What to Look for When Buying a Gym Towel

The gym towel is probably the least thought-about item in your bag, which is exactly why most people end up with one that lets them down. It smells after a few sessions. It slides off the bench mid-set. It takes so long to dry that packing it away feels like a risk every time. None of this is inevitable. It just happens when you grab something without knowing what to look for.

Here's what separates a gym towel worth buying from one you'll be replacing in three months.

Material is the decision that affects everything else

Before size, before design, before any other feature, material determines how your towel performs at the gym every single day. Get this right and everything else falls into place. Get it wrong and no amount of washing fixes the problem.

Microfibre is the right material for a gym towel, and the reason comes down to how its fibres are constructed. A quality blend of polyester and polyamide absorbs moisture quickly and releases it just as fast during drying. That combination keeps the towel performing through an entire session without becoming heavy and saturated, and means it's ready to use again well before your next workout.

Cotton behaves in the opposite way. It absorbs well initially but holds onto moisture for a long time, which creates the warm, damp conditions that bacteria need to grow. This is why cotton gym towels develop a smell that becomes harder to shift with every wash, because the bacteria are embedded in the fibre rather than sitting on the surface. Microfibre's quick-drying properties deny bacteria the environment they need, which is why it stays fresher between sessions with less effort.

All Cheeky Winx gym towels are made from a high quality polyester and polyamide microfibre blend and are double-sided, with one side dedicated to equipment and one side for you.

Size depends entirely on how you train

The most common mistake people make when buying a gym towel is choosing the wrong size for the way they actually train, and it's an easy mistake to make because most towel marketing doesn't make the distinction clear.

If you train at the gym doing weights, machines or bench work, you need a towel large enough to cover the full surface you're working on. A towel that only covers part of a bench isn't functioning as a hygiene barrier in any meaningful way. The Cheeky Winx hooded gym towel is 140 x 60 cm, which covers a full bench from headrest to base, and the hood anchors it over the headrest so it stays in place through every set rather than gradually shifting onto the floor.

If you train in cardio-based sessions like cycling, HIIT, boxing, tennis or group fitness classes, bench coverage isn't what you need. What matters is something compact enough to move with you between stations, grab quickly between rounds and fit in a bag without taking over. The Cheeky Winx gym towel in 90 x 50 cm is built for exactly this kind of training. It's the size that works on a spin bike handlebar, fits into a boxing class bag and sits flat on a studio floor without getting in the way.

A towel that stays put is worth paying attention to

If you do bench work, you already know the problem. You set the towel up, get through a set, stand up to re-rack the bar, and by the time you're back the towel has shifted halfway down the bench or ended up on the floor. It's a small frustration that accumulates quickly across a full session.

The hood on the Cheeky Winx hooded gym towel solves this in the simplest possible way. It hooks over the headrest and holds the towel across the full bench surface without any clips, straps or adjustments. It doesn't move when you do, which means you stop thinking about your towel entirely and focus on the session.

The zip pocket: small feature, real difference

Gym theft is a growing problem in Australia, particularly at 24-hour gyms and boutique studios where open cubby storage is standard and bags sit unattended for the duration of a class. A zip pocket in the right place means your key, gym card and phone travel with you on the bench rather than sitting across the room hoping nothing happens.

The zip pocket in the Cheeky Winx hooded gym towel is built into the hood, which means it's anchored to the same part of the towel that's fixed to the bench. It stays accessible throughout the session without moving. At almost 20 cm deep it fits all phone sizes comfortably, along with your key, card, AirPods and anything else you'd normally leave on a shelf.

A gym towel that works beyond the gym

The best gym kit is the kit that keeps working after your session ends. The Cheeky Winx hooded gym towel does exactly that. The same hood that anchors it to a bench headrest hooks over a car headrest just as easily, protecting your seat from sweat, salt, fake tan and whatever else the day throws at it on the drive home. It fits most standard desk chairs too, so it earns its place even on the commute from an early session to the office.

For beach trips, post-swim drives and picking up muddy kids from sport, it does the same job without you needing to carry anything extra. It was already in your bag.

Design: the reason people buy more than one

Cheeky Winx towels come in a range of designs that people actually want to use. Bold prints, seasonal patterns, cleaner minimal options, something for every taste and every mood. The range updates regularly, which is why so many people end up with more than one. A towel you genuinely like the look of is one you remember to pack, and one that makes the 5am alarm slightly easier to answer.

Every towel in the range can be personalised with an embroidered name or initials in pink, blue, black or white, which makes them one of the most practical and personal gifts you can give someone who trains. Browse the personalised collection to see the full range.

Frequently asked questions

Is microfibre better than cotton for a gym towel?

For gym use, yes. Microfibre dries significantly faster than cotton, which reduces bacterial growth between sessions and keeps the towel fresher for longer. Cotton is softer but holds moisture for much longer, which is why cotton gym towels develop a persistent smell faster and are harder to maintain with regular training use.

What size gym towel do I need?

It depends on how you train. For gym sessions involving benches, weights and machines, the Cheeky Winx hooded gym towel at 140 x 60 cm gives you full bench coverage with the hood keeping it in place. For cardio, cycling, HIIT, boxing and studio-based training, the 90 x 50 cm compact gym towel is the right fit.

Why does my gym towel smell even after washing?

If you're using a cotton towel, the material itself is part of the problem. Cotton holds onto moisture long after use, which gives bacteria exactly the conditions they need to grow and develop a smell that becomes harder to shift over time. Microfibre dries significantly faster, which is why it stays fresher between sessions. If you're already using microfibre and still getting a smell, the most likely culprit is fabric softener. It leaves a waxy residue on the fibres that traps moisture and bacteria inside the fabric. A cold wash with standard detergent and no fabric softener is all it needs.

Can I use a bath towel at the gym?

Technically yes, but the experience is noticeably worse. Bath towels are bulky, slow to dry, leave lint on equipment and are difficult to manage between machines and exercises. A dedicated microfibre gym towel is lighter, faster drying, takes up less space and is built for this specific use.

Is a personalised gym towel worth buying?

As a gift, it's one of the best options available for someone who trains. It gets used every single session, which means it's seen and appreciated constantly rather than sitting in a drawer. For yourself, personalisation means your towel is immediately identifiable in any shared environment. Browse the Cheeky Winx personalised range to see all the options.

How do I care for a microfibre gym towel?

Cold machine wash, hang to dry. Avoid fabric softener as it coats the fibres and reduces absorbency over time. Microfibre dries quickly enough that it's ready well before your next session, which makes the maintenance genuinely easy with regular training.

The right gym towel is one you stop thinking about after the first session because it just works. Browse the Cheeky Winx gym towel range and the hooded gym towel collection and find the one that fits how you train.