The 6 Best Towels For Dogs Australia: Tested & Evaluated 2024

Washing your dog can be a time for bonding, care and joy. It can also be a complete mess when your dog shakes their wet body and splatters water all over the walls or your garden plants. Air drying your dog is fine but towel drying can save that messy step from happening. Not all bath towels for dogs are created equally. 

So in this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about them. We teamed up with veterinarians, canine behaviourists and dog parents to research the best towel for dogs in Australia. After spending several weeks testing the most popular types, we were finally able to agree on the contents of this guide.

What makes a good dog bath towel? How do you choose the right one for your pup? And what are the best dog bath towels available on the Australian market today? We found the answer to all of these questions and more.

Let’s dive into the guide!

Australia's Best Dog Towels Reveiwed

Now that we’ve explored the qualities of a good dog towel and how to use one, let’s look at the best towels for dogs in Australia. These are the products that every member of our team of independent experts loved having on hand to dry their beloved doggos.

A bundle pack is always appreciated! Especially when it’s vital that you have more than one dog towel in the home. Introducing the PAWPUP towel bundle that will have you covered for every eventuality. This pack comes with two super absorbent towels in grey and brown.

It is made of a polyester and polyamide blend with a microfibre finish. Expect extra softness and fast drying due to its high absorbency.

The towels have two pockets in the corners which are perfect for drying the face. It also improves your grip when drying your pooch.

Best of all these are machine washable. They can even be tumble dried on a gentle cycle.

Now onto sizing. These towels come in only one size and are 60 x 100 cm. This is a large size that works well for most breeds. While you can’t completely wrap a Saint Bernard in these towels, they’re not so small to be rendered useless.

Apart from that, the PAWPUP dog towel set has it all. Ease of cleanliness, high absorbency and excellent reviews!

The best name award goes to the Fuzzyard WizarDry Towel. Just as well it’s an excellent product that backs up its claims! This microfibre towel claims to soak up 7x its weight in water. The textured material helps add surface area for extra absorbency and fast drying.

The material is soft and velvety for sensitive skin. It’s pleasant to use for you and your dog. The corners also fold down to create pockets if you need them. This allowed me more grip when drying my dog.

The Fuzzyard towel is machine washable - ideal for quick cleaning and fast drying.

Like our number one choice, the con here is the sizing. There is only one size available. It’s 20 x 72 cm. This is very small for larger dogs. You can make this work for larger dogs but it’ll take you more time and effort to get them dry.

If the size is right for your pup, the Fuzzyard WizarDry Towel is an excellent option for you!

It’s time for the budget-friendly option! A great product needn’t break the bank. Sinland has created a microfibre dog towel that proves that. At under $20, this extra large dog towel has it all. It’s lightweight, fast drying and easy to clean.

Starting with the size, the towel measures 75 x 127 cm which our panel of independent experts noted is surprisingly large for a standard towel. This will suit dogs of all kinds.

It’s machine washable and tumble dryer safe so easy cleaning. The extra absorbent, soft material makes it ideal for different purposes. It works well as a spot dryer for muddy paws, a bath towel or even a dry towel to wipe off excess fur while your dog is shedding in the warmer months.

If I can fault it for anything, the design is a little boring. It comes in grey with a large pawprint on it. It would be great if there were some other colours to choose from!

If you’re looking for a microfibre towel with some cute colour-ways, My Doggy Place provides! These towels are in such lovely colours. Everything from pink, mint green, teal and charcoal. They all look great and have a pawprint option too, like our number three option.

The soft microfibre material feels good on your dog’s skin. The manufacturer claims that it can absorb up to 5x more than regular towels, but reviews are mixed on this. Take that claim with a grain of salt!

The towel measures 70 x 114 cm. This isn’t the best sizing for all dogs but it’ll suit most small to medium breeds.

If you opt for the 2-pack bundle, the towels are quite economical, similar to our number one choice. These are ideal for spot drying muddy towels or creating a soft base in a crate or car while travelling.

Bathrobe for your dog? Yes, they do exist and work very well! Dog bathrobes are ideal for preventing your dog from shaking excess water everywhere. This bathrobe/towel hybrid combines the two functions into a super absorbent, fast drying option for your pup.

Unlike the other options on this list, there are 5 sizes available for this model; Extra small, Small, Medium, Large and Extra large. Everyone on our team of independent experts appreciated that there was a size available for their dog. To choose the right size for your dog, measure their back length from the shoulders to the tail.

I also like how there are 3 colours to choose from; blue, brown and grey. The design is cute with a little hood and tie around the waist.

With a reasonable price point and a good fit for many dog breeds, look no further than the NACOCO Microfibre Dog Bathrobe.

Taking your dog to the beach can be messy. One of the top tips I have as a dog owner is to have a towel for every scenario. The beach is definitely one of those times you’ll want a specifically designated towel. The Leohome dog towel is large, soft and colourful. This makes it easy to spot on the sand so you’re less likely to lose it.

You can choose from three bright colours: blue, pink and green with pawprint patterns on each. Though be mindful - reviewers have noted that the colour can fade quickly.

Our panel of pros thinks the sizing is excellent for dogs of all breeds. It measures 70 x 140 cm. Every dog from the smallest Pomeranian to the largest Great Dane can feel comfortable draped in this towel.

Luckily, it’s also lightweight. This means you can fold it up neatly and still find it easy to carry around.

The manufacturer claims that absorbency is sky high with this towel. It can absorb up to 70% moisture and can dry 4 times more than the average towel, similar to our number four choice.

Best of all, if you’re not satisfied, there is a 30-day return policy.

How I Choose The Right Dog Towel

Choosing a towel is one of the easier purchases when it comes to dogs. There are fewer factors to consider than, say, buying a harness or a dog bed. So let’s discuss the key attributes our team of independent experts suggest you consider  when searching for a dog towel.

Absorbency

Ah yes. One could argue that the only true measure you should have when it comes to towels is their absorbency. How good is the towel at doing its job? But I’d argue that it depends on the purpose of the towel. For example, beach towels tend to be less absorbent than regular bath towels. This is so that you don’t take the entire patch of beach away with you. Alternatively, bath towels are super absorbent and dense in their material. Think about the type of towel you need and correspond it to the absorbency level you’ll need.

How do you measure the absorbency of a towel from online reviews? You can’t really. Every manufacturer will say that their towel is the most absorbent option on the market. That’s just good marketing! The secret is to scan the reviews. If applicable, an unhappy customer will loudly proclaim that the towel was lacking in the absorbency department. Heed those words. 

Purpose

I touched on purpose briefly but it affects the construction of the towel more than you might think. Let’s consider beach towels again. Not only are they less absorbent, but they are also flat and low grain. You don’t want a beach towel with lots of texture or density. It’s a recipe for disaster as the sand will get stuck in the crevasses.

On the other hand, bath towels can do well with fuzzy, velvety, textured materials. It contributes to fast drying time and extra comfort for your dog when they are cold and wet.

What do you need the towel for?

Bath time? Beach-time? Or simply spot-drying muddy paws after rainy walks?

Size

Sadly, many towels come in one size only. That’s often too small for large and extra large dogs. It’s not the end of the world if a towel is too small for your dog to be completely cloaked by it. That said, it does help with efficient and effective drying time if the towel is large enough for their body.

Softness

Everyone loves sinking into a soft, absorbent towel. The same goes for your dog! Choose super velvety, soft towels for fine hair dogs for some extra comfort. This is less of a factor if your dog has long hair as the towel will have less contact with their skin. That said, scratchy materials can tangle with long hair so a little softness is appreciated for them too.

Durability

Don't we all have a cheap towel that crisps, tatters or shrinks in the wash? It’s then relegated to the back of the closet, used for inconvenient kitchen spills.

Ideally, we don’t want your dog’s towel to have the same fate. You want to choose a towel that can last at least a few years before it ends up in towel purgatory in the kitchen cupboard. Look out for durable materials. Natural materials do best but they can be expensive. Microfibre towels are high on softness but low on durability without the proper care.

It’s worth scanning the reviews for any poor first washing experiences. The commenters of a product will reveal all!

Related: DIY Dog Washing Gear.

How To Use A Dog Towel Effectively

Using a towel seems intuitive, doesn’t it? Well, not entirely! There are a few things to remember when drying your dog with a towel. Here are some top tips from our team of independent experts:

1. Move quickly and gently when drying the face

• Use quick and gentle movements around the face. Avoid the delicate eye area and take a small corner of the towel. Wipe the towel softly over the face and neck. The face tends to dry a lot quicker than any other part of the body as there is generally less fur here. You don’t need to take long here and it will frustrate your dog if you do! 

2. Press and squeeze the towel over your dog’s body

• Avoid rubbing the towel up and down your dog’s fur. 

• By pressing the towel onto your dog’s body, you absorb the excess water without irritating your dog’s skin or tangling fur. 

3. Always buy more than one towel! 

• Not just because a towel may be in the wash when you need it and you need a rotation. You also need towels for different purposes. Beach towels and spot drying towels both have their place. Just as you have more than one towel for yourself, you should have more than one towel for your dog.

My Final Verdict

Every member of our team of independent experts agreed that the best towel overall is the PAWPUP. Though it’s on the smaller side, it has everything you need in a versatile towel for your dog. Absorbency, good price point, simple design and machine washability.

Beyond that, we highly recommend the Leohome beach towel. The extra large size makes it ideal for dogs of all sizes and breeds. It’s lightweight but also highly absorbent. The top reviews attest to how fantastic it is!

References:

1. Mattox, W. April 19, 2022. “Lessons From a Groomer: How to Dry Your Pet Correctly”. PetHelpful. Retrieved July 17, 2022. https://pethelpful.com/dogs/Grooming-Lessons-from-a-Real-Groomer-Lesson-7-How-to-Dry-your-Pet
2. Becker, M. October 22, 2012. “Is It Safe to Blow-Dry My Dog?”. Vet Street. Retrieved July 17, 2022. http://www.vetstreet.com/dr-marty-becker/is-it-safe-to-blow-dry-my-dog