A cooling towel does wonders to keep the body’s temperature down during long hours of workout outdoors. If you are a runner, jogger, long-distance walker, cycler, or indulge in outdoor sports like tennis or golf, a cooling towel is something that should definitely be in your kit.
Now let’s take a look at how a cooling towel works before heading to the best products.
Best Cooling Towels – Our Top Picks
- EDITORS CHOICE – Chill Pal PVA Cooling Towel
- Sukeen Microfiber Towel
- Qik Labs Cooling Towel
- U-Pick Ice Microfiber Cooling Towel
- Frog Toggs Chilly Pad Cooling Towels
Our necks and shoulders are directly exposed to the sun when outdoors, no matter what time of the day it is. Being big muscle groups and also closer to the face and head, it can get really uncomfortable up there, especially in warm and humid climates.
A cooling towel can come to your rescue through evaporative cooling. The wetness of a cooling towel not only feels soothing against your skin, but the temperature difference will allow heat transfer from your body to the towel. The heat then escapes via evaporation, effectively bringing in a cooling effect.
Cooling towels are of great help for trekkers, hikers, and those who are interested in fishing or birdwatching as well.
The following are the best cooling towels that you can choose from for your outdoor sports and workout sessions.
5 Best Cooling Towels To Choose From
EDITORS CHOICE – Chill Pal PVA Cooling Towel
Chill Pal PVA Cooling Towel
Pros:
The towels come in 12x32 inches size, which is the ideal dimension to tuck in around your neck.
The product comes in five different shades – ocean blue, twilight purple, charcoal, sunshine yellow, and aqua blue.
The pouch packaging makes it easier to carry on treks and trips.
It comes at a reasonable and pocket-friendly price.
Cons:
Some customers had trouble with the texture of the PVA material used – they felt it was too rough on the skin.
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Chill Pal PVA Cooling Towel comes with an extra thick PVA material and advanced evaporative technology, which helps in holding in the wetness from the water longer than your average cooling towel.
The procedure is simple. All you have to do is soak the towel in cold water, wring it out properly, and drape it around your neck. It should stay cool for at least 2-5 hours, depending on the weather.
The towels now come in squared pouch packages instead of the previous packaging in tube rolls.
Sukeen Microfiber Towel
Sukeen Microfiber Towel
Pros:
The towels can absorb water up to 4 times their own weight.
The packaging includes a carrying pouch with a carabiner clip. You can use it to attach the towel to your backpack for trekking, rock climbing, mountaineering, etc.
The towels are safe to be used on your pets as well.
Cons:
Due to thin mesh material, the towel often dries out quicker than other contemporary brands.
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Sukeen microfiber cooling towel is made of hyper-evaporative mesh material, which makes the product highly breathable and soft to touch on the skin. The manufacturers claim that the towel stays cool for up to 3 hours at the very least.
The specialty of this cooling towel is that it cannot only be used for sports and fitness purposes but for health benefits as well. Anyone who suffers from frequent hot flushes can use this towel to cool their body temperature. It helps in fever, headache, migraine, and heatstroke prevention as well.
You have to soak the towel in cool water, wring it out, shake the towel a few times to get rid of excess water, and it will be ready for use. You can even use an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of the cooling towel for proof.
The towels come in 12×40 inches size, making it big enough to style in a variety of ways. You can wear it around your neck, shoulders, forehead, and even around your wrist.
Qik Labs Cooling Towel
Qik Labs Cooling Towel
Pros:
Instant cooling means you do not have to wait for the towel to absorb the wetness.
The towel can be used on pets too.
It comes in a waterproof plastic pouch for easy carriage.
It can be worn as scarves, headbands, and bandanas as well. You can be fashionable while staying cool.
Cons:
The towel needs to be hand washed if you want it to last long. Machine wash can cause damage to the mesh material and probably to the color as well.
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Qik Labs cooling towels are made of breathable mesh material with a combination fabric of 45% polyester and 55% polyamide. The towels feel soft and silky to the skin. They are absolutely chemical-free and hence skin-friendly at all times.
The towels cool immediately upon soaking in cold water and stays chilled for long hours. Its super absorbent and instant cooling technologies make Qik Lab towels a perfect companion for long runs or hikes, or other outdoor sessions.
If your livelihood requires you to stay outside under the sun for long hours, this towel can help you as well. It is a multipurpose cooling towel that is useful in hot flushes, fever, migraine, heat stress, and other health issues that cause the body to heat up.
U-Pick Ice Microfiber Cooling Towel
U-Pick Ice Microfiber Cooling Towel
Pros:
The super absorbent technology of the mesh fiber weave helps in moisture retention and modulate evaporation.
The towel comes with anti-UV properties, providing a sun-protection of up to 50 SPF.
It takes only one minute of soaking to become cool for hours.
The towels can be machine washed and reused for a long time.
Cons:
The towels do not come with instructions inside the package for usage or washing/drying.
Customers claim that the mesh material does not stay as “icy” cool as the package claims.
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U-Pick Ice Microfiber cooling towels are made of hypoallergenic, chemical-free mesh material with high evaporative properties and easy breathability. They feel soft and ice-cold against the skin wherever you use them.
The towel entirely depends on the exquisite craftsmanship of the weave and not on any external chemicals for keeping cool. Under average conditions, it can stay chilled up to 3 hours as per product specifications.
From outdoor sports, hiking, running, cycling, mountaineering to yoga, Pilates, and aerobics – the towel can be used for all types of athleticism. Anyone suffering from heat stress and hot flushes or anyone in need of cold therapy following an injury or for post-surgical recovery can use the towel as well.
Frog Toggs Chilly Pad Cooling Towels
Frog Toggs Chilly Pad Cooling Towels
Pros:
It comes in a wide range of colors. Lime green, sky blue, varsity blue, and orange are among the most popular shades.
The towels can absorb up to 8 times their own weight.
It comes with a unique, hard plastic storage, making it easier to store and carry compared to plastic pouches.
Cons:
You can expect the color to be runny upon machine wash.
Some customers have complained about the material being too synthetic and having a smell.
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Frog Toggs Chilly Pad cooling towels are made of the company’s own exclusive hyper-evaporative material. The special feature of the material is that it can retain water for at least 3 to 4 hours but remains dry to the touch all along.
Soaking the towel in water activates the material and can cool it down up to 30 degrees than the latent temperature. The towel also provides UPF 50+ UV protection against the harsh sun rays and keep your neck, shoulders, head, and other body parts safe from harmful UV radiation.
The towels can be regularly washed by machine or hand and reused.
Factors To Look For Before Buying A Cooling Towel
The following are some of the things you should keep an eye out for before you invest in a cooling towel.
Material
You have to pick and choose the cooling towel material because they all come with their own pros and cons. The ones made of PVA (polyvinyl acetate) are thicker and highly absorbent.
They remain cool for several hours but still feel almost dry to the touch. That is why it does not wet your clothes around the collar and shoulders. But when dried up, they can become hard and difficult to manage.
Mesh and microfiber cooling towels, on the other hand, provide moderate cooling but are very comfortable to wear. They are soft, breathable, lightweight, and do not weigh down around your skin. But they tend to have less absorbency and dry up quicker than PVA towels.
Size
Where you will be using the cooling towel should determine the size you buy it in. The ones to be used around the neck and shoulders generally come in 30-35 inches in length and 12-15 inches in width.
If you wish to use it as scarves, headbands, and bandanas, then slightly bigger ones with 40-inches length are preferred.
Wash And Care
Most cooling towels can be machine washed, but some of them come with consequences. All of them are washable and reusable, but hardcore machine wash can cause damage to the fabric and color of some cooling towels.
If you cannot afford to handwash towels, then make sure they are suitable for machine wash before buying.
Multi-Purpose Properties
Not all cooling towels can be widely used for all purposes. If you want to use them for hot flushes or cool therapy and not just for athletic and sports reasons, then make sure the product specifications permit such usage.
Some towels are also pet-friendly and can be used on your furry friends. Check the labels and product details before your purchase.
FAQs
How do cooling towels work?
Cooling towels are specifically designed to absorb and retain moisture from being soaked in cold water. The weave of the materials is engineered in a way so that maximum coolness is locked within the threads of the towel.
When put against your hot neck or shoulders or head, the warmth from your body gets transferred to the towel by the science of thermal exchange – heat flows from a hotter area to colder.
The heat then escapes the towel slowly via evaporation. The towels also help soak up sweat from your body. When the heat ratio between the towel and your body becomes an equilibrium, you will feel the towel is dried out and not doing its cooling anymore. That will be your signal to repeat the soaking, wringing, and snapping procedure once again.
Are cooling towels actually useful?
Cooling towels can be a really helpful thing, not only for athletes and sportspeople but for others as well. For those who want to use it for athletic and physical activity purposes, cooling towels are great for keeping your bodies cool and comfortable during walks, runs, jogs, cycling, biking, hiking, trekking, playing golf, tennis, volleyball, or any number of outdoor sports.
Other than that, anyone who has to spend long hours out in the sun owing to their nature of livelihood can use it as well. Construction workers, delivery personnel, salespeople, garage workers – the towel can be of great help to you all.
Next comes the health benefits. A lot of people suffer from hot flushes and high body temperature due to a variety of reasons. Anxiety, hypertension, gastric problems, postnatal conditions, high blood pressure, etc. are only some of them. A cooling towel can help bring some relief by providing cooling for a few hours. It can help with mild fever and migraine attacks as well.
How long does a cooling towel stay cool?
The number of hours a cooling towel will work depends on the material as well as the outside weather. Some towels are made of soft and breathable mesh, which are easy on the skin but do not stay damp for too long. Others are made of thicker fibers that retain water longer but can get uncomfortable and also incite mold.
Cooling towels might not work as well in areas with extreme humidity. If the latent humidity is too much, it will not allow the heat from the towel to evaporate, therefore delaying the cooling process. You can expect it to work quite well in dry heat and temperate climates.
Closing Thoughts
If you live in warmer climates, a cooling towel is something that should always be in your gym or sports kit. No physical activity can be done with focus and concentration if you are uncomfortable and constantly distracted by the heat around your neck.
Cooling towels can help your body remain cool and composed throughout your sports and workout sessions.
Hope this buying guide helps you in choosing the right cooling towel for yourself or a loved one!
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