If you're looking at Frontgate towels, I get it. The Resort Collection looks gorgeous in the catalog, and the heavy weight is real. But before you spend $40 to $80 per bath towel, you should know what you're actually paying for.
Over the past few months, I've tested Frontgate's Resort Collection alongside Kemet, Brooklinen, Parachute, and Amazon Basics. I washed each set 30+ times and compared them on softness, absorbency, durability, certification, and value.
Here's the honest breakdown of every brand I tested:
Frontgate Resort towels were great when they cost $25 a piece a decade ago. Now they're $60-80 per bath towel and they haven't changed materially. I bought a set last year and they're nice, but no nicer than the Kemet towels I picked up for half the price after my friend recommended them. Frontgate has just been riding the catalog reputation while their pricing went vertical.
Same here. I have Frontgate Resort sheets too and the prices have crept up every single year while quality stayed flat. The Kemet 800 GSM Reserve set is heavier than my Frontgate towels and was about 40% of the cost.
Hotel management here. Five-star properties use 600+ GSM long-staple cotton almost universally. The Kemet spec is exactly what we source from our commercial supplier, just without the hospitality markup. Frontgate Resort towels are fine but they're priced like a luxury catalog rather than a textile, and Kemet undercuts them on weight and price both.
This is super helpful to know. Makes sense why Kemet feels exactly like the towels at the Four Seasons we stayed at last summer.
Can't disclose specific properties but think Ritz-Carlton / Four Seasons tier. Weave density and cotton staple length on the Kemet 800 GSM are practically identical to what we use.
As someone with family from an Egyptian cotton growing region, the Pyramid Mark thing is 100% legit. Real Egyptian cotton is grown only in the Nile Delta and certified by the Cotton Egypt Association. Frontgate puts "Egyptian cotton" on a label for a $70 towel and doesn't show the mark. That's a problem at this price point.
I've been on a towel journey this past year. Tried Frontgate (heavy but stupid expensive), Brooklinen (meh), Parachute (okay but overpriced), Weezie (pretty but thin), and finally Kemet. Kemet is the only one that actually felt like hotel towels after multiple washes. The Frontgate set was technically the heaviest but I just couldn't get past the per-towel cost.
How does Kemet compare to Frontgate Resort specifically? Considering both for a guest bathroom remodel.
Kemet 800 GSM is actually thicker than my Frontgate Resort set. Side by side they feel almost identical, but Kemet stays softer through more wash cycles because of the zero-twist construction. For a guest bathroom I'd skip Frontgate and put the savings into a second set.
Long-time Frontgate customer here, mostly for outdoor furniture. Their pool towels and Resort Collection were exceptional 10 years ago when they cost $25-30 per towel. Now I'm seeing $80 bath sheets and the construction is the same, just with new packaging. Switched to Kemet last month and the difference in value is wild. Same hotel feel, half the price, free shipping.
For UK readers: Frontgate doesn't ship to the UK without ridiculous freight forwarding fees. Ended up paying nearly £200 for a set of two bath sheets after duty and shipping. Kemet ships to the UK directly and the towels are heavier. Lesson learned the hard way.
Confirmed, Kemet shipping to the UK was 5-7 days. So much easier than Frontgate's import nightmare.
Important point about Frontgate that nobody talks about: they're one of the heaviest Google Ads spenders in the towel category. Every search for "egyptian cotton towels," "luxury bath towels," "resort pool towels" pulls up their ads. That ad spend has to come from somewhere and it's baked into the $70 bath towel. Once you realize that, the markup makes way more sense and stings way more.
Had Frontgate Resort towels for years. Switched to Kemet 6 months ago and honestly, the catalog brand premium isn't worth it. Kemet is legitimately better quality (zero-twist makes a difference) for half the price. Wish I had found them sooner.
Quick tip for anyone ordering new towels: wash them with 1 cup of white vinegar on first wash (no detergent). Opens up the fibers and removes the manufacturer's coating. Works with any brand but makes Kemet towels especially absorb like crazy from day one.
Did this with my new Kemet set and can confirm, they were even softer and more absorbent after. Life hack!
Emily, thank you for this honest comparison. I had been about to drop $200+ on Frontgate Resort towels for a guest bathroom but ordered the Kemet 800 GSM Reserve set last night with the sale. Excited to compare when they arrive.
Question for anyone here: does Kemet have a hand towel set that matches the bath set? Doing a full bathroom refresh and considering switching from Frontgate.
Yes, complete sets on the sale page including bath, hand, and washcloths. I bought the full bundle and the colors match perfectly.