Towel Value Versus Price–There Really is a Difference
How many times have you bought something simply because “it was a great price”? And what’s more, when you looked at the item, weren’t you certain it had to be just as good as any other at more than triple the cost? But when you started using that great bargain at a third of the cost of that other brand, it turned out that it was just a great price but really lacked in the area of performance.
It's happened to all of us at one time another. It’s easy to confuse a low price with a value. One of my biggest pet peeves in the price versus value equation is bath towels. As I walk through the aisles of my local warehouse clubs, big box store and off-price retailers I see all the beautiful towels with their vibrant colors, soft and luxurious touch, great designs, and all at prices that make them look like a great value…Right? Not really!
I decided to buy some of those great priced towels with that soft and luxurious touch and irresistible colors and give them a try. They looked great in my bathroom, hanging there all fresh and new. I couldn’t wait to take a shower and dry off with that luxurious soft loft. Just one thing, that beautiful soft loft is created by the use of an industrial grade fabric softener that is applied to the towel to give it that great look and feel. The side effect of that softener is a towel that performs like it’s made of silicone rather than cotton—silicone may be a bit extreme but you get the idea. The towel just moves the water around rather than wicking it away with all of its luscious soft fibers. My result was a less than enjoyable experience trying to dry off. So I thought, maybe I should have washed it first. The next thing I did was wash the towel and try again. Unfortunately, it didn’t really help and after a few washes I just gave up and donated the towels to my local thrift store.
In my next attempt, I tried a slightly higher priced towel from an off-price store. A nice brand name and some pretty cool embellishments gave them the appearance of being really high quality. Just to be sure, I washed my towels first. After the first wash, they weren’t quite so special looking, however. The embellishments didn’t shrink like the towel and were all puckered up, but I could live with that as long as the towel performed well. Unfortunately, I got the same result; it just moved the water around and now I had a ratty looking towel that didn’t work
For my final attempt, I tried the towels from my Wholesale Club. They looked great and the price was outstanding. They seemed so thick and absorbent; I just knew they would perform the best. Yet, the performance after washing was even worse than the other 2 sets I’d tried! I wash them 5, maybe 6 times; sure it was bound to soften them up…wrong again. They still hung onto that watershed performance, but now they were puckered on the ends and full of picks, pills, and pulls. These towels were just about a week old and looked like I had them for years.
My lesson here was “I get what I pay for”. That and not all towels are created equal. I would rather pay for a towel that truly performs and lasts than to buy a bunch of “great price” towels that I will never meet expectations and will need replacing in just a matter of months.
You’ve heard my story, and here’s my recommendation: Before you buy, be sure they don’t use any industrial softener in the towel. Look for 100% cotton or a cotton/model mix. Cotton is best from Egypt or America, including the U.S. and Brazil. Long staple carded cotton, organic cotton, and genuine Egyptian cotton will offer you the best performance, best look, and the most durability. But, weight is also important. A good basic towel will be from 440 GSM (Grams per Square Meter) to 800GSM with your nicest loft in the 600-700GSM range.
For this reason, VivaTerra offers beautiful Brazilian Long Staple Cotton Towels with a lofty 700GSM weight. We never use industrial fabric softeners so that our towels perform like the best you’ll ever own. They are available in classic neutrals, such as white, ivory, birch or aqua, so that their style stands the test of time as well as their quality. The price for our premium carded cotton bath towel is just $29, or $25 when you buy 2 or more. I may be biased, but I do know for a fact, this towel is a value.
Now that you’ve taken the time to read my story I hope you learn from my towel buying mistakes. I truly believe you will love our towels and I want you to try them! I want to extend a “Try Me” bath towel at just $12.50, that’s half the cost of the 2 or more price. Call our customer service team at 800.247.6799 and let an agent know that you’d like to try a VivaTerra premium carded cotton bath towel. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed. Once you’ve tried it, let us know by giving it a rating on our web page. I am certain that you’ll agree, it’s the best value towel you’ve every tried.