The Best Beach Towels You Can Buy Right Now for Summer 2020

By Kaitlyn Yarborough
May 03, 2019
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.
Credit: Lilly Pulitzer

Beach towels, like socks and lip balm, 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 pick up on 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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The Family-Friendly Deal

Credit: Amazon

Buy It: 4-Pack 100% Cotton Cabana Striped Beach Towel; $30; amazon.com

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 $30 for the whole set. What's not to love?

 

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The Monogrammed One That Won’t Get Lost

Credit: Mark and Graham

Buy It: Mark & Graham Multi-Stripe Beach Towel; $59; markandgraham.com

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

 

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The Beach Blanket You’ll Actually Use for Everything

Credit: Amazon

Buy It: Bertte Large Beach Blanket; $23.99; amazon.com

With the ability to fold into a travel-friendly bag, resilient fabric, and huge size, this beach blanket is guaranteed to come in handy for many more occasions than just the family beach trip.

 

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The Graphic Towel to Get Yourself

Credit: Anthropologie

Buy It: Anthropologie Vitamin Sea Beach Towel; $54; anthropologie.com

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

 

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The Quick-Drying Hero

Buy It: Dock & Bay Lightweight Beach Towel; $24.99; amazon.com

Made with lightweight microfiber, Dock & Bay towels dry three times faster than cotton towels and stay sand-free. 

 

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The Classic Striped Cabana

Credit: Target

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

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. 

 

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The Baby Beach Wrap That Makes Us Want One, Too

Credit: Pottery Barn

Buy It: Shark Stripe Baby Beach Wrap; $19.50; potterybarnkids.com

These adorable picks can be personalized with names or initials and boasts a UPF 50+ rating for UV protection. 

 

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The Patterned Pick

Credit: Vera Bradley

Buy It: Vera Bradley Beach Towel; $40; verabradley.com

Vera Bradley is know for their signature patterns, and their plush beach towels allow you to take their colorful prints to the sand.

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The Stylish Turkish Towel

Credit: Amazon

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

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

 

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The Impossibly Cool Towel Everyone Will Be Obsessed With

Credit: Society6

Buy It: Society6 Leopard Print Beach Towel; $29.99; society6.com

Cheetah print is definitely having a moment and in our opinion will never go out of style. 

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The Round Towel That’s Fresh and Cute for Summer

Credit: Amazon

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

Invite the whole gang to hang on this round towel that's available in six different patterns.  

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The XL One That Gives Plenty of Space

Credit: Target

Buy It: Opalhouse XL Flat Weave Beach Towel; $16; target.com

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

 

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The Double-Wide Towel Made for Two

Credit: PBteen

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

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

 

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The Rosé All Day Babe

Credit: Society6

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

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

 

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The Palm-Inspired Cutie

Credit: PBteen

Buy It: The Emily & Meritt Palm Leaf Beach Towel; $29; pbteen.com

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

 

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The Less Basic Towel for Men

Credit: L.L. Bean

Buy It: L.L. Bean Seaside Beach Towel; $29.50; llbean.com

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. 

 

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The Cutest Towel for Girls

Credit: Kohl's

Buy It: Celebrate Summer Together Watermelon Beach Towel; $13.99; kohls.com

This watermelon-inspired towel is sure to become her new favorite spot to enjoy summer's favorite fruit. 

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The Coolest Towel for Boys

Credit: Target

Buy It: Sun Squad Big Shark Prints Beach Towel; $10; target.com

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

 

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The Gift-Worthy Towel for Your Girlfriends

Credit: PB Teen

Buy It: Lilly Pulitzer Homeslice Beach Towel; $34.50; pbteen.com

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

 

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The New Staple Towel to Keep Forever

Credit: Weezie

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

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. These towels are oversized, piled deep, and cut close (so you don’t pick up any extra sand).

 

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

Credit: Tesalate

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

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 over 25,000 reviews on its home site alone to find proof.

 

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By Kaitlyn Yarborough