Raymond WhitneyAs soon as you emerge from the hot tub, you’re covered in goosebumps because you’ve just come face-to-face with the cold air. Your very own outdoor towel warmer is a great way to keep the chill at bay while relaxing in your hot tub or spa.
When it comes to heated towels for hot tubs, there are a variety of options available. This is a significant financial commitment, but it will ensure that your relaxing hot tub experience continues long after you step out of the tub.
Check out the range of towel warming products, which can cost between $60 and $300, before making a purchase. Read on for our top picks for the ideal outdoor towel warmer to go with your hot tub.
For the record, we’ve looked everywhere for an “outdoor rated” towel warmer and haven’t come across one. Most of our towel warmers are portable, so you can bring them inside when you’re done using them. Only use those that can be stored under a patio cover that won’t get wet when it rains.
Top Towel Warmer Racks
Cabinets can hold anywhere from seven to sixty people, while towel warmer baskets are best for a small group of two to two, racks for four to six, and cabinets for seven to sixty people.
One of the easiest and most portable towels warmer options is the heated racks. Despite being exposed to the cold air, these racks will keep any hanging towels toasty warm until you’re ready to step out of the hot tub.
Towels can be grabbed right off the rack instead of fumbling with a container handle to get one from a cabinet or basket thanks to the racks. These are perfect no matter how long you stay in your hot tub.
This curvaceous towel warmer will heat your towels to a cozy 110-122°F in just 30 minutes. Thanks to its 105-watt power, you can flip the towel warmer on as you’re about to dip into the hot tub, and your towel will reach optimum temperatures far before you’re ready to step out.
The lightweight, freestanding structure also allows you to take it anywhere you want without worrying about screws or cumbersome weight.
Great for hot tubs located directly adjacent to a patio-covered wall, this wall-mounted towel warmer has a sleek, modern appeal thanks to its stainless-steel bars that allow even heat distribution and an easy clean.
The 10 bars allow you to heat multiple towels with ease. You could even put on a couple of robes. The warmer’s temperature reaches degrees ranging from 122-140°F with a design that is easy to install and helps eliminate potential floor obstruction.
Best Towel Warmer Baskets
In order to keep a smaller number of towels warm until you need them, a towel warmer basket is your best bet. If one or two individuals typically use the hot tub, a basket towel warmer is the optimum choice.
In addition to being energy-efficient, many of these products are also environmentally friendly. When compared to racks that are constantly exposed to the air, a towel warmer basket has an easier time heating and maintaining the ideal temperature.
This basket is the ultimate towel warmer that can hold 3-4 average-sized towels or two oversized towels and heat them to perfection in 5 minutes.
Feel free to toss in your favorite bathrobe or fuzzy pants to slip on after you’ve dried off with your blissfully warm towel. A safety feature of this basket is that it’s small enough to sit on a counter or shelf without taking up much space.
If you’re looking for a smaller towel warmer that only needs to hold one or two towels, this is the best choice for you.
The small, compact size of this towel warmer basket makes it perfect for portability, and its auto shut-off feature saves power and ensures maximum safety. This design also keeps your towels dry and prevents any musky odor from accumulating.
With the adjustable timer on this towel warmer, you can set the warmer to shut off after 15 minutes, which makes it stand out from the crowd. You can use this at any point during your hot tub session to ensure that the machine will turn off on its own when the timer expires. As an added precaution, the product is equipped with safety indicators and stabilizing feet.
Unbeatable Towel Warmer Cabinets
For those of you striving for a truly luxurious towel warmer that can hold twice, or even three times the towel capacity of racks and baskets, then you’re going to want a towel warmer cabinet.
These products are staples of spas, massage parlors, and high-class hotels, but now you can have your own sitting elegantly next to your hot tub. Some of these products are even built will sterilizers to ensure your towels are clean and hygienic while they stay warm.
Before you send out the invitations for your upcoming hot tub party, make sure you invest in this dual cabinet towel warmer. Each person in attendance will be able to enjoy the comfort of a heated towel thanks to this cabinet’s capacity of 46 large towels.
This cabinet is also ideal for large families who like to spend a cold winter’s night together in the hot tub with a steaming cup of cocoa.
The medium-sized towel warmer is an exceptional option if you’re looking for a towel warmer cabinet that holds more than six large-sized towels but doesn’t need as much as a 46-towel capacity.
Depending on your preference, this towel warmer cabinet can either keep your towels dry and warm or moist and steamy at 160°F. The internal shelving allows a capacity of 24 average-sized towels, and the aluminum interior ensures this unit is rust-proof and long-lasting.
Having a warm and comforting towel ready for you as you exit the hot tub is nice, but you also want to be sure it’s hygienic, especially if you are heating face towels you prefer to keep moist.
This cabinet allows you to turn the heating unit or sterilizer unit on separately or both simultaneously. Customers who are using one of the 20-60 towels kept in the cabinet will appreciate this convenience in particular.
With a maximum temperature of 175 degrees Fahrenheit, the cabinet complements any hot tub and is small enough to fit on any ledge or shelf. The door is built with a “safety seal” design to prevent air leakage and maintain a hygienic interior.
A unique feature of this device is that it serves as a safety precaution. When the door is opened, the “triggered door system” turns the cabinet off for a brief period of time before restarting it when the door is closed.
Alternative Ways to Keeping Your Towels Warm
Place Towels in the Clothes Dryer
If you don’t want to spend the money on a towel warmer, you can put your towels and bathrobes in the dryer instead. All you need to do is store them inside your dryer for 10-15 minutes before you intend on using them, and voila, you’ve got yourself a cozy set of warm towels or bathrobes.
Microwavable Heat Packs
Another solid alternative is to get yourself some microwavable heat packs (the same kind that you use for camping or pain relief) (the same kind that you use for camping or pain relief). To use the heater packs, simply reheat them in the microwave according to the manufacturer’s instructions and then wrap your towels around them. Or you can even store your items in a concealed area like an insulated bag or cooler, and place the heat packs on the top and bottom of the towels or robes so that they stay toasty warm.
How NOT to Heat Up a Towel
In the Oven
What you might be surprised to learn is that there are a lot of people who instead choose to heat up towels in their ovens. Even though many people do heat up their towels in the oven, the potential for something to go wrong here is actually quite high. Ovens can reach up to dangerously high temperatures, and if you leave your towels in there for even slightly too long, you could be dealing with some very serious circumstances.
Placing on the Radiator
This one is a bit tricky because it will depend on the type of radiator and how you go about placing your towels onto the radiator. The heat transfer will be impeded if you place something on an old cast-iron radiator, for example.
Towels, when stacked on top of a radiator, slow down the air’s convective flow, wasting both energy and valuable heating time. However, you can do it if you know how to distribute the towels properly and know what type of radiator you have in your house.
Final Thoughts
Taking a relaxing soak in a hot tub with family or friends can be a wonderful way to unwind, socialize, and strengthen bonds. Make the most of your time in the hot tub by wrapping yourself and your companions in a warm towel provided by your outdoor towel warmer.
Towel warmers for outdoor use come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including racks, baskets, and cabinets. All of the products listed here are guaranteed to provide you with perfectly heated towels and unique product features like sterilizers and auto-shutoffs.
