9 of the best gym towels for when you break a sweat

The Lifeventure Recycled SoftFibre Towel is ideal for travelling or taking to the gym. Incredibly, this ultra-absorbent soft fibre towel is made from recycled water bottles. It can absorb nine times its own weight in water and dries eight times faster than a standard towel. Its smooth texture means sand doesn't stick to it. Also, it has an odour control technology that prevents the growth of bacteria and fungi. Polygiene® odour control uses natural silver salt as an effective and permanent odour control agent.

We tried and tested the giant-size Lifeventure Recycled SoftFibre Towel. Our tester said that she was impressed at how compact the towel was when folded. The strap is really handy for keeping it neatly rolled. It can also be used to hang the towel up to dry.

This towel is thin and lightweight at just 203g. Our tester popped it in her bag and didn't even notice the weight.

It's a different texture to a normal towel, which may be unusual if you've never used a microfibre towel before. It is also incredibly absorbent, our tested noted that it dried a lot quicker than a standard towel.

With a range of vibrant patterns to choose from, you can be sure that your Lifeventure towel will stand out in the changing room. Fun and practical, this is a great choice for a gym towel.

Whether you're practising yoga in the garden or lifting weights in your living room, this fantastic towel will support you every step of the way. It also comes in a variety of colours and sizes, so you can choose your favourite.

Customers praise this microfibre towel for being lightweight, absorbent and easy to fold into a compact size. They love the carry case; a reviewer comments that it's high quality.

Take your towel on holiday or to the beach – it has a whole host of uses. Be aware the texture is more like chamois leather, so it gives you a grip if you're doing floor exercises. One or two customers felt that they'd prefer a cotton towel against their skin, but there are a lot of benefits to using microfibre as a gym towel. Microfibre dries three times faster than a normal towel, it's lighter and it doesn't collect damp odour. At less than £20, this is a super option for the gym.

Fitness fanatics will love this large towel from Adidas. This versatile number is not only made of lightweight fabric, but it will also dry quickly, which is good news if you're hitting the gym on your lunch break.

Customers love the generous size of this towel and say it feels soft. The vibrant Royal Blue and Fuchsia Pink colourways are a hit too, with customers purchasing both towels. Some take theirs on holiday to use as a pool towel. A customer comments that it's not as thick as a standard large towel, therefore it's more convenient for travelling.

Whether you're swimming or doing a spin class, this is a versatile and highly praised sports towel.

Are you looking for a cute towel just for you? This personalised towel literally has your name written on it. Choose from a variety of font and colour options. Then, your name is embroidered onto the towel so it can washed conventionally in a washing machine.

Customers praise the high quality of this product and have gifted it to loved ones. It's under £20, so it's a thoughtful and budget-friendly gift idea for a sporty loved one.

Duncan Stewart has a huge range of personalised products in their Not On The High Street shop, including blankets, towels and robes that can be embroidered with a name of your choice.

Are you looking for a bunch of gym towels? Then this cool set is everything. And, we mean everything, as it will cool you down – all you need to do is soak it and then benefit from the lower temperature. This set of four towels are quick-drying microfibre you won't have to worry about popping them back in your gym bag.

Customers say these towels cool you down after a hot and sweaty workout. Also, customers have used them to simply stay cool on a hot day by wearing it on their shoulders. Another found the towels useful in combatting hot flushes. It can even act as a cooling mat for pets in hot weather.

There's a little method to activating its cooling properties. Soak the cooling towel in water, then wring it out and shake it. The towel has several layers that wick moisture away from the body and evaporate it.

Another microfibre set we're crazy about. Want to use this to mop up perspiration or to jump in the shower? Then this ticks all the right boxes. It comes in a range of sizes, so you can have more than one for different uses in the gym, on holiday or at home. Use the hand towel as a personal hand drier, and use the bathing towel after showering. For just under a tenner, it's a bargain.

This best selling microfibre towel has over 28,730 reviews on Amazon, rating it 4.4 out of 5. Customers praise these towels for being lightweight, soft and absorbent. They say the towel folds well into a compact size, so it's great for travelling.

This absorbent microfibre towel is designed for hot yoga, indoor cycling classes and other sweaty endeavours. It rolls into a compact size so it's perfect for being on the move.

You can use it as a top layer on your yoga mat as it provides a grippy surface to improve holding floor poses. Customers say it's a thin towel that easily fits in their gym bag.

Do bear in mind that it's designed with yoga in mind, so it may not suit other purposes, such as being a pool side towel.

Bag yourself a budget gym towel that is super soft against skin and very absorbent. It's available in black or grey and is a medium size towel that's just over £5. It's a relatively thick cotton towel, and like standard towels it has a plush loop finish that's great for absorbing moisture.

It has over 2,000 reviews, rating it 4.7 out of 5. Customers say the fitness towel is great value for money and it washes very well. The addition of an elastic loop means you can roll it up and keep it in shape in your kit bag.

The Gymshark Sweat Towel is designed to fold up super compact – ideal if you only have a small gym bag or prefer to have no gym bag at all. Made of a microfibre material, it'll wipe up your perspiration with ease whether you're power cycling or taking on that uphill treadmill incline.

Customers praise the practicality of this towel, being small it easily fits into their gym bag. Also, it's lightweight and dries fast. A customer comments that it's ideal for HIIT classes. Use it to wipe your face or the gym equipment.