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Aidan Pounder is a Motor1 product tester who has written reviews spanning from tonneau covers to rooftop cargo boxes. If he’s not burning through the clutch on his 2003 Ford Focus Zx3, you’ll find him keeping up with the latest happenings in the world of European football. 600 Gsm Microfiber Towels
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A very absorbent towel that’s better than the rest.
A large towel that won’t streak, scratch, or leave behind lint.
A good-sized towel that leaves no traces of use.
An affordable and highly absorbent towel for vehicles.
A massive towel with great absorbency.
The best car drying towel is a purpose-built microfiber towel. And it’s important to use a towel specifically intended for car drying, according to Rob Harper, Director of Product Development and Tech Support at Ziebart International.
“It’s important that you have, if you’re going to do it yourself, stuff that is specific to vehicle cleaning[…] Microfiber [towels are] probably the best at not only collecting, but then shedding, the dirt that gets trapped in them.”
Our product testing team combed through hundreds of car drying towels to find the best of the best. Here, we provide information for auto enthusiasts who want to have professional-grade towels for their car care and auto detailing needs.
Whether you’re a car detailing enthusiast or you simply want a good car cleaning, we’ve found the best streak-free and scratch-free towels that won’t damage your car’s surface.
The car drying towels in this article went through two rounds of reviews. We started by searching retailers like Amazon, RealTruck, and Advance Auto Parts for top products, looking at factors like Prime shipping eligibility, customer ratings, Amazon superlatives, and prices.
A team member tested each product on a car, taking note of how well the car drying towel absorbed water, if it left any scratches, and its durability after being machine-washed. Each car drying towel was given a rating out of 5.0 stars based on this criteria.
Absorbency: Arguably the most important characteristic of a car drying towel is its ability to absorb moisture. Our product testing team used each car drying towel to dry a panel of a car after a car wash to test its absorbent properties.
Undetectability: This testing criterion combines three separate testing categories: whether a car drying towel is lint-free, whether it leaves behind streaks, and if it is scratch-resistant. Our team carefully examined each panel of the car to check for lint, streaks, and scratches left on the car’s exterior after drying.
Durability: To get the most out of a car drying towel, it should be reusable. Keeping this in mind, a member of our product testing team took home the used car drying towels to machine wash them. Following the towels being washed, we checked each towel to see if it lost any absorbency or unraveled in the washing machine.
Each year, we test over 350 auto products on vehicles and in our testing lab. Our team of product testers thoroughly researches top products, unboxes and puts our hands on each component, and tests the items on real vehicles before making recommendations to readers.
We publish hundreds of product and service reviews to bring car enthusiasts detailed guides on automotive tools, detailing kits, car seats, pet products, and much more. For more information on our testing methodology and how we evaluate every product, check out our methodology page here .
All the car drying towels in this review were tested by our team of experts and there are differences that may affect what product you consider. Before getting into the nitty-gritty of performance and quality, a glimpse into price, size, and the number of towels you get in your purchase might help to narrow down what car drying towel is right for you.
With over 200,000 fibers per square inch, The Rag Company All-Purpose Microfiber Terry is our product testing team’s choice for the Best Overall car drying towel on the market. This towel has a premium 80/20 blend of 80 percent polyester and 20 percent polyamide. It’s also extremely absorbent, as it weighs 300.0 grams per square meter (GSM).
The 80/20 blend present in this towel is proven to be more durable, more absorbent, and softer than a 90/10 blend according to the manufacturer. Additionally, the manufacturer claims that this towel will get softer over time and can handle hundreds of washings. The towel is lint-free, streak-free, and scratch-free.
After rigorous testing, we found that The Rag Company All-Purpose Microfiber Terry was easy to wield but large enough to effectively dry up a large surface area . It didn’t leave behind any scratches or marks.
Amazon review score: 4.8 out of 5.0 based on over 4,500 ratings
The Rag Company All-Purpose Microfiber Terry has an excellent reception from customers. A total of 94 percent of reviewers rate this microfiber car drying towel 4.0 stars or higher.
Reviews note that the towel is ultra-soft and super absorbent , and some appreciate that it doesn’t leave behind swirl marks on the surface area they’re cleaning. Many reviewers mention that these car drying towels come out of the washing machine still looking brand new.
The Carcovers.com Platinum Quick Dry Towel is a large (36.0-inch by 25.0-inch) car drying towel that is exceptionally gentle on your paint. It’s made with soft, 880.0 GSM (grams per square inch) fabric and features a silk hem to ensure even the most delicate paint jobs are protected.
While this car drying towel is a bit more expensive than some other options (at around $20 per towel), the premium fabric and high-quality stitching ensure this towel will last through many uses. This large absorbent towel can completely dry a vehicle and is easily the equivalent of several smaller towels.
The Platinum Quick Dry stood out in all aspects of our testing process. It is soft, delicate, absorbent, and proved to be highly durable.
Most users feel the towels are worth the high cost because of how gentle and effective they are. While the vast majority of reviewers say Platinum Quick Dry towels are streak-free and fast-drying, a small number of reviewers mention issues with lint buildup.
This complaint appears to be rare, so it may be an issue with quality control. It could also be an effect of using the Platinum Dry towels with certain car cleaning products. During our testing, the Platinum Quick Dry towels proved to be lint-free.
The SoLiD Multipurpose Plush Microfiber Cleaning Cloth features an 80/20 microfiber blend and is roughly 300.0 GSM. This car drying towel has 360,000 microfiber strands per square inch and is dual-sided.
The towel has one side with a higher pile meant for absorption and wiping away messes, while the other side has a slightly shorter pile intended for polishing and buffing. It should be noted that the manufacturer asserts that this towel can absorb 10 times its weight in water.
Albeit size not being part of our testing criteria, it would be wrong to ignore the perfect size of the SoLiD multipurpose car drying towel. While our team used towels of all different sizes, some undersized and some oversized, this towel stood out as it was easy to wipe with but not too large to be a pain.
Amazon review score: 4.7 out of 5.0 based on over 5,900 ratings
Out of the thousands of reviewers, 94 percent rate this premium microfiber towel 4.0 or more stars.
Reviews speak to the towel having the ability to not only dry a car, but its ability to be used as a mitt of sorts for buffing wax, sealant , and even applying ceramic coatings . A large number of reviewers highlight this car drying towel’s absorbent properties.
Our team recognized the Meguiar’s X2000 Water Magnet as the Best Value towel in the industry due to the high-quality towel you get for such a low price. This towel is machine-washable and can be used time and time again.
What separates the car drying towel from competitors is its waffle weave texture. Though the towel is lightweight and not very thick, the waffle weave design means there’s actually more fabric than a typical towel, allowing for better absorption. In fact, the manufacturer asserts in the product description that the product can absorb twice the amount of water as a traditional terry towel.
For an incredibly low price, you receive one of the best car drying towels on the market with the Meguiar’s X2000.
Amazon review score: 4.6 out of 5.0 based on over 16,000 ratings
The vast majority of reviewers are pleased with this car drying towel, with 90 percent rating the product 4.0 stars or higher.
Reviews note this towel is great to follow up behind a blower when trying to dry your car. A self-proclaimed detailing products enthusiast raves over the waffle design of the towel.
Some reviewers forewarn others about washing the towel with fabric softener, as it can strip away the absorbent properties of the towel.
Featuring a 70/30 microfiber blend, the Chemical Guys MIC1995 Gray Woolly Mammoth is a great option to consider. This towel name is not a misnomer, as it is 36.0 inches by 25.0 inches in size and exceptionally shaggy. This massive car drying towel also features silk-banded edges to prevent any chance of leaving scratches behind.
The edges of this towel may be silk-banded, but it’s the 1.0-inch thick pile that will make drying off your car a breeze. The manufacturer claims in the product description that this car drying towel can hold over a gallon of water, and it can dry an entire car in just one pass.
The Chemical Guys MIC1995 Gray Woolly Mammoth is a huge car drying towel. The size is its biggest plus, but with a tradeoff. It easily absorbs moisture but makes actually using the towel a bit overwhelming.
Amazon review score: 4.7 out of 5.0 based on over 6,700 ratings
Reviews mention that this towel can hold an enormous amount of water, and it needs to be fully saturated before you’ll be able to wring it out. One driver simply appreciates that it doesn’t leave any water spots on their car’s paintwork . Negative reviews note the amount of lint it leaves behind after drying off a surface.
Designed for more than just drying off your car, the Carcovers.com Microfiber Car Towels can be used in multiple different ways. While it performed well in our tests related to drying off a car following a DIY car wash, this microfiber towel can be used for applying wax, detailing your car’s interior, and more.
These car drying towels offer great value for money as you’ll receive 36 towels for a bargain price. It should be noted that this car drying towel is machine washable, meaning you can reuse this towel over and over again.
If it wasn’t already apparent, the CarCovers.com microfiber car towel is far from the largest towel in this review. While it does offer decent absorbency for its size, you’ll need to use several towels to dry off an entire vehicle.
The Carcovers.com Microfiber Car Towels have several glowing reviews online from happy customers. Reviewers point to the quality of these car drying towels and many also note how quickly they shipped to their home.
Car drying towels tend to be quite basic by design, as they are simply meant to dry things off and clean up messes. However, that doesn’t mean that all car drying towels are created equal. Generally, you’ll want to consider the following before you buy:
The size of the car drying towel you purchase is a personal choice, but it should line up with your intended use. If you’re looking for a towel that can get into all the nooks and crannies, then you might want a smaller towel. If you want a towel that can dry your car as quickly as possible, then you may opt for a larger towel. However, it should be noted that the larger the towel you buy the more difficult it may become to wield and use.
Towel edges are often the most overlooked part of a towel, but they can cause the most damage. While nearly every square inch of the towel itself may be made from a soft material, the edges of these towels may not. We recommend that you find an edgeless towel or a towel with a rolled edge. The soft edges of these towels will assure that you don’t damage your car’s exterior.
If you prefer to have a towel with edges, we recommend those that are silk-banded, made from satin, or those that are microfiber-stitched, as the soft material won’t leave scratches behind.
In this article, along with sharing helpful purchasing tips for those interested in purchasing car drying towels to safely clean your car without scratching the paint, we reviewed the top five car drying towels in 2023:
It is OK to dry your car off with a towel. However, it should be noted that unless your car drying towel is made out of microfiber, it may scratch your car’s paint or leave behind lint .
In general, drying towels are better than chamois . Though both will effectively dry off your vehicle’s exterior, car drying towels tend to be easier to clean and more durable than chamois . Car drying towels are easier to clean as they’re usually machine-washable .
*Data accurate at time of publication. Products subject to availability.
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