MIZUNO(ミズノ) スイムタオル 高吸水 セームタオル 85ZT75131 ライトグリーン プール 水泳 小(34×44cm)

MIZUNO(ミズノ)

I’ve been jogging more for health. Two showers a day leave my bath towel half-damp. A cheap microfiber towel from the 100-yen shop stuck to my skin and didn’t absorb much. Searching Amazon for something better turned up this swim towel. Swimmers swear by it.

It’s sold as a “swim towel,” but it’s really PVA chamois

I expected a towel and got a 5 mm sponge slab. The material is PVA sponge—also called a chamois towel.

It comes in a tube. Inside the inner bag there are water droplets because the towel turns rock-hard when dry and can crack if bent; you’re meant to store it damp. Plain water would mold, so new pieces are soaked in disinfectant—rinse well before use.

Fully opened it measures about 34 × 44 cm.

After rinsing and drying: it turns into a board

Rinsed and dried, it became crisp and wouldn’t fold. Force it and it might crack. The fabric can stick to itself and tear if pulled apart—no warning needed, you can feel the risk.

Rock-hard. How will this absorb water?

Wet and wring

At first it repelled water, but once it started soaking, it softened completely. I wrung it out—felt wasteful after drying it, but oh well.

Convenient water droplets on the tub.

Placed the towel…

Shiny clean. What magic is this?

After a bath it almost replaced my bath towel

The fabric grips a bit, so I just pat my head and body. Most post-shower moisture disappears. A few wring-and-pat cycles and I’m ~80% dry. No wonder swimmers love these.

It mimics natural chamois leather

Natural chamois comes from deer hide—thin yellow cloths like this. The one above came with a pair of glasses; not sure if it’s real leather or microfiber.

Chamois grabs water and oils, making it great for glasses, camera lenses, jewelry, and car finishing. Real leather is pricey, so synthetic PVA versions were made and repurposed for swim towels. I used to swim but never saw anyone with these.

Amazon search shows swim brands

Search “セームタオル” and you’ll see SPEEDO, SWANS, ARENA, Mizuno. Sizes range from square to long enough for your back. Most are around ¥1,000—if only I’d known earlier instead of buying big bath towels.

Car/bike section has them too

Car-wash versions exist. I used microfiber for washing cars and never noticed. The popular one below looks slick.

uni [ ユニ ] 合成セーム革 ユニセーム

ユニ工業(uni)

Same usage: wet, wipe, wring, repeat. Both swim and car types come in tubes and look similar, but the swim version is supposedly more absorbent—human skin has pores so it doesn’t seal; on cars it can suction on.

100-yen shop versions

I found a mini version at Can Do. About half the size, similar thickness. It used to be a perforated sponge style; now it looks like this.

Brand is just “Can Do.” Like Mizuno’s, it’s double-bagged and stored damp.

Using the Can Do towel

Tried it post-bath like the Mizuno one. Even accounting for size, it left more water behind—needed several wrings to get hair half-dry. Wiping hands and feet still left droplets. Using it on people seems iffy.

For spills? It only absorbs well when pre-moistened, so wiping a floor leaves slight dampness. Not sure where it shines.

Uses beyond pools and car washing

Swim-towel reviews mention travel, public baths, beaches, rivers, backpacking. They’re nearly as effective as a bath towel but far smaller and lighter—great for packing.

I’d seen “quick-dry bath towel” in the Mercari CEO’s blog; pretty sure he meant this:

http://suadd.com/wp/blog/1352

He did a round-the-world trip before launching Mercari (after selling his previous company to Zynga).

Final thoughts

A mysterious towel that drinks water. My wife tried it and said it handled almost everything—our bath towel stayed dry. She may steal it.

MIZUNO(ミズノ) スイムタオル 高吸水 セームタオル 85ZT75131 ライトグリーン プール 水泳 小(34×44cm)

MIZUNO(ミズノ)

Great for long hair or anyone who hates washing heavy bath towels.