Shopping for the best bath towels may seem low-stakes, but I’d argue they’re almost as important as the fixtures and fittings of the room itself. The right one can make every trip feel like a spa-like experience, which is no mean feat for what is often the busiest room of the house. A highly absorbent towel not only gets you dry quickly, but prevents water from flooding your floors. A stylish towel can inject colour and texture too, helpful in a space that’s primarily made up of tile, mirror and glass.So, how to choose? Well, first off, consider your towel’s primary function and whether it’s going to be for everyday use, a guest towel or the gym (fast-drying cotton-polyester blends are best here). What is GSM in towels?GSM (grams per square metre) is the scale on which towel quality and weightiness is measured. The higher the GSM, the more absorbent and thicker the towel will be. A good rule of thumb? Choose anything that’s 600GSM or above. High GSM towels are usually more expensive and take longer to dry. But if you’re looking for hotel-level softness, these are small thorns to bear.If you’re looking for a towel to dry your hair without wreaking havoc on fragile wet strands, try microfibre fabric or something crafted from flat-woven smooth cotton like a peshtemal, also known as a hammam towel. And for your face? Muslin cloths, soft cotton, and ultra-fine microfibre are great for removing every last trace of make-up without leaving skin feeling or looking raw. Frankly, it’s easy to see how Monica Gellar got to 11 categories of towel in Friends.For bath towels, choosing one that’s made of 100 per cent cotton is your best bet. Breathable, absorbent, and plush, it’s hard to settle for anything less. Ready to dive in? I’ve used, washed and dried a range of the bath towels to find the very best across a range of price points. Keep reading to discover my top picks. Read more: Best bath mats, testedI spent a month testing a wide range of bath towels (Abha Shah/The Independent)Best overall –Piglet in Bed russet yellow bath sheet: £35, Pigletinbed.comBest budget option – Dunelm rice weave towel: £12, Dunelm.comBest for indulgence – Next white Egyptian cotton luxe heavy weight bath sheet: £26, Next.co.ukBest for style – Bed Threads cacao & lagoon two-toned bath towel: £50, Bedthreads.co.ukBest value set – Habitat Egyptian cotton 4 piece towel bale: £41, Habitat.co.ukRead more: Best duvet covers and bedding sets, reviewed