Sometimes, the number of choices when it comes to beach towels can feel overwhelming. It helps to know exactly what to look for so you can narrow it down to the best options. Luckily, it's not that hard once you figure out what you need!

When you're looking for a beach towel, you'll want to make sure it's the right material, the right size, and the right price. It helps when the design is nice, too, of course.Material: It sounds a little backward, but if you're looking for a comfortable beach towel, you should avoid the plush, fuzzy ones. Thin towels made of soft, durable cotton are your best bet. The thicker the towel, the more sand and water the towel grabs and holds on to. Not many people are at their most comfortable on a wet, sandy towel, so look for something that's 100% cotton. Turkish cotton in particular has a great reputation for durability while still being soft to the touch.

Size: With beach towels, it's important to have enough surface area to lie down comfortably without ending up in the sand. It's good to look for a towel that's considerably bigger than a bath towel. For a lot of people, this ends up being a towel that's at least 35 inches by 70 inches, but this can vary based on your needs.