Absorb well
Something that is incredibly important and why we all have a towel is to get dry after we have showered, bathed, or washed. It may sound obvious that all towels should have a good ability to absorb water, but unfortunately, this is not always the case.
Pack small
The very reason why we use a travel towel in the first place is to save space, so of course, we want it to take up some space in the bag.
Most travel towels take up very little space compared to a regular terry towel. What you should check if you want a small towel is both the dimensions, but also the weight. The weight will partly reveal how thick the towel is.
It is thus not only the dimensions that determine how much space the towel takes up but also the thickness of the towel. In the end, there will be a balance between weight/dimensions and absorbency.
Easy
We went into it a bit in the point above. There are towels that weigh different amounts, even though most microfiber towels are very light. Learn more about a microfiber beach towel.
Of course, you want to light a towel as possible on the trip, but you must be prepared that a lighter towel will not absorb water as well as a heavier one.
Dry quickly
One of the most important things about a towel I take with me on the trip is that it dries quickly. This is also a really big advantage of having a travel towel.
If you do not already have a towel in a functional material such as microfiber, you will notice the difference in drying time directly in comparison with a cotton towel.
Do not start to smell bad
When we are traveling, we do not want our towels or bath towels to start smelling bad. At the same time, we do not want to keep on washing all the time.
Since most travel towels are made of microfiber that dries quickly, they last a long time without starting to smell bad. If you just make sure that your towel is not packed down and stored wet, it will stay fresh for several weeks.
Good and airy storage
When you buy a travel towel, make sure that you can store it airy so that it can dry if it is wet. A good travel towel does not need a long time to dry, but you can also not pack it wet for it.
Something that facilitates the storage of the towel at the same time as it can dry is that there is a loop on it, a storage net/bag, or a storage bag with air holes.