I just got some Onsen towels for Christmas. They are a very nice aesthetically, but I find the waffle to be sort of rough on my body. The thinness of the towel is nice (especially if you want to use it to wrap your hair) and helps it dry quickly. I've only washed the towels a couple times but so far they are holding up.
Could be softer.
I have tried waffle-texture fabrics in the past and nothing compares to Onsen. The towels are bigger than my terry-cloth ones and it never ceases to amaze me how absorbent they are and how quickly they dry. They're grat for the summer months!
The price can be a bit high for a towel, but they have sales pretty regularly.
I am continually delighted by how soft, plush, and absorbent these towels are. I made the switch to Onsen towels from traditional terry cloth and have not looked back. They do their job (drying) quickly and efficiently and are also quite aesthetically pleasing hanging to dry or on a towel rack.
I have caught a jagged nail on the waffle pattern, which led to some snags in the fabric. The snags don't degrade the product performance but it does mar the visual appeal (very, very slightly). That's probably more of an indictment on my nail care than the fabric, but to me it does indicate that the fabric is somewhat precious.
I bought two of the bath sheets. The color is gorgeous and the quality is high. It is important to note, though, that these are not luxurious, thick, soft towels. They are relatively thin, which makes them faster to dry, so best for summer. The sheet size is really large which for a thick towel is probably delicious but for these feels a little like wrapping an actual sheet around you, so I would recommend the normal size towel.