3 Best Travel Towels: A Snorkeler’s Perspective 

The Rainleaf microfiber travel towel is my workhorse towel.

When my husband and I travel to the Caribbean for snorkeling (St. John, St. Croix, Bonaire, Aruba, etc), there are many beautiful reefs you can access directly from the shore. 

All of our snorkeling gear goes with us in the water, but we leave our Rainleaf travel towel either in the car or on the beach in an inconspicuous area.  

When you shore snorkel, there is always a risk someone will walk off with any items you leave behind. Never bring anything you cannot live without. 

Because the Rainleaf towel has a very affordable price tag (< $20 USD), I would be annoyed and unhappy but not devastated if someone took it.

Besides the exceptional value, here are the other standout features I love: 

→   Fast Drying

This is super important when you are snorkeling multiple sites in one day. The last thing you want is a wet towel when you go to dry off again.

I recently took this towel with me to Komodo National Park in Indonesia when we went snorkeling. My husband draped it on the balcony of our room to dry in the sun, and it dried in no time. See the photo below.

→   Surprisingly absorbent

Now, don’t go expecting the same absorbency as your favorite Turkish bath towel back home, but for a compact little travel towel, it does a phenomenal job getting the water off.  

→   Packable

This little towel folds down into a nice little size and easily fits into a suitcase. Or if you need to protect that favorite bottle of Rhum you just purchased in St. Martin, it works for that too. 

→   Snap Loop

To expedite the drying process, the towel comes with a snap loop to make hanging easy. 

→   Lightweight

Of all the towels I am recommending, this towel is the lightest! I weighed it on my coffee scale. 239 grams = 8.4 ounces = 0.5 lbs. 

→   Odor-resistant

It passed my smell test. Now, granted I do wash the towel after about a week. No funky smells. 

→   Alternative Uses

There are a lot of other uses- camping, swimming, beach time, and even a little blanket if you are cold. 

→   Variety of sizes

I personally have the 60 x 30” size, which dries my body well without feeling like I’m using a skimpy hand towel. 

The Rumpl towel is slightly more absorbent than the Rainleaf towel. It’s made of ultra-absorbent polyester microsuede.

It has a higher price tag than Rainleaf ($50 USD), so this is not a towel I would take when shore snorkeling.

However, this is my go-to towel on all snorkeling or water adventure tours where I don’t have to worry about someone walking off with it.

I recently used it when we did a snorkeling tour with manta rays at Nusa Penida and a sharks & rays tour in French Polynesia.

The Rumpl travel towel quickly absorbed all the saltwater off of me and was quick to dry out in the sun in between snorkeling sites.

Other reasons I love Rumpl:

→   Fast Drying

Likely due to the polyester microsuede material

→   Ultra absorbent

Again, never expect the same absorbency as your favorite plush bath towel back at home, but for a little compact travel towel, it’s pretty amazing!

→   Packable

It folds down into a nice tight square.

→   Attached Loop

It’s easy to hang, which allows for faster drying.

→   Lightweight

It’s slightly heavier than Rainleaf but still very lightweight. 314 grams = 11 ounces = 0.7 lbs.

→   Odor-resistant finish

So far, no matter how wet, no funky smells.

→   Alternative Uses

Hot tubs, pool, beach, or an impromptu picnic.

→   One size

72 x 29.5” (little longer than Rainleaf)

I had been eyeing this Australian towel for a long time before I finally purchased it.  All the videos show how sand literally drops off the towel after use. Yep, that’s pretty much right.

So, if you are looking for a travel towel that’s great for the beach and jumping in and out of the ocean, the Tesalate towel is an excellent choice.

It’s ultra-absorbent and dries very quickly due to its high-performance AbsorbLite™ fabric. It is soft and has a slight texture to it compared to the other two travel towels.

When we are staying at Vrbo/Airbnb rentals instead of hotels, I bring my Tesalate towel for beach time since I never know if the host will provide good towels.

For example, we are getting ready to go to Aruba and will be staying in a villa rental with our family. We’ll be spending lots of time on Palm and Eagle Beach. My Tesalate towel is the perfect choice for this travel scenario.

Other amazing features to love about the Tesalate towel:

→   Fast Drying

Super important in a beach towel.

→   Ultra absorbent (can absorb 1 liter of water)

Likely due to the AbsorbLite™ fabric

→   Packable

It folds down into a little square and comes with a nice pouch. However, it is a little bulkier compared to the Rainleaf and Rumpl.

→   Attached Loop

Always important to have a loop for faster drying time. 

→   Lightweight

Much lighter than your normal beach towel but definitely heavier than the Rainleaf and Rumpl. 457 grams = 16 ounces = 1 lb.

→   No mention of any antimicrobial finish, but so far, no weird smells

→   Alternative Uses

Hot tubs, pool

→   Sand-free

No sticky sand particles.

→   One size 

63 x 31” (similar in size to Rainleaf)

If you love the beach or any water adventures, I would strongly consider bringing a travel towel. Depending on your needs, the Rainleaf, Rumpl, and Tesalate are all excellent choices that are well made, packable, quick drying, and absorbent. Happy travels!

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