The Best—and Cutest—Beach Towels You Can Buy Right Now

By Kaitlyn Yarborough

Beach towels, like socks and ChapStick, have a way of disappearing into thin air. On the eve of each year’s first pool day or beach weekend, you open the linen closet where you’re sure they will be, where you’re fully confident they will be, where you are utterly and absolutely positive they will be. And poof! Thin. Air.

Well, since we know you’re in the market for one, two, or five new beach towels for the summer, let us show you a brood of the best beach towels on the market that make sure no one gets left behind. Cover all of your family's functional needs with a sand-free towel that keeps itself clean, an oversized beach blanket that fits a crowd, or an affordable set of cabana towels that you can Amazon Prime right now. For the boys, try one of our shark-tastic recommendations; for the girls, go with one of our cuter-than-a-watermelon-slice picks. And don’t forget about yourself, either. We included a few stylish options that deserve a spot in your beach bag. So get to shopping—these beach towels will have you excited to refresh your stash.  

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Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.

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The Cutest Towel for Girls

PBteen

This watermelon-inspired towel comes with a matching pouch that she'll be excited to tote to the beach. As in, you'll have more room in your beach bag for snacks. 

Buy It: Watermelon Towel & Zip Pouch Set; $24; nordstrom.com

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The Coolest Towel for Boys

Target

Hello...sharks? It's a no-brainer for boys. 

Buy It: Sun Squad XL Sharks Beach Towel Ombre Blue; $15; target.com

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The Monogrammed One That Won’t Get Lost

Neiman Marcus

Say hello to your forever towel. It's high in quality, classic in style, and chock-full of customization potential. Pick your color, as well as your monogram font and color, and then hit the beach. 

Buy It: Kassatex Cabana Stripe Beach Towel; $45; neimanmarcus.com

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The Gift-Worthy Towel for Your Girlfriends

PBteen

Can someone say pool day with the girls? Surprise your gal pal with this Lilly towel in a coral reef print (for her birthday, shower, or just because), and she'll be ready to sun it up all summer. 

Buy It: Lilly Pulitzer Let's Cha Cha Beach Towel; $34.50; pbteen.com

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The XL One That Gives Plenty of Space

Target

Feel cooler than cool on this boho-chic beach towel. The XL size is sure to keep sand at bay. 

Buy It: Opalhouse XL Tie Dye Beach Towel Blue; $16; target.com

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The Beach Blanket You’ll Actually Use for Everything

Macy's

With its handy little travel bag, resilient fabric, and huge size, this beach blanket is guaranteed to see a lot more action than just the family beach trip. 

Buy It: Martha Stewart Collection Carnival Diamond Beach Blanket; $25; macys.com

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The Sand-Free Towel That…Wait, Say What?

Tesalate

Seriously, not a grain of sand will stick to this towel. Is it sorcery? Divine intervention? We're not going to dig too deep, but you can read 19,000 reviews on its home site alone to find proof. 

Buy It: Tesalate Under the Canopy Beach Towel; $59; tesalate.com

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The Impossibly Cool Towel Everyone Will Be Obsessed With

Macy's

Are those cheetahs...wearing...red lipstick? This towel is more fabulous than our great-aunt Ursula. 

Buy It: Bardwil Cheetah Beach Towel; $18; macys.com

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The Family-Friendly Deal

Amazon

These towels are made from 100% cotton, come in four colors (no sibling mix-ups!), and make the perfect cabana-inspired canvas for at-home monogramming. Oh, and they ring up at $40 for the whole set. What's not to love?

Buy It: 4-Pack 100% Cotton Cabana Striped Beach Towel; $39.99; amazon.com

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The Stylish Turkish Towel

Amazon

Here's the kicker: This striped Turkish towel can double as a sarong or picnic blanket when not being used to sunbathe. 

Buy It: Sun Society Essentials 100% Cotton Turkish Beach Towel; $19.99; amazon.com

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The Patterned Southern Pick

Emily McCarthy

This pattern, by Savannah-based designer Emily McCarthy, is called "Shrimp Cocktail." If that cuteness doesn't have you sold, the girly print surely will. 

Buy It: Emily McCarthy Beach Towel; $48; emilymccarthy.com

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The Baby Beach Wrap That Makes Us Want One, Too

Pottery Barn

Because, sometimes, being swaddled in an extra soft, striped beach towel after a long day in the sun sounds like just what the doctor ordered. These adorable picks can be personalized with names or initials and boasts a UPF 50+ rating for UV protection. 

Buy It: Shark Stripe Baby Beach Wrap; $13; potterybarnkids.com

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The Perfect Towel for Teens

PBteen

This towel makes a bold statement, and that statement says, "Hold please, I'm busy sunbathing."

Buy It: The Emily & Meritt 'Do Not Disturb' Beach Towel; $21; pbteen.com

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The Round Towel That’s Fresh and Cute for Summer

Ban.do

Invite the whole gang to hang on this round towel. (Don't worry, there are three more prints to choose from. Just in case.)

Buy It: All Around Giant Circle Towel; $68; bando.com

 

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The New Staple Towel to Keep Forever

Weezie

In October 2018, duo Liz Eichholz and Lindsey Johnson launched Weezie, and we had finally found our new favorite bath towels. And now? They’ve gotten into the beach towel game. Pick from two patterns and two colorways, with optional embroidery in lower left corner. These towels are oversized, piled deep, and cut close (so you don’t pick up any extra sand).

BUY IT: Weezie Beach Towel; $68; weezietowels.com

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The Rosé All Day Babe

Society6

We'll take our summer rosé in all shapes and forms, thank you very much. 

Buy It: Society6 Rosé Bottles Beach Towel; $39; society6.com

17 of 23

The Kid-Friendly Round Towel

Macy's

For your little sunbather, this round towel offers plenty of room to spread out and soak up the sun in between swimming. It's pretty cute to boot, with three fun print options. 

Buy It: Martha Stewart Collection Round Beach Towel; $35; macys.com

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The Double-Wide Towel Made for Two

PBteen

This towel is made for a pool party or beach bonfire. Double the size, double the fun. 

Buy It: Lilly Pulitzer Slathouse Soiree Double Wide Beach Towel; $69.50; pbteen.com

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The Graphic Towel to Get Yourself

Nordstrom

Just looking at this cheery towel has us ready for fun in the sun. Worth the self-care splurge? Definitely. 

Buy It: Anthropologie Sunkissed Beach Towel; $46; nordstrom.com

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The Less Basic Towel for Men

Macy's

Because we can hear him grumbling now: Can't I just take one of our new white bath towels? No, sir. Certainly not. Buy it once, and for all. 

Buy It: John Robshaw Rana Beach Towel; $79; macys.com

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The Classic Striped Cabana

Target

Something about cabana-style towels makes us feel ready to take on summer. This pick takes the classic style and makes it a little more colorful. 

Buy It: Sun Squad Stripe Beach Towel; $10; target.com

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The Palm-Inspired Cutie

PBteen

This palm print cutie will have you feeling like a Hawaiian cutie, that's for sure. 

Buy It: The Emily & Meritt Palm Leaf Beach Towel; $21; pbteen.com

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