When choosing a baby towel, you want to make sure you are picking the softest material for your baby’s sensitive skin. With all the towels on the market, it can be hard to decide which one to choose. Lucky for you, we took the guesswork out of it! Here’s a look at some of the best baby hooded towels on the market and why they rank high for us.
Best Baby Towels
The Luvable Friends Hooded Towels are the best budget-friendly towels. The Ultra Soft Bamboo Towel is not only the softest towel but it is also the largest at 35″x35″.
Ultra Soft Bamboo Baby Towel
The Ultra Soft Bamboo Baby Towel is made of some of the softest materials out there. While priced higher than most, you are getting an incredibly quality towel.
The towels are made from 100% bamboo and provide a plush, absorbent towel to keep your baby warm.
With adorable ears on top, the hooded towel measures 35×35 inches. Therefore, it gives plenty of room for your baby to grow into. Weighing just under 10 ounces, the towel is both hypoallergenic and antibacterial.
Hudson Baby Baby Hooded Towel
The Hudson Baby Animal Face Hooded Towel is definitely one of the cutest on our list. It will be hard to resist taking photos of your baby looking like a sweet, little elephant.
Aside from how adorable your baby will look, the elephant hooded towel gets high ratings from us. It’s priced well and is soft on baby’s skin.
The towel is made from 100% woven terry cotton and is large, at 33×33 inches. If it seems large for your newborn now, they will grow into it.
Weighing only 8 ounces, it provides great absorbency to get your baby nice and dry after bath time.
MODERN BABY Baby Bath Towel Set
The MODERN BABY Baby Bath Towel Setis a hooded towel that can easily go from the bathroom to the beach or pool. The material is very soft and extremely durable.
Coming in a pack of three, the towels have an adorable animal print on the hoods. In addition, there are plenty of other different styles to choose from. You can easily find the perfect pattern to give as a shower fit.
They measure at 27×30 inches and are made of microfiber which allows them to dry quickly.
Microfiber is a great alternative to cotton or bamboo. While microfiber does tend to have polyester, it is incredibly absorbent and dries fast.
Buttons and Stitches Infant Hooded Towels
The Buttons and Stitches Infant Hooded Towels come in a pack of three for an incredible deal. The towels are extremely lightweight, only weighing about 4 ounces each, but are very soft on your baby’s skin.
The hooded towels are made with terry cloth cotton. With a cute giraffe pattern on the hood, they make a perfect shower gift or a gift to your own baby!
The towels aren’t huge, measuring 10x10x3 inches, but are absorbent enough to help your baby get nice and dry after bath time.
If the zoo animals aren’t your top pick, they also have unicorns or flowers to choose from.
Luvable Friends Cotton Hooded Towel
The Luvable Friends Cotton Hooded Towel is another adorable option on our list. There is just something about wrapping your baby up in an animal hooded towel. Their smile under that cute duck face makes us swoon.
Above all, the Luvable Friends hooded towel gets high ratings for its absorbency and softness. Weighing just under 5 ounces, the lightweight towel will help dry your baby up quickly after their bath.
In addition, the towel is made from 100% woven terry cotton and measures 30×36 inches. It’s a nice, big option to have on hand as your baby grows into being a toddler.
If you’d prefer to dress your baby as another animal, they have plenty of other options available. From dogs to frogs, the Luvable Friends hooded towel has you covered.
JJ Cole Hooded Baby Towel Set
The JJ Cole Hooded Baby Towel Set comes with an adorable animal print hooded towel and a bonus washcloth. The towel measures at 30×30 inches, which leaves plenty of space to help get your baby dry after bathtime.
The terry cloth cotton fabric offers great absorbency and softness. Weighing around 11 ounces, the hooded towel has several prints to choose from. You can opt for whales, clouds, flamingos, or ducks.
Luvable Friends Cotton Terry Hooded Towels
The Luvable Friends Cotton Terry Hooded Towels make a great shower gift. It’s priced well and includes 3 adorably pink towels. They are made of 75% cotton and lightweight, weighing about 8 ounces each.
Each towel measures 30×30 inches which makes it a great size for your growing baby. Other colors are also available.
They are the thinnest towels on our list, therefore, be sure to wash them before your first use to avoid any roughness. The thinnest does allow it to dry faster once you are done using it.
Best Organic Baby Towels
The Channing & Yates towel is the largest baby towel at 40″x28″ compared to Burt’s Bees (29″x29″) and Sunny zzzZZ (30″x30″).
Premium Bamboo Baby Bath Towel
The Premium Bamboo Baby Bath Towel is a great choice for a baby with extra sensitive skin. The towels are made from 100% bamboo and are incredibly soft on baby’s skin.
Measuring at 30×30 inches, the towels come in a pack of two, each weighing about 9 ounces. The heavier towel allows for more absorbency to ensure your baby gets dry quickly.
Due to their absorbency and size, they are perfect to take to the pool or beach.
If you are looking for a great shower gift, you have a few options to choose from. While you aren’t going to find any animal prints on the towels, you can choose from gray, pink or blue.
Premium Organic Bamboo Baby Towel
The Premium Organic Bamboo Baby Towel is another towel that gets extra points for its adorable look. Aside from the sweet lion face, the towel is very soft and durable. Made from 90% organic bamboo and 10% natural cotton, it is perfect for a baby’s sensitive skin.
Measuring at 30×30 inches, the towel can fit children up to four years of age. The towels are highly absorbent and your baby likely won’t be cold for long once they are wrapped up in this adorable towel.
Weighing just over 10 ounces, the hooded towel is a great addition to your own collection or to bring as a shower gift.
Burt’s Bees Baby Hooded Towels
The Burt’s Bees Baby Hooded Towels are going to provide you with a great deal of absorbency as you wrap your baby up after bath. Burt’s Bees may synonymous with beauty and healthcare but they also deliver with their baby towels.
Firstly, the towels are made from 100% organic cotton. Therefore, you are going to have the added bonus of extra comfort.
In addition to coming in a pack of two, the gray and white towels each weigh about 5.5 ounces. They provide a lightweight option with loads of softness. Each towel measures 29×29 inches.
They are on the smaller side so they will fit your baby great, but you might need to go bigger as they grow. If you’d prefer a pop of color, they also carry the same two-pack in blue, pink, or yellow.
Channing & Yates Organic Towel
The Organic Baby Towel with Hood and Washcloth Set is the perfect baby shower gift. While it’s priced higher than most, the hooded towel provides incredible softness and absorbency.
The towel is made incredibly thick, about two times thicker than other towels. It is 60% more absorbent than regular cotton.
The towel is made of 70% bamboo and 30% cotton. The towels are hypoallergenic and free of any chemicals. This is a really great feature if you have a baby with extra sensitive skin or a skin condition.
The extra-large towel measures 40×28 inches and weighs roughly a pound. The towel was created in a rectangle shape to allow you to wrap your baby even easier.
With a cute eared hood and gingham border, you can choose from a pink, blue or beige towel. The added bonus is the included washcloth.
The Best Baby Towels Compared
The table below compares only the recommended products on this page. A low or high Price means it is low or high compared to the other products listed. The Popularity Score reflects how often readers click on and buy the product. The Quality Score is our assessment of the overall performance and satisfaction with the product compared to others in the table.
| Channing & Yates Organic Towel | 9.6 | 9.4 | 29.97 |
| Burt's Bees Baby Hooded Towels | 9.9 | 9.4 | 26.95 |
| Premium Bamboo Baby Bath Towel | 9.9 | 9.8 | 26.95 |
| Ultra Soft Bamboo Baby Towel | 9.2 | 9.6 | 17.88 |
| MODERN BABY Baby Bath Towel Set | 8.9 | - | 15.99 |
| Luvable Friends Cotton Terry Hooded Towels | 8.7 | 9.4 | 15.51 |
| Hudson Baby Baby Hooded Towel | 9.9 | 9.6 | 12.99 |
| Premium Organic Bamboo Baby Towel | 9.7 | 9.6 | 12.99 |
| Buttons and Stitches Infant Hooded Towels | 9.9 | 8.6 | 12.79 |
| JJ Cole Hooded Baby Towel Set | 3.9 | 9.4 | - |
| Luvable Friends Cotton Hooded Towel | 9.3 | 9.6 | - |
How We Picked the Best of Baby Towels
Since there seem to be never-ending options for baby hooded towels, we made sure to look at several deciding factors. After all, your baby is precious and so is their skin.
Knowing what qualities make an ideal towel for your baby can help in determining your baby’s needs. From softness to value, here’s a snapshot of what counts when it comes to baby hooded towels.
Softness Factor
Babies have incredibly gentle skin and we need to help protect it. An ideal hooded towel will be soft and not irritate your baby’s skin. As you are looking for towels, the more cotton or bamboo it is made with, the softer it will be.
With some baby hooded towels, you can feel the difference just by touching them. If it feels rough, you likely won’t want your baby wrapped up in it.
Material
Your baby’s hooded towel is only going to provide serious softness if it is made well. Choosing a towel made primarily of cotton or bamboo will help protect your baby’s skin.
Be mindful when you are reading labels. Some towels are not 100% cotton or bamboo. If you want the full benefits, make sure to look closely.
High-quality material will help with absorbency and will hold up well after multiple washes. Try to avoid anything that is made mostly of polyester.
Polyester is used in the majority of children’s clothes and accessories. The cheaply made fabric can easily irritate your baby’s precious skin.
Polyester contains flame retardant chemicals and you likely want to pass at the opportunity of your baby chewing them up.
Absorbency
There is nothing worse than wrapping your baby up after a bath, only to feel like they are in a soaking wet towel. The ideal hooded baby towel will absorb all of that water up, leaving your baby warm and dry.
Above all, it just makes your baby feel more comfortable. They are not going to want to feel cold after their nice, warm bath.
A towel’s absorbency is based on its GSM number, much like a sheet’s thread count. The higher the GSM number, the thicker the towel.
The minimum number you likely will see is 350, but that number can go all the way up to 900.
Do keep in mind, an extra-absorbent towel will take longer to dry. Be sure to always hang them up if you aren’t washing them right away.
Durability
You want to find a towel that is going to last more than a few months. A durable towel will grow with your baby and provide plenty of use.
Thicker towels will likely stand the test of time better than thinner ones. They are more likely not to experience piling or other issues from continuous use and washing.
Having a durable towel will also make you feel better if you opt for a more expensive towel.
If you are using the towel at the beach or the pool, you want to have a towel that will hold up well with travel.
Size
The ideal baby hooded towel is going to be one that fits them for a while. They are already growing out of their clothes fast, why have the same problem with towels.
There are baby towels on the market that will only fit a child under 12 months of age. In addition, if you are looking to get more bang for your buck, check out the measurements of the towel.
Some of the towels we discussed can fit children up to 6 years of age. Obviously, that is on an individual basis, based on a child’s personal height.
There is also some sentimental value to seeing your baby wrapped up in a towel as an infant and then again as a young child.
Design
I’d be lying if I said the look of the hooded towel didn’t affect my opinion. There is nothing like wrapping your baby up after a bath with a sweet little animal face hood.
Animal hooded towels also make great shower gifts. It’s sweet and stands out amongst similar hooded towels.
With so many various designs on the market, you surely can find one you like the best. Just get your camera ready, because you likely will start snapping away.
Value
Finding a quality hooded baby towel at a great deal is the perfect combination. Since you want to make sure to have more than one hooded towel on hand, it’s always a plus when you aren’t spending a fortune.
The reality is, you shouldn’t be spending an arm and a leg when it comes to buying a baby hooded towel. However, you want to make sure you are getting your money’s worth.
A majority of the hooded towels come with more than one, which is definitely an enticing factor. Some even have the added plus of including a washcloth.
FAQs – Baby Towels
If you are on the fence about whether you need a baby hooded towel, you may have several questions. Firstly, you might wonder if it’s just another baby gimmick on the market. Do you really need to dress your baby like an adorable, cute barn animal?
The answer to that may still be up in the air but having a specific towel for your baby isn’t just convenient, it’s smart. Let’s take a look at why getting a baby hooded towel is important.
Can I just use a regular bath towel?
Obviously, a regular bath towel will work on your baby. Your personal bath towel is likely not as absorbent or soft as a baby towel. Above all, baby hooded towels are made with your baby in mind.
A newborn has very sensitive skin and a rough bath towel can do some damage on them. Baby towels are created to provide extra softness and absorbency for a baby’s sensitive skin.
The hooded part of the towel will help keep your baby’s head warm. Their little bodies can get cold easily, therefore you will want to cover them from head to toe with an extra thick towel.
While using one of your own towels would work in a pinch, you should try to avoid the roughness of the fabric on your baby.
Lastly, babies might poop and pee in a towel when they are wrapped up. It’s convenient to have a set of towels just for baby’s use.
Is a baby hooded towel necessary?
There are baby towels and there are baby hooded towels. There is a specific reason to have the added feature of a hood and it’s not just to look extra cute.
Babies are sensitive to temperature changes and have a harder time retaining heat than adults. Having a hood helps keep them warm, from head to toe. It can take some babies up to two years old to have the ability to regulate their own body temperature.
In addition, it’s an easy way to help get their hair nice and dry. A hood can prevent your wiggly infant from sliding right out of their towel.
A hooded baby towel comes in handy with newborns. Since some of their first baths may just be with a washcloth, you can have them wrapped in the towel to prevent them from getting too cold.
How many baby hooded towels do I need?
If you buy one of the packs that come with more than one towel, you likely will be just fine with that. You should ideally have 2-3 hooded towels on hand, just to make sure you always have one available for use.
Remember, a quality towel can last several years. Don’t be afraid to invest in several of your favorites. You are going to get plenty of use out of them.
The majority of the towels are extra large which means they can grow with your child. You likely will get plenty of use out of them.
Does an organic baby towel make a difference?
You may not have realized you have the option of buying organic towels. But is the higher price tag worth it? You don’t have to buy an organic towel but it has its pluses.
Organic towels are free of chemicals and non-organic dyes. If your baby has had a reaction to soaps or other irritants, you may want to consider purchasing an organic baby hooded towel.
Organic towels tend to last longer than non-organic and can be better on your baby’s skin. Towels with organic fabric tend to be softer and more absorbent. In addition, the environment will thank you!
How long do babies use hooded towels?
While your baby probably won’t be taking their hooded elephant towel to college, don’t be surprised if you are using hooded towels from infancy to elementary school.
Just like babies, kids don’t want to feel cold after a bath. Some of the towels on our list are quite large and can fit your 6-month-old or 6 -year-old.
As your children grow, so does their use of a towel. Babies don’t necessarily take baths every day but your kids who are off playing in the mud, just might.
You likely will get more use out of the hooded towel as they get older. So don’t hold back when you think you’ve found the perfect one.
Hooded towels don’t have to be kept in the bathroom. Due to their large size, hooded towels also work great at the beach or pool.
How can I keep the towel feeling soft?
Your baby’s hooded towel will definitely feel softest the first time you open its package. While it’s obvious you will need to run it through the washing machine, there are ways to help preserve that initial softness.
Ensure you are not using a bleaching detergent. Aim for baby-specific laundry detergent that is free of harsh chemicals.
Damp towels are more susceptible to bacteria so it’s important to wash them after each use. Do a lighter load, to ensure all the detergent is washed out of the towel.
In addition, try not to use as much detergent and always wash the towels in warm water. When drying, opt for a lower setting to reduce the amount of heat on the towel.
While you may decide you want to let the towels air dry to preserve softness, you may actually make them stiffer. Putting the towels in the dryer on a low tumble will help avoid that issue.
