Picture this: You’ve just finished a steamy hot shower. You turn off the water and step out into the cold air. Not so pleasant, right? But now imagine that you are wrapped in a warm towel. This photo just got a lot more luxurious, didn’t it?
A towel warmer can do more than just give you a warm ambiance, says Michael Tidwell, CEO of Only Towel Warmers, an online towel warmer retailer. “A towel warmer can also serve several other purposes, such as warming the bathroom, drying towels for multiple uses, and helping to combat mold caused by wet fabric lying around.” If you tend to wet your towels a lot after a shower, this might help you use fewer towels in a week.
Additionally, if you have a pet that you bathe at home, a warm towel can make the bathing process a little less uncomfortable for them. And towel racks can be useful for drying swimsuits and other items. So while a towel warmer may seem like it’s just for luxury, it’s also practical. To help you buy one, I talked to Tidwell about what features to consider, then researched some highly rated options across a range of prices.
Disclaimer: Since Tidwell works for an online towel warmer retailer, I didn’t ask him for specific product recommendations.
The best towel warmers
To organize the list below, I focused on the top-rated towel warmers in different price points, types, and sizes.
The best electric towel dryers
This large electric towel warmer can accommodate up to two oversized towels or a bathrobe. The built-in timer allows you to select 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes of heat, depending on the brand. Once the heat cycle is complete, your towels will stay warm for up to 20 minutes, according to Live Fine. The bottom of the base has rubber grippers so it won’t slide on a tile floor, and the lid has a handle so you can easily remove or replace it once you add or remove a towel.
Like the Live Fine model, this towel warmer can hold two oversized towels. It reaches full heating capacity in six minutes and has an automatic shut-off after 60 minutes, according to the brand. It also comes with a citrus scent disc that slides into the lid to leave your napkins with a slightly orange scent.
The largest towel warmer on our list, this model can hold two oversized towels, with room for a smaller towel or washcloth. It has a built-in timer to heat your towels for 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes before the automatic shut-off kicks in. The base also has built-in cord storage, allowing you to keep the cord out of the way when not in use.
This option takes 10 minutes to warm your towels, and you can set it to stay warm for 15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes before the machine turns off. The bucket holds up to two oversized towels and is lightweight and has a handle for easy carrying, according to the brand. Beyond towels, you can warm your pajamas in this device.
The best heated towel racks
Don’t have a lot of floor space? This towel warmer is designed to be wall mounted and can be hardwired or plugged into an available outlet. Simply place your towel on the top bar so it hangs on both sides, then turn on the device (it can stay on for up to nine hours and has an automatic shut-off) and the bars will heat up within five minutes to warm your towel. It can also be used to dry about two to three full-size bath towels after using them.
Warm up to two towels on this 8-bar wall-mounted towel warmer. The timer can be set for 15 or 30 minutes and has an automatic shut-off to save energy. This rack cannot be hardwired, but it comes with a six-foot-long plug-in cord.
This four-bar frame works freestanding or wall-mounted and includes hardware for both. According to the brand, it heats up in 15 to 20 minutes and dries towels, bathrobes and swimsuits while using less energy than an average light bulb. The 7-foot power cord also has an illuminated on/off switch.
How I Chose the Best Towel Warmers
I consulted Tidwell for advice to help you buy a towel warmer. Since he works for a retailer that sells towel warmers, I didn’t ask him for product recommendations. Here are the features that are recommended to keep in mind when purchasing a towel warmer:
- Type: There are wall-mounted towel racks and freestanding towel racks that you hang towels on. There are also bucket warmers that you place the towels in to warm them. When choosing between these, consider the space you have available. A free-standing towel rack will take up the most space, while a wall-mounted towel rack will take up the least floor space. Bucket heaters take up as much space as a small trash can.
- Size: Towel warmers are mainly found in small and large sizes. Small warmers are for washcloths and hand towels (like the ones you see in a nail salon). On the other hand, larger water heaters can usually accommodate two oversized towels or three regular towels. For this story, I focused on larger warmers that accommodate bath towels.
- Rating: I focused on towel warmers with an average rating of at least four stars from at least two hundred or more buyers, some with several thousand.
Is it OK to put wet towels in a towel warmer?
The short answer is yes, you can put wet towels in your water heater. Tidwell says a towel warmer can be a great way to prevent mold from building up on damp towels lying around. That said, you should avoid putting soaked towels in there – damp is a better solution. Unlike a towel warmer, a towel warmer does not tumble the contents, so there is no way to get enough hot airflow around a very wet towel to dry it completely.
Frequently asked questions
Towels come in a variety of materials, but are most often made with some type of cotton – a construction ideally suited to a towel warmer. “Cotton towels retain heat well compared to (other) materials,” says Tidwell. “This makes cotton a great choice to use with a water heater.” As for other materials commonly used for towels, they should all be fine in a water heater. Linen towels tend to be a little thinner, so they may take less time to heat, and polyester towels tend to be denser, so they may take longer.
Yes. Most of the towel warmers we featured in the list above also suggest putting a bathrobe or pajamas on them to make them nice and warm before putting them on.
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Meet our towel warmer expert
At NBC Selected, we work with experts with specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Michael Tidwell is the CEO of Only Towel Warmers, an online retailer that sells towel warmers, bidets and more. Because he works for a brand that sells towel warmers, I didn’t ask him for product recommendations.
Why trust NBC Selected?
I’m a business editor at NBC Selected and a reporter who regularly covers wellness, beauty, home and lifestyle. I’ve written about how to hand wash workout clothes, the best bath towels on Amazon, and more. For this story, I interviewed a towel warmer expert about what to consider when buying a towel warmer and rounded up some highly rated towel warmers that met the given criteria.
Find NBC Selected’s in-depth coverage at technology and tools, well-being and more, and follow us Facebook, Instagram, X And TikTok to stay up to date.
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