Towels - buy cheap and often, or expensive?

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Last ones we bought were Christy from John Lewis, as we'd been given vouchers. IMO they didn't last that well. I have been eyeing up the cheapy IKEA and supermarket ones, and wondering if they last, or even if they don't, does buying cheaper and often make better sense?

I buy the cheapest nice thick 100% cotton ones I can find, something like JL own brand should be more than adequate.

I wouldn't replace them often though - nothing better than a lovely rough absorbent old towel!

We tend to go for mid-range ones. We've had some from Debenhams and some from M&S that are lasting really well. The Debenhams ones we've had since we got engaged iirc, so 9 years.

Best towel I've had was a cheap one from Ethel Austin which is now starting to get thin but I've just worked out it is 23 years old!

thanks all - will have a rummage in IKEA.

Never buy, just use them forever & occasionally get given.

I've got some American towels which are over 30 years old & still fantastic as towels, but sadly the edging has failed. They were never thick but do have a lot of loops (prob towel equivalent to high thread-count sheets) which makes them easier to dry with.

I have recently replaced with some much thicker ones (mostly from Matalan) but they're not as nice

Worth looking in TK Maxx for decent ones at sensible prices

\link{http://www.bedeckhome.com/empire-silver.html\or these} which are half price - £12 for a bath towel, they look similar quality to my old ones.

We ask for them for christmas from parents.
I love christy towels though.

I buy cheap ones for children, pool etc. they are fine.

I am really fussy with the quality and feel of towels. I don't like them rough, they need to be soft without using fabric softener and can't be too bulky as they don't wrap round your body properly. I tried M & S but wasn't keen. Then my son needed a football towel which I didn't want to spend too much on, got one from Tesco and was really amazed with the quality vs price. It has washed up really well so I will be replacing the remaining towels with these Tesco ones.

Yes my cheap towels are tesco, £1.65 each for bath towel in clearance.

I bought 6 wish i had bough more bloody great for money.

Can definitely second Tesco towels, bought 6 recently for something like £3.80 each, they are as good as next or m & S imho.

I change our towels every day or every second day so I love IKEA towels. They are absorbent and wash and dry very easily and they come in lovely bright colours.
I've gone off big fluffy towels - too impractical IMO

I love JL towels they last forever, we were given a set of v.expensive towels recently and they're awful. They have a that stupid permanent softness treatment on them so you just smear water around rather than drying yourself

Next are surprisingly good for towels so have a look there too. They are very reasonable for the bales of mixed sizes.

Marks and Spencer are the best imo! I have 2 bath sheets from luxury range that cost about £35 each 10 years ago and they r still soft and absorbent and fluffy!

I have only ever had the best Sheridan towels. I use the same one every day for ten years. Approaching twenty five years of married life so am on the third set. I have never had snything else as good and I take mine when visiting as I much prefer them to anything I have been offered as a guest.

Mine are christy, they were water damaged stock in house of fraser but as they were white I figured I could hot wash them back to life and I was right.

They are still going strong 6 years later and I havent found any threadbare bits or snagging.

I wouldnt have been able to afford them full price.

DH's aunt has primark though and they are so soft, you would never believe they were so cheap.

Has to be 100% cotton and I go pretty cheap! I do buy plenty of spares however and just rotate them so they don't wear out too quick!

I love 100% Egyptian cotton towels. 550gsm and above a very thick, soft and absorbent. They last for ages as well. If you google Egyptian cotton 550gsm towels, you'll find lots of online shops doing them, for a fraction of the cost of high street stores.

PEACOCK BLUE

very expensive, but just wonderful, mine are 10 years old now, i havemt had access to a tumbke dryer for at least 4 years, but still like new

I'm amazed at people replacing towels often. I still have some I collected with tokens from Shell garage some 27 / 28ish years ago. The newest ones would be 18yrs old now (except the dc's own towels).