Sand Cloud beach towel review: soft cotton towels perfect for lounging

As a native southern Californian who, surprise surprise, loves the beach, I can assure you that a nice and comfortable towel is instrumental to enjoying a long summer afternoon spent lounging lazily on the sand.

Founded in 2014 by three friends, Sand Cloud is an online company that’s making the soft, eye-catching beach towels you’ll see everyone enjoying by the shores this summer — including me. More importantly, though, is its mission to support the conservation of marine life.

Founders Brandon Leibel, Bruno Aschidamini, and Steven Ford met while working at an insurance call center in San Diego, and bonded over their love of the beach and marine conservation. They decided to combine these passions into a product that helps people enjoy the beach right now and for years to come.

With a mission to “save marine life,” Sand Cloud donates 10% of profits to non-profit partner organizations like the Marine Conservation Institute, Surfrider Foundation, and the Pacific Marine Mammal Center. Since its launch, the company has done $20 million in sales.

Sand Cloud actually started out making towel pillows. However, at a trade show in 2015, buyers were more interested in a mandala towel style that didn’t have a pillow attached. Sand Cloud’s first big break was when Quiksilver bought $20,000 worth of these mandala towels, which are still a best seller today. The company went on to appear in a 2017 episode of “Shark Tank,” where it received an investment and the national exposure to propel its growth.

Though it has expanded past beach towels into apparel, other eco-friendly accessories like reusable metal straws and reef-safe sunscreen, and even a bedding collection with Bed Bath & Beyond, its original beach towels are still what I recommend shopping first. Sand Cloud sells a variety of sizes and patterns of its 100% Turkish cotton towels, as well as towels made of 45% recycled cotton, 25% recycled polyester, and 30% Turkish cotton.

They’re not very thick or heavy, so they won’t weigh down your beach bag, and they easily shake out sand and other small debris. While decently absorbent, I wouldn’t rely on them entirely to dry yourself off if you come back from your swim soaking wet (I’d recommend Snowe’s beach towels for this task). Instead, I think they’re better suited for light drying jobs and lounging. The soft feel makes it practically irresistible to wrap yourself in the towel as the sun sets and the temperatures cool down.

Ranging in price from $39 to $65, they are more expensive than your average beach towel, but they’re also an easy purchase to justify if you’re looking for additional ways to support marine conservation causes. Because Sand Cloud works with multiple partners, each product sold contributes to local beach cleanups, marine mammal rehabilitation, improved access to environmental education in coastal communities, and other initiatives.

Shop Sand Cloud towels at Amazon here

Shop all towels and eco-friendly accessories at Sand Cloud here