Bath

Is there anything better than stepping out of a shower and wrapping yourself in a big, cozy towel? Not when that towel is woven from organic cotton, using low-impact dyes but none of the nasty finishing agents you'll find on more conventional cotton products. Whether you're touching up with a soft and fluffy wash cloth or sashaying around in a body-length towel sheet, you'll enjoy not just the warmth but the extra absorbency the long fibers of organic cotton allow.

Unless otherwise noted, all towels reviewed come in four sizes: wash cloth, hand towel, bath towel, bath sheet. Browse around for matching bath mats and robes if you want to complete the set.

Best of the Best:

To make the “best of the best” list, towels needed to be “certified” organic cotton. Ideally, they'd be made according to fair trade labor practices, too; so far, only two brands fill that bill: Rawganique and Pure Rest. Still, many other brands are worth considering. Conventional cotton is one of the most water- and pesticide-intensive crops on earth. Organic cotton offers a welcome alternative, whether as a washcloth or a bath sheet.