From our research and testing of multiple towels, we found that the best car drying towel is the Glart 44WG Watergate. It features an extra large double-sided design that’s able to safely absorb an impressive amount of water.
However, if you would prefer a smaller towel that’s manufactured by a reputable brand, the Autoglym Hi-Tech is the best alternative. It has a unique microfibre construction that’s 60 x 60 cm in size but still able to absorb plenty of water.
In terms of rating the car drying towels within this article, we researched and tested a range of options from some of the most popular detailing brands in the UK. Some of the factors that we also considered included their ability to absorb water, the construction quality, size and value for the money.
Best Car Drying Towel Overview
- Best Overall: Glart 44WG Watergate
- Best All-Rounder: Autoglym Hi-Tech
- Best Large: Meguiar’s X1905EU Supreme
- Best Value: Gtechniq MF4 Diamond Sandwich
- Best Quality: Auto Finesse Aqua Deluxe
- Best Value Runner-Up: Martin Cox Cloth
Below is a list of the best car drying towels that are highly absorbent and safe to use upon the car’s paintwork.
The Best Car Drying Towels
1. Best Overall: Glart 44WG Watergate Car Drying Towel
By far the most popular car drying towel in the UK is the Glart Watergate, which is designed to absorb as much water as possible. Although the brand offers a number of towels, the Watergate is by far the best that they offer.
- 90 x 60 cm in size
- Distinctive orange design
- 600 gsm construction
- Double sided
- Relatively expensive when compared to the alternatives
Although expensive, the Glart Watergate ticks all the boxes and is one of the best car drying towels on the market. In order to maximize your drying efficiency, we would recommend purchasing an additional smaller towel from the brand for finishing up on any small areas of the car.
2. Best All-Rounder: Autoglym Hi-Tech Microfibre Drying Towel
The Autoglym Hi-Tech car drying towel is one of the smallest in this article but also one of the most absorbent. It features a unique microfiber construction that’s been specifically chosen for its excellent absorbency and gentle drying.
- 60 x 60 cm in size
- Drastically reduces drying time
- Leaves no streaks
- Machine washable
- Quite small (would be much better if it was slightly larger)
If you require a high quality car drying towel at a relatively affordable price, the Autoglym Hi-Tech is the best option. It’s made in the UK and far better at absorbing water than similarly priced alternatives.
3. Best Large: Meguiar’s X1905EU Supreme Drying Towel
By far the most expensive drying towel in this article is the Meguiar’s Supreme and it’s also one of the largest at 55 x 75 cm in size. Its unique selling point is that it has an extra thick construction that’s designed to absorb as much water as possible in minimal time. This makes it a great choice for big cars with large surfaces to dry.
- Soft thick microfibre pile
- 55 x 75 cm in size
- Machine washable
- 920 GSM fabric
- Soft towel edging
- Relatively expensive when compared to the alternatives
To conclude, the Meguiar’s Supreme is a gentle and super absorbent extra-large drying towel that’s manufactured by the reputable Meguiar’s brand. It isn’t the cheapest but for drying your car in the shortest amount of time, it’s the perfect solution.
4. Best Value: Gtechniq MF4 Diamond Sandwich Towel
The Gtechniq Diamond Sandwich is an affordable yet high quality car drying towel with an excellent absorption rate. According to the brand, it’s very versatile and it can even be used to dust, shine and polish wet or dry surfaces.
- 30% polymide and 70% polyester composition
- High absorption rate via the inner core
- Water wicking design
- 60 x 60 cm in size
- Machine washable and easy to dry
- May require multiple for drying mid to large cars
Overall, the Gtechniq Diamond Sandwich offers excellent value for the money and it’s a great all-round car drying towel. It’s super absorbent and it allows you to safely dry your car with far more efficiency.
5. Best Quality: Auto Finesse Aqua Deluxe Drying Towel
Another premium car drying towel is the Auto Finesse Aqua Deluxe, which is 50 x 70 cm in size. According to the brand, it’s a luxury towel that’s ultra-deep and has a 1200g/m2 construction to quickly absorb any surface water.
- 50 x 70 cm in size
- 1,200g/m2 pile
- Luxury look and feel
- 80% polyester, 20% polymide microfibre
- Can be difficult to use /heavy once water has been absorbed
The Auto Finesse Aqua Deluxe is a great choice that’s developed by a reputable brand for complete peace of mind. The only potential drawback is the ultra-deep construction and large size. The reason why this is a drawback is because it may become heavy and harder to handle once water has been absorbed into the towel.
6. Best Value Runner-Up: Martin Cox Car Drying Cloth
One of the cheapest car drying towels that’s actually worth buying is by the Martin Cox brand. It’s 60 x 60 cm in size and designed to be super absorbent for fast and safe drying of your car.
- Double sided construction
- One side is used to absorb maximum water whereas the other side is used for detail and finishes
- 60 x 60 cm in size
- Available in bulk buy options
- Quite thin and doesn't absorb water as well as the alternatives
The Martin Cox drying towel is the best cheap option that’s super absorbent and much higher quality than similar priced alternatives. It’s also the perfect size for cleaning medium to large cars without requiring multiple towels.
How We Tested & Rated
As we wash our cars regularly, we’ve gone through plenty of car drying towels over the years and gained plenty of experience with regards to which is the best to use for certain scenarios.
For example, you may be tempted to choose the largest towel available because you may think it’ll get the job of drying your car done much quicker. However, although a larger towel can absorb more water, they are harder to handle with the absorbed water inside and this is what we tried to point out with some of the recommendations.
During our testing (as shown in the photos below), we tried and tested a wide range of towels and judged them upon their absorbency and quality. We also tested multiple-sized drying towels because we always recommend having a large and small drying towel in order to dry your car in the most efficient way.
As well as testing out several car drying towels, we also spent hours researching the latest available. Some of the factors that we considered included the towel’s absorbency, construction quality, size and value for the money.
Conclusion
Investing in a dedicated car drying towel is highly recommended if you wish to prevent swirl marks and other defects from appearing on the paint. The only thing that would be slightly safer would be to use a car air dryer. However, they aren’t exactly cheap and a high quality drying towel would be a fraction of the cost.
For further information regarding any of the car drying towels we’ve recommended in our roundup, feel free to get in touch and we will try to help out where possible.
