Microfibre drying towels are the dominant way of drying a car because they don’t damage paintwork, are really absorbent, and are relatively affordable. It might be surprising to learn therefore that there’s so much choice and variation when it comes to drying towels. There are different sizes, colours and weaves, but is there any real difference? To test this we gathered three different drying towels to see if there was any tangible difference in performance.
To learn more about microfibre towels, read our explainer.
The towels
Who throws in the (microfibre) towel first?
The venue for this test was a charity car wash, the perfect test for comparing the three towels. Each towel was used in the same way, draping and patting cars with no buffing until it was saturated.
The first to be tested was the Duel Autocare option. Despite its smaller size, the towel offered more than acceptable performance. While it was the first to become saturated, it still managed to dry two cars and would have done better if the towel had the same footprint as the other.
The small size also meant it was easy to wield and never got in the way, even when drying smaller, fiddlier parts. The green colour was also by far the best at showing up any bits of dirt that had transferred to it, helping avoid potential damage.
Detailers United Hydro Hoover XXL was up next. The huge size made cleaning body panels quicker, and the natural weight helped lift water without any need to pat the car.
The gold colour was alright at showing up dirt and debris but some debris (mud in particular) could be easily camouflaged by the gold and a keen eye was needed.
Saturation occurred after drying nearly three medium-sized cars, an outstanding effort. Even when the towel was close to saturation it was rather rare that it wouldn’t lift all the water with a single pass. The one downside to its water removing powers is that drying the towel afterwards is a long affair.
The final towel used was the 26JPN, which proved hard to use because of the grey colour. This was a concern because it totally masked bits of grit which made scratches a real possibility if you weren’t careful.
Performance was identical to the Hydro Hoover, managing to dry three cars before becoming totally saturated. The slightly lower fabric density meant that it dried a little quicker than the other towels too, although it still took its sweet time.
Verdict
From this simple test, it’s clear that the biggest performance difference comes from the size of the towel. Aside from that, they all worked roughly the same and there’s little difference the average person would pick up on.
It’s only when considering user experience alongside price that any ranking can be clearly decided. The huge size and value of the Hydro Hoover can’t be ignored which makes it our top selection.
The Duel Autocare towel comes second thanks to its value, quality storage bag and bright colour.
The 26JPN comes last simply because it’s the most expensive option here and the dark grey colour hides dirt – far from ideal when it comes to scratches.
How we tested them:
The venue for this test was a charity car wash where each of these towels could be tested in similar conditions and with the same variables while still keeping it a real-world test. Each was used until it was either saturated with water or visibly dirty and required cleaning.
Other products used in this test: Zirconite Shampoo | Nilfisk Core 140 Pressure Washer
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