13 Best Cooling Towels To Use, As Per An Expert (2024)
The soothing, soft, and refreshing towels are a must-have in your workout wardrobe!
Mette Baillie is a couture designer with 24 years of experience. She has her own couture company, Freja DesignerDressmaking, in Edinburgh and specializes in making everything from tweed suits to slinky evening dresses and highly structured wedding dresses.
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Experience: 3 yearsThe day Priyam learned that having strong opinions about everyday products can be a full-fledged writing career was the greatest day of her life. Partially driven by a passion for everything timeless, she likes to explore and recommend styles and makeup products that will endure the test of trends.
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Experience: 3 yearsSrijani is an associate commerce editor with a master's degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Calcutta, West Bengal. She is certified in makeup techniques and is also a certified style and image consultant.
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Experience: 3 yearsAsmita De is an associate editor with over three years of experience. She graduated in English Literature from the University of Calcutta. She has collaborated with several digital companies and reputed publishing houses as an editor.
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Using the best cooling towels can give you the refreshment you need to keep your body healthy and relaxed after a shower. People use towels more often than they think and be it drying yourself after a nice shower, wrapping it for a sauna, or a day at the beach, you need a good towel to make all of these happen. Cooling your body after an intense workout is essential. If your towel does not help your body with the proper temperature control, you might have to deal with heavy sweating, fatigue, cramps, and overheating. After you take a shower, wiping yourself with a cooling towel will help reclaim the natural cool while you dress up. These cooling wraps are a must in an athlete’s routine. They are designed to offer relief and release sweat to maintain optimal body temperatures. No matter what kind of full-body workout you choose, using the right kind of towel will help you maintain the body temperature with a simple wipe. If you are not sure about what to invest in, we are here to help. Here are the 13 highest-rated towels designed to be lightweight, soft, and water-resistant. These trusted breathable fabrics are what you need to keep your skin feeling soft and calm at all times.
In This Article
How A Cooling Towel Works
- Through evaporation
The idea behind a cooling towel is to use evaporation as a technique to reduce surface temperature. Made out of either polyvinyl acetate (PVA) or microfiber mesh, it essentially causes sweat to evaporate into the air, which creates a cooling sensation that mimics the mechanism of sweating itself. The only difference is that towels facilitate the moisture from their surface to evaporate at a quicker rate, which intensifies the cooling effect.
- Through soaking
Now that you know the physics behind a cooling towel, it’s time to understand how one actually works. Simple: you just need to soak it in or run it under some water of any temperature to activate instant cooling. For the next step, wring out any excess water to avoid dousing your clothes, and finally, place the towel against warm areas on the skin. Different towels promise different degrees of cooling, with the really good ones chilling you down by anywhere between 30° and 40° below ambient air temperature.
13 Best Cooling Towels To Beat The Heat (With Buying Guide)
Best Soft And Soothing:Ergodyne Chill-Its 6602 Evaporative Cooling Towel
Packing an impressive 4 hours of cooling capacity, this PVA-rich cooling towel is a great way to cool off on hot, sunny days. Its chilling effect starts the second it comes in contact with water — all you need is to soak it under a tap for about a minute and wring out any excess water before placing it on the heated area, like your neck, shoulders, arms, or head. The material absorbs water and reacts with body heat to create a cooling sensation. According to many online reviews, once the towel dries out and stiffens, you can repeat the wetting process to make it soft and soothing all over again.
- PVA material
- Lasts up to 4 hours
- Machine washable
- Available in 5 colors
- The size is slightly small.
Best For Extreme Heat:Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad Cooling Towel
Easily the best in its class, the Frogg Toggs towel uses an exclusive hyper-evaporative material that retains enough water to help you stay cool for 4 hours in a single soak. Promising to regulate temperatures by a whopping 30 degrees, it’s more durable than most options in the market and can pull you through the hottest of days with ease. In addition to instant cooling on impact, the towel offers a versatile UV protection mesh of UPF 50+ to prevent 98% of the sun’s UVA and UVB rays from penetrating your skin. It’s highly absorbent and can retain up to 8 times its weight in water, keeping you sufficiently chill for hours without irritating your body. Reviewers have noticed that the towel is soft, absorbent, and cooling.
- Cools up to 30 degrees
- UPF 50+ UV Protection
- Cools for 3 to 4 hours
- Ideal for extreme heat
- Available in 6 colors
- May stiffen when dried, making it slightly difficult to fold
Best For Long-Distance Hikes:4Monster Cooling Towel
The 4Monster Cooling Towel is crafted with hyper-evaporative breathable microfiber. Its cooling lasts for up to 3 to 4 hours. Many reviewers are of the opinion that it is super lightweight and takes up minimal space in your luggage. It is made of breathable material that offers long-lasting cooling and keeps you safe from hot flashes and intense outdoor heat.
- Clean fabric
- Durable stitching
- Lightweight
- Breathable
- Travel-friendly
- Fragrance-free
None
Pro TipBest Breathable Mesh Design:U-pick Cooling Towel
The U-pick Cooling Towel is constructed with super ice hyper-evaporative and breathable material. The cooling towels rely on the natural evaporation of water to accomplish their cooling effects, and no chemicals are utilized in their production. This towel can keep it cool for up to three hours. These cooling towels are ideal for people experiencing the negative consequences of excessive heat, hot flushes, or the ones who need cold treatment after medical procedures. The towel’s extremely absorbent fiber weave technology manages the mesh’s water retention. This cooling towel has a silky-smooth feel, is flexible, and can be folded up quickly and effortlessly. This lightweight towel absorbs moisture and sweat, allowing you to remain dry during high-intensity exercise, with a UPF of 50. Many reviewers, who are athletes, runners, and sports fanatics, love the ice microfiber towel.
- Lightweight
- Hyper-evaporative materials
- Breathable mesh design
- Machine washable
- Quick cooling
- Quick-dry fabric
- UPF 50+ sun protection
- The plastic packaging can make the towel smelly
Best Lightweight:Your Choice Cooling Towel
Lightweight, breathable, and instantly chilling, this one’s a high-quality sports towel that is comfortable to wear and won’t soak your clothes while you cool off. Made from polyester, it has the ability to wick away moisture and force it to evaporate more quickly, making it ideal for athletes. Simply wet, wring, snap, and press it against the warm skin on your face, neck, and arms to feel post-shower levels of refreshed almost immediately. The super-absorbent material is completely free of harmful chemicals and safe for everyone from adults and babies to your pets. If you’re heat-sensitive or prone to sunburns, the UPF 50+ protection will shield your skin against the brutal summer sun. Many reviews indicate that the towel is easy to use, lasts long, and is easy to clean.
- UPF 50+ sun protection
- High-density cooling mesh
- Free of harmful chemicals
- Available in 6 colors
- It might dry out a bit too quickly.
Best Eco-Friendly:Icseio Microfiber Cooling Towel
This is exactly the kind of breathable mesh design that makes workouts easier and cooler. The lightweight microfiber material molds to your body and stays put even as you run or move around. It provides 3 hours of cooling before you need to re-soak it, which makes it the best cooling towel for humidity (as long as you have some water around). The towel’s 3-layer mechanism keeps you extra-cool by absorbing sweat, letting water molecules cycle efficiently, and trigger evaporation to rid your body surface of up to 40° of excess heat. Being lightweight and skin-friendly allows it to be worn in multiple ways, while the anti-UV fibers maintain a healthy distance between you and the sun’s radiation.
- Microfiber material
- Chills up to 3 hours
- Skin-safe and eco-friendly
- Available in 4 colors
- Slightly expensive
Best Long-Lasting:Ailawuu Cooling Towel For Sports
Feel rejuvenated within seconds of a hot flash with this incredibly convenient and absorbent towel. At 39 inches by 11 inches, it’s the perfect size for your gym bag, which means no more waiting for your turn to hit the showers before ice-cold water can relieve you of all the prickly sweat. The hyper-evaporative fiber is so flexible that you can wear it in 10 different ways — around the head like a bandana, tied to the neck like a scarf, wrapped around your forearm like a sleeve, and so on. Along with cooling properties, it also provides UPF 50+ sun protection and is completely safe for all skin types.
- Long-lasting cooling
- UPF 50+ protection
- Super-lightweight
- Comes in a 6-pack
- It might stretch out slightly after frequent washing.
Best Double Layer Fabric:Ideatech Instant Cooling Towel UPF50+
If you want a cooling towel that feels as big and wrappable as a bath towel, we’ve got you covered. With a surface area of 40 x 12 inches, this cooling towel can be wrapped around the body like a cape to provide instant cooling to your entire back at once. All you need to do is run it under water for a few seconds and wring it to avoid oversaturation before placing it on the heated area. In case there’s too much sweat, make sure to wring out the salty water before repeating the process until you feel calm and comfy again. Made with cooling fabric and featuring ergonomic designs, they are sweat-wicking and provide instant refreshment. Unlike so many towels that focus more on function than feel, this brings you the best of both worlds with its soft, gentle, and durable fabric that doesn’t just absorb sweat but also feels like cold satin against the skin.
- Double layer fabric
- Chemical-free
- Super-soft and breathable
- Expertly-sewn seams
- UPF 50+
- Available in 6 colors
- They might dry out quickly in extreme heat.
Quick TipBest For Outdoor Workout:Klein Tools Cooling Towel
Stay cool and look cool in the scorching heat with the Klein Tools Cooling Towel. It is fabricated with advanced PVA cooling technology and helps lower your body temperature to cool you down during outdoor workouts. Many reviews indicate that it activates within a minute to shield you from UV rays during a sweaty hot day. It stays cool for hours and can be reactivated several times. It is made with high-quality PVA material, and brings instant relief after hard work or laborious activities.
- High-quality material
- Lightweight
- Offers PVA cooling technology
- Easy to use
- Great absorbency
- Offers UV protection
None
Best Easy To Activate:RiptGear Instant Cooling Neck Towel
This large microfiber towel has a polyester-nylon fabric blend that brings you the softest and most comfortable downtime experience. What makes the towel unique is its high-quality seam that increases durability, along with the instant cooling technology that pulls your average body temperature below 35°, keeping you sweat-free for hours. It’s super-easy to activate — just wet, wring, snap, wave it in the air for a second, and you’re ready to chill. The breathable mesh rapidly absorbs sweat while retaining more water, allowing the effects to last longer. It’s the best cooling towel for sports, yoga, and everything in between!
- Larger coverage
- Easy to activate
- Soft and lightweight
- Doesn’t stiffen on drying
- Available in 4 colors
- Not machine washable
Best Antimicrobial:Mission Max Plus Cooling Towel
For a highly effective, durable, and versatile sports cooling towel, this is a great choice. Constructed with a soft, smooth fabric that stays gentle to the touch whether dry or wet, its cooling effect begins instantly and lasts up to 3 hours without needing a re-soak. With UPF 50 sun protection and antimicrobial properties, you’ll be protected from the blistering heat and sweat-related odors all at once. A pull-through corner loop helps the towel sit securely around your face or neck, so you can just place it on and forget it’s there. These towels are not only great for heat relief and sweat absorption but are also quick-drying, multi-purpose, and come with anti-bacterial properties.
- Cools up to 30°
- Effect lasts up to 3 hours
- Patented soft-knit fabric
- Machine washable
- Available in 2 colors
- Slightly expensive
Best Sand-Resistant:Hibiker Microfiber Cooling Towel
Head down to the beach with all the confidence and none of the sunburn-fear with this ultra-lightweight towel that boasts microfiber cooling. Not only does it provide you with an instant cooldown but it’s also quick to dry and repels sand, which means you won’t have to wash it countless times only to find beach residue stuck to the sides of your machine. Along with a Double layer fabric that retains moisture for a long time, it also features a delicate lock edge that prevents wear and tear, increasing its shelf life. Available in 2 sizes and 3 cute colors, this cooling towel will make all your beach days more refreshing.
- Sand-resistant
- Microfiber material
- Comes in a 2-pack
- Medium and large sizes
- Double layer fabric
- Extremely lightweight
- Needs to be re-soaked more often
Best Super-Absorbent Polyester:Tough Outfitters Cooling Towel
Whether you are sweating it out in the gym, doing yoga, or golfing, the Tough Outfitters Cooling Towel will make sure that you feel dry and comfortable. Keep your head cool and your spirits high with the effortless super-absorbent polyester material of this cooling towel. Its quick cooling activation system saves time and energy lost in re-soaking breaks. It is small, efficient, and easy to carry. It comes with UPF 50 protection. It blocks the damaging UVA and UVB rays to reduce the risk of skin cancer. When out in the summer heat, its, evapocool fabric keeps you cool and fresh in hot and sweaty conditions. Reviewers have suggested that the towel is cooling, easy to travel with, and works for anyone working in hot and humid conditions.
- Lightweight
- Easy to clean
- Easy to carry
- Breathable mesh
- Quick-dry fabric
- Offers UPF 50 protection
None
Whether you are an avid runner or simply live in a hot, humid location, mastering the art of cooling down is an absolute necessity to prevent heat exhaustion. To make the selection process easier, let’s look at the criteria you need to consider.
What To Look For In A Cooling Towel
- Absorbing materials
When it comes to cooling towels for sports or heavy-duty workouts, polyvinyl acetate (PVA) is the real MVP. It’s a highly absorbent material whose coolness lasts for several hours due to superior evaporative functions. Once you wring it out, the towel won’t drip down your back and only cool the area on which it is placed. It’s lightweight and absorbs water so well that it feels dry even after soaking. However, it has a rubbery texture and isn’t as soft or breathable as microfiber, which is another material that keeps you cool for a significant period. However, it’s less absorbent than PVA and does not feel dry to the touch. It is recommended to conduct a thorough fabric testing before selecting your ideal cooling towel.
- The right size
Your choice also depends on how large or small a towel you’re looking for. Smaller towels in the 30 to 35-inch range of length are ideal for storage in case you don’t want to wear something around your neck the whole time. Mid-sized towels measuring about 40 inches can be draped around the neck or waist for easy access while you are exposed to heat and sweat. If you’re looking for full-body coverage the likes of a luxurious bath towel, you can opt for extra-large sizes. They tend to be packaged with a carrying pouch, so you don’t have to worry about them eating up space inside your gym bag or hiking backpack.
- Sun protection
If you want the biggest bang for your buck, go for instant cooling towels that come with an inbuilt UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) of over 50. They block 98% of the sun’s radiation from entering the skin and prevent sunburns, so you can enjoy a whole day out at Disneyworld or hike up that hill without worrying about extreme heat — as long as you have plenty of water at hand.
How To Use A Cooling Towel
- Step 1: Soak in water
It only takes a few seconds of contact with water to activate the cooling towel, and they can go hours without reactivation. You can run it under hot or cold water, though you are more likely to have access to the latter.
- Step 2: Wring it out
To keep the towel from oversaturating or dripping water all over your clothes or down your back, be sure to wring it out well after soaking. Depending on the type, you may also be required to snap it before use.
- Step 3: Place it on
Regions like the neck and back have larger muscles that emit a lot of heat and sweat. A cooling towel can calm the nerves and help you experience some much-needed downtime, not just in those 2 areas but pretty much any warm and sweaty location on your body.
The Bottom Line
After an intense and sweaty workout session, you need a boost of refreshment. That is why the much-loved cooling towels are so popular. After you take a shower, wiping yourself with a cooling towel will help maintain the natural coolness while you dress up. Try the Ergodyne Chill-Its 6602 Evaporative Cooling Towel for its hyper-evaporative material that offers long-lasting cooling relief, or the 4Monster Cooling Towel for its lightweight feature that makes it a good portable option. You can also opt for the Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad Cooling Towel that shields you from harmful sun rays. These cooling towels help you maintain your body temperature with a simple wipe. Mette Baillie, a couture designer, remarks, “Great run down of all the options, I will definitely get a cooling towel before my next tropical holiday.” They are soft, lightweight, water-resistant, and made of breathable fabrics. Cooling towels work through soaking and evaporation. Most of these towels come in a pack and are available in different colors. Having the best cooling towel on hand is like walking around with your portable air conditioner, except it’s chemical-free and recyclable, so there’s no harm to the environment.
Why Trust StyleCraze?
The author of this article, Priyam Gupta, is a fashion enthusiast who has curated a list of the best cooling towels to keep you chill during summers. She has reviewed these products and browsed through online reviews to pick the best for her readers. Not only are these lightweight, soft, and of good quality, but they’re also water-resistant and are made with breathable fabrics to keep your skin soft and calm at all times.
How long do cooling towels last?
It depends on how frequently you use the towel and whether or not you follow the care instructions well. On average, a top-rated cooling towel lasts anywhere between 3 to 5 years with its cooling ability intact.
Are cooling towels reusable?
Yes, a majority of cooling towels are reusable and machine washable. However, do check the instructions on the best way to wash, as some towels require hand washing.
Do cooling towels make your clothes wet?
Not if you wring them out well after running under water. If you place them on the skin immediately after soaking, your clothes are likely to get drenched.
Do cooling towels work in humidity?
Yes, cooling towels are specifically designed to shield your body against extreme heat and humidity. They use evaporative technology to retain moisture and use your sweat to create a cooling sensation. However, if the humidity is too high, you might have to soak the towel more often to maintain its effectiveness.
Can you put a cooling towel in the freezer?
No, PVA material is not freezer-safe. Do not store your PVA-made cooler towel in the freezer.
How do you wash cooling towels?
You can wash cooling towels like any regular towel – throw them in a laundry cycle, use regular detergent, and rinse and wring it thoroughly.
How do you store cooling towels?
Place your cooling towels in a cylindrical bag and cool them in the refrigerator before use.
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