Decathlon Nabaiji Swimming Microfibre Towel Review

Overview

Decathlon’s Nabaiji Size S is a 39 x 55 cm double-sided microfibre towel that was designed for swimmers who need to blot off at the pool, and it has been adopted by travelers and hikers who want something that weighs less than a AA battery pair. At 43 g and roughly the price of a coffee, it is a face, hands and neck towel, not a body towel. The trade-off is plain: almost no weight and no cost, in exchange for a flat, slightly slick feel and limited capacity.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Weight	43 g
Dimensions	39 x 55 cm
Material	88% polyester, 12% polyamide
Fabric density	170 gsm
Construction	Double-sided, two-tone (blue/green)
Care	Machine washable, cold wash, tumble dry low, no fabric softener
Typical price	About €2.99 at Decathlon

Performance

Size and packability. Folded, the towel disappears into a hip-belt pocket or the corner of a toiletry bag. Decathlon pitches the Size S as a pocket towel, and the claim holds up: it is small enough to forget about until needed. The 39 x 55 cm footprint is the limiting factor. It is about the size of a hand towel, which covers a face, a head of short hair or a pair of wet hands, but will not do much for a torso.

Absorbency. Microfibre towels of this type work by trapping water in the spaces of the weave rather than soaking it into the fibre, which is why they feel damp quickly and dry fast. Decathlon advises patting rather than rubbing, and owners of the Nabaiji range generally follow that technique. Reviews of the brand’s towels are mixed on absorbency: some buyers say they soak up water well, others call it middling. At 170 gsm and about 0.2 square metres of cloth, the Size S has a limited reservoir, so expect to wring it out partway through drying anything bigger than a face and arms.

Drying time. This is where the towel earns its place. Thin polyester-polyamide cloth gives up moisture quickly, and the material is the same cationic polyester blend used across the Nabaiji line. Clipped to a pack strap or draped over a bush at a lunch stop, it is typically ready for reuse well before the next break. Hikers who have been burned by a cotton bandana that stays clammy for a full day tend to appreciate the difference.

Feel. The common complaint about Nabaiji towels, across sizes, is texture. The weave is flat and a touch slippery rather than suede-soft like pricier travel towels, and some buyers wish it were gentler on skin. For wiping hands, rinsing sweat off the face, or blotting after a stream crossing, it does the job. Anyone who dislikes the clingy sensation of microfibre will not be converted.

Durability and care. Decathlon describes the fabric as tear-resistant and tolerant of repeated washing, and the towel is machine washable. The brand’s care guidance for the line is a cold wash and a low tumble dry, with fabric softener avoided because it coats the fibres and kills absorbency. The Size S has a very large owner base: the Decathlon Greece listing carries a 4.8 out of 5 rating from more than 4,000 reviews, a strong showing for a product at this price.

What it lacks. There is no hang loop, no snap, no stuff sack and no antimicrobial treatment. Dedicated backpacking towels from Cocoon and others add those features and charge five to ten times as much for the privilege. On a multi-day trip, the towel should be rinsed and dried in the sun when possible, since a damp microfibre cloth left in a closed pocket will pick up odor.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 43 g, light enough that carrying a spare costs almost nothing
• Dries quickly and packs to a size that fits in a pocket
• Machine washable and tolerant of repeated washing
• Around €2.99, so losing it at a hostel or a trailhead is a non-event
• Strong owner ratings across thousands of reviews
• Two-tone design makes it easy to assign one side to face and one to hands

Cons

• Too small to dry a body; best treated as a face, hands and gear towel
• Flat, somewhat slick feel that some users find unpleasant on skin
• Modest absorbency that requires wringing out between passes
• No hang loop, stuff sack or other backpacking-specific features

Who Should Buy This

Section hikers, thru-hikers and travelers who want a dedicated hand-and-face towel, or a swim-and-dry cloth for a lake stop, will get their money’s worth. It also suits anyone who carries a larger camp towel and wants a small second one for hygiene or dishes. Those who need to dry their whole body after a shower or swim should step up to the larger Nabaiji sizes, which cover a torso, or to a dedicated travel towel. Hikers who value a soft touch over weight savings should also look elsewhere.

Verdict

The Nabaiji Size S is a very cheap and very light piece of kit that does one job competently: getting water off a face and a pair of hands, then drying again before the next break. It is neither soft nor large, and it does not pretend to be. For the money, it belongs in most hikers’ toiletry bags.