Despite taking up very little space, the best bath mat is one of those bathroom essentials that you really notice when it’s not there. The right one will keep you steady on wet floors, soak up excess water and give your bathroom a little finishing touch.
As with the best bath towels, there’s plenty of choice when it comes to picking out a bath mat. I tend to favour simple white or grey designs, but they’re also an easy, affordable way to bring a pop of colour or pattern to an otherwise plain bathroom.
When testing and researching, I had a few key criteria that had to be met. I looked for bath mats that were absorbent, slip-resistant and stylish. I also paid close attention to how easy each one was to wash and dry, as regular cleaning is essential for keeping mould and musty smells at bay. Nobody wants a bath mat that takes forever to dry.
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The best bath mats for 2026 are:
- Best overall – M&S pure cotton floral bath mat: £16, Marksandspencer.com
- Best budget buy – OHS scallop edge tufted bath mat: £6, Onlinehomeshop.com
- Best non-slip bath mat – Dreams and Drapes Sandringham leaf bath mat: £12.87, Amazon.co.uk
- Best quick-drying bath mat – Soak and Sleep Egyptian cotton bath mat: £9, Soakandsleep.com
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Marks & Spencer pure cotton floral bath mat
Best: bath mat overall
Why we love it
- Unfussy look
- Doesn’t slip even without plastic backing
After a month of testing, I found Marks & Spencer’s pure cotton design to be the best bath mat. It doesn’t have a thick plastic backing, but you won’t be at risk of slipping thanks to the textured weave that helps it stay in place. This also means it dries quickly between uses – but it can be tumble-dried, which is a big bonus.
The textured design continues on the front with a subtle floral jacquard pattern that is more interesting than a plain bath mat, but isn’t in your face. It’s also surprisingly pleasant underfoot. The great price means it’s hard to really fault.
The floral pattern is currently out of stock, but M&S has other patterns and colours available in the pure cotton bath mat.
Key specifications
Buy now £16, Marksandspencer.com
Online Home Shop scallop edge tufted bath mat
Best: budget bath mat
Why we love it
- Anti slip backing
- Unusual scalloped edges
Take note
- Can't be tumbled dried
For a budget bath mat that will brighten any bathroom in a flash, turn to Online Home Shop’s scallop-edge tufted design.
While it’s thinner than some of the pricier bath mats I tested, it performed well in my bathroom and the tufted texture felt soft underfoot.
The plastic anti-slip backing kept it firmly in place, making it a good choice for those with kids. Even with the plastic backing, the mat dried fairly fast when hung up after use, which is useful as it can’t be tumble-dried.
Key specifications
Buy now £10.99, Onlinehomeshop.com
Dreams and Drapes Sandringham leaf bath mat
Best: non-slip bath mat
Why we love it
- Classic look
- Anti-slip backing
Take note
- Some shedding
No need to worry about sliding all over your bathroom floor with this Dreams and Drapes Sandringham leaf bath mat, which I found to be the best anti-slip bath mat when testing.
The backing holds it securely in one position, even on a wet tiled floor, while the dense tufted construction means your feet won’t slip either. I was impressed at just how good this looked in my bathroom for the price, with its pale green and white leaf design giving it an elegant look.
It’s also super-absorbent – even when I poured a full glass of water over it during testing, it was hardly noticeable. It shed quite significantly when I first took it out of the plastic bag, so I would recommend washing before use. Unfortunately, it can’t be tumble-dried, but it does dry fast.
Key specifications
Buy now £12.87, Amazon.co.uk
Soak and Sleep Egyptian cotton bath mat
Best: quick-drying bath mat
Why we love it
- Dries in no time
- Doesn't take up too much space
Take note
- Not anti-slip
Soak and Sleep’s Egyptian cotton bath mat is soft and luxurious, but it’s also practical, and I found it the best bath mat for quick drying.
It’s as thin as a towel yet surprisingly absorbent because of the woven pile. The woven border and double-stitched hem mean it looks neat too, and I liked the fact that it didn’t take up too much room on the towel rail in my bathroom.
However, it doesn’t have a non-slip backing, so it’s not the best option for those with children or someone unsteady on their feet. Otherwise, the mat’s smart simplicity and quality cotton make it an excellent buy.
Key specifications
Buy now £9, Soakandsleep.com
Christy deep pile rug
Best: plush bath mat
Why we love it
- Anti-slip backing
- Very soft underfoot
Take note
- Expensive
- Takes quite a long time to dry
When Christy’s deep pile rug first arrived, I thought I’d accidentally picked a rug rather than a bath mat. You could easily put it down next to your bed, and you’d barely know the difference underfoot.
It’s made with deep-pile long-looped cotton and is astonishingly plush for a bath mat – your feet will sink into it when you step out of the shower for daily luxury you didn’t know you needed. Aside from its decadent feel, it also has a practical non-slip back so you won’t go sliding all over the bathroom.
The only downside is that it takes quite a long time to dry if it gets excessively wet. It can be tumble-dried if necessary – but I found even that took twice as long as any other bath mat I tested. If you need one that dries – perhaps in a busier home with lots of people showering – go for the Scooms Egyptian cotton bath mat instead. You won’t find a fancier treat for your feet than this mat from Christy, though.
Key specifications
Buy now £34.99, Amazon.co.uk
Scooms Egyptian cotton bath mat 1000gsm
Best: luxury bath mat
Why we love it
- Dries very quickly
- Comes in two sizes
- Feels soft underfoot
Take note
- No anti-slip backing
While this bath mat is no thicker than a decent towel, Scooms’s Egyptian cotton bath mat feels surprisingly plush underfoot. And the edging and classic design also gave my bathroom a five-star hotel look.
The brand says the cotton has been spun in a particular way to create micro air holes inside the yarn before combing – I was certainly taken aback at how plush and absorbent it was, even though it’s fairly thin. If you want a soft, fluffy feel, but don’t want a mat that takes ages to dry, this is a great option – it can also be tumble-dried.
Key specifications
Buy now £23, Scooms.com
William Morris at Home sage green rose stripe bath mat
Best: design-focused bath mat
Why we love it
- Beautiful design
- Dries very quickly
Take note
- Not anti-slip
It’s not easy to make a bath mat a talking point, but this lovely-looking design from William Morris At Home somehow does just that. It’s based on an original drawing created by William Morris for Wilton Carpets and registered in 1876, which features a symmetrical rose surrounded by foxgloves. For this mat, the design was reinterpreted into the repeating stripe pattern and comes in a soft sage green that would work well in almost any bathroom.
It’s made of 950gsm cotton but is thin and feels a little like stepping onto a towel on the floor. There’s no anti-slip backing either, so if that’s non-negotiable, choose the Christy deep pile rug instead. However, this one is lightning-quick to dry after use and can also be tumble-dried, which is a major bonus in my book.
Key specifications
Buy now £24, Next.co.uk
Homescapes luxury reversible semi circle bath mat
Best: bath mat for colour range
Why we love it
- Great price
- Good range of colours
- Attractive shape
Take note
- Not as anti-slip as some
There’s a colourway to suit almost every shade of bathroom décor with this fantastically priced bath mat. Made with 1600gsm cotton, it comes in an unusual yet attractive semi-circular shape that makes it look more expensive than it is. It’s also a reversible design, with one tufted side for a softer feel and one looped side for more texture underfoot.
There’s no plastic anti-slip backing, so it wouldn’t be the best choice if you have children in the house. But the mat’s weight meant it didn’t move too much, even on wet tiles. The lack of backing meant it air-dried quickly and also dried well in the tumble dryer. There was some minor shedding in the first couple of washes, but this didn’t affect the look or feel of the mat.
Key specifications
Buy now £8.99, Homescapesonline.com
Buddy bath antibacterial curved bath mat
Best: bath mat for a curved shower
Why we love it
- Great for curved shower
- Stain-resistant
Take note
- Not as comfortable underfoot as some
While this won’t suit everyone, Buddy’s curved mat is a game-changer if you have a corner shower enclosure. If you do, a regular rectangular mat just won’t cut it, as water can splash on the floor in the space between the mat and the shower tray. This design also has a non-slip rubber backing, making it ideal if you have kids. Another bonus is that I found it dried fairly quickly between uses, even with the rubber backing.
The extra-long pile means it still looks perky after several uses, although I did find it thinner underfoot than it looked. However, it’s extremely stain-resistant, even fake tan washes straight out, so if you’re especially messy or have young kids, this is the mat for you.
Key specifications
Buy now £15, Dunelm.com
Hug Rug bathtime Herdy washable bath mat
Best: bath mat for young families
Why we love it
- Very absorbent
- Lovely design
- Comes with a five-year guarantee
Take note
- Expensive
I’m a big fan of Hug Rug for its eco credentials and high-quality products that are made in the UK. This lovely, bright bath mat is washable and comes in two different sizes. Its non-slip backing is made from recycled plastics and doesn’t budge an inch.
It’s also staggeringly absorbent. The brand says it absorbs up to three times its own weight in water, and it was certainly the best of any mat I tried. My family and I also loved how soft it was underfoot.
Key specifications
Buy now £36.99, Amazon.co.uk
Your questions on the best bath mat, answered
What is the best bath mat?
The M&S pure cotton bath mat is the ideal choice – it’s thin enough to dry quickly, looks smart in the bathroom and has a textured design that prevents slipping. If you don’t mind spending more, the Hug Rug bathtime Herdy washable bath mat is hard to resist with its bright, good looks, astounding absorbency and decent eco credentials.
How I tested
I tested an array of bath mats for this guide before finalising the 10 best options. For each one, I looked for the following:
How often should you replace a bath mat?
A bath mat should be replaced every two years.
Can you put a bath mat in the washing machine?
Whether you can wash your mat in the machine depends on the material. However, you should be fine washing most by machine. I’d recommend having a quick look at this when purchasing, as it’s wise to wash your mat every three to seven days, so having to do this by hand could be a bit of a faff.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Siobhan Grogan is an award-winning journalist. She has reviewed a broad range of products for IndyBest, from pillows to pans, and carefully tests all the products that feature in her reviews to assess how they stand up to real-world use. When it comes to bath mats, she knows how to spot quality, good-value homeware and will always offer her honest opinions after thoroughly testing products, to help you select the best one for your humble abode.
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