Oura Alta Towel Review: Proves You Really Do Get What You Paid For!

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The Lowdown

It’s safe to say that the copper infusion does offer benefits to the Oura Alta Towel; a towel that’s not going to get musty and gross hanging off your door between uses is amazing all by itself. And it sounds like Oura put a lot of effort and technological know-how into infusing the copper right into the cotton. But I wouldn’t buy it for the purposes of trying to reduce wrinkles or improve your skin.

Overall
4.5

Pros

  • Incredibly soft
  • Really does stay fresh after use
  • Very absorbent
  • Antimicrobial features are extra useful in low-ventilation bathrooms
  • You’ll never want to travel the galaxy without this towel

Cons

  • Expensive
  • I’m skeptical of the skin-health claims

If you asked me two weeks ago if I had a preferred towel at home, I would have probably stared at you blankly. Or pointed out that “preferred towel” was a really fancy way to say “whatever towel is clean and available.” That was before the Oura Alta Towel arrived; now I understand why Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy strenuously suggested you never forget your towel … because a good towel is a game-changer.

Oura Alta Towel

The Oura Alta Towel and I got off to a bad start. See, it had the misfortune of arriving right as I was moving, so I tossed it with the other “to be unpacked” boxes. Then, by the time I reached it and opened the outer box only to discover the towel was nicely presented inside yet another box … well, let’s say I had some less than nice things to say about finding a box within a box after I had just spent 12 hours unpacking.

However, I’ll give Oura credit because if you’re spending $155 on a towel, it should come in a nicely presented box. Under literally any other circumstances, I definitely would have appreciated the presentation more.

Oura Alta Towel

In any case, the point of that story was not to contemplate box-ception but to simply explain that I came into handling the towel very grumpy. It won me over almost immediately, though, because this is the softest towel I have ever used.

It’s like getting a hug from a costly cloud when I get out of the shower. Admittedly, I don’t remember when I last bought new towels, which means my existing towels are probably getting long in the tooth. But seriously, the Oura Alta Towel rivals anything I’ve encountered in a high-end hotel.

It’s a really, really, really soft towel, and the claims of being super absorbent seem to be true. I’m all about efficiency when I’m getting ready in the morning, and the Oura Alta Towel is not only so soft, but it’s also incredibly absorbent, making the whole shower that much more pleasant AND streamlined!

Oura Alta Towel

Oura claims a lot of reasons why the Alta is worth the equivalent of a lifetime supply of Dollar Store gum:

  • Antimicrobial: Copper-infused fibers self-sterilize to kill 99% of bacteria and mold.
  • Ultra-plush: Weighs in at 650 grams per square inch (GSM), meaning a soft, luxurious feel.
  • Super absorbent: Densely packed cotton fibers wick away moisture instantly.
  • Hypoallergenic: Made with 100% cotton and no harsh chemicals so it’s safe for even the most sensitive skin.
  • Deodorizing: Breaks down odor-causing molecules and bacteria so it never gets musty.
  • Eco-friendly: EPA approved manufacturing process ensures the copper particles won’t leach into the water.
  • Infused to Last: No loss of antimicrobial efficacy even after 100 washes.
  • Anti-aging: Copper has been scientifically proven to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and help promote skin elasticity.

I do have some concerns about these claims. I can confirm the towel does not appear to get musty; it’s very clearly quite plush, and it is very absorbent.

The hypoallergenic claim is tough to prove, especially since people with sensitive skin tend to get very nervous if you ask them if it’s ok to rub a towel on their skin to see what happens.

But let’s assume the absorbency, deodorizing, absorbency, and plush claims are all true or at least fall into the heading of expected outcomes from owning this towel. The part that’s really got my eyebrows raised is all the copper claims because those are a little dicier to analyze and prove.

Oura Alta Towel

Copper surfaces are indeed known for being antimicrobial. That’s not only a generally accepted scientific fact; it can be easily tested and proven. As it turns out, the NIH also has links to studies showing that fabrics infused with copper, like the Alta towel, also have antimicrobial properties! So it does appear the science is in Oura’s favor, and the Alta is legitimately antimicrobial in nature.

It’s a little bit more of a stretch to claim that the Alta towel is anti-aging. There is some argument that copper fabrics might confer some anti-inflammatory benefits, but unless you cocoon yourself in your towel daily (and if you do, that’s between you, your towel, and your dermatologist), it’s not magically going to confer those properties because you rubbed your legs dry for 30 seconds per day. It’s far more likely those benefits would come from prolonged and ongoing contact (like copper-infused clothing or sheets) over something that very likely has much less contact with your skin.

Having dissected all that, it’s safe to say that the copper infusion does offer benefits to the Oura Alta Towel; a towel that’s not going to get musty and gross hanging off your door between uses is amazing all by itself. And it sounds like Oura put a lot of effort and technological know-how into infusing the copper right into the cotton. But I wouldn’t buy it for the purposes of trying to reduce wrinkles or improve your skin.

Still, the Oura Alta Towe is soft, absorbent, and doesn’t get musty instantly, and that alone is pretty good — even if it doesn’t also fix your wrinkles and slap chop your vegetables!

The Oura Alta Towel sells for $155; it is available directly from the manufacturer.

Source: Manufacturer provided a review unit

What I Liked: Incredibly soft; Really does stay fresh after use; Very absorbent; Antimicrobial features are extra useful in low-ventilation bathrooms; You’ll never want to travel the galaxy without this towel

What Needs Improvement: Expensive; I’m skeptical of the skin-health claims

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About the Author

Zek
Zek has been a gadget fiend for a long time, going back to their first PDA (a Palm M100). They quickly went from researching what PDA to buy to following tech news closely and keeping up with the latest and greatest stuff. They love writing about ebooks because they combine their two favorite activities; reading anything and everything, and talking about fun new tech toys. What could be better?

6 Comments on "Oura Alta Towel Review: Proves You Really Do Get What You Paid For!"

  1. cfischer69 | June 18, 2021 at 5:26 pm |

    $155 per towel. I’m not sure if I’ve spent $155 altogether on towels in 20 years

  2. Lots of nice fabric innovations with clothes/shoes and such. While it’s nice to see it in towels, can’t see it at this price.

  3. They should get some other brands of towels, not cheap ones, and demonstrate the antimicrobial properties, by showing what their towels and the other towels look like at various numbers of days after being exposed to typical bathroom microbes and left in a damp environment.

  4. That price is alarming. Not only that, but the towels I’ve enjoyed using the most, ever, were the ones that dried on the line at my grandma’s house. Rough, and scrubby. Not sure I would like ultra-soft. And I know I would never be able to forget how much I paid. These are a no.

  5. The listed pros are pretty impressive, but the price of $155 per towel is way too expensive for the average consumer. Still, I enjoyed reading your review because I was interested in what a towel at that price had to offer. Thanks!

  6. RICARDO MENEZES | June 23, 2021 at 3:17 am |

    The price is high, but it’s still interesting and a good suggestion to buy on a promotion when it appears.

Comments are closed.