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A face towel is a 12-13 inch square -- another name for a washcloth -- used once on skin then washed. A hand towel is 16 x 28 to 20 x 30 inches and lives on a rail by the basin, used repeatedly for hands.
This one is almost entirely a naming problem, and it is worth ten minutes because the search volume for "face towels" is enormous and a lot of people are buying the wrong size.
What the terms mean
| Term | Size | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Face towel | 12-13 in square | Another name for a washcloth |
| Washcloth | 12-13 in square | The same item, US terminology |
| Face cloth | 12-13 in square | The same item again |
| Flannel | 12-13 in square | British term for the same item |
| Hand towel | 16 x 28 to 20 x 30 in | Rail towel by the basin |
| Fingertip towel | About 11 x 18 in | Guest bathroom, decorative |
| Guest towel | 11 x 18 to 16 x 28 in | A hand towel or fingertip towel in a nicer cloth |
Some retailers -- particularly in bulk catalogs -- list 13 x 28 in towels as "face towels". That is a small hand towel, not a face cloth, and it is the main source of confusion in the category.
The jobs are genuinely different
A face towel or washcloth is used on skin, with soap or cleanser, once. It lifts dirt and oil, then sits damp with them in it. That is why it should be washed after every use, and why you want two dozen. More on that here.
A hand towel is used on clean, rinsed hands, repeatedly. It carries far less soil, and it can reasonably stay on the rail for a day. Its problem is not soil, it is that it never gets time to dry. Hand towel picks here.
Which should you buy?
- For washing your face: a 12-13 in square, in a dark color if you use skincare actives, by the two dozen.
- For the rail by the basin: a 16 x 28 in hand towel, six of them, changed daily.
- For a guest bathroom: a fingertip towel or a nice hand towel. This is the one place where decorative wins over functional.
- Do not buy a 13 x 28 in "face towel" expecting a face cloth. It is a small hand towel.
A note on buying them in sets
Bath towel sets usually include two washcloths, which is nowhere near enough if you actually use them, and two hand towels, which is also not enough. Buy the bath towels as a set if you like, then buy hand towels and washcloths separately in the quantities that make sense. The arithmetic is here.
The exception is when you want everything to match, in which case a full set from one brand -- like Cotton Paradise's Turkish cotton set -- gets you a coherent rail, and you top up the washcloths separately.
Frequently asked questions
Is a face towel the same as a washcloth?
Yes. Face towel, washcloth, face cloth and flannel all mean a 12-13 inch square used on skin. Some retailers confusingly use "face towel" for a 13 x 28 in small hand towel.
What size is a hand towel?
16 x 28 to 20 x 30 inches. Hotels often use 16 x 30 in because it folds better over a rail and gives two dry faces.
Should you use a separate towel for your face?
Yes. A face cloth is used with soap on skin and should be washed after every use; a hand towel is used on rinsed hands and stays on the rail for a day.
What is a fingertip towel for?
Guest bathrooms. At around 11 x 18 in it is decorative rather than functional -- too small to be a working hand towel.