that may cause odor or affect your skin. You may not have the time to wash it every time after use, but with the antimicrobial coating, they won’t reek.
Why You Should Trust Us
Outdoor activities such as camping and travel should be fun and easy to plan. That’s why we decided to make your plans easier by reviewing an important item: the towels available as packable travel towels. There are numerous low-quality travel scams online, and we don’t want any of our readers to fall for them. We conducted a thorough analysis and in-depth research to find the best packable travel towels for you. We aren’t affiliated with any company listed here, so you don’t need to worry about a biased judgment.
How We Picked
To give you the best packable travel towels, we conducted research and reviewed professional opinions. Professional opinions from a seasoned camping guide, a renowned product designer, and a product manager helped us get a handful. Then, we used customers’ reviews to eliminate the inferior ones, and we ended up with these four packable travel towels.
We decided to check if they did well in some tests. We checked the sizes of these travel towels and discovered that they are highly compact, which makes them portable and packable.
These packable travel towels are made with high-quality materials that guarantee top-notch comfort. They have sleek designs, and they are available in bright and lovely colors. As is essential for all excellent packable travel towels, these selected towels dry the body quickly and get dry easily. They have an excellent antimicrobial coating, which eliminates all forms of odor-causing and harmful microorganisms. These selected packable travel towels are durable and come with strong pouches for easy storage. We can assure you that you will enjoy using these towels.
How We Picked
Size + packability
One of the reasons camp towels are better than regular towels is packability. The size of most camp towels is the same as that of standard towels, which also makes them convenient to use. They are easily packed and usually come with cases or pouches.
Material
The material used to make a camp towel determines its comfort, water retention ability, and durability. We selected camp towels that are made of top-grade and eco-friendly materials. They are durable and highly breathable. These materials make the towels plush against the skin and make them light.
Quick drying
You are going camping or hiking, which means you don't have enough time for your towel to dry as it does with regular towels. We discovered that these camp towels wick away water easily and leave the skin feeling dry. They have excellent water retention when in use and a quick drying time when hung up.
Price
An expensive camp towel doesn't guarantee an excellent packable camp towel. We searched for packable camp towels that will deliver the superb services that you need on your trip. They are affordable, easily accessible, durable, and easy to maintain. They even come with pouches to keep them safe and elegant.
Care and maintenance
Packable travel towels are easy to wash and maintain. They usually come with their own specific washing instructions, and we would recommend that you follow those instructions. It is common knowledge that most travel towels are machine washable on a gentle cycle and you should tumble dry them on low. It is also recommended that you use a small amount of mild detergent.
When you are on vacation, you should always air dry your towel after use so that it doesn’t stink. You can rinse or wash if you have the right resources after some days of usage on your trip. To avoid contamination, you should fold it and keep it either in your bag or its pouch.
