Here Are 15 of the Best Beach Towels for Pleasing Post-Swim Vibes

Photo: Courtesy Of Baina

From retro stripes to neutral hues, these beach towels are peak summer. Check out some of the best Aussie brands from Kobn, Mayde, Clothing the Gaps and more.

Words by Jo Walker · Updated on 30 Jun 2026 · Published on 12 Jan 2026

We ask a lot of our beach towels. They protect us from sand and sun. They dry us off after a swim. They stand guard on our patch of beachside real estate (or poolside lounger). We throw them on over our swimmers as a nod to modesty if we travel more than a block from the sand.

If we’re lucky, they’re also soft and sturdy and kind of stylish. Here are some of the best beach towels to invest in this summer.

15 of the best beach towels we’re loving this summer

Baina

$200

Baina founders Bailey Meredith and Anna Fahey set out to build a brand of “curated towelling”. The brand’s pool towels come in signature checkerboard styles, as well as stripes. The Willis towel in a sand and black colourway offers a punchy interpretation of art deco tiling. Double-looped terry cloth construction makes it especially soft and absorbent.

Buy at Ssense

Citta

$80

The Kiwi design house might be best known for its chic, considered homewares, but its plush textiles are worth a look, too. This towel comes in three sunny palettes, each rendered in a warm-hued, nostalgic plaid. Generously sized, they’re made for sprawling out and relaxing.

Buy at RJ Living

Hakea

$90

Look, this offering from Byron Bay’s Hakea calls itself a linen beach blanket, but it’s also perfectly legitimate to use as a towel, sarong or toga, so let’s not get caught up in semantics. Made from 100-per-cent linen, these beach blankets get softer with each wear. They scrunch down pretty small in your beach bag, too.

Buy at Hakea

Aura Home

$49.95

Aura Home delivers a true local gem, made from 100 per cent Aussie-grown cotton. The Melbourne label’s Palma collection takes cues from the Mediterranean coast, with a hibiscus motif that gently dials up the holiday mood. One side is woven in velvety soft velour, with terry on the reverse for extra absorbency.

Buy at Aura Home

Sand Society

$67.96

Like all Sand Society towels, the Andie is made from 20 post-consumer recycled plastic bottles and promises to be super-absorbent and sand-free – even if you aren’t. Designed in Australia, Andie features an understated neutral, chequerboard print background – think Queen’s Gambit but poolside.

Buy at Sand Society

Bed Threads

$56

Bath towels that double as beach towels are the best bang for buck. This Sydney brand’s new drop swaps the classic stripes and playful motifs you might spot poolside for an art deco-style border in contrasting hues. Woven from dense, ultra-absorbent cotton, they’re made for speedy towel-downs after a refreshing swim.

Buy at Bed Threads

Venroy

$150

Minimalist colour blocking makes Sydney label Venroy’s woven terry border towel a fresh, no-nonsense option for poolside lounging. The brand started in 2011 with a run of swim shorts, so the people behind it have put a lot of thought into looking good near water.

Buy at Venroy

Pete Pareo

$140

Fish, please. The sardine motif is a design identifier for Australian resort brand Pete Pareo, so it makes sense to find a school of them here. This sunny style comes in seaside blue, while the wider range spans richer tones like emerald green and ruby red, offering a more pared-back beachside aesthetic.

Buy at Pete Pareo

Clothing the Gaps

$130

The Gathering blanket from Clothing the Gaps is designed by Gunditjmara artist Laura Thompson on Wurundjeri Country. One side is inspired by traditional possum-skin cloaks and the other celebrates Aboriginal language groups. At 200 centimetres by 150 centimetres, it’s also supersized and quick-drying.

Buy at Clothing the Gaps

Kobn

$110

All towels from Melbourne brand Kobn are Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified, meaning they meet certain criteria for organic fibre production as well as ecological and fairtrade concerns. They’re also spunky and stripey, mixing warm neutral tones with bolds, neons and brights.

Buy at Kobn

The Beach People

$109

Looking to bliss out 1970s-style, dig into your astrology charts and maybe eat a melting Golden Gaytime while you wiggle your toes in the sand? The Lune round towel may be the companion for you. Soft, circular and luxuriously fringed, it’s designed in Australia by The Beach People.

Buy at The Beach People

Mayde

$120

Aussie towel juggernaut Mayde offers a collection of beach towels in bright colours and patterns. Made in Turkey from organically produced Buldan cotton, the Adventure towel boasts muted mustard, natural white and a distinctly retro feel.

Buy at Mayde

Business and Pleasure Co

$99

Business and Pleasure Co is an Aussie go-to for beach accessories such as umbrellas, coolers, chairs and towels. The velvety beach towel promises a luxury feel with hand-loomed cotton towelling, and a scalloped edge guarantees warm summer vibes.

Buy at The Iconic

Binalong Beach & Co

$85

Want a hefty weave with fine yarn in classic monochrome? The Waubs beach towel from Tasmania’s Binalong Beach & Co just might fit the bill. Named for a stretch of coast that hosts regular fairy penguin parades, it’s unsurprisingly black and white.

Buy at Binalong Beach & Co

Dritimes

$69.99

Like all towels from Gold Coast label Dritimes, this stripy number promises to get you dry five times faster than a regular towel. It’s also pretty lightweight, so it can easily double as a gym or travel towel.

Buy at Dritimes

This article was originally published on December 1, 2020 and has since been updated to reflect new styles and pricing.

Additional reporting by Simone Richardson.

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About the author

Jo Walker is broadsheet’s studio editor, and former home & lifestyle editor.