Cotton, bamboo, Tencel, modal, polyester and microfibre are commonly used in the manufacture of towels.
Regular towels are made from standard cotton.
More exclusive towels generally use Egyptian Cotton or Pima Cotton which have longer, more fibrous threads leading to a more absorbent luxurious towel.
Modal towels are becoming very popular.
They could be 50% more absorbent than cotton and hold their color very well.
Bamboo towels have a velvet-soft texture and feel silkier than cotton towels.
They have natural mildew-resistant qualities.
Microfibre towels are typically a blend of polyester and polyamide.
They are lighter and thinner than cotton towels and super absorbent with a suede like texture.