Onsen Review

About Onsen

Onsen launched on Kickstarter in 2017, founded by Shane Monson, who drew on his Japanese heritage to rethink the everyday bath towel. The name itself means “hot spring” in Japanese, and the whole concept centers around the waffle weave tradition common in Japanese bathhouses. The company is headquartered in New York and was acquired by Pattern Brands in September 2022.

The brand’s core promise is simple: towels that dry fast, resist odor, and last. They’ve built their entire line around Supima cotton and waffle weave construction, which is a pretty specific bet. You won’t find thick, fluffy terry towels here. Everything Onsen makes leans toward lightweight and functional, which is either exactly what you want or a dealbreaker (depending on your towel preferences).

They’ve since expanded beyond their original waffle towel into sculpted terry and plush lines, plus bath sheets, hand towels, face towels, and bundles. But the Supima waffle towel is still the flagship, and it’s what most people know them for.

The Supima Cotton Question

Here’s the good news: Onsen’s cotton claims actually hold up to scrutiny. Supima is a trademarked certification, not just a marketing word. The Supima organization licenses the name only to brands using verified American-grown Pima cotton with extra-long staple fibers. These fibers are roughly 50% longer than conventional cotton, which means they can be spun into finer, stronger yarn.

This matters because (unlike the Wild West of “Egyptian cotton” labeling) you can’t just call something Supima without the licensing agreement. It’s one of the more reliable cotton claims you’ll find in the towel market. The fiber itself is grown exclusively in the US, primarily in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

Onsen also carries OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification, which means the finished towels have been tested against 350 potentially harmful chemicals. That’s a real certification with real testing behind it. Between the Supima licensing and the OEKO-TEX cert, the material claims are solid.

The one thing to know: the towels are manufactured in China, not the US. The cotton is American, but the weaving and finishing happen overseas. Onsen describes their factory as highly advanced, and Chinese textile mills absolutely can produce excellent products. But if “Made in USA” matters to you, this isn’t that.

What You Actually Get

The signature Supima Waffle Bath Towel retails at $59 and measures 38 x 67 inches, which is generously oversized compared to a standard bath towel (typically around 27 x 52). It weighs 22.2 ounces. For context, that’s considerably lighter than a typical terry bath towel, which might weigh 30 to 40 ounces depending on GSM.

The waffle weave creates a honeycomb texture with small pockets that trap moisture and increase surface area. It’s a completely different feel from terry cloth. If you’ve ever used a waffle robe at a spa, you know the texture. It’s not plush. It’s crisp, textured, and noticeably thin.

Beyond the flagship, Onsen now offers a Sculpted Terry line (for people who want something closer to a traditional towel) and a Plush collection for those who prefer thickness and weight. Hand towels run about $20 to $30, face towels around $15 to $20, and bath sheets (the oversized option at 38 x 67) are priced higher than the standard bath towel. Bundles bring the per-piece price down considerably, sometimes by 30% to 45% during sales. They also sell through Macy’s, Amazon, and Wayfair if you prefer a retailer with easier returns.

The 60-day money-back guarantee sounds generous on paper, but given the customer service issues (more on that below), I’d buy through a third-party retailer for the return policy safety net.

What Buyers Say

The praise is pretty consistent across platforms. People who love Onsen towels really love them. The quick-drying performance is the most frequently mentioned benefit, and long-term users confirm the towels hold up well over years of washing without pilling, fraying, or fading. One reviewer on WeTried.it tested theirs for over three years and reported they still looked and performed like new. The odor resistance is another frequent highlight, especially from people in humid climates.

The complaints break into two camps. First, the texture issue: if you’re coming from thick terry towels, the waffle weave can feel rough or insubstantial. This is personal preference (I think of it like the difference between percale and sateen sheets, neither is wrong, they’re just different). But it’s worth knowing before you spend $59 on a towel that might feel like a kitchen cloth to you.

Second, and more concerning, is the customer service situation. On Trustpilot, Onsen sits at 2.5 out of 5 stars. The reviews there are rough. Multiple customers report sending emails that go completely unanswered, missing items in orders with no resolution, and damaged products arriving with no response from the company. The BBB profile for Onsen Supply LLC (based in Lehi, Utah) shows the company is not BBB accredited. For a brand selling premium-priced towels, that’s a real gap.

On other platforms like Thingtesting, the picture is more balanced, with an overall score around 3.9 out of 5. And on Onsen’s own site and Amazon, reviews skew significantly more positive. The pattern I see is that people who receive their order without issues tend to be happy with the product. It’s when something goes wrong that the experience falls apart.

How Onsen Compares

Feature	Onsen	Parachute	Brooklinen	Coyuchi
Cotton Type	Supima (USA-grown)	Turkish Long-Staple	Turkish Cotton	Organic Cotton
Weave	Waffle	Waffle & Terry	Terry	Terry & Waffle
Bath Towel Price	~$59	~$42	~$39	~$48
OEKO-TEX Certified	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
GOTS Certified	No	No	No	Yes
Trustpilot Rating	2.5/5	1.6/5	2.5/5	Limited reviews
Made In	China	Turkey	Turkey	India/Portugal

Who Should Buy Onsen?

This brand is for you if:

• You hate musty towel smell and want something that actually dries between uses
• Lightweight, fast-drying towels appeal to you more than thick, plush ones
• You care about verified cotton sourcing (Supima licensing is legit)
• You live in a humid climate where terry towels take forever to dry
• You want an oversized towel without the heavy weight that comes with oversized terry

Skip this if:

• You want that thick, luxurious hotel towel feel (look at Brooklinen or a high-GSM Turkish cotton instead)
• Responsive customer service is important to you, because Onsen’s track record is poor
• You’re on a budget, since $59 per bath towel is hard to justify when solid options exist for $30 to $40
• You’ve never tried waffle weave before and aren’t sure you’ll like the texture (buy a single towel first, not a bundle)