What Are the Different Types of Towel Warmers?
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No one enjoys stepping out of the shower or bath and feeling nothing but cold, unwelcoming air on their skin. Installing a towel warmer in your bathroom is the perfect solution to this problem. Wrapping yourself in a perfectly warm towel after every shower might seem like a small luxury, but it is a powerful feeling of relaxation that carries throughout the entire day.
Towel Warmers not only warm and dry your towels, but they also provide a heat source for your bathroom to keep it at the perfect warm temperature. Helping to dry out towels and the air also reduces mildew that can build up in a damp bathroom over time.
When deciding on different towel warmers there are many options that you will find. The main types that you will come across in your own research are Electric and Hydronic, which are based on how they are installed into the home. We hope to share some facts about each of the main types of towel warmers so that you can make the best purchasing decision for your own bathroom. Towel warmers can also be found in almost any aesthetic style to fit the décor of any bathroom, adding an element of beauty and functionality.
Electric Towel Warmers
Electric Towel Warmers use electricity, about the same amount as two lightbulbs, to heat the towels placed on the railings. Electric towel warmers use insulation between the towel and the railing to effectively warm towels without needing to use a lot of power, which make them very cost effective and efficient. Depending on the model, electric towel warmers can be plugged directly into an outlet or they may need to be hardwired. Since they use electricity, there is no need to worry about plumbing or rails filled with hot water, which makes electric towel warmers perfect for people who prefer a freestanding model or a railing that isn’t installed permanently.
Some models of electric towel warmers are called Liquid Filled Towel Warmers and they use electricity to heat railings filled with water. These liquid filled towel warmers come pre-filled with anti-corrosion fluid that is heated which warms the railings. While similar to electric towel warmers because of how they are installed, they generally take a longer time to heat up because of the need to warm up the water before the railings become warm. They do however give off more radiant heat into the bathroom, which is an advantage for those who want another heat source to keep the bathroom warm.
Some Pros of Electric Towel Warmers:
- Easy Installation – most units just need to be plugged in and are then ready for use
- Can be much more portable than other types of towel warmers that may require plumbing to operate
- Low energy consumption
- Heat up quickly, with most units heating up within 5-10 minutes of being turned on
- Can be purely electric or liquid filled depending on your needs
Hydronic Towel Warmers
Some Pros of Hydronic Towel Warmers:
- Extremely energy efficient, use no electricity because they are connected directly to the hydronic heating system of a home
- Can be installed anywhere in a bathroom since there is no outlet required
- Uses existing plumbing of the home
- Heating elements can be easily replaced if ever damaged

Floor Mounted Towel Warmers
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Heated Towel Warmers: My Ultimate Guide
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Freestanding Towel Warmers
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How Hot Do Towel Warmers Get
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Styles and Extra Features of Towel Warmers
Both Electric Towel Warmers and Hydronic Towel Warmers come in a variety of styles to suit anyone taste and the style in the room that they’re being installed. They also come in almost any size that someone could want to fit perfectly into any space. More heavily used towel warmers can be made much bigger than one that might only ever hold one towel at a time which make them perfect for any need.
Towel Warmers also come equipped with many features like digital thermostats for easy temperature reading or automatic shut offs when the unit gets too hot which can help to prevent accidental burns from touching a unit that is too hot. There are many other features that can be added to towel warmers depending on the need of the user:
Some Other Features for Towel Warmers:
- Timers that can be set to your usual shower or bath time so that you will always have a warm towel every time without having to turn on the unit yourself.
- Built in on/off switches, though some towel warmers are made to run continuously
- Robe hooks, or additional hanging racks that while not heated can keep other clothing items close by to the heat source to also warm
- Heated shelves for a hotel or spa-like experience in the bathroom
- Can be designed in any style, anything from modern to traditional even whimsical
For the most effective use of towel warmers make sure that your towel is hung in a way that the most amount of the towel as possible is making contact with the railings. This way you can achieve an all-over heating during your bath or shower to always have a perfectly warm towel. It may also be necessary to consult with a plumbing professional to properly install your towel warmer, though many are designed to be easily installed by anyone. And since they can almost all be installed anywhere, you can pick the style that you like first and worry about the mounting position later.
Don’t forget that towel warmers can also be used in a variety of different rooms! Putting a towel in a mudroom or laundry room can keep hats, gloves and coats warm and dry during the cold winter, or to dry off swimwear during the summer.
Most towel warmers are also very affordable, making them a low-cost way to enjoy the luxurious feeling of a warm towel every single time while also making sure you step out of the shower into a warm and dry bathroom for even more comfort. There is a towel warmer for any budget and whether you choose an electric or hydronic towel warmer your bathroom will instantly become more relaxing and luxurious with a towel warmer installed inside.

