First pitched on Dragons’ Den (the UK’s version of Shark Tank) as the towel that soaks up water and resists sand, the Dock & Bay Quick Dry Microfiber Towel was designed for travel. It supposedly dries more quickly than other beach towels, and the thin material takes up less than half as much beach bag space as its cotton counterparts. Yet at 63 x 31 inches for a large and 78 x 35 inches for an extra large, these towels are bigger than most, too. Do we suggest ditching your cotton towels for microfiber? We took an extra-large towel from the company’s Cabana stripe collection out for a day by the water to find out.
Material: Soft microfiber that sops up wetness
Don’t expect the typical cotton terrycloth feel from this towel, but also know that’s what sets it apart from the rest. The towel is made of microfiber, specifically a mix of 80 percent polyester and 20 percent polyamide. Upon opening the package, we immediately noticed how thin the towel is. GSM is a measurement of fabric weight that stands for grams per square meter; at 220, this towel is on the lower end for microfiber. Towels with a higher GSM are generally thicker and more absorbent. However, when testing, we found that the Dock & Bay towel’s light weight also means it folds up small in our beach bag or suitcase and dries quickly, as the name implies. It didn’t soak our other items, and there was no moldy smell.
Texture: Extremely smooth and very thin
One of the company’s major claims is that “sand won’t stick” to the towels thanks to their smooth texture. We found this to be both true and false. When laying out on the beach, some sand would inevitably fall onto our towel. There were no fibers for it to disappear into, so it stayed on the surface, creating a slight sandpaper feel. But because it’s so smooth, it is true that the sand can easily be shaken off. The texture is very soft and smooth to the touch, but this beach towel isn’t what we’d call cozy. It’s very thin, as we established, and therefore wasn’t ideal for wrapping around ourselves when the weather turned cool. And if the wind starts blowing, this towel does, too. We found we needed a friend—or at least some patience—if we wanted to lay the towel onto the sand or lounge chair.
Washing: Easy and quick to dry
This beach towel came out of the dryer feeling brand new. It kept its soft, smooth texture (we’d even argue it became softer), and no threads frayed or came undone. The quick-dry nature of the towel means it dries quickly in the dryer, too—great for those who are short on time.
Helpful Features: A couple of cool extras
This towel comes with its own travel case for easy portability. Additionally, towels of this size (over 6 feet long!) can be hard to keep on a hook, so this one has a small, elastic hoop affixed to one of the sides so it can easily hang dry.
Price: A fair price for its category
At around $20 for the large and $25 for the extra large, this towel isn’t the cheapest option out there. It does, however, align with the cost of similar microfiber towels. Based on our positive user experience, we’d say the Dock & Bay Quick Dry Microfiber Towel is absolutely worth the price. If you are looking to spend less, we recommend forgoing the benefits of this towel and purchasing more traditional beach towels instead.
Dock & Bay Quick Dry Microfiber Towel vs. Rainleaf Microfiber Towel
The Rainleaf Microfiber Towel is marketed as an all-purpose option, but it works in much the same way as the Dock & Bay Quick Dry Microfiber Towel, making it a worthy comparison. At around $20 for the XXL towel (which at 40 x 72 inches is similar to Dock & Bay’s XL), it’s slightly cheaper than the one we reviewed. It does not, however, have the color range that Dock & Bay has, and the hues they do have feel less “beachy” to us. The fabric is 200 GSM microfiber, making it slightly lighter and less absorbent than the Dock & Bay. But unlike Dock & Bay, the Rainleaf towels are treated with SILVADUR so that they’re antimicrobial. The Dock & Bay Quick Dry Microfiber Towel has solved all your issues with other beach towels: It’s big enough to fully lounge on, it’ll soak up water and resist sand, and at the end of the day, it’ll dry quickly and fold up small. You might still want a fluffy towel to wrap around yourself, but this one’s a great option for vacations.
