Terry towelling fabric: weight, yarn and uses
Terry fabric is covered in small yarn loops. The loops add surface area and soak up water. Terry for home textiles is usually 100% cotton.
Weight and use
Towel weight is given in grams per square metre (GSM). Heavier terry is thicker and holds more water but takes longer to dry. Sources draw the bands slightly differently, so read the table as a rough guide.
| Weight | Feel | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| 300–400 g/m² | Light, quick-drying | Kitchen, gym and beach towels; high-turnover hotel use |
| 400–500 g/m² | Medium | Hand and face towels |
| 500–600 g/m² | Full | Bath towels |
| 600 g/m² and up | Thick, heavy | Higher-end bath towels and bath mats |
Bathrobes are made in terry, waffle and velour. Ask for the robe fabric weight separately for each style.
Single and double-sided loops
Double-sided terry has loops on both faces, as most towels do. Single-sided terry has one flat face and is used for linings, baby items and the top layer of mattress protectors.
Combed and carded yarn
- Combed yarn goes through an extra combing step that removes short fibres. The yarn is more even and the towel sheds less lint.
- Carded yarn skips that step. It costs less and can be soft and bulky, but it sheds more lint in the first washes.
Plain and jacquard terry
Plain terry is dyed in one colour. In jacquard terry the pattern is woven in, using different loop heights or yarn colours. Hotel logos and borders are usually jacquard-woven.
When ordering
Ask for the weight, yarn type, single or double-sided loops and finished size. Common Turkish sizes are about 50 x 90 cm for hand towels and 70 x 140 cm for bath towels. Terry can also be made to a custom weight outside the ranges in the table.