The bath towels that last.

Brooklinen's Super-Plush towels are 100 percent Aegean Turkish cotton at 770 GSM, by the maker's current figure, which puts them at the heavy end of this guide. They are OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified and sold in pairs.

That weight feels like a spa robe when you step out of the shower. It also means slow drying: one reviewer reports close to 24 hours to dry fully in a humid bathroom. Expect some lint for the first few washes, which is normal for heavy terry.

Skip them for a small, poorly ventilated bathroom or a house where towels get hung on a single hook. Brooklinen's own Plush towel, at 500 GSM, is the better choice there.

Onsen makes towels in an open waffle weave from American grown Supima cotton, an extra long staple fiber. The bath towel is 31 by 57 inches and weighs 470 grams, which works out to roughly 410 GSM, the lightest towel here. The maker says it dries in about half the time of terry, and that is the reason to buy it.

Without loops, a waffle towel feels more like a thick linen than a plush terry. It absorbs by surface area rather than pile, it packs flat, and it has nothing to snag. Onsen says to wash cold on gentle and tumble dry low, without softener. It is OEKO-TEX certified, and Onsen accepts returns within 60 days.

Skip it if you want to be wrapped in something thick. People who expect a hotel towel often find it thin at first touch. Per a third party review of Onsen's FAQ, the towels are made in Vietnam and China.

Cloud Loom is Coyuchi's thick towel: 685 GSM, 100 percent organic cotton grown and woven in Turkey's Aegean region, and certified to GOTS. It sits in the thick, plush hotel band, with the organic certification as the difference.

The six piece set holds two bath towels, two hand towels and two washcloths. Coyuchi lists its bath towels at 28 by 54 inches, a little smaller than some, and says to wash cold on gentle, tumble low and remove promptly.

Buy it for the certification, not for size or value. Colors and sizes also sell out, so check what is in stock before planning a full bathroom around it.

H by Frette is Frette's line made for hotels, and the Simple Border towel is exactly what the name says: 100 percent cotton single twisted terry, all white, finished with a pique border. It is the understated hotel towel rather than a plush one.

Single twisted terry is a middle ground between dense, heavy loops and airy zero twist: absorbent and quick enough to dry, and it softens with washing. Each bath towel is 27 by 54 inches, and the set holds two.

Skip it if you want a thick, heavy towel to wrap up in. This is a lighter, crisper towel, and the Brooklinen Super-Plush or Coyuchi Cloud Loom will feel more luxurious out of the box.