The 9 Best Car Drying Microfiber Towels
Drying your car is the most common cause of scratching and swirls on your paint. There are plenty of ways to reduce the risk of this happening. Some common ways to do this are by using a blower to dry your car, applying a drying aid, and wiping water off with high-quality microfiber drying towels.
The days of using a chamois and terry cloth towels are over when you want to dry a car, truck, or SUV. Chamois were the best option for quite a while and were cheap and dried very well but they caused unnecessary marring and swirls because there was no place for dirt to be trapped outside of the drying surface. Terry cloth towels had a little more room for dirt while drying but the material is tougher and not gentle on paint. The creation of microfiber came and exploded in the 2000s and we have not looked back.
What types of drying towels are there?
Microfiber towels are broken down mostly by the weave or pile and the weight or GSM (grams per meter). Most drying towels use a twisted pile that is like little fingers attached to the towel and others are plush and more fluffy. Drying towels usually are a thicker and heavier material or GSM which allows them to hold more water. Most drying towels range from 600GSM to 1500GSM depending on the brand and manufacturer. You may also see different patterns for drying towels that include waffle weave and combinations of twisted loop and plush that are more of a hybrid drying towel.
What size drying towels are there?
Like different colors, patterns, weights, and shapes; drying towels come in several sizes. From small 16”x16” towels to gigantic 42”x69” towels that can fit a twin bed you can get any size you need to get the job done. A balance of size and user experience can vary between detailers but a great size that can get the job done without much effort is around a 20” x 30”. This size can easily dry large vehicles without getting too heavy or a fear of dragging them on the ground by accident. Like other detailing products, we recommend trying a few towels and sizes to see what works best for your situation. We do believe you should have at least have 2 or 3 towels in your rotation for washing and drying your vehicles.
The Best Drying Towels For Your Arsenal
While there are so many fantastic towels on the market we don’t have a single drying towel that we feel is the best. Here is a list of what we feel are the best grouping of microfiber drying towels on the market and are from brands we trust and partner with. They manage the production and much of the material used in their towels so they are truly experts in the industry. These are in no particular order but are all in our cabinets when we grab a towel to dry off a car.
Gobble-It Microfiber Drying Towel by Fiber Factory
Price: $24.98
Code: GLOVEBOX for 20% off
Sizes: 20”x30”
Weight: 1200 GSM
Colors: Grey
Pros: Hybrid twisted loop and plush towel that gobbles up water easily and makes drying an easy task.
Cons: We wish it came in other colors and one or two other sizes for different size vehicles.
Twister by Fiber Factory
Price: $21.49
Code: GLOVEBOX for 20% off
Sizes: 20”x30”
Weight: 1200 GSM
Colors: Grey, Yellow, Blue, Blue/Grey
Pros: An awesome towel that gets the job done easily with a nice mix of colors and is available in a 16”x16” size with the Twister Jr.
Cons: None
The Gauntlet by The Rag Company
Price: $20.00 to $30.00
Code: GLOVE15 for 15% off
Sizes: 12”x12”, 15”x24”, 20”x30”, 30”x36”
Weight: 900 GSM
Colors: Ice Grey/Grey
Pros: This is a great hybrid drying towel that comes in multiple sizes and the smaller sizes come in multi-packs which will help build your arsenal quickly.
Cons: We wish it was an edgeless towel although the suede edge is ultra-soft.
The 1500 by The Rag Company
Price: $24.98
Code: GLOVE15 for 15% off
Sizes: 30”x30”
Weight: 1500 GSM
Colors: Red
Pros: This towel can dry the biggest vehicles and is just awesome and the highest GSM on our list.
Cons: The large square size can be unwieldy for shorter folks and having other sizes and colors would really round out the effectiveness of this towel.
The LIQUID8R by The Rag Company
Price: $16.00 to $24.00
Code: GLOVE15 for 15% off
Sizes: 16”x16”, 20”x24”, 25”x36”
Weight: 1100 GSM
Colors: Aqua/Grey
Pros: A great all around drying towel that just works effortlessly and is available in several sizes. The 16"x16" towel comes in a two-pack!
Cons: We wish it came in other colors.
Dreadnought by Autofiber
Price: $25.00
Code: GB10 for 10% off
Sizes: 20”x30”
Weight: 1100 GSM
Colors: Red/Gray, Green/Gray, Blue/Gray, Pink/Gray, Gray
Pros: A staple drying towel in the detailing industry and available in a lot of sizes and colors.
Cons: None
Motherfluffer XL by Autofiber
Price: $12.00
Code: GB10 for 10% off
Sizes: 22”x22”
Weight: 1100 GSM
Colors: Green, Blue
Pros: A super plush microfiber drying towel that is comfortable and sucks up water like a sponge. It is available in several sizes but this is our best overall choice.
Cons: We only wish it came in a few more colors.
Amphibian by Autofiber
Price: $20.00
Code: GB10 for 10% off
Sizes: 20”x30”
Weight: 1100 GSM
Colors: Green/Gray, Blue/Gray, Pink/Gray
Pros: Another dynamite towel that is easy to manage and will tackle all of your drying needs and is available in several sizes.
Cons: None
Wizards Select® Hybrid Fast Pass Super Drying Towel
Price: $29.95
Code: GLOVEBOX for 20% off
Sizes: 20”x28”
Weight: 1100 GSM
Colors: Purple/Black
Pros: We love this purple and black colorway and the size is perfect for most of the vehicles we dry.
Cons: This is a pricey towel and we wish it came in a few more sizes to tackle different jobs and vehicles.
While we enjoy many more towels and brands these are some of our favorites and go-tos every time we detail and wash a vehicle. Pairing these towels with a drying aid really makes drying a car simple and reduces water spots and swirls. We also recommend following a process for cleaning and maintaining your microfiber towels so you get the life out of them you are paying for. Poorly cared for towels can get ruined quickly and will be a waste so treat them well and your drying towels will perform well for years.