Most pool swimmers do best with a compact microfibre towel, and cold-water swimmers need something warmer on top. The gap between a good and a bad choice shows up fast: a soggy cotton towel that still smells damp by your next session, or a tiny travel towel that leaves you shivering on a windy lakeshore.
For regular pool swimming, the Nabaiji Microfibre Towel Size L is the best swimmer towel for most people, because it packs small, absorbs well and dries between sessions far faster than a cotton bath towel. Open water swimmers should pair a towel with a changing robe or poncho. Cotton still earns a place at home, where drying time and bag space count for less.
Once you know which fabric suits your routine, you can build out the rest of your swim essentials and get to the pool sooner.
Quick picks:
- Best for pool swimmers: Nabaiji Microfibre Towel Size L
- Best compact option: Speedo Sports Towel (chamois)
- Best for big coverage: Big Jim Extra Large Microfibre Towel
- Best for cold open water: Dryrobe Advance Long Sleeve Changing Robe
1) Nabaiji Microfibre Towel Size L
Decathlon’s own swim brand makes this towel for swimmers who train two or three times a week and hate carrying bulk. It folds down into a small pouch, so it sits beside your goggles without eating half your bag.
The fibres grab water with a pat-dry motion. Rubbing works less well with microfibre, so dab your skin and press the towel against your hair.
- Material: microfibre
- Strength: quick drying between sessions
- Watch out for: a thinner, less cosy feel than cotton
You’ll find it in Decathlon’s swimming towels range alongside larger and smaller sizes. Size L gives enough coverage to wrap your waist in a busy changing room.
2) Arena Microfibre Towel
Arena brings a racing brand’s focus to a plain, practical microfibre towel. It’s light and folds flat, and it shakes out fast, which helps when you swim before work and need it dry by the evening.
Club swimmers like that it matches the rest of their kit. The fabric feels smooth, so it grips damp skin less than a looped cotton towel.
Hang it open on a door or radiator after each session. Stuffed in a bag, even quick-dry microfibre starts to smell within a day.
3) Speedo Sports Towel
Think of the Speedo Sports Towel as a sponge you wipe over your body. It’s a chamois-style towel: you wipe, wring it out and wipe again, and it keeps soaking up water.
Chamois stays damp in its tube, which is normal. That’s how it keeps soft and ready.
- Best for: squad sessions, poolside between races, divers
- Pack size: smaller than any microfibre towel here
- Trade-off: it won’t wrap around you for warmth or modesty
Many swimmers carry one alongside a bigger towel.
4) Big Jim Extra Large Microfibre Towel
At 180 x 90 cm, this towel covers you from shoulders to knees, which is rare for microfibre. Taller swimmers finally get a quick-dry towel that wraps fully round the body.
It sells as a gym, travel and swim all-rounder on Amazon UK, where it shows steady monthly sales. The larger size still packs smaller than a cotton bath sheet of similar length.
Use it on a lido lounger or as a changing screen at the beach. Expect it to need a little longer to dry than a Size L towel, simply because there’s more fabric.
5) Dock & Bay Quick Dry Beach Towel
Sand slides off Dock & Bay’s smooth weave, so beach and lake swimmers get the most from it. You shake it once and most grit falls away.
Bright stripes and prints make it easy to spot on a crowded shore or among a heap of club kit.
It’s microfibre, so the same pat-dry habit applies. For indoor pools it works well too, though the fashion-led look suits summer sea swims and holidays best.
6) Rainleaf Microfiber Towel
Rainleaf offers its microfibre towel in several sizes, from a small hand towel up to a body-sized option. That range lets you choose exactly how much bag space to give up.
It arrives with a mesh carry bag and a hanging loop. The loop sounds minor, yet it’s handy on changing-room hooks that are always too crowded.
The smaller sizes suit hair or a quick dry after a swimming warm up on deck. For full-body drying, pick the largest size.
7) Olaian Adult Surf Poncho 500
Olaian’s poncho is a towel you wear. It pulls over your head, has a hood and gives you a private space to wriggle out of a wet costume on a beach or riverbank.
Made by Decathlon’s surf brand, it’s thick towelling that absorbs well and feels warm straight after a sea swim.
The downside is bulk. It fills a rucksack and dries slowly, so it earns its place for summer open water and less so for weekday lengths at the leisure centre.
8) IKEA VÅGSJÖN Bath Towel
Cheap and soft, the VÅGSJÖN is the budget cotton option for swimmers who drive to the pool and don’t mind bag space.
Cotton loops feel plush and warm on cold skin. They also hold water, so a used towel comes home heavy and needs a full day or more to dry indoors.
- Good for: home use after a swim, kids’ lessons, a spare in the car
- Less good for: daily training or travel
Keep two in rotation if you swim often.
9) Christy Supreme Hygro Bath Towel
Christy’s Hygro cotton uses a spinning method that makes the loops fuller, so the towel feels thick without the weight of standard heavy cotton.
It suits swimmers who love a proper fluffy towel after a cold dip and want it to dry a bit quicker than regular cotton. It’s a premium buy compared with IKEA’s version.
It still packs large. Many outdoor swimmers leave a Hygro towel in the car and change into it after walking back from the water.
10) Dryrobe Advance Long Sleeve Changing Robe
The Dryrobe Advance is built for cold water. A waterproof, windproof outer shell covers a warm fleece-style lining, and long sleeves keep your arms covered while you change underneath.
Wild swimmers and triathletes wear it from car to water’s edge and straight back on after. It pairs well with other open water safety gear for beginners.
It won’t replace a towel; you still dry off inside it. For more robe options, see the best swim changing robes for cold water swimmers.
How to Choose a Swimmer Towel
Pick your towel by where you swim first, then by how often. Pool regulars need fast drying and small pack size. Open water swimmers need warmth and a way to change.
| Option | Material | Absorbency | Drying speed | Packability | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nabaiji Size L | Microfibre | Good | Fast | Very small | Pool training |
| Arena Microfibre | Microfibre | Good | Fast | Small | Pool training |
| Speedo Sports Towel | Chamois | Very high (wring) | Stays damp | Tiny | Poolside, races |
| Big Jim XL | Microfibre | Good | Moderate | Medium | Tall swimmers, lido |
| Dock & Bay | Microfibre | Good | Fast | Small | Beach, lake |
| Rainleaf | Microfibre | Good | Fast | Small | Travel, pool |
| Olaian Poncho 500 | Cotton towelling | High | Slow | Bulky | Beach changing |
| IKEA VÅGSJÖN | Cotton | High | Slow | Bulky | Home, car |
| Christy Hygro | Cotton | High | Moderate | Bulky | Post-swim comfort |
| Dryrobe Advance | Waterproof shell, fleece lining | Low (not a towel) | Moderate | Very bulky | Cold open water |
How do microfibre, cotton and chamois compare for absorbency and drying speed?
Microfibre gives the best balance. Its fine fibres hold plenty of water, then release it quickly once hung up, so it’s dry again within hours in a warm room.
Cotton soaks up the most per pat and feels warmest. The catch is drying time. Thick cotton holds water deep in its loops and turns musty in a sealed bag.
Chamois works differently. It absorbs, you wring, and it absorbs again. It’s meant to stay damp in its tube, which is why competitive swimmers carry it between heats.
Some shops also sell hammam towels, and one specialist outdoor range groups hammam, cotton and microfibre together for wild swimmers. Hammam is flat-woven cotton: thinner, lighter and quicker drying than looped cotton.
What towel size fits your swim bag and gives you enough coverage?
Size L microfibre fits most swim bags and wraps your waist. If you’re over six foot or want shoulder-to-knee cover, step up to an extra large option like Big Jim’s 180 x 90 cm.
A useful test: hold the towel round your waist. If the ends overlap by a hand’s width, it’ll stay put while you change.
Chamois needs no coverage test because it’s for drying only. Many swimmers carry a chamois plus a small microfibre towel, which still takes less room than one cotton bath sheet.
When is a changing poncho or robe more useful than a towel?
Choose a poncho or robe when you’re changing outdoors. On a beach or riverbank there’s no cubicle, and a poncho gives you privacy. One UK retailer notes that towelling ponchos can double as a personal changing room after outdoor swims.
Pick a waterproof robe over a towelling poncho when it’s cold, windy or wet. Water temperature in UK lakes and seas drops fast after September, and a shell keeps wind off damp skin.
If you swim through winter, consider a proper wetsuit for wild swimming and a robe together.
Which materials work best for regular pool sessions?
Microfibre suits most regular pool swimmers. It dries between morning and evening sessions and weighs almost nothing.
Chamois is a strong second pick if you swim squad sets and want to dry off on deck. Cotton works if you swim once a week and can hang the towel out at home straight away.
A few habits help any towel last:
- Hang it open as soon as you get home.
- Wash microfibre without fabric softener, which clogs the fibres.
- Rinse chloride out of chamois with fresh water before storing.
Browse more swim accessories to round out your pool kit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of towel do competitive swimmers use?
Most use a chamois-style sports towel on deck. It wipes water off quickly, wrings out and fits in a small tube, which suits competitive swimming meets with several races. Many also carry a larger microfibre towel for after the session.
Which swimmer towel dries fastest between pool sessions?
Microfibre towels dry fastest when hung open, with smaller sizes like the Nabaiji Size L or Arena drying quickest. Chamois is designed to stay damp, and cotton takes the longest.
Is a microfibre swim towel better than a cotton bath towel?
For swimming, yes, in most cases. Microfibre packs smaller and dries faster, so it smells fresher between sessions. Cotton feels softer and warmer, so it’s nicer at home.
Can a sports chamois replace a full-size towel?
It replaces a towel for drying, but not for coverage or warmth. You can’t wrap it round yourself in a changing room or on a beach. Pairing it with a small microfibre towel covers both jobs.
Do you need a changing robe for outdoor swimming?
You don’t need one in warm summer weather, when a poncho or towel is enough. From autumn onwards, a waterproof robe like the Dryrobe Advance keeps wind off and speeds up changing. It’s worth the space in the car for cold river and lake swimming.
