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Oftentimes when we talk about the importance of using the correct hair drying tools, we’re referencing products like blow dryers, brushes, and combs. But the drying process starts long before you start to unravel the cords of your favorite hot tools. It begins with the fabric you swaddle your just-washed strands in.
Keeping your tresses healthy and strong involves more than hair masks and detox shampoos. Believe it or not, your shower linens can both positively and negatively impact your overall hair health, too. Investing in microfiber hair towels and hair wraps can make all the difference. Microfiber towels are considered one of the best hair styling tools and as towels are typically the first thing your tresses come in contact with post-shampoo, they’re certainly worthy of adding to your haircare collection.
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Top Hair Wraps + Microfiber Hair Towels of 2022
- Best Overall: YoulerTex Microfiber Hair Towel
- Best for Short Hair: Kitsch Microfiber Hair Towel
- Most Sustainable: Aquis Microfiber Hair Towel
- Best Bamboo: Ellewin Bamboo Hair Towel Wrap
- Best Cult Favorite: Turbie Twist Microfiber Hair Towel
- Most Affordable: Hicober Microfiber Hair Towel 3-Pack
- Best Design: Coco & Eve Hair Towel Wrap
- Best for Fine Hair: Luxe Beauty Essentials Microfiber Hair Towel
- Best for Curly Hair: DevaCurl DevaTowel Anti-Frizz Microfiber Towel
- Easiest to Launder: M-bestl 2-Pack Hair Towel Wrap
- Best for Coily Hair: Tee-Owels Microfiber T-Shirt Hair Towel
- Best for Wavy Hair: DuraComfort Essentials Super Absorbent Anti-Frizz Microfiber Hair Towel
- Easiest to Use: Hopeshine Hair Towel 3-Pack
- Best Luxury: Crown Affair The Hair Towel
- Best for Coily & Kinky Hair: Vernon Francois Microfiber Towel
Why microfiber hair towels are great for drying hair
Heat is one of the main causes of hair damage — that includes heat from the sun, hot water, and, of course, hot styling tools — and to protect your hair, it’s important to minimize heat exposure as much as possible. Microfiber towels and hair wraps can help: They’re highly absorbent and won’t contribute to friction against hair, due to the shape of the microfibers, explains Amy Stollmeyer, co-founder and lead hairstylist for DesignMe.
“Microfiber hair towels and wraps are gentler and more durable [than traditional cotton towels],” Stollmeyer tells WWD over email, adding these types of towels are also machine washable, anti-microbial and won’t shed the way many traditional towels do. “They are the most user-friendly and effective option in protecting the hair while it dries.” Plus, Stollmeyer says, microfiber towels and hair wraps have a way to secure the end of the towel against the back of your head, effectively eliminating the struggle of regular towels constantly falling.
What’s more, according to Stollmeyer, when twisting wet hair up tightly, coupled with the repeated friction of traditional cotton towels, leads to breakage and excess frizz. However, because microfiber hair towels, hair wraps, and turbans don’t create friction on the hair in the same way that traditionally tufted towels do, experts recommend choosing microfiber towels and hair wraps over their cotton cousins for a gentler and less damaging drying experience.
When it comes to choosing the best type of microfiber hair towel or hair wrap for your strands, there are three kinds: Towels, wraps, and turbans. All of these options, Stollmeyer says, do the same things for the hair, which is reduce friction and therefore, frizz and breakage, as well as absorb more water so you can use less heat later on. Whichever type you choose will ultimately boil down to personal preference, though hair length can also be a deciding factor. For example, shorter hair lengths are easy to fit into turbans, while longer hair lengths twist and secure nicely into towels and wraps, notes Stollmeyer.
Microfiber towels and hair wraps also come in a variety of colors, patterns, prices, sizes, and material blends, such as polyester, bamboo, or cotton. The appropriate size of a hair wrap or microfiber towel will depend on your hair length. For hair that reaches the lower back or is very thick, Stollmeyer recommends opting for a larger size (around 20 inches x 40 inches), rather than the more standard size, which is 26 inches x 10 inches or 28 inches x 12 inches.
The best way to dry your hair
Like styling techniques, how you go about drying your hair depends on two things: Hair type and hair health.
- For straight to wavy textures: 1 A/B/C, 2 A/B: Stollmeyer tells WWD that once hair air dries fully, hot tools (curling iron, flat iron, or blowdryer) can be used “gently,” ideally on a low-medium heat setting, to smooth strands. When blow drying hair, “direct your hair dryer from roots to ends only to avoid damage,” Stollmeyer says. “If you aim the dryer in the reverse, pointing upwards from the ends, you will flare the cuticle open and create a lot of surface frizz, more dehydration, and encourage split ends or breakage. You will also dry the hair faster when pointing the dryer from roots to ends.”
- For wavy, curly, coily textures: 2 C, 3 A/B/C, 4 A/B/C: According to Stollmeyer, using a gentle, soft microfiber towel, cotton t-shirt or bamboo hair wrap is even more vital part for curly hair textures. These types of towels and hair wraps help remove excess water, without roughing up the surface of the hair. “Apply hair products when hair is wet, starting with leave-in treatments and hydration first. Then layer products with hold, such as balms, gels, or mousses, to define and seal,” says Stollmeyer. She adds that it is important to apply a heat protectant before using hot tools. “If you don’t have time to air dry, use a diffuser on low-medium heat or low air setting and hoover over and around the hair.”
- For damaged hair: It’s always a good idea to limit your hair’s heat exposure, but it’s crucial to avoid using hot tools and taking super hot showers if you’re experiencing damage or split ends. Stollmeyer recommends rinsing hair under cool water for a few seconds after conditioning, then either let your hair air dry or remove excess water with a microfiber hair towel or hair wrap. “I suggest squeezing out excess water, then applying a gentle detangle with a lightweight leave-in treatment or heat protector, and then wrap your hair up.”
Read on to check out the best hair towels and wraps on the market right now.
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YoulerTex Microfiber Hair Towel
Best overall
- Fabric: YoulerTex Microfiber (plush on one side, terry cotton on the other)
- Size: 10”x26”
- Color options: 8, including white, blue, grey, and emerald
- Machine washable: Yes
Microfiber hair towels can be expensive, so if you’re shopping on a budget, you’ll want to turn your attention to this set of two from YoulerTex. The pair will cost you under $10 total, but don’t let the low price tag fool you; the quality of YoulerTex’s product is anything but cheap. It has racked up over 42,400 reviews on Amazon to date, plus these microfiber hair turbans nearly average a 5-star rating, with users raving that the two-sided towel works exceptionally well, even on thick, curly, and longer hair. The bath towel is made from YoulerTex Microfiber, which absorbs more than 10 times its weight in water, which means that roughly 75 percent of your just-washed hair will be gone. What’s more, consumers note that it is just as effective as it is easy to use: Simply twist your hair in one direction, lift it up over your head and button in the back.
Kitsch Microfiber Hair Towel
Best for short hair
- Fabric: Microfiber
- Color options: Blush
- Machine washable: Yes
It seems like everyone is buzzing about Kitsch — their claw clips, face masks, towel scrunchies, and, you guessed it, their microfiber hair towel. According to reviewers, the hair wrap from the self-financed, woman-owned company significantly cuts down blow dryer usage: One commenter writes, “I went from a 20-minute blow-dry to a 3-minute blow-dry.” Another adds, “It’s incredible how fast it takes the moisture out of the hair.” Per its product description, and judging from the reviews, the towel was designed to fit all hair types and lengths, though hairstylist at Lrn Beauty, Nicolette Rauchut, notes it’s especially great for short to medium hair. Rauchut tells WWD that the Kitsch microfiber hair towel “fits more like a hat,” so it might be a more comfortable option than competitors.
Aquis Microfiber Hair Towel
Most sustainable
- Fabric: Microfiber (76% polyester and 24% nylon)
- Size range: 19” x 39”, 19” x 44”
- Color options: 9, including Hot Pink, Lemonade, and Sea Grass
- Machine washable: Yes
Aquis is on a twofold mission to both help your hair stay healthy and to make hair towels sustainable. The brand’s beloved microfiber hair towel is durable enough to last up to 100 washes without releasing microplastics or toxic dye into our water systems, making it one of the most eco-friendly options on the market. The environmentally-sound bath linen is made from the brand’s super moisture-wicking Aquitex fabric, which cuts down drying time by a whopping 50 percent. The hair wrap secures the hair solely by tucking the end of the towel under the nape of your neck, meaning that it might be better suited for short to medium lengths, as longer, heavier hair will be tricky to manage.
Ellewin Bamboo Hair Towel Wrap
Best bamboo
- Fabric: Bamboo Microfiber
- Size range: 25″x10″
- Color options: 3, including Striped, Grey, and Galaxy (multicolor)
- Machine washable: Yes
Bamboo is grossly underrated when it comes to hair care, but Ellewin’s microfiber hair towel makes a strong argument for why you should give it a second look. Made from a blend of bamboo charcoal fibers as well as traditional microfibers, it can hold up to seven times its weight in water — directly from your wet strands. The best part is that the towel dries without losing its hold, so you can count on it to stay in place while you mosey around the house.
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Turbie Twist Microfiber Hair Towel
Best cult favorite
- Fabric: Microfiber (87% polyester, 13% polyamide)
- Size range: 5” x 2.5” x 8”
- Color options: 17, including Sprinkles, Dark Purple, Purple Paisley, and White
- Machine washable: Yes
Turbie Twist was founded in 1995 by two sisters with a passion for all things hair care. Since its initial launch, the brand has sold over 30 million Turbie Twist Microfiber Hair Towels. If that’s not enough to sell you on this product’s popularity, maybe a 4.7 out of a potential 5-stars on Amazon will. For under $20, your purchase includes two Turbie Twist towels in all sorts of fun colorways, including sweet patterns like cupcakes and sprinkles. The product is one-size-fits-all for both kids and adults with a range of hair types, from long to curly to frizzy and everything in between. Plus, the towel is lightweight and not too large, so it won’t take up too much space in your laundry basket or travel luggage. The Turbie Twist is easy to fasten and stays put via an elastic loop design, so slippage is a non-issue.
Hicober Microfiber Hair Towel 3-Pack
Most affordable
- Fabric: Microfiber
- Size range: 24.8” x 9.44” x 3.14”
- Color options: 4, including blue, grey, pink, and purple
- Machine washable: Yes
What’s better than one microfiber hair towel? Three for the price of one. The Hicober Microfiber Hair Towel 3-Pack is one of the greatest budget-friendly bundles on the market. Each 3-pack features three towels, available in 2 or 3 different colors (depending on your preference), for under $15. That’s fabulous news for both your wallet and your laundry. Hicober’s towels are highly absorbent. Experiments have shown they will not deform nor shrink, even after 10,000 washes, which makes them a smart, sustainable option for all hair types. Users on Amazon highlight the towel’s comfort level, soft texture, lightweight feel, and absorbency as its most notable features. One commenter raves, “Kicking myself in the rear for not buying this sooner!” Another explains that wrapping their hair in traditional towels had caused “a fair amount of breakage” in the past, but “this towel will not break your hair like other towels do. It is so soft and absorbent! So glad I made the switch!”
Coco & Eve Hair Towel Wrap
Best design
- Fabric: Microfiber (75% polyester and 25% polyamide)
- Size range: 24.8” x 9.44” x 3.14”
- Color options: 4, including blue, grey, pink, and purple
- Machine washable: Yes
Coco & Eve has uncovered yet another purpose for microfiber hair wraps: Keeping your hair masque covered for a few hours or even overnight to let all the goodness soak into strands. Made from highly absorbent microfiber material, the Coco & Eve Hair Towel Wrap helps dry hair as much as possible and as quickly as possible, before hot tools are used. On Amazon, the hair wrap is available in one super cute pattern — pink with Bali tree leaves — to give you serious tropical vacation vibes. This hair towel is one-size-fits-all, and it keeps hair tightly twisted by way of a loop and button combo. One Amazon reviewer claims that the towel is so absorbent, their thin hair was almost dry in 10 minutes, while another gushes that the product is a “Fantastic value for money – absorbency is excellent and it looks cute too!”
Luxe Beauty Essentials Microfiber Hair Towel
Best for fine hair
- Fabric: 410 GSM Microfiber
- Size range: 20” x 40”, 24” x 42”
- Color options: 4, including white, grey, pink, and purple
- Machine washable: Yes
By now you know that traditional hair towels can cause significant damage and breakage to strands. Well, thin tresses are even more at risk. Luxe Beauty Essentials understands the need for hair wraps that are gentle on all hair types, which is where the brand’s microfiber hair towel comes into play. It’s made from 410 GSM (grams per square meter) microfiber that is heavy duty, yet soft on hair. The plush material is highly absorbent, draining water from hair and pampering your locks at the same time. Its texture cuts drying time by 50 percent, without sacrificing the health of your strands in the process. Amazon reviewers rushed to the comments section to sing its praises. “I have 3 feet of thick hair, so naturally it takes about four forevers to dry,” one user says. “This towel cut the literal half-hour it typically takes to stop dripping, to my whole head of hair being 70% dry in about ten minutes.”
DevaCurl DevaTowel Anti-Frizz Microfiber Towel
Best for curly hair
- Fabric: Microfiber
- Size range: 39″ x 20″
- Color options: Grey
- Machine washable: Yes, but must hang dry
Curly hair types have it rough when it comes to drying their coily, corkscrew, or ultra wavy strands. Any level of bend requires specific kinds of hairbrushes, styling products, and blowout tools, like diffusers, to make the process less grueling. On the bright side, microfiber hair towels might just be the best line of defense. DevaCurl’s DevaTowel is made of smooth, super-absorbent microfiber that is gentle enough to keep curls intact. You can also use it in a few different ways, like scrunching your curls upward with the towel, or twisting your hair upward, like you would a wrap or turban. However, users do note that unlike other microfiber towels, this one does not have a button or loop to fasten, so longer hair types might experience some fallout. One commenter admits they use the towel as a pillowcase so they can sleep with wet hair and wake up with less frizz.
M-bestl 2-Pack Hair Towel Wrap
Easiest to launder
- Fabric: Microfiber
- Size range: 9.84” x 25.5”
- Color options: 7, including Khaki & Coffee, Dark Gray & Blue, Star Gray & Star Pink
- Machine washable: Yes
Admittedly, this writer was initially drawn to M-bestl’s microfiber hair towel wraps solely because of the brand’s fun color options. Upon further research, along with the more than 12,300 reviews and 4.6-star rating on Amazon, it became clear that there was plenty more to this hair drying towel than just the aesthetic. The towel’s design features a tie hoop closure, so your damp hair will stay concealed and solidly in place while you go about your day. It’s also machine washable and dries quickly, with one commenter says that the towel is so easy to launder, they just toss it right into the machine with everything else.
Tee-Owels Microfiber T-Shirt Hair Towel
Best for coily hair
- Fabric: Cotton Microfiber
- Size range: 23” x 38”, 26” x 46”
- Color options: Lilac
- Machine washable: Yes
Another great option for curly hair is this microfiber T-shirt towel from Tee-Owels. It’s made of soft, organic cotton and is just as malleable as an actual t-shirt to ensure a superior wrap and hold. Certified hair practitioner and founder of Absolutely Everything Curly, Dr. Gaby Longsworth, Ph.D., tells WWD that this microfiber hair towel is perfect for both curly and coily hair types. She especially loves that the towel comes in two sizes: 23” x 38” for short to shoulder-length hair, and 26” x 46” for shoulder-length hair or longer. Plus, the vibrant lilac linen comes with an eco-friendly travel pouch, so you can easily transport your new go-to towel wherever life takes you. One Tee-Owel user swears the towel “completely changed how I style my curly hair. They claim that “it’s impossible to blow dry or use a bath towel to dry my curls without leaving them feeling dried out and frizzy. My Tee-Owel is so soft and dries my hair perfectly, without the frizz.”
DuraComfort Essentials Super Absorbent Anti-Frizz Microfiber Hair Towel
Best for wavy hair
- Fabric: Lisse crepe Cotton blend microfiber
- Size range: 41” x 19”, 41” x 24”
- Color options: White
- Machine washable: Yes
The DuraComfort Essentials Anti-Frizz Microfiber Hair Towel currently has over 9,000 positive reviews on Amazon. It’s made from a cotton blend microfiber material and designed with a thin, crinkled texture — a combination that, unlike traditional terry cotton towels, effectively absorbs water from your damp strands without leaving your tresses riddled with frizz and static. It can be used as a traditional towel or can be wrapped into a turban, thanks to the product’s flexible, stretchy seam. A handful of wavy hair types rated DuraComfort’s hair towel 5 out of 5-stars due to its high absorbency and ability to tame frizz. One reviewer with “fairly long, extremely thick, wavy hair that tends to frizz” explained that her old routine (which involved towel drying, applying a leave-in conditioner, and air drying) wasn’t cutting it, saying that they’d “be left with staticky/frizz-prone hair.” But purchasing the DuraComfort microfiber hair towel proved to be a “life-changer,” adding that it “soaks up probably at least 50% more water than using a regular towel or cotton t-shirt. Dries quickly too, I can get a good 3 or 4 uses out of this before I need to throw it in the wash. Cannot recommend enough!”
Hopeshine Hair Towel 3-Pack
Easiest to use
- Fabric: Microfiber (80% Polyester, 20% Polyamide)
- Size range: 24 ¾” X 9 ½”
- Color options: 10+, including Blue, Purple, Rose, Rainbow, Violet
- Machine washable: Yes
Another super affordable 3-pack, Hopeshine’s microfiber hair towel is beloved for its wide color range, soft fabric, and easy-to-use design. Available in 13 different color combinations, these kite-shaped hair towel turbans feature a button and loop closure design, so they’re incredibly easy to wrap around your hair. They’re also compact, making them perfect for travel, so you can toss one (or a few!) into your vacation or gym bag. As far as absorbency goes, these towels are made from ultra-fine fibers with wicking technology, making them up to 80 percent more absorbent than traditional hair towels. All you have to do is wrap the material around your freshly-washed strands and secure it until you’re ready to style. The result? Nearly dry tresses with little to no frizz, free from breakage, and fewer split ends.
Crown Affair The Hair Towel
Best luxury
- Fabric: Microfiber (76% polyester and 24% nylon)
- Size range: 32” x 38”
- Color options: White
- Machine washable: Yes
For an ultra-luxe hair drying experience, opt for The Hair Towel from Crown Affair. It comes with a steep price tag, but you’ll definitely get what you pay for with this microfiber hair wrap. For starters, it’s super long — measuring 32 inches x 38 inches — so it’s a great option for all hair types, even extra-long strands. It has a waffle texture which, Rauchut highlights, “helps absorb excess water without manually squeezing out water,” resulting in less friction, breakage, and frizz. Rauchut also notes that the towel has a pentagon shape to provide “better curvature around the head when wrapping.” It also has an elastic band to secure hair versus a button or snap. To top it off, the hair wrap is vegan-friendly, cruelty-free and pregnancy safe, so everyone can enjoy this quick-drying technique (no matter what stage of life you’re in).
Vernon Francois Microfiber Towel
Best for coily & kinky hair
- Fabric: Microfiber
- Size range: 70cm x 140cm
- Color options: White
- Machine washable: Yes
From none other than Lupita Nyong’o’s hairstylist, Vernon Francois, comes this microfiber towel designed specifically for the curliest hair types. To the naked eye it may seem like the white hair wrap is just your basic bath towel, but Francois is a textured hair pro, so you can be sure that this microfiber hair towel can handle any level of coil, kink, wave, or bend. Not only does the product soak up moisture from strands quicker than traditional cotton towels, but it also encourages the natural pattern of curls to form, sans frizz.
Meet the Experts
- Nicolette Rauchut: Rauchut is a hairstylist and extensions specialist at Lrn Beauty. She trained under the legend, Edward Tricomi, founder of the eponymous salon in New York City, where she learned the art of dry haircutting and styling.
- Amy Stollmeyer: Stollmeyer is the co-founder and lead hairstylist for the Canadian hair care brand, DesignMe, which was developed specifically to help curly hair types manage their strands with ease.
- Dr. Gaby Longsworth, Ph.D.: Founder of the go-to website for curlies, Absolutely Everything Curly, Dr. Longsworth established the first-of-its-kind database of more than 1,200 vetted salons and curly hair stylists all over the world to help pair curly haired clients with their best curly hair stylist.