What is the difference between terry and terry velour?

In everyday language, people often use the term terry velour when talking about towels and bathroom textiles. What is less well known, however, is that terry is actually the quality standard for high-quality bathroom textiles – and towels made of terry velour do not in fact exist. Why is that? Although the two materials sound similar, they have a completely different structural composition. Terry is made from a three-thread looped weave, whereas terry velour is a flat fabric made from effect yarn, usually with a velvety texture on one side only. This material is found, for example, in fashion – where it is also better known as “velour” or “Nicky”. Properly fluffy towels, the kind you use to dry yourself in the morning and evening, are made from wonderfully soft terry fabric.

As described above, the difference between terry velour and terry lies in the number of threads and the structure of the fabric. While ordinary fabric consists of warp and weft, terry combines a loose loop warp, a tightly tensioned ground warp and the weft. Towels that feel especially fluffy are created by binding a loose loop warp into the firmly interlaced ground fabric. The height of the resulting yarn loop determines the degree of softness. A short but dense pile has a massage effect, while a longer pile is perceived as especially soft and cosy.

Quality for the home – terry

Unlike terry velour, terry relies on a more elaborate weaving technique consisting of two warp systems. In this weaving process, loops are woven on both sides. In addition, the yarn varies in fineness. The visible loops are created by differences in tension during the weaving process. This special art of loop weaving came to Germany around 150 years ago from the Far East via England and France. In 1856, Germany’s first terry loom was put into operation. Terry weaving therefore looks back on a long tradition. Since its beginnings, the region around the Zittau Mountains has been at the centre of the terry industry – and remains so to this day.

Terry impresses with its beautiful look and feel and is no longer made exclusively from finely combed cotton. Cellulose fibres such as modal, viscose and lyocell are used just as much as high-tech fibres – for example polyamide – which stand out for their exceptional absorbency. From all these different qualities, MÖVE manufactures high-quality products for travel, wellness and, above all, for your bathroom.

The 4 basic qualities

In the production of high-quality terry towels, bathrobes and bath mats, MÖVE uses different methods to create products of the highest quality. These are the four terry types and qualities that are distinguished:

Walk terry

Walk terry is very soft and probably the fluffiest type of terry. It is made from a simply twisted cotton loop yarn and owes its particularly soft fullness to the loose loops. After weaving, the material undergoes an intensive washing process, which gives it its distinctive properties. This increases the durability of the loops and the absorbency. At the same time, the material becomes more supple and gains greater volume. Identifying feature: the twisted terry loops.

Twisted terry

This type of terry has twisted loops – in the ground and pile warp, two- or three-ply twisted cotton yarn is used. Thanks to its textured surface, twisted terry is ideal for clearly defined patterns and also offers a distinctive massage effect. Typical appearance: even, uniform loops.

Knitted terry

The newcomer among terry types. Unlike all other terry variants, this material is produced on a knitting machine rather than woven. Nevertheless, knitted terry combines all the desirable properties. That means a pleasantly soft feel on the skin, strong absorbency and durable loops.

Velour terry

This type of terry is immediately recognisable by its very smooth surface, which is created after weaving by cutting open and shearing the loops. Velour terry is wonderfully soft, although it does not absorb moisture quite as well as other terry types. This material is considered one of the most valuable terry variants.

Care instructions

Terry is an easy-care and uncomplicated fabric. Please observe the following care instructions so that you can enjoy wonderfully soft towels for as many years as possible.

Washing correctly

To allow new bathroom textiles to develop their softness and absorbency, they should always be washed before first use. This removes excess dye residue and compacts the surface. Coloured terry should be cared for from the outset at a washing temperature of 60°C with a mild detergent to prevent colours from bleeding. For brilliantly white terry, on the other hand, use a heavy-duty detergent and a washing temperature of 95°C.

What to do about pulled threads

If threads or loops are pulled on bathroom textiles, trim them as short as possible to prevent them from being pulled out further. The fabric itself will not be affected.

Fabric conditioner and lint formation

Using fabric conditioner does make terry even softer; however, it affects the absorbency of the material and leads to increased lint formation. Terry retains its desired fluffiness and softness best when dried in a tumble dryer.

Terry towels at moeve.de

All towels and small items at moeve.de are made from the finest cotton and cotton blends. They are high-quality products, crafted with great attention to detail. A practical cord hanger makes them easy to hang up, while embroidery or decorative borders and a wide colour palette make MÖVE bathroom textiles a real eye-catcher. All our products are also tested and certified in accordance with the strict criteria of Oeko-Tex Standard 100. Treat yourself and your loved ones to the precious luxury of wonderfully soft hand towels and bath towels.