Shopping For The Best Towel Warmer

Are you tired of walking out of the shower all nice and toasty only to put a cold towel on your body and ruin the experience? That’s a sign that you need a towel warmer. And with all the choices out there, maybe you need help picking the best towel warmer that money can buy.

Top 8 Best Towel Warmers

You might want to check this out: Best Quality Bath Towels

How Do Towel Warmers Work?

How a towel warmer works depends on whether it’s an electric or a hydronic unit. Both of these methods heat the towel rail from the inside out, are quite efficient, and use a small amount of energy. The majority of towel warmers include auto-off timers and thermostats as an additional convenience element in their design.

Towel warmers that are powered by electricity are self-contained machines that can be used without the assistance of your central heating system. Within the towel rail, itself are low-wattage electric elements that are powered by electricity. 

Some make use of a “dry” element that warms up wire that has been inserted in the tubes of the towel bars, while others make use of a “wet” element that warms up oil or water that is contained within the towel rail. They are usually controlled using a timer or a power switch. 

Different Types of Towel Warmers 

— Buckets

The buckets used to warm towels resemble huge hampers and are placed on the ground. These models are designed with an open top and you can place anything from clothes to towels inside. You need to make sure that whatever fabric you put inside the bucket is completely dry. 

Pros:

• Can warm up multiple items.
• Nice design.
• Portable. 

Cons:

• Takes some time to warm up towels. 

— Cabinets

Cabinet towel warmers are a frequent item found in spas and hotels, and they can be placed on countertops and floors. They include doors that swing open and close on hinges and an insulated and heated interior, and some models also have a sterilizer function. 

Towels are often heated the most quickly and uniformly using cabinet warmers because they are kept warm within an interior chamber of the cabinet.

Pros:

• Heat towels faster.
• Can be placed on countertops and floors.
• Some can also sterilize towels. 

Cons:

• Some models take up a lot of space.

— Racks

In contrast to alternatives such as cabinet and bucket warmers, which just heat towels, a heated towel rack is capable of both warming and drying all types of towels at the same time. 

Because they are designed to be hung, they allow for a sufficient amount of airflow all around the bath towel, which speeds up the drying process. As well as racks for warm and dry apparel. However, because they are not contained within an enclosed chamber, it may take longer for them to heat up, and the level of heating may be uneven depending on the size of the rack and the towel.

Racks can be either freestanding or wall-mounted. 

1. Freestanding Racks

Towels can be hung from a standalone alternative that is simple to install and is called a freestanding towel warmer. These take up a fair amount of floor area, but they are quite easy to relocate to different rooms.

Pros:

• Easy to install.
• Portable.
• Available in different sizes.

Cons:

• Will take up floor space.

2. Mounted Racks

Consider using a warming rack that is mounted on the wall for a solution that takes up less space. The installation of these racks requires an additional step, but because they do not occupy any floor space, they are an excellent choice for bathrooms that are limited in space. Even a conventional towel bar can be replaced with one of these. 

Pros:

• Great for small bathrooms.
• Take up no floor space.
• You can hang multiple items.

Cons:

• Aren’t portable.

What to Look for in a Towel Warmer 

Type

Most towel warmers available today are powered by electricity. This variety of warmer can be hardwired into the wall or simply put into an outlet to provide radiant heat using electrical energy. 

Your second option consists of hydronic towel warmers, which get their heat from the hot water that’s already running through your home’s plumbing system. In general, hydronic versions are more energy-efficient than electricity-powered ones but it depends on their design. 

Style

There is a wide variety of design options available for towel warmers. Options in the style of a rack are suitable for storing bath towels of a larger size, while variations in the manner of a cabinet are ideal for storing hand towels. 

Rack warmers sometimes come with the added benefit of being able to be wall-mounted, which frees up valuable floor space. However, free-standing varieties are also prevalent. There are also warmers in the shape of barrels, which can accommodate slippers, robes, and other items.

Size & Capacity

Larger and more compact models are available for purchase, irrespective of whether the unit in question is designed in the form of a rack or a cabinet.

When shopping for a towel warmer, it is important to give some thought to the number of towels you intend to have warm at any given moment. A smaller warmer will take up less room and consume less energy than a larger one, but keep in mind that it might not be the best choice for a family with many people.

Warm-Up Time

Make a mental note of the warm-up period, seeing as how the speed at which various models heat up varies. Warm-up times can range from as little as ten minutes to as much as forty minutes, depending on the model, but the typical period is somewhere in the range of fifteen to twenty minutes.

If you like to take quick showers, you might want to look into obtaining a towel that can heat up in a shorter amount of time. In addition, similar to a traditional oven, the amount of time required to reach the specified temperature (preheat) is distinct from the amount of time required to heat whatever is contained within the oven.

Mounting

Installation simplicity is yet another crucial aspect to take into consideration. Plug-in electric models are, by far and away, the easiest and most do-it-yourself-friendly option. 

The majority of them have a normal plug that operates at 120V and may be connected to an outlet just like any other item in the house. Plug-in variants that are freestanding have the advantage of portability and are simple to relocate when necessary.

Timers & Switches

Towel warmers manufactured nowadays are incredibly energy efficient, and the best way to take advantage of this is to keep them in a constant state of operation. 

This is because a substantially higher amount of energy is required to first heat the unit than is required to maintain the unit’s temperature once it has been heated. However, manufacturers have taken into consideration the desires of users by providing numerous products with on/off switches and timers.

To ensure that your towel is warm when you come out of the shower, you can program the warmer’s timer to turn it on well in advance of when you plan to use it. 

Some manufacturers incorporate timers or switches right into the housing of the item, while others provide these features as an additional purchase option. In addition, some versions are equipped with a thermostat that allows you to maintain the warmer at the exact temperature that suits your needs.

You might want to read this: Bath Sheet vs. Bath Towel

The Bottom Line

After each use, the majority of people leave their bath towels air dry before putting them in the washing machine to be dried once a week. On the other hand, given the ease with which bacteria can proliferate on towels, this behavior might not be the healthiest option. So, if you don’t plan to wash your towels more often, a towel warmer is the next best thing.

Frequently Asked Questions