01How Turkish towels are made
Both types start with cotton yarn. Turkish cotton is usually long staple, which spins into smooth, strong yarn that sheds less lint. The yarn is combed for better towels and ring spun or open-end spun depending on price.
A peshtemal is woven flat, like a shirting or tablecloth fabric, with no loops. Weavers use patterns like herringbone, diamond or waffle for texture, often with stripes in dyed yarn. The warp threads are left long at each end and twisted or knotted by hand or machine into the fringe. The result is thin and packable, and it dries fast because there is no pile holding water.
Turkish cotton terry is woven on a terry loom with two warps: a ground warp that forms the base cloth and a pile warp that is pushed up into loops on both faces. Loop height, yarn twist and pile density set the weight (GSM) and softness. Borders, dobby bands and jacquard logos are woven in. Towels are then cut, hemmed, washed, dyed or bleached and finished.
02Peshtemal vs Turkish cotton terry
| Peshtemal (hammam towel) | Turkish cotton terry | |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Flat weave, fringed ends | Looped pile, hemmed edges |
| Weight | Light, thin | About 400 to 900 GSM typical |
| Drying time | Fast | Slower, but faster than many heavier terry towels |
| Absorbency | Moderate | High |
| Packability | Folds small; doubles as a wrap or throw | Bulky |
| Typical uses | Beach, travel, gym, bath, kitchen | Bath, spa, hotel |
| Branding options | Woven stripes, jacquard, printed, embroidered tag | Jacquard border, embroidery, woven label |
For direct-to-consumer brands, peshtemals are the easier product: lighter to ship, very photographable, and they work as beach towel, wrap and throw. Terry needs more care around GSM and absorbency testing but sells to a much bigger bath towel market.
03What "Turkish cotton" actually guarantees
Not much on its own. Unlike Supima, there is no single licensing body for Turkish cotton. "Turkish cotton" should mean the cotton was grown in Turkey; "made in Turkey" means it was woven and finished there, possibly from imported cotton. Both can be true or only one.
If the claim matters to your marketing, ask the mill for documentation of the cotton’s origin and keep it on file. Fiber content and country of origin labeling rules apply in the US and EU, so the label has to match what you can prove.
04Pros and cons
- Peshtemals are light, packable and dry fast, ideal for beach, travel and DTC shipping
- Turkish cotton terry balances absorbency with faster drying than very heavy towels
- Long-staple yarns mean less lint and towels that soften rather than stiffen with use
- Easy to brand with woven stripes, jacquard borders and embroidery
- Peshtemals cross-sell as throws, wraps and table linens
- The name is ambiguous; customers may expect a different product than you sell
- Peshtemals feel thin and less absorbent to buyers expecting plush terry
- No licensing scheme for Turkish cotton, so origin claims rely on mill paperwork
- Fringes can unravel if knots are loose; terry loops snag on rough surfaces
- Genuine Turkish-made product costs more than towels made elsewhere
05Typical uses and price
- Beach and pool towels (peshtemal)
- Bath towels, hand towels and washcloths (terry)
- Spa, gym and hotel towels
- Travel and camping towels
- Throws, sarongs and picnic blankets (peshtemal)
- Kitchen and tea towels (flat weave)
Price tier: Mid to premium for Turkish-made towels. Peshtemals are usually cheaper to make and ship per unit than heavy terry. Terry cost scales with GSM, yarn quality (combed, long staple, zero-twist) and finishing. Jacquard and custom dyed yarn add setup cost and minimums.
06How to spec it with a factory
Towel quotes depend on weave, weight, yarn and finishing. Put each in the tech pack and say clearly whether you want a peshtemal or terry.
| No. | Field | What to write |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Product type | Peshtemal (flat weave) or terry (looped pile); weave pattern for peshtemal |
| 02 | Fiber | e.g. 100% Turkish cotton, combed; or cotton and linen blend; state cotton origin |
| 03 | Weight | Terry: GSM with tolerance (e.g. 600 GSM plus or minus 5%). Peshtemal: finished weight per towel |
| 04 | Size | Finished dimensions after washing, e.g. bath towel and peshtemal sizes, with tolerance |
| 05 | Yarn | Yarn count, ply and twist (e.g. zero-twist or low-twist pile for softness) |
| 06 | Edges | Peshtemal: fringe length and knot style. Terry: hem type, border width, dobby or jacquard design |
| 07 | Color and dye | Yarn dyed or piece dyed, Pantone references, colorfastness to washing |
| 08 | Absorbency and shrinkage | Absorbency test, maximum shrinkage after wash |
| 09 | Branding and packaging | Woven label, embroidery, jacquard logo, folding, bands or boxes |
Certifications and marks
- OEKO-TEX Standard 100
- Tests finished towels for harmful substances. Standard request for bath textiles.
- GOTS
- For organic cotton towels; certified facilities needed through processing.
- Better Cotton
- A farm-level sustainability program, not a fiber-content or product certification. Most of it is sourced under mass balance, so a mill’s Better Cotton volumes do not mean your towel contains Better Cotton fiber; do not label it that way. A smaller traceable (physical) option exists; ask which you are getting.
From the factory floor
- Weigh the bulk towels, not just the sample. Light GSM is the most common shortcut on terry.
- Do a wash test for shrinkage, linting and fringe security before approving.
- Ask whether the towel is pre-washed. Unwashed towels feel stiff and absorb poorly until the first wash.
- Avoid heavy silicone softeners on terry; they make towels feel soft in the shop and absorb badly at home.
- Jacquard and yarn-dyed designs need loom setup, so expect higher MOQs than plain or printed towels.
07Turkish cotton vs Egyptian cotton towels
Turkish cotton is long staple; Egyptian cotton at its best is extra-long staple. Egyptian cotton towels tend to be the more absorbent and plush; Turkish cotton towels tend to dry faster and feel lighter. Both depend more on GSM and yarn quality than origin.
08Peshtemal vs linen towels
Linen towels share the flat-woven, fast-drying idea. Linen is stronger and more textured and dries even faster, but it costs more and feels rougher at first. Many peshtemal makers offer cotton and linen blends as a middle ground.
09FAQ
Q01What is the difference between a Turkish towel and a regular towel?
A Turkish peshtemal is flat woven with no loops, so it is thin and dries fast. A Turkish cotton towel is regular looped terry made with cotton grown in Turkey.
Q02Are Turkish towels absorbent?
Turkish cotton terry is very absorbent. Peshtemals absorb less per pass but dry quickly and get more absorbent after the first few washes.
Q03What GSM is a good bath towel?
About 500 to 700 GSM is a solid everyday bath towel. Lower is lighter and faster drying; 700 and up feels plush and spa-like.
Q04Why do Turkish towels have fringe?
The fringe is the leftover warp threads from weaving, twisted or knotted to stop the towel unraveling. It is traditional on hammam towels.
Q05Are Turkish towels better than Egyptian cotton?
Neither is better outright. Turkish cotton towels usually dry faster and feel lighter; Egyptian cotton towels usually feel thicker and absorb more.