Towel Warmers Buying Guide

Towel warmers are a delightful luxury that can be used every day. They provide warm towels to dry off with right out of the shower, and also dry towels more quickly than you can by simply hanging them. Some models may even provide enough heat to warm the room. Many people also like to use them for drying wet bathing suits, pool towels, or clothing that can't be put through a standard clothes-dryer. Towel warmers are also ideal for warming up baby clothes and blankets, or warming up socks on cold winter mornings!

Cast iron water heated towel warmers first appeared in the US in the 1920's. Like many luxuries, they were quickly phased out during the hardships and shortages of The Depression. Even after the economy improved, towel warmers were slow to gain popularity again. They were largely unknown in the US until the 1990's, when homeowners began including them in bathroom remodeling projects and high-end hotels started incorporating them as a special feature for guests. Towel warmers have enjoyed wide popularity in Europe, where many hotels and B&B's offer this modest luxury in bathrooms. In recent years, towel warmers have been gaining a following in the US as well, with the market providing affordable household options as well as high-end luxury units. Many travelers who first experienced the comfort of warmed bathroom towels in Europe returned from their journeys with a determination to add a towel warmer to their own homes. Towel warmers can be hydronic like the original models, oil filled electric units, or dry electric filament heated, and they are available in a wealth of different styles.

Styles

Since gaining popularity in the 1990's, towel warmers have been made in a wide variety of different styles and finishes. They can be found shaped like a ladder, a set of horizontal or vertical slats, a serpentine pipe, a spiral that acts as a set of shelves to tuck towels between, warming tubes shaped to form actual shelves, coiled tubes that form a basket to hold a bundled up towel, and decorative shapes or construction that make the towel warmer into an artistic piece of the room's decor. Many premium companies even offer custom designs to specifically suit the customer's space and design sense. Finishes are available across the spectrum, from brass, to silver, aged bronze, white, and almost any color.

Widely Spaced Bars

While towel warmers can heat a towel to the perfect level of toasty warmth, getting that optimum result can take some experimentation with how to best hang the towels on the warmer. Since many towel warmers of both ladder and serpentine styles make use of widely spaced warming bars, there is a risk of having warm stripes on a towel that is otherwise room temperature. Such partial warming can be a huge disappointment, making it worse than no warming at all! Many sources recommend folding the towel to double or triple thickness before hanging it, or even layering folded towels over the bars. This provides an insulating factor so that the warmth stays in the towels and has a chance to spread through the fabric instead of dissipating quickly into the cooler air in the room. Widely spaced ladder or serpentine style towel warmers come in a wide range of sizes and designs. Prices also vary widely, from $30 to over $3000.

Closely Spaced Bars

Higher end towel warmers take many approaches to warm towels more thoroughly with less effort on the part of the user. Some offer a variety of high-end hydronic or electric towel warmers with an array of closely spaced slats or tubes. The close spacing allows more of the surface area of a draped towel to be directly heated. This way, even if the heat dissipates quickly, the warmth of the towel is continually renewed across its surface. Units are available as hydronic or electric, and wall mounted, floor mounted or free-standing. Prices vary widely, from around $300 to over $3000.

Spiral Shape

Spiral towel warmers use spirals that are evenly spaced to form horizontal shelves. This allows one folded towel to be tucked between each pair of spirals. The folded fabric acts as an insulator, holding in the heat that is radiated from the coils above and below the towel. Spiral towel warmers are available in a variety of sizes, from small units that can hold two towels to taller spirals with space for up to five towels. They are wall mounted, and are usually electrically powered. While smaller than many types of towel warmers, these units can also be more affordable, with prices commonly ranging from around $40 to $150.

Shelves

Many towel warmers include a shelf either at the top or bottom of the unit, but there are some smaller units that are conveniently formed into the shape of two shelves, where the user can stack folded towels between shelves and on top of the upper shelf. Again, because the towels are folded for use with this type of towel warmer, the fabric acts as an insulator to hold warmth effectively and spread it evenly from the warming bars through the entire towel. This type of towel warmer is large enough to hold a couple of towels, with great space efficiency. Of course, multiple units can be used by families with more towels to warm, and the wall mounted units are perfect for positioning in smaller bathrooms where space is at a premium. Shelf style towel warmers are usually electric, and may be plug-in or hardwired. Prices are fairly affordable, running around $120 for the most popular models.

Hinge Mounted

Hinge mounted towel warmers offer a solution to the problem of limited space in the bathroom. These serpentine shaped, electric powered towel warmers offer a space efficient way to hang towels with the added benefit of warming them for luxurious comfort. The unit can be mounted on any hinged door by simply popping the hinge pins, installing the towel warmer, and then replacing the hinge pins. The towel warmer is then ready for use, and does not interfere with the opening or closing of the door. This option is ideal for renters or homeowners who don't want to dril into the wall for a wall mount, but don't have space for a free-standing towel warmer. They are also quite affordable, at $80 to $100.

Technology

Early towel warmers were essentially radiators hooked up to the hot water heating system of the house. They circulated the same hot water used to heat the house, providing radiant heat to warm towels and the room at the same time. This technology is very efficient, since it draws on the existing heating system to serve additional purposes. Many modern units, now known as hydronic towel warmers, still use this method of warming with great success. Because of the plumbing involved, the installation process is more complex than with other self-contained units. Professional installation is recommended. In addition to being attached to the heating system, many hydronic towel warmers also use a pump to recirculate hot water. Hydronic towel warmers have valves where they connect to the home heating system so that the flow of hot water may be cut off if desired. This type of towel warmer can only operate while the home heating system is active, although some models may be operated even in the summertime by using a separate heating tube system and pump. Hydronic towel warmers may be wall or floor mounted, depending on the available space and design preferences.

Towel warmers may also be self-contained units that circulate oil rather than water. These electric towel warmers use a heating element to heat the oil which fills the entire frame. Electric oil filled towel warmers tend to take longer to heat up, since the oil starts at room temperature. They are quite effective, however, and can be used in homes with forced air heat as well as in places where the owner doesn't want to invest in the plumbing installation.

In addition to oil circulating units, there are towel warmers that use an electrical element throughout the warming bars rather than a circulating liquid. This can be a great option for buyers looking for a low maintenance unit, since there is no liquid to leak through any worn seals.

Either type of electrical unit may be free-standing, wall mounted, or hinge mounted, and they may either plug in to an outlet or be hardwired into the electrical system of the house. Stand-alone electric towel warmers can be a great option for users who expect to move and want to take the unit along with them.

Temperature and Safety

Hydronic towel warmers run at the same temperature that the water in the heating system is kept at, which places the temperature of the towel warmer entirely in the homeowner's control. It is generally recommended to keep the temperature from around 120 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. As an adjunct to the heating system, it is safe to keep hydronic towel warmers running 24 hours a day, which also eliminates the need to wait for the towels to warm up in the morning. If needed, they are also equipped with valves to cut them off from the heating system, effectively turning off the flow of new hot water. If the towel warmer also uses a pump, don't forget it when turning the unit off.

Electric towel warmers generally don't offer temperature controls because they are designed to provide optimum warming for towels without exceeding safe temperatures. The electrical power draw is also minimal, with many models claiming to use less energy than a standard light bulb. Most manufacturers recommend leaving the towel warmer on constantly rather than turning it off when not in use. This way the user does not need to wait for the unit and their towels to warm up, and the towel warmer also provides some warming and dehumidifying benefits to the room it's placed in. Towel warmers are specifically designed to be safe for continuous operation. To reduce power consumption and wear and tear on the unit, it is recommended to turn them off if they will be unused for long periods of time.

Additional Uses

While towel warmers are designed and generally used primarily for warming towels, there are many other uses and benefits to be had from these safe, convenient warming devices. In humid climates or rooms prone to wetness, a towel warmer can help by reducing the moisture in the air. Reducing the relative humidity in this way can help to control mildew and mustiness to some extent. Depending on the size of the warmer, it may even produce enough heat to warm a bathroom to a comfortable temperature. Towel warmers can be used for warming clothes or baby clothes and blankets as well as towels, which can make those cold winter days and nights more bearable. The warmth produced by towel warmers also speeds drying, whether the user needs to dry towels, swim suits, wet mittens, or even delicates that can't go in a standard clothes dryer.