These are the thickest and softest towels I've ever purchased... on par with towels found at a five star hotel. I washed and dried two of the towels as soon as they arrived -- my ultimate test to assess the quality of a towel. I'm thrilled to say they came out of the dryer softer and thicker than before they went into the washer. I compared the size of the washed towels to the set that had not yet been washed. I was amazed to see there was very minimal shrinkage when comparing them. The other thing I look for is the amount of lint that is collected in the dryer filter. Considering this was the first wash, there was lint; however, much less lint than I've seen after the first wash of other towels. The Supreme Egyptian Cotton towels are a bit pricey but well worth it. Please maintain the quality as I will be a repeat customer.