Types of Towels Explained: Bath Towel, Bath Sheet, Hand Towel, Face Towel and Washcloth

There are five main types of household towel: the bath towel, the larger bath sheet, hand towels, the small face towel or washcloth, and the guest (fingertip) towel. They differ mainly in size, and size decides the job. Bath towels and bath sheets dry your body, hand towels hang by the basin, and washcloths are for washing and wiping your face.

Below you will find a sizes table, what each towel is for, and the answers to common questions such as "what is a washcloth?" and "how is a guest towel different from a bath towel?"

Towel sizes at a glance

Sizes vary by maker, so treat these as typical ranges, not fixed standards.

If you need to check the exact size of a towel you are buying, our Size and GSM guide explains how to measure it.

Bath towel vs bath sheet

A bath towel is the everyday body towel. People also call it a shower towel or body towel. It wraps around most adults' waist with a little overlap and fits a standard towel rail folded in thirds.

A bath sheet is the same fabric, but larger. At roughly 35–40 inches wide, it wraps around the chest or shoulders and covers you to the knees or below. That makes it the better choice if you are tall, broad-shouldered, or simply like to wrap up after a bath in winter.

Which should you choose?

• Choose a bath towel if drying space is limited, if you live somewhere humid, or if you want something quicker to wash and dry.
• Choose a bath sheet if you want full coverage, or if a normal bath towel feels too small around you.

A bath sheet holds more water and takes longer to dry, so it needs a proper rail or line, not a hook. Whichever size you pick, the same quality checks apply: fibre, weight, loops and hems. A good bath towel buying guide walks through each one.

Hand towels: the hardest-working towel in the house

Hand towels hang by the washbasin and get used many times a day, often with wet, soapy hands. That is why they need washing more often than bath towels, ideally every two to three days in a busy household.

Good cotton hand towels should be absorbent enough to dry hands in a couple of wipes, and light enough to dry again between uses. Many people also use a hand towel as a face towel or to wrap wet hair, because it is lighter than a bath towel.

Small hand towels and hanging hand towels with a loop are handy for kitchens or a guest basin with no rail. Just keep kitchen hand towels separate from bathroom ones for hygiene; our guide to kitchen towels and tea towels covers kitchen use.

Face towels, face cloths and washcloths

These names are often used for the same thing: a small square towel of about 12–13 inches. What it is called depends mostly on where you live and what you use it for.

What is a washcloth?

A washcloth (also wash cloth, bath cloth or body wash cloth) is a small towel that you wet and use with soap to clean your face or body. It gives a gentle scrub, a bit like a loofah but softer. After use, it should be rinsed, wrung out and hung to dry fully, or it can start to smell within a day in humid weather.

What is a face towel?

A face towel or face cloth towel is usually the same small size, but used for drying rather than washing. Using a separate towel for your face means your face is not dried with the towel that has touched the rest of your body. Our article on the best towel for your face and skin explains why that helps.

You will also see microfiber face cloths, sold mainly for removing makeup. They feel different from cotton and have their own pros and cons, which we cover in microfiber vs cotton towels.

Guest and fingertip towels

A fingertip towel is a small towel, typically around 11 x 18 inches, placed in a guest bathroom or powder room for visitors to dry their hands. It is often decorative, with a woven border or embroidery.

So what is the difference between a guest towel and a bath towel? Size and purpose. A guest towel is only for hands and is swapped for a fresh one after guests leave. A bath towel is for your whole body. For Eid or a dawat, setting out a small stack of fresh hand or fingertip towels is simpler and more hygienic than one shared towel.

Other towels you may come across

• Bath mat towel: a thick, heavy towel placed on the floor outside the shower. It is made to be stood on, not to dry your body.
• Mini or small towel: an informal name for a washcloth, fingertip towel or small sports towel.
• Kitchen towel: a flatter, lint-free cloth for dishes and hands, different from bathroom terry.
• Beach towel: long, thinner and usually brightly printed, for sitting on and drying off outdoors.
• Baby towel: a softer, often hooded towel sized and woven for a newborn's delicate skin; see our guide to towels for newborns and babies.
• Bathrobe: worn instead of, or after, towel-drying. We compare the two in towel vs bathrobe.

Frequently asked questions

What is a wash towel?

A wash towel is another name for a washcloth: a small square towel that you wet and use with soap to wash your face or body. Rinse it and dry it fully after every use. Replace it with a fresh one every day or two.

Is a hand towel the same as a face towel?

Not quite. A hand towel is larger, around 16–18 x 28–30 inches, while a face towel is a small square. Many people happily use a hand towel as their face towel, as long as it is kept separate from the one by the basin.

How many of each towel does a home need?

A simple rule is two to three bath towels per person, two hand towels per bathroom, and a few washcloths each. Our guide to what a bathroom towel set should include gives numbers for couples and families.

What is the price of a hand towel?

Prices vary with cotton quality, weight and size. Home Living does not sell hand towels on their own; our 2-piece 100% cotton towel set, with one medium towel (30 x 60) and one large towel (30 x 90), costs Rs 2,999 for both, with free delivery anywhere in Pakistan.

Find the right towel

Once you know which towel does which job, it is easy to buy only what you need. Our 2-piece cotton towel sets pair a medium towel (30 x 60) with a large towel (30 x 90) in six colours, with free delivery, Cash on Delivery and a 7-day exchange on unused items. If you have a question about towel sizes or fabric, message us on WhatsApp at +92 327 1336144.