I can see the advertised “GSM” of the towel, now what?

Do all sellers of guest towels know how to calculate GSM as the measure of a wholesale towel’s quality? Maybe not. Our industry is made up of two distinct schools of thought when it comes to advertising the thickness of a towel, GSM, and weight per dozen. It is best to clearly explain the differences and tie the two components together, thus illustrating what these elements mean to you and the consumer.

The problem with showing GSM is that it is an unknown term to those outside the industry. Many consumers do not understand the connection between GSM, thickness, and quality of the towel without more context.  Here is a thorough explanation of the differences between thickness and GSM and how they are tied together.

The Meaning of GSM in Towels

GSM stands for “grams per square meter,” which measures how “thick” the terry is on your towel. Consumers intuitively feel for terry thickness when buying towels.

To explain GSM differences, we’ll use examples of towel quality that most people already know from experience.

1. A 350 GSM towel is a basic product often used in a hospital, camp, or gym — similar to those in our Arctic collection.
2. A 500 GSM bath towel is a standard thickness. For example, mid-level hotel properties or a mid-price point towel section in a big box store will have these towels — similar to our Admiral or Pearl towels.
3. A product that is “plush” typically would have a GSM of 650 or higher. You will often find plush towels in spas, high-end hotels, and specialty towel stores — similar to our Magellan towel collection.