Onsen vs Brooklinen Towels: Honest Comparison

Both brands sell waffle towels. Onsen uses 100% American-grown Supima cotton and OEKO-TEX certified fabric. Brooklinen lists Turkish cotton. Pick Onsen if long-staple American cotton and fast drying matter most. Pick Brooklinen if you want its Turkish cotton and the brand's wider home line. Check the spec table below for current numbers.

Waffle towels are lighter and dry faster than plush terry. Several brands now make them, so the choice comes down to fiber, size, price, and policy. This page puts the two side by side with sources.

We make Onsen towels, so read this with that in mind. We kept the facts verifiable and gave Brooklinen credit where it fits better.

How We Compared Them

A fair comparison needs rules. We used these four, and we suggest you apply them to any brand.

1. Use only published specs. Every figure comes from a brand page or a named source.
2. Date every check. Prices, sizes, and policies change. Each cell in the table carries a check date.
3. Skip claims we cannot measure. We did not time Brooklinen towels. So we state no dry time for them.
4. Credit the other side. Where Brooklinen fits a shopper better, we say so.

If you spot a figure that has changed, tell us and we will update the table.

Onsen vs Brooklinen at a Glance

This table covers the specs shoppers ask about most. Onsen figures come from our own product and size pages. Brooklinen figures come from Brooklinen's own pages and are marked with the date we checked.

Brooklinen specs checked November 2, 2026, from Brooklinen’s waffle bath towel page.

Onsen's sizes come from its towel size guide. Onsen's waffle bath towels run about 1 inch longer and wider than average towels.

Fiber: Supima vs Turkish Cotton

Cotton type shapes softness, strength, and how a towel ages. The two brands start from different fibers.

What Supima Cotton Is

Supima is an American-grown, extra-long-staple cotton. A PMC review of cotton covers the species behind it. Egyptian or Pima cotton is known for an extra-long, extra-fine staple. The same paper says it makes up less than 5% of world cotton production.

Long fibers have fewer ends poking out of the yarn. That helps a towel resist pilling and stay smooth. Onsen reports that Supima fibers are about twice as strong as regular cotton. Our guide on Supima cotton goes deeper.

What Turkish Cotton Brings

Turkish cotton has a long reputation for softness in towels and robes. Brooklinen's waffle line lists it as the fiber. We found no source that measures Turkish cotton against Supima for strength. So we make no claim either way. For a wider look at the weave itself, see Turkish cotton vs waffle weave.

Sizes and Weights in Detail

Size and weight decide how a towel feels in use. A larger towel wraps more of the body. A heavier one holds more water and takes longer to dry. This table lists every Onsen waffle size and the sculpted terry sizes for comparison.

Measure your current towels before you compare. Sizes vary a lot between brands, even under the same label. For help picking, use the height guide on our size guide.

What to Check Before You Buy Any Towel

Specs on a product page tell you more than marketing copy. Use this checklist for Onsen, Brooklinen, or any other brand.

• Fiber and origin. Look for the cotton type and where it was grown.
• Weight. Weight is listed in ounces or grams per square meter (GSM). Heavier towels hold more water.
• Size. Compare listed dimensions, not just the name "bath towel."
• Certifications. OEKO-TEX testing confirms screening for harmful substances.
• Care label. Check the heat and detergent limits.
• Return window. A trial period lets you test softness and drying in your own home.
• Reviews after months of use. Early reviews miss shrinkage and wear.

Wash a new towel before first use. Cleveland Clinic advises this for any new towel, since many are treated with chemicals.

Weave and Drying Speed

Both brands use waffle weave. The honeycomb grid is thinner and more open than looped terry. That helps water leave the fabric faster.

Research on cotton fabrics supports the principle. A PMC study on liquid moisture transport found that thicker yarn made liquid transport worse. The study tested clothing fabrics, not towels, and did not compare brands.

No head-to-head dry-time test exists for these two towels yet. We will not publish a number we did not measure. The table below shows what to expect. Our waffle vs terry guide includes a home test, so you can time both yourself.

Onsen reports that its waffle towels dry in about half the time of standard terry. That is Onsen's own claim about terry in general, not a test against Brooklinen.

Why Drying Time Affects Hygiene

A towel that stays damp gives bacteria room to grow. A 6-month PMC study of towels in daily use found odor and dullness after about two months. Biofilm formed over the six months, mostly in the flat base of the towel. The authors also noted that washing alone does not remove biofilm-forming bacteria.

That points to a clear habit. Wash on a steady schedule and let towels dry fully between uses. Our guide on how often to wash towels has the numbers by towel type.

Care and Durability

Both brands ask for gentle care. Waffle towels are lighter, so they spin and dry quickly. Follow these steps to keep any waffle towel in good shape.

1. Wash on a gentle cycle in cold or warm water.

2. Use less detergent than the label suggests.

3. Skip fabric softener, which leaves a coating that cuts absorbency.

4. Dry on low or medium heat with wool dryer balls.

5. Hang the towel fully spread between uses.

Our full guide on how to wash towels covers each step.

Care Mistakes That Wear Out Any Towel

The brand matters less than how you treat the towel. These habits shorten the life of waffle and terry alike.

• Using too much detergent. Cleveland Clinic warns that product residue builds up on towels and makes them friendlier to germs.
• Adding fabric softener. It coats the fibers and cuts absorbency.
• Leaving towels bunched on a hook. Folded fabric stays damp longest.
• Waiting too long between washes. The 6-month towel study saw odor after about two months of daily use.
• Skipping the washer clean cycle. Cleveland Clinic suggests running it as your manual advises.

Fix these and a good towel from either brand lasts longer. If a towel already smells musty, our guide to removing mildew smell from towels can help.

Who Should Pick Which

Neither brand wins for everyone. This table matches common needs to the better fit, based on the verified facts above.

Brooklinen sells a wide home line beyond towels. Some buyers already own its sheets and want matching bath linens. That is a fair reason to choose it.

Reviews and Where to Buy

Real customer feedback beats any spec table. Read the Onsen reviews page and compare it with Brooklinen's reviews. Look for comments on shrinkage, softness after many washes, and how fast the towels dry.

You can browse the Onsen towel collection or go straight to the Supima waffle towels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Brooklinen waffle towels good?

Brooklinen lists its waffle towels as Turkish cotton. Check current reviews for softness and durability, and compare weight and size against the table above.

What is the difference between Supima and Turkish cotton?

Supima is American-grown, extra-long-staple cotton. Turkish cotton is grown in Turkey and known for softness. We found no source that ranks one above the other for towels.

Do waffle towels dry faster than terry?

Yes, in general. The open weave holds less water and gives air more surface. Onsen reports about half the drying time of standard terry.

Which towel is better for a humid bathroom?

Any waffle towel is a good start. Pair it with fan use and a wide towel bar for the best results.

How often should I wash waffle towels?

Onsen recommends washing bath towels every 3 to 4 uses. Wash sooner in humid homes.

Sources:

Analysis of Biofilm and Bacterial Communities in the Towel Environment with Daily Use, National Institutes of Health (PMC)

How Often Should You Wash Your Bath Towels?, Cleveland Clinic

Liquid Moisture Transport in Cotton Woven Fabrics with Different Weft Yarns, National Institutes of Health (PMC)

An Overview of Salinity Stress, Mechanism of Salinity Tolerance and Strategies for Its Management in Cotton, National Institutes of Health (PMC)