I'm sorry to say that I disagree with many of the reviews so far. I have a large family. I always buy good towels. These are GREAT and soft. They are most definitly holding up well after several washes and they pass the test here!Yes, if you don't wash them first, you will end up with blue lint on you. It was kind of amusing when my daughter grabbed them straight from the box for her friends in the hot tub. I told her not to !!For the price, you can't go wrong !