What Is GSM in Towels? The Key to Choosing Softer, More Absorbent Towels

GSM measures how much cotton is packed into a towel. What the number means, and why fibre quality matters just as much as the weight itself.

Short answer: GSM stands for grams per square metre, and it measures how dense and heavy a towel's fabric is. Higher GSM generally means plusher and more absorbent, but also heavier and slower to dry. Ours run 700 g/sqm, which sits at the plush, hotel-style end without tipping into slow-drying territory.

What GSM actually measures

GSM is simply the weight of one square metre of fabric. A towel with a higher GSM packs more cotton fibre into the same area, which is what gives it that thick, substantial feel. It has nothing to do with thread count, that measure belongs to woven bedding, not looped terry towelling.

What different ranges feel like

Towels under 400 g/sqm are thin and quick-drying, the kind you'd want for the gym or travel. 400 to 600 g/sqm is a solid everyday weight. 600 to 900 g/sqm is the plush, absorbent range hotels favour, and it's where ours sit. Above 900 g/sqm, towels get noticeably heavier and take longer to dry between uses, which matters more than it sounds if you're washing towels every few days.

Our towels are 700 g/sqm Supima cotton terry, woven in Portugal. It's heavy enough to feel substantial and absorb quickly, without holding on to so much water that it takes all day to dry on the rail.

Questions answered

What does GSM mean in towels?

Grams per square metre, a measure of fabric density. It tells you how much cotton is packed into the weave, which affects softness, absorbency and durability, though it isn't the whole picture: the quality of the cotton itself matters just as much.

What GSM is best for towels?

300 to 400 GSM suits travel: thin and quick-drying, less plush. 600 to 800 GSM suits everyday home use: thicker, more absorbent, and closer to a hotel towel. Ours run 700 GSM.

Is a higher GSM towel always better?

Not by itself. GSM measures quantity, not quality. A heavier towel woven from a mediocre fibre can still feel worse than a lighter one made from genuinely good cotton, which is why we pair our 700 GSM weight with 100% Supima, an extra-long-staple cotton, rather than relying on weight alone.

What makes lightly twisted terry different?

The yarns aren't spun as tightly, which lets more of each cotton loop stay open and full rather than compressed. That gives a softer, plusher feel at the same weight, and more surface area for faster drying.