Microfibre vs Cotton Gym Towel: Which One Belongs in Your Bag?

For most people training at a gym, a microfibre gym towel is the better pick. It is thinner and lighter than cotton, dries faster between sessions and folds down small enough to live in your bag. Cotton still wins on plush feel, so it suits the shower at home more than the bench press.

That is the short answer. The rest of this guide covers where each fabric earns its place, how many towels you need, and how to look after them. If you already know what you want, the Empulse gym towel range comes in seven colours at $16.98 each.

Why gyms ask you to bring a towel

Many Australian gyms list a towel in their house rules, and it is not just etiquette. The AUSactive National Code of Practice expects fitness facilities to provide a safe, clean environment and to display their rules where members can see them. A towel between you and the equipment is the simplest part members can play.

There is a personal reason too. Victoria's Better Health Channel notes that tinea, a common fungal skin infection, can spread indirectly through towels, clothes and floors, and that the fungi behind it need warm, moist conditions. Its advice is plain: dry your skin thoroughly and do not share towels. Your own towel, properly dried between uses, is the easy way to follow it.

Microfibre gym towel vs cotton: side by side

Microfibre is a fabric made from very fine synthetic fibres, usually polyester. Cotton towels use looped natural fibres, which is where the thick, fluffy feel comes from. The difference in structure drives almost every difference in use.

What matters	Microfibre	Cotton
Drying time	Fast, thin fabric releases moisture quickly	Slow, thick loops hold water
Weight and pack size	Light, folds flat	Heavier and bulky
Feel on skin	Smooth, suede-like	Plush and fluffy
In a closed gym bag	Less time sitting damp	Stays damp longer
Care	Machine wash, skip fabric softener	Machine wash, slower to line dry
Best for	Gym, travel, sport, daily training	Home bathroom, post-shower comfort

When microfibre is the right call

If you train three or more times a week, drying time is the whole game. A towel that is still wet from yesterday is the one that starts to smell. Microfibre gives you a realistic chance of a dry towel by the next session, even if it only hangs on a hook overnight.

It also suits anyone who carries their kit all day. A quick-dry towel takes up a fraction of the space of a cotton one, which matters when your bag already holds shoes, a bottle and a change of clothes. The same logic applies to travel, hiking and camping.

When cotton still makes sense

Cotton is hard to beat for comfort. If you shower at the gym and want something thick to wrap up in, a cotton bath towel does that job better. Plenty of people carry both: a small microfibre towel for the gym floor and a cotton one for the shower.

The trade-off is bulk and drying time. A cotton towel that goes back into a closed bag wet will still be wet tonight. If you choose cotton, take it out and hang it as soon as you get home.

What to look for in a gym towel

• Size: big enough to cover a bench, small enough to carry. Around 100cm x 50cm is the practical middle ground.
• A hanging loop: a towel that hangs dries. A towel in a pile does not.
• A colour you can spot: in a busy gym, a bright towel is harder to leave behind and easier to tell apart from the one on the next bench.
• Easy care: it should go straight into the machine with your training gear.

The Empulse gym towel range

Empulse gym towels are made from suede-finish microfibre, are machine washable and are listed as quick-dry and odour-resistant. Each one is $16.98, and the range runs to seven colours. Three to start with:

• Turquoise Drift: a bright ocean blue with a double-sided design, supplied with a mesh carry bag.
• Zen Lift Green: a calm green at 100cm x 50cm, a good fit for yoga and pilates as well as the weights floor.
• Blackout Charcoal Grey: the understated option for anyone who wants their towel to match everything.

We have covered the darkest colourway in more detail in our Blackout gym towel write-up.

How many gym towels do you need?

A simple rule: one towel per session between washes. If you train four times a week and wash once, four towels means you never reach for a used one. Two is the workable minimum for most people, one in the bag and one in the wash.

At $16.98 each, a set of three comes to $50.94. Mixing colours also makes it easy to tell at a glance which towel has already been used this week.

How to wash a microfibre gym towel

• Wash it after every session, with like colours.
• Skip the fabric softener. It coats the fibres and reduces absorbency.
• Line dry in the shade where you can.
• Never leave it balled up in your bag overnight. Hang it by the loop as soon as you are home.

Building out the rest of your kit

A towel is one part of a gym bag that works. If you are sorting out socks at the same time, our guide to grip socks vs compression socks explains which suits which type of training. For the beach and the pool, a larger towel is the better tool, and our sand-free beach towel guide covers what to pay.

To carry it all, the Nike Academy Duffel Bag has a zippered lower compartment that keeps wet and dry gear apart. Empulse supplies genuine Nike and Adidas bags through accredited vendors and can personalise them with a logo, name or initials. Our gym towels are sold as they come. Gyms, clubs and businesses looking at branded towels in volume should start with our guide to bulk custom gym towel orders, and towels also feature in our list of end-of-season team gifts.

Frequently asked questions

Is microfibre or cotton better for a gym towel?

Microfibre is better for most gym use because it is lighter, packs smaller and dries faster between sessions. Cotton is thicker and more comfortable for showering, but it stays damp longer and takes up more room in your bag.

What size should a gym towel be?

Around 100cm x 50cm suits most people. It is long enough to cover a bench or drape over your shoulders, and still folds small enough to fit in a backpack.

How often should I wash my gym towel?

After every session. A used towel that sits damp is the one that starts to smell, so owning two or three and rotating them is easier than washing one towel daily.

Can I use fabric softener on a microfibre towel?

It is best avoided. Fabric softener leaves a coating on the fibres, which makes the towel less absorbent over time.

How much does a gym towel cost at Empulse?

Empulse gym towels are $16.98 each and come in seven colours, with delivery across Australia.

Pick your colour and get training

One towel in the bag, one in the wash, and you are sorted. Shop the full Empulse gym towel range and choose from seven colours at $16.98 each.

Written by the Empulse team. Empulse is a Melbourne-founded teamwear and training gear business supplying Australian clubs, gyms and athletes, with in-house logo, name and number personalisation on jerseys, shorts, jackets and bags.