Arpe Towels Review

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Details

• Price $14 for the Face towel at shop.arpe.es
  

  10% off for orders above EUR10 with code ALEXKWA at checkout

• Material Microfiber
• Made in Spain

Overview

A few years ago, I moved exclusively to face towels, specifically from a Japanese brand called scope. When I travel, it's either the Outlier Deepgrid Cottolinen Towel or Outlier Grid Linen Towel. Each day, I bring along a fresh towel to the gym, so it's fair to say I exhaust the stock pretty quickly and need to do laundry at least twice a week.

When I saw Arpe, I knew that I had to try them. Like TOM BIHN bags, each piece of Arpe towel is made under their roof near Barcelona. You can imagine the hum of machines and the warmth of human hands on every detail from the first idea to the finished product.

Such an in-house process is patient—a kind of thoughtful craftsmanship that feels rare in a world racing toward the next thing. If anything, Arpe knows more than just making towels; they definitely know how to weave a story.

Are Arpe towels as good as they look? I'll find out.

Style

I see nice things, and I like them. Simple as that. If something looks good, it catches my eye—it’s instinctive, almost primal. But looks are only the opening act. What follows is a quiet, deliberate dance: a phase of curiosity where I test its edges, its weight, and the way it feels in the day-to-day grind. Only then, if it holds up—if it earns its place—does it get my commitment.

Arpe towels are, above all, beautiful. They carry a quiet elegance—a contemporary, modern aesthetic that feels at home in the here and now. Yet, there’s a hint of something older, a touch of rustic warmth that grounds them, like they’ve gone through a story—or at least loving hands—before finding their way to you.

For this review, I picked up three sizes—face, hand, and bath—in different charcoal gray styles, but not the XL.

I've been using face-sized towels for a few years now, so the face towel was the perfect size for me. Arpe's towels are thin and can be packed down to almost nothing, which was obvious in the basket with my other towels.

The bath size was really big and covered my neck down. Because you can pack it into a compact package, I wouldn't hesitate to take it on onebag travels.

In a grayish tone, there are four different styles; basic charcoal gray, cool gray, calm charcoal gray, and horizon soft silver.

The face and bath towel I got is in basic charcoal gray. It is minimal yet striking, with a full-block color on one side and a soft light gray underside. Each side is punctuated with a contrasting cross-patterned block.

The hand towel is in calm charcoal gray and it shifts the design language, playing with gradients—gray fading to light gray and back again on one side, while the other side splits into two halves, each mirroring the gradient but flipped.

Thin and smooth to the touch, these towels exude a premium feel. Honestly, they wouldn’t look out of place mistaken for luxury scarves. The bath towel, in particular, might even double as one in a pinch.

The tasteful logo is subtly placed on the corner of each piece. There is a laundry tag that is attached to each. The print indicates you should cut it off but it was easy to pull off completely, so there won't be remnants of it on your towel.

Material

The material of these Arpe towels is as thoughtful as their design. Made from soft microfiber crafted out of post-consumer rPET bottles, they’re a testament to innovation in sustainability. Composed of 100% polyester—partly recycled—the towels align with the monomaterial principle, making them not only eco-friendly but also fully recyclable when the time comes.

What strikes me most is the duality of their build. They’re lightweight and compact, ideal for tossing into a bag without weighing you down, yet they hold remarkable strength. Superabsorbent and quick-drying, they outpace traditional towels in practicality.

On the tactile side, the fabric feels gentle—tested to be free from harmful substances and safe for delicate skin, even for babies. And here's a small miracle for beachgoers: they repel sand like it’s an old nemesis. Practicality meets intention, all woven into the fibers of these towels.

Usage

The hand towel, unlike the face and bath sizes, features a small loop next to the laundry tag. While it can be used for hanging, its size makes it impractical for regular use.

Many Singaporean males who served compulsory military service might have experienced using a microfiber towel, which became standard issue during my time. But if you're new to them, coming from cotton towels, transitioning to microfiber may take some getting used to.

Microfiber towels are thinner and lighter than cotton ones, but they absorb less moisture than cotton ones. While they are still pretty absorbent, you get the feeling of it spreading water around your body, rather than just sucking it up.

Unlike cotton towels or even the Outlier Gridlinen Towel, these towels don't get darker when wet. This is great as it always looks flawless and premium.

While cotton towels with a bit of texture offer a satisfying, gentle friction—a mild ‘scrub' as you towel off—Arpe towels offer a different sensation. They’re smooth and gentle on the skin, providing a soft, almost silky feel. While they may be more comfortable and soothing, they lack that satisfying grip and texture that some might miss.

Mesh and zero waste bags

I've been using the same Outlier Supermarine Doublebag for my daily gym session for more than a year now. But since I am stepping into Arpe's world, I thought it might be worth checking the mesh and zero waste bags out, whether for storing the towels or something else.

The Mesh bag comes with a nice-looking pouch to pack it in. I kinda wish the pouch was attached to the bag so you won't lose it by accident.

There is a laundry tag on the mesh bag, and unline the ones on the towels, I wouldn't recommend trying to rip it off as they are double stitched on.

The bag is pretty basic and doesn't look as durable as the one I am using made of technical fabrics. Being mesh, they are not water resistant nor are they very functional given the size and the lack of a crossbody sling.

They are, however, very nice looking. They seem perfect for a trip to the organic market where you can put colorful vegetables and flowers in them to be the perfect model for your Instagram audience. They are awkwardly small for my 6 ft frame and even the charcoal gray color looks somewhat feminine.

The mesh bag seems like a great complimentary accessory to your Arpe towels, maybe to bring them to the beach with, but doesn't like a versatile bag that you can use all the time.

The zero-waste bags are even smaller which makes them great for containing small fabrics, like towels or change for a weekend stay. I regularly buy a pack of 10 oranges, which unfortunately already comes in a net depriving me of the chance to save the earth. But I love the look of the zero-waste bags so much that I move them over.

The drawstring of the zero-waste bag is somewhat difficult to pull, often slipping into the slot where it's housed, making it tricky to retrieve. This is somewhat of a deal breaker for me to use beyond the occasional storing of oranges or potatoes since I don't have to fasten them up too often.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for towels that feel luxurious and offer impressive functionality, Arpe towels are a great pick. However, they may not fully satisfy those who prefer the texture and absorbency of traditional cotton.

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Tagged accessory arpe microfiber review towel