A Turkish towel, also called a peshtemal, is a flat-woven cotton towel with fringed ends and no loops. A regular towel is usually terry, a fabric covered in small cotton loops. Because it has no loops, a Turkish towel is thinner and lighter, dries much faster and folds small, while a terry towel holds more water and feels plusher. Choose a Turkish towel for the beach, travel, the gym and humid bathrooms. Choose terry if you want a thick, heavy towel and have a place for it to dry.
Here is how the two are built, how they compare in daily use, and how to decide which one belongs in your bathroom or bag.
What is a Turkish towel?
A Turkish towel is the peshtemal of the Turkish hammam: a long, flat-woven cotton wrap with fringe on the short ends. It is also sold as a hammam towel or a fouta. Most are woven in stripes, and the pattern is part of the weave rather than printed on top.
The standard size is generous. Each of our peshtemals measures 35 × 71 in (90 × 180 cm), large enough to wrap around the body or cover a beach lounger. The flat weave keeps the towel light: our muslin striped peshtemal weighs 363 grams at that size.
What is a regular towel?
Most bath towels in American homes are terry. Terry is a pile fabric: extra yarn is woven in as small uncut loops that stand up from the base of the cloth (Britannica, "terry pile"). Those loops add surface, so a terry towel soaks up a lot of water and feels thick and soft. They also add weight and hold water deep in the pile, which is why a terry towel can still be damp the next morning.
Turkish towel vs. regular towel: side by side
| Turkish towel (peshtemal) | Regular towel (terry) | |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Flat weave, no loops, fringed ends | Woven base with uncut loops (pile) |
| Weight | Light; our muslin peshtemal is 363 g at 35 × 71 in | Heavier at the same size |
| Water capacity | Lower | Higher |
| Drying time | Fast | Slow, especially in humid air |
| Feel | Thin, smooth, softens with each wash | Thick, plush |
| Packed size | Folds or rolls small | Bulky |
| Sand | Shakes off a flat surface | Gets caught in the loops |
| Best for | Beach, travel, gym, hammam, small or humid bathrooms | Home bath when you want maximum plushness |
Does a Turkish towel absorb as well as terry?
It absorbs well for its weight, but it holds less water in total. Two measurements explain the difference.
Absorbency capacity is how much water a towel can hold before it stops taking more. More fiber means more capacity, so a heavy terry towel wins.
Absorbency rate is how quickly a towel pulls water off your skin. Fine cotton yarn in close contact with the skin works fast, and a flat-woven peshtemal does this well.
For drying off after a shower, rate matters more than capacity, because you do not need a towel to reach saturation. Capacity matters when one towel has to dry long hair, two people, or a child after a bath. In that case a terry towel, or a Turkish towel used alongside a hand towel, is the comfortable choice. We look at the same trade-off between two other weaves in 4-Layer Muslin vs. Waffle Weave: Which Dries Faster?
Why does a Turkish towel dry so fast?
Three things work together. A flat weave holds less water to begin with. Without loops, almost all of the fabric is exposed to air on both faces. And a thin cotton cloth lets air pass through it rather than trapping it. The result is a towel that can often dry between morning and evening on a hook, in a hotel room or on the back of a beach chair.
The same structure explains why sand does not stick. Terry loops catch sand grains; a flat-woven surface lets them fall off with a shake.
One practical tip: hang a Turkish towel open, with air reaching both sides. Folded over a narrow hook, any towel dries slowly.
Where each towel works best
The beach and pool. A peshtemal is the clear choice. It is big enough to lie on, light to carry, dries on the way home and shakes clean.
Travel and the gym. It folds flat and goes back in the bag almost dry. A terry towel of the same size takes up much more room.
A small or humid bathroom. If your bathroom has no window, a Turkish towel or a waffle towel avoids the damp-towel smell that comes from terry that never fully dries.
A cold bathroom and long hair. Terry's capacity and warmth earn their place here. If you prefer something lighter but still textured, a waffle bath towel (35 × 70 in in our set) sits between the two.
Around the house. Peshtemals also work as a throw on the sofa, a picnic blanket or a light wrap on a cool evening.
How to care for a Turkish towel
- Machine wash cold with similar colors.
- Tumble dry low or line dry; air drying is gentlest on the cotton.
- Skip fabric softener: it coats the fibers and reduces absorbency.
- Skip bleach.
- Expect the towel to get softer and a little more absorbent after the first few washes as the cotton fibers relax.
Are Turkish towels good?
Yes, when they are made from good cotton and woven well. Look for 100% cotton (long staple if the page says so), a woven-in stripe rather than a print, and a textile safety certification such as OEKO-TEX Standard 100, which tests finished textiles against more than 1,000 harmful substances.
Our five striped peshtemals are handwoven in Denizli, Turkey, from 100% Turkish cotton by women weavers across three generations, in a region with about 2,500 years of weaving history. All five share the same size and are certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100. If you want to understand the cotton itself, read Turkish Cotton vs. Egyptian Cotton for Robes & Towels.
Which should you buy?
- Buy a Turkish towel if the towel has to travel, dry quickly or live in a humid room, or if you want one towel for the bath and the beach.
- Buy terry if you want the thickest, heaviest feel at home and have a warm, ventilated place to dry it.
- Or keep both: terry or waffle on the bathroom rail, a peshtemal in the beach bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Turkish towel and a regular towel?
A Turkish towel (peshtemal) is flat-woven with no loops, so it is thinner, lighter and faster drying. A regular towel is usually terry, with loops that hold more water and feel plusher.
Can I use a Turkish towel as a bath towel?
Yes. It dries you well after a shower and dries itself quickly afterwards. If you have long hair or want a very plush feel, pair it with a hand towel or keep a terry towel for those days.
Is a peshtemal the same as a Turkish towel?
Yes. Peshtemal is the Turkish name. In the US it is usually sold as a Turkish towel, and you may also see hammam towel or fouta.
What size is a Turkish towel?
Sizes vary by maker. Ours are 35 × 71 in (90 × 180 cm), which is close to a bath sheet.
Why shouldn't I use fabric softener on a Turkish towel?
Softener leaves a coating on the cotton fibers that reduces absorbency. The cotton softens on its own with washing.
Do Turkish towels get softer?
Yes. A new flat-woven towel can feel crisp, and it softens over the first few washes as the cotton relaxes.