Best car drying towel: 6 compared on GSM and size

The best car drying towel is a large microfibre towel of about 60 x 90 cm with a silk or edgeless border and a high GSM, which means plenty of fibre per square metre. That way the towel lifts water off the paint instead of pushing it around. If you have a small car, or want to finish mirrors and trim, a compact 40 x 40 cm towel is a good addition. Below we explain what to look for and compare six towels that we sell ourselves.

A good drying towel decides how your wash ends. Water left to stand dries into spots, and a worn-out towel drags dirt back across the paint. Read our guide on drying your car without scratches for the technique, and the guide on microfibre cloths, colour and GSM for more background on microfibre.

What to look for in a car drying towel

GSM: how much fibre is in the towel

GSM stands for grams per square metre. More fibre usually means more water capacity, but also a heavier towel. The towels in this guide run from 450 to 1400 GSM. A high GSM helps when you want to dry a large car in few passes without wringing out in between. A lower GSM is lighter and easier to handle.

Twisted loop, plush or waffle

In a twisted loop (also called twisted pile) towel, the fibres are twisted into small loops. That gives a lot of surface area, holds plenty of water and glides smoothly over the paint. A waffle weave uses a pattern of small pockets: lighter, and nice on glass. A plush or long pile towel lays a soft layer of fibres against the paint and draws the water up. Dual-sided towels combine long and short pile: long for the bulk of the work, short for the last droplets.

Size and edge

A large 60 x 90 cm towel covers the roof and bonnet in one or two passes. A small 40 x 40 cm towel is easier around mirrors, the grille and door shuts. Many detailers use both. Look at the edge too: a silk or edgeless finish is softer than a stitched border, so you can work calmly along trim and glass edges.

Best car drying towel: six towels compared

The six drying towels in brief

D-CON Orangutan

The D-CON Orangutan measures 60 x 90 cm at 450 GSM and has two pile heights: the long fibres take up the water, the short ones finish the surface streak-free. The silk edge has no metal seams or clips.

D-CON Fatty Orange

The D-CON Fatty Orange (550 GSM, 60 x 90 cm) has a long pile side for large panels and awkward corners and a short pile side for leftover droplets. The satin edge touches paint and glass gently.

D-CON Fast Mammoth

The D-CON Fast Mammoth combines 650 GSM dense microfibre with long fibres that draw water deep into the towel, with no need to rub hard. Silk edges all round make it gentle at panel gaps and around spoilers.

D-CON Wool Mammoth

At 1100 GSM and a pile thickness of 2.5 cm, the D-CON Wool Mammoth is the heaviest large towel on this list. Both sides have long microfibre hairs and the edge is silk.

D-CON Thunder Grizzly Mini

The D-CON Thunder Grizzly Mini is 40 x 40 cm with 1400 GSM dual-sided long plush. The soft edges are lint-free.

Liquid Elements Black Hole

The Liquid Elements Black Hole is an edgeless 40 x 40 cm towel in twisted pile microfibre. According to Liquid Elements it is 1400 GSM, low-lint and machine washable up to 60 degrees. With no border, nothing scrapes along the paint.

Which drying towel suits you

• You want a first towel for an average car: pick the Orangutan or the Fatty Orange.

• You want to be done quickly after rinsing: the Fast Mammoth with its long fibres.

• You drive a large car or SUV: the Wool Mammoth at 1100 GSM.

• You do a lot of detail work, mirrors and glass: the Thunder Grizzly Mini or the Black Hole.

• Need more choice? Browse all drying towels or the wider microfibre cloths category.