Best Travel Towels Australia 2026
Best travel towels Australia: Will and Wind vs 18 brands compared
We are a bit biased. Obviously. But we also have the data. Here is how 18 of the best travel towels Australia has to offer compare across sustainability certification, design quality, customer rating, guarantee and price. Data verified April 2026.
Some of these brands are genuinely excellent. Nakie matches our overall score and holds B Corp certification which is seriously impressive. Tesalate has built a loyal following over nearly a decade. Dock and Bay has strong sustainability credentials even if they are not an Australian company. We think you deserve to know all of it.
This comparison covers standard adult microfibre travel towels. All prices are standard RRP in AUD verified April 2026. Full disclaimer below.
Will and Wind: the best value travel towel in Australia
The only brand scoring 11/12 alongside Nakie, at a lower price than four of the top six. 200 GSM published. Carry bag included. 60-day money back. GRS 4.0 certified. Active AMCS conservation partner. 4.9-star rating. Australian owned since 2019.
Will and Wind at a glance
How we score: six verifiable criteria, maximum 12 points
Every point comes from each brand's own published website or publicly verifiable data. We do not award points for claims we cannot verify.
Will and Wind scores 11/12, joint highest with Nakie. No brand achieves 12/12 because doing so requires B Corp certification alongside all other criteria simultaneously.
Overall quality score by brand (out of 12)
Scored across the six criteria above. A lower score reflects unpublished credentials, not necessarily a poor product.
Best travel towels Australia: all 18 brands ranked
| # | Brand | Founded | Score | Price (AUD) | Aus Owned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Will and Wind | 2019 QLD | 11 | $69.99 | Yes |
| 1 | Nakie | 2019 QLD | 11 | $79.95 | Yes |
| 3 | Somerside | ~2019 VIC | 7 | $79.00 | Yes |
| 4 | Tesalate | 2016 NSW | 6 | $79.00 | Yes |
| 4 | Dock and Bay | 2015 UK | 6 | $49.00 | No |
| 4 | Ocean Armour | ~2021 QLD | 6 | $65.00 | Yes |
| 4 | Life of Coco | ~2020 VIC | 6 | $69.00 | Yes |
| 4 | Liyan | 2023 AUS | 6 | $75.00 | Yes |
| 9 | Newlyfe | ~2020 WA | 5 | $53.00 | Yes |
| 9 | Sumoii | 2019 QLD | 5 | $59.00 | Yes |
| 9 | Sky Gazer | 2018 QLD | 5 | $59.00 | Yes |
| 12 | Lazy Dayz | 2008 AUS | 4 | $34.95 | Yes |
| 12 | Sand Cloud | 2014 USA | 4 | $55.00 | No |
| 14 | PackTowl | 1991 USA | 3 | $44.99 | No |
| 14 | REI Co-op | 1938 USA | 3 | $39.95 | No |
| 14 | FROGG TOGGS | 1996 USA | 3 | $29.99 | No |
| 17 | Aquis | 1993 USA | 2 | $35.00 | No |
| 17 | Wise Owl | ~2014 USA | 2 | $34.99 | No |
Will and Wind vs Nakie, Tesalate, Dock and Bay, Newlyfe and Somerside
Standard adult travel towels. Data from each brand's own website, April 2026.
| Attribute | Will and Wind | Nakie | Tesalate | Dock and Bay | Newlyfe | Somerside |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 QLD | 2019 QLD | 2016 NSW | 2015 UK | ~2020 WA | ~2019 VIC |
| Price (AUD) | $69.99 | $79.95 | $79.00 | $49.00 | $53.00 | $79.00 |
| Size | 160 x 80 cm | 160 x 90 cm | 160 x 80 cm | 160 x 90 cm | 180 x 90 cm | Unconfirmed |
| Fabric GSM | 200 GSM | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Design type | Original photography | Bold patterns, artist collabs | 50+ graphic patterns | Cabana stripes | Solid colours | Artist collabs incl. Indigenous |
| Eco certification | GRS 4.0 audited annually | B Corp certified | rPET claim only | B Corp + GRS | rPET claim only | GRS certified |
| Conservation partner | AMCS (10% of select sales) | 4 trees per product | None stated | 5% profits to charity | None stated | None stated |
| Customer rating | 4.9 stars | 4.9 stars | 4.9 stars | Not verified | 4.9 stars | Not verified |
| Guarantee | 60-day money back | Lifetime + 60-day | 30-day money back | Exchange only | 45-day money back | 30-day (est.) |
| Australian owned | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (London) | Yes | Yes |
| Quality score / 12 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
Data sourced from brand websites and the Australian Business Register, April 2026. See full disclaimer.
Price vs quality: all 18 brands plotted
Each dot is one brand. X axis is price (AUD). Y axis is quality score out of 12. The ideal position is top-left: high score, lower price. Will and Wind is highlighted.
Data from brand websites, April 2026. See full disclaimer.
The top brands in detail
Nakie
Genuinely excellent. B Corp certified, one of the hardest sustainability credentials to earn, and they plant four trees per product. They score 11/12 joint highest with us. At $79.95 they are $10 more expensive and their 30-day guarantee is half the length of ours. If B Corp certification is important to you, Nakie is worth considering seriously.
Somerside
Solid competitor with genuine GRS certification and beautiful artist collaborations including an Indigenous-designed Saltwater Dreamtime collection. $9 more expensive than us, no stated charity partnership and a 30-day guarantee.
Tesalate
Founded 2016, over 50 designs, one million sold. Genuinely impressive customer love. Where the comparison gets interesting: $9 more expensive, no published GSM, no third-party sustainability certification and a 30-day guarantee versus our 60 days.
Dock and Bay
Impressive sustainability credentials: B Corp and GRS certified. At $49 they are genuinely affordable. But they are a UK brand, returns are exchange only with no money back. Best value option for buyers who do not require Australian ownership.
Five things to know before buying a travel towel in Australia
1. Will and Wind is the only brand that publishes our GSM
200 GSM. Published because we are proud of it and because you deserve to compare like for like. Most brands in this comparison do not publish their GSM. Our 200 GSM suede microfibre is among the densest available.
2. GRS certification is independently audited. rPET claims are not
Multiple brands claim to use recycled plastic bottles. A self-declared claim and an independently audited certification are very different things. GRS 4.0 requires annual independent auditing. It is not a badge you buy.
3. A 60-day guarantee signals genuine confidence in the product
Most brands offer 30 days. Some offer exchange only. Will and Wind offers 60 days money back, no questions. A longer guarantee means the brand believes the product will perform.
4. Australian ownership matters for accountability
Buying Australian keeps money in Australia, means the brand is subject to Australian consumer law, faster shipping and a team that answers in the same time zone.
5. Conservation partnerships vary significantly in specificity
Will and Wind is a named partner of the Australian Marine Conservation Society with a stated donation structure. Specificity matters because it is verifiable. Vague environmental claims are not.
Everything you need to know about Will and Wind travel towels
Follow the links below to go deeper on whatever matters most to you.
FAQs
What is the best travel towel in Australia in 2026?
Based on this comparison of 18 brands across six criteria, Will and Wind and Nakie both score 11/12. Will and Wind is the best value option at $69.99 versus Nakie at $79.95, and offers a longer 60-day guarantee. Both are Australian owned and both hold independent third-party sustainability certifications.
What GSM should a travel towel be?
GSM stands for grams per square metre and measures fabric density. For a travel towel used at the beach, pool and gym, 180 GSM or above is recommended. Will and Wind towels are 200 GSM, the highest published figure in this comparison. Most brands do not publish their GSM at all.
What does GRS certification mean for a travel towel?
GRS stands for Global Recycled Standard. It is a third-party verified certification that confirms recycled content claims are accurate and that the supply chain meets social and environmental standards. Will and Wind holds GRS 4.0 certification, audited annually. This is different from a brand simply claiming to use recycled materials.
Are microfibre travel towels better than cotton?
For travel, beach and outdoor use, yes. Microfibre dries three to five times faster than cotton, packs to a fraction of the size and does not trap sand. Read more in our quick dry vs cotton comparison.
How many plastic bottles go into each Will and Wind towel?
Each Will and Wind travel towel is made from 16 recycled post-consumer plastic bottles. This is a verified figure under GRS 4.0 certification, not a marketing estimate.
What is the difference between Will and Wind and Tesalate?
Tesalate is one of the original Australian microfibre brands with strong customer loyalty. Will and Wind scores higher on sustainability certification (GRS 4.0 vs no third-party cert), published material density (200 GSM vs not published), guarantee length (60 days vs 30 days) and price ($69.99 vs $79.00). Both are Australian owned.
How do I care for a microfibre travel towel?
Machine wash cold or warm on a gentle cycle with mild detergent. Do not use fabric softener as it coats the fibres and reduces absorbency. Line dry rather than tumble dry.