The Best Hair Towel for Color-Treated Hair

You paid real money for that color. Then you went home and rubbed it dry with a bath towel.

We've all done it. Most of us learned to dry our hair by grabbing whatever towel was closest and scrubbing until it stopped dripping. It feels harmless. It isn't.

Why color-treated hair needs a gentler towel

The American Academy of Dermatology puts it plainly: "Hair is delicate when it's wet." Their advice on drying is just as direct: "Wrap your hair with a towel or t-shirt to gently absorb the moisture, as roughly rubbing your hair dry can cause damage."

That goes for every head of hair. But if you color, you're trying to make one appointment last as long as it can, so the everyday habits matter more. Towel drying is the habit nobody thinks about.

What to look for in a towel for color-treated hair

You want a towel that does the work so you don't have to rub. That comes down to two things: how much water it can pull out, and how fast.

The VOLO Hero Hair Towel is made from Nanoweave®, a fabric we created to hold up to 10 times its weight in water. That claim is Intertek-certified. It also dries hair up to 50% faster than a standard towel. You wrap, you walk away, and the towel does the absorbing.

It's also the towel Byrdie named Best Hair Towel Overall in March 2026, and it won Allure Best of Beauty in 2021 and 2022.

How to towel dry color-treated hair

1. Squeeze the excess water out with your hands first. No wringing.
2. Wrap your hair in the towel and secure it.
3. Leave it on while you do the rest of your routine. Face, body, coffee. The towel keeps working.
4. Unwrap and detangle gently. A wide-tooth comb works, and so does the VOLO Frizz Out Paddle Brush, which is made to detangle without pulling, wet or dry.
5. If you blow dry, follow the AAD's lead: "Limit blow drying," and "use low or medium heat settings and a product to protect your hair from the heat."

A few things to skip

• Rubbing. Blot or wrap instead.
• Twisting your hair tight inside the towel. Snug is fine. Tight isn't.
• Fabric softener and dryer sheets on your hair towel. They coat the fibers and make any towel less absorbent.
• High heat. In the AAD's words, "No matter your hair type, excessive heat can cause damage."

FAQ

Will a hair towel stop my color from fading?

No towel can promise that, and you should be wary of any that does. Fading comes from a lot of things, including your shampoo and the sun. What a good towel can do is take rubbing out of your routine, which is one of the easiest changes to make.

What's the best way to dry color-treated hair?

Squeeze, wrap, and let an absorbent towel pull the water out before any heat touches your hair. Then detangle gently with a wide-tooth comb or the VOLO Frizz Out Paddle Brush, and keep the dryer on low or medium.

Does this work on bleached or highlighted hair?

Yes. Wrapping and blotting instead of rubbing is the same advice for any hair that's been chemically treated.

I have curly, color-treated hair. Anything different?

Plopping works beautifully with this towel. See our guide to the best hair towel for curly hair.

How long should I leave the towel on?

Long enough for the towel to pull out most of the water. Most people wear it through the rest of their morning routine.

How do I wash my VOLO towel?

Machine wash warm with like colors. Tumble dry low or hang to dry. No bleach, no fabric softener, no dryer sheets.

Shop the VOLO Hero Hair Towel, the VOLO Super Hero XL Hair Towel for long or thick hair, and the VOLO Frizz Out Paddle Brush. Or read why regular towels make hair frizzy, and browse the full hair care collection.