Comparing Heavyweight Luxury Bath Towels: Abyss Super Pile and Graccioza Egoist

Upgrading to a set of spa-quality bath towels is a wonderful way to refine your entire bath experience. This article compares two popular heavyweight, luxury towel styles: Abyss Super Pile and Graccioza Egoist.

Investing in heavyweight, spa-quality towels can completely transform the look of your bathroom and significantly improve your bath experience. But it can be a bit overwhelming to know where to start searching for the perfect luxury towel. You may have decided you want a high-quality, heavier GSM towel, but there are quite a few other variables to consider:

• Color and towel size options
• Coordinating bath mat and rugs
• Design details and more

The Fine Linen and Bath team is here to offer expertise you can count on when shopping for luxury towels. We can answer questions, provide suggestions, and even make personalized recommendations to help you find the best bath towel for you. Today, we will help you get started with a deep dive into two of our most popular heavyweight Giza cotton bath towels: Abyss Super Pile and Graccioza Egoist.

Abyss Super Pile: Luxury, Design, and Wonderful Versatility

Super Pile is the best-selling style from the famous Portuguese towel manufacturer, Abyss. Super Pile towels are the absolute definition of thick, plush, luxury. They weigh in at a heavy 700 GSM and are incredibly soft with a spa-like feel. That weight coupled with a long loop terry weave on both sides means Abyss Super Pile are ultra-absorbent, thirsty towels.

• 700 GSM plain weave
• 100% ELS Giza cotton made in Portugal
• Highly absorbent
• 60 designer shades and a range of sizes
• Coordinating bath mats, robes, Habidecor rugs
• Signature continuous rounded corners for durability
• Pre-shrunk and piece dyed

Made with Pure Giza Cotton

This is no ordinary cotton bath towel. While other cotton towel brands may incorporate different grades of Egyptian cotton in their products, the Super Pile luxury bath towel is made exclusively with Giza cotton with proportionately more weight into the pile of the towel as opposed to the base. As a result, Super Pile towels are more absorbent than other towels of the same weight and dry you off quickly.

Sixty Super Pile Color Shades Made to Match with Any Décor

Abyss Super Pile towels come in 60 designer shades from intense jewel tones to classic white, Ivory, and Ecru. Super Pile towels also come in a wide range of sizes, including three sizes of hand towel (the largest is perfect for drying hair); two sizes of bath sheet, two sizes of bath mat, and even a robe. Abyss Super Pile towels also coordinate with luxury bath rugs made by Habidecor, the sister company of Abyss. Two solid-color styles -- Habidecor’s Must Rug and Reversible Rug -- come in the same color palette as Super Pile.

Super Pile’s Signature Design Details

Super Pile towels are made with Abyss’ signature bias tape trim with continuous rounded corners and one hidden seam. This design makes Super Pile towels more durable than towels with a traditional square finish with multiple seams that might fray. Super Pile towels are also pre-shrunk and “piece-dyed” after sewing to ensure the towel, label, and trim are color matched.

Graciozza Egoist: Heavyweight Style, Superior Absorbency and Freshness

Egoist is the ultimate luxury bath towel from Graccioza, a Portuguese manufacturer known for premium, high-end bath linen. Designed to provide you with the most sumptuous bath experience, Egoist is made from 800 GSM Extra Long Staple Egyptian Giza Cotton. These heavy, voluminous towels offer the utmost absorbency and softness.

• 800 GSM plain weave spa bath towel
• 100% ELS Giza cotton made in Portugal
• Highly absorbent
• 32 color shades and range of sizes
• Coordinating bath mats with anti-slip backing, bath robes; Egoist, Prestige, and Classic rugs.
• Specially treated to resist bacteria, mold, and fungus

Made with Pure Giza Cotton

Graccioza Egoist towels are made from 100% extra-long-staple Egyptian Giza cotton, which is widely recognized as the finest on earth. This cotton is grown in the Giza Valley of the Nile River, where the heat, humidity, and nutrient-rich soil combine to provide the ideal growing conditions. Giza cotton is also harvested by hand to preserve the integrity of the cotton fiber.

Thirty-two Egoist Color Shades, Many Size and Style Choices

Egoist towels come in 30 colors and a variety of sizes, including a wash mitt and two sizes of bath sheets for plenty of versatility and style options. The Egoist collection also includes a woven bath mat in eight colors with anti-slip silicone backing; a dedicated collection of Egoist Bath Rugs; a robe in three colors; and pool towels treated to resist sun and bleach. Egoist can also be matched with Graccioza Classic and Graccioza Prestige rugs.

Egoist is Made To Resist Bacteria, Mold and Fungus

Egoist towels are a classic towel collection that also offers something special: they are treated with a formula that inhibits the bacteria, mold, and fungus that collects in fabric. This unique textile treatment keeps even heavyweight towels like Egoist feeling fresh over time. This is particularly important in warmer climates and seasons.

Comparing Abyss Super Pile and Graccioza Egoist Towels

An Egyptian cotton towel is known to be superior, and both Abyss Super Pile and Graccioza Egoist are made from 100% extra-long-staple Egyptian Giza cotton. The weight difference is minimal, with Egoist coming in slightly heavier but Abyss adding more proportional weight into the pile of the towel. Both towels are made in Portugal, which is known for its textile artistry and craftsmanship. You can read more about the towels of Portugal here.

Abyss Super Pile has a wider variety of color choices and the size option of an extra-large hand towel that is perfect for drying hair. Graccioza, on the other hand, has more options for matching bath rugs, although not in the full range of colors. Super Pile offers its unique rounded corner design for durability, while Egoist is specially treated to resist bacteria, mold, and fungus. Abyss Super Pile is a bit more expensive than Graccioza Egoist; the cost of a similarly sized bath towel is $112.50 for Super Pile vs. $93 for Egoist.

These luxury bath towels are both wonderful in quality and performance. If you are interested in colored towels, Abyss Super Pile offers more color options, but at a higher price point. Graccioza Egoist offers a unique anti-bacterial, anti-fungal treatment that is very nice to have, especially in a heavier towel.

Our recommendation: It comes down to personal preference. There is no bad choice!

Comparing Abyss Super Pile and Graccioza Egoist Towels at a Glance

Caring for Your High-GSM Luxury Towels

With proper care, your heavyweight luxury towels will stay plush and beautiful over time. Follow these simple steps to help your bath towel set stay beautiful and absorbent:

1. Wash your new towels before using. Read the care label and carefully remove any plastic tags with scissors.
2. Sort towels by color (light, dark, and white towels separately) and weight. Wash these heavier towels in a load by themselves. With high-GSM towels, you may be able to wash only a couple at a time so as not to overload your machine.
3. Use a detergent specially made for luxury linen such as Heritage Park Luxury All-Purpose Detergent. This concentrated detergent is made with plant-based ingredients and a proprietary blend of cleaning enzymes in a pH-neutral formula. It will get your towels clean and protect the integrity of the fabric. Never use chlorine bleach, a detergent containing bleach, or any type of fabric softeners.
4. Wash your towels water to preserve color and protect towel fibers (a white towel can be washed in warm or hot as needed for cleaning). Shake towels out after washing and dry according to instructions; medium temperatures are best for towel fabric.
5. Skip using dryer sheets, which leave a waxy build up on towels and your machine. Instead, dry your towels with a set of wool dryer balls to restore softness and decrease drying time.

Over time, even plush towels can lose a bit of their softness and smell a bit stale despite regular washing. This happens due to mineral build up from hard water. Happily, you can revive and restore your luxury towels to “like new” condition in two simple steps using just baking soda and vinegar in your washing machine. Read more about how to keep your luxury towels soft and beautiful with these cleaning instructions.