The Best Cooling Towel Reviews & Buying Guide
Our Top Pick for 2019: Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad
Amazon
Cooling Towels can be used in a multitude of scenarios; from keeping cool while gardening on a hot, to heat release after a long exercise, and even indoors when you’re delaying turning on your costly air conditioner. Cooling towels work when you get them wet, allowing your extra heat to evaporate with the water in the towel. When buying a cooling towel, it’s important to make the right choice because the difference in quality can be vast, and when you’re looking forward to relieving some heat, you don’t want to be stuck using a substandard product.
Let’s Have a Quick Look of Our Top 4 Picks:
#1. Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad
View it on Amazon: -*
*Price typically updated every 24 hours. Current price may be different.
Out of hundreds of products on the market, the Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad is a clear winner in the war of the cooling towels for obvious reasons. This seemingly simple product comes packed with features that make it an excellent choice for anyone looking to beat the heat. The Chilly Pad comes in a canister that can be used to store the towel between uses, it is available in over twenty colors to fit every style and mood, and it can be thrown in the washing machine to clean. Due to these and various other features, users of the Chilly Pad gave it a promising 4.2 out of 5 stars when rating it.
At 12 x 32 inches the Chilly Pad is a bit larger than a typical hand towel and is the perfect size to drape over your neck and arms without getting in the way of any activities you may be engaging in. The Chilly Pad is made from a lightweight PVA blend that efficiently absorbs water. While it’s large enough to thoroughly cool you down, it only weighs 7.8 ounces. This makes it perfect to take camping or backpacking, when lightweight gear is essential. The towel also comes in a convenient canister that it can be stored in to keep it protected when not being used. One of the greatest details users of the Chilly Pad raved about was its ability to keep you cool without any of the moisture from the towel seeping into any clothing it may be touching, “it cools you off without getting you wet”. This is because of the towels two textures; the smooth side absorbs moisture without leaking any back. The difference in feel also allows you to choose the texture you most prefer.
Aesthetically, the Chilly Pad is a winner. It has plenty of color and pattern options; from subtle grey to a patriotic flag print to a fun leopard print. You can match your Chilly Pad to your favorite athletic team’s colors or to any outfit. They even have hi-visibility yellow so you can keep cool and safe while bicycling on the road or working outside. Many reviewers of the Chilly Pad remarked that it was stylish, with one receiving compliments on her “scarf” from many people.
On user review sites countless customers raved about the Chilly Pad. Many remarked on the towels ability to stay cool for hours without needing to be rewet. One Amazon reviewer even had to purchase enough for her entire family after they were in envy of hers during a football game. Of all the cooling towels reviewed here, the Chilly Pad had the highest amount of user reviews, almost all of which were glowingly positive. This particular brand is also a favorite in the baby wearing community, with mothers consistently using it to keep them cool while wearing their babies in the summer heat. The most commonly cited aspects of the Chilly Pad are it’s durability, effectiveness, reusability, and style.
While the Chilly Pad is a great product, nothing is perfect and there is one thing to consider when purchasing this product. One of the great features of the Chilly Pad is the included container that can be used to store the product between uses. However, it is important to make sure that the towel is thoroughly and completely dried before replacing it in the canister. As with any damp fabric placed into an airtight container, mold will develop if there is moisture on the towel. Feeling for any moisture in the towel and running it through the drier again if there is any remaining dampness should solve this problem.
If you’re looking for a mid-size cooling towel that works exceedingly well and comes in plenty of color options, then the Chilly Pad is for you! You can find them on Amazon for $12.95 with discounts available depending on the color and seller. Considering that many users mentioned being about to use the Chilly Pad in lieu of their air conditioner, saving on cooling costs, this seems like a very reasonable price range. The Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad seems to have it all, the worst thing about this purchase may be having to choose a color.
#2. Chill Pal Ultimate Cooling Towel
View it on Amazon: -*
*Price typically updated every 24 hours. Current price may be different.
The Runner-Up cooling towel is the Chill Pal Ultimate Cooling Towel. While this towel doesn’t come in nearly as many color options as the Chilly Pad, it is a highly rated towel that comes with a lifetime guarantee and a full refund if you aren’t satisfied making it a low risk choice. It also has a reusable carrying canister to store and transport the Ultimate Cooling Towel. This towel is a perfect match for someone looking for a practical, versatile, and reliable way to keep cool on a hot summer day, both inside and outside.
The Ultimate Cooling towel measures at 24 x 16 inches, making it shorter and wider than the other cooling towels. This makes it easier to wrap around the neck once, without needing to double up with extra fabric. A favorite of the golfing crowd, the Ultimate Cooling Towel works like a standard cooling towel; you wet it, wring it, snap it, and wear it and it instantly begins to evaporate the heat from your body. This towel is made from a high quality PVA that is thicker than most other brands, allowing it to absorb more water and therefore cool more effectively than others. Additionally, this towel can be cut without causing it to fray, meaning you can share the cooling power with friends and family, sure to make you a favorite in the crowd.
The Ultimate Cooling Towel is offered in aqua blue, sunshine yellow, and ocean blue. While it normally retails for $39.99, it can often be found on Amazon for much less. It only weighs 6.8 ounces outside of the carrying canister, making it a great lightweight option. If you’re looking for something to use as a fashion accessory this might not be it, due to its lack of color options. However, if you’re looking for an effective cooling towel, the Ultimate Cooling Towel will fit the bill.
Users of this towel consistently remarked on the unique texture of the cooling towel. The Ultimate Cooling Towel has an interesting gel-like texture that feels cool even when dry and allows the towel to transfer a cooling sensation without transferring any moisture onto you or your clothing. This towel is a favorite in the golfing and volleyball communities because of its subtle look and effectiveness at keeping players “10 degrees cooler” during an entire 18 hole game. Reviewers consistently remarked on how much cooler they felt while using it and how long it lasts without needing to be rewet.
This towel is machine washable, making reuse very easy. However, some reviewers mentioned that after washing it the texture of the towel became stiffer when dry, which doesn’t affect how it works when wet, but does make it more difficult to fit the Ultimate Cooling Towel back in its carrying canister. Also, like the Chilly Pad, this towel needs to be thoroughly dried before storing it in an airtight container as it can mold.
The Ultimate Cooling towel is lightweight, practical, and has a lifetime guarantee, making it an excellent purchase for those afraid of the price commitment for a cooling towel. What this towel lacks in variety of styles, it makes up for in quality. Hundreds of consumers that reviewed this product after using it for gardening, golfing, and volleyball all agree that the Chill Pal Ultimate Cooling Towel is a great product to use on a hot day.
#3. BOJE Cooling Chill Towel
View it on Amazon: -*
*Price typically updated every 24 hours. Current price may be different.
Another excellent choice in the cooling towel market is the BOJE Cooling Chill Towel. This towel is not only effective at cooling you down, but it also has a lifetime guarantee, a carrying case that can clip onto a backpack, and 5% of all proceeds go to the international development organization KIVA. With these amenities the Cooling Chill Towel is a great pick for anyone looking for a slightly small cooling towel with all of the features. The Cooling Chill Towel sells for $19.99 but discounted items are available on Amazon.
The Cooling Chill Towel is the smallest cooling towel of the current options on the market, measuring at 33 x 6.5 inches; it is similar in shape to a short scarf. This allows you to cover the back of your neck without needing to wrap over the front. It would also make an excellent cooling towel for a child or more petite person because of its smaller size. Like the other cooling towels, this one is made out of high-quality PVA that allows it to evaporate heat from your body when wet. This towel is also machine washable, though harsh detergent and bleach may cause it to lose durability and effectiveness. This specific cooling towel has a unique carrying case that can clip on the outside of backpacks or belt loops, making it perfect to bring along on camping and backpacking trips.
Like the Ultimate Cooling Towel, the Cooling Chill Towel comes in three colors: blue, pink, and black. While this doesn’t give you an extensive array of option like the Chilly Pad, it does allow you to customize it a bit to your personality and taste. Unlike the other towels, the Cooling Chill Towel comes with eBooks with exercise tips and tricks, making this the perfect package for someone looking to get into shape or start a new exercise routine. It’s also a favorite among women experiencing hot flashes from menopause because of its small size and effectiveness. Many menopausal reviewers mentioned using it in bed when “nothing else worked”, and they didn’t want to disturb their partners with freezing air-conditioners.
The Cooling Chill Towel effectively keeps wearers up to 10 degrees cooler in the heat and is an excellently reviewed product. One thing to remember however is that the towel, especially the blue one, may bleed dye onto fabric when wet. To prevent this simply wash it thoroughly until the water runs clear before using it for the first time. Like all other cooling towels, the Cooling Chill Towel should be thoroughly dried before being stored in its container.
The BOJE Cooling Chill Towel is a smaller towel that comes packed with features. If you are looking for a petite towel to cool you or your loved ones down during hiking, or if you need something to keep you cool during nighttime hot flashes, this is it. This towels lifetime guarantee also assures that you will never be without a Cooling Chill Towel on the hottest days.
#4. Your Choice Instant Cooling Towel
View it on Amazon: -*
*Price typically updated every 24 hours. Current price may be different.
If you need something to keep you cool on hot days or while working out, but the other cooling towels don’t fit into your budget or you want to try one out before investing in a more expensive option, the Your Choice Instant Cooling Towel is a great option. This cooling towel is stylish, and while it comes with fewer features than the other towels, reviewers all agree, it cools effectively and at $12.99 the price can’t be beat!
Rather than a reusable canister or case, the Instant Cooling Towel comes in a pouch. While this isn’t as protective or sturdy as the other options, you can use it to store the towel when not in use and it is more compact than the other towels. This towel is mid-sized, coming in at 16 x 32 inches and weighing 1.9 ounces when dry. While it is impressively light-weight, some reviewers have mentioned that the towel does not hold up as well in a washing machine as the other towels do so hand-washing is recommended. Unlike the other towels, the Instant Cooling Towel is made out of polyester rather than PVA, meaning it doesn’t absorb water as well, but this is what allows it to be so lightweight and flexible.
Like the Cooling Chill Towel and Ultimate Cooling Towel, the Instant Cooling Towel comes in three color options. The Instant Cooling Towel is available in blue, gray, and red. Each also has a subtle polka dot pattern giving it a stylish look that works for both men and women. The fabric is thinner than other cooling towels and looks like a scarf while being worn meaning you can discreetly wear it while walking around outside or at sporting events.
With the Instant Cooling Towel, the most common observation by reviewers was on the look and feel of the card. Most remarked that it was softer and lighter than most other cooling towels. This makes it perfect for exercise since it won’t weigh you down. The tradeoff is that it doesn’t hold water as effectively as the others, and therefore will need to be wet more often than those. However, for a budget product, it’s a great value.
Pre-purchase considerations
Daily Uses
Before deciding on a cooling towel, it’s important to assess what you will most often be using it for. Will you be using it for backpacking and running? If so you may want something lighter in weight. Will you be wearing it to social events like barbecues or sports spectator events? Then you may want something you can personalize to your style. Will you be using it everyday outside? If so, something easily washable may be best. Make sure you are choosing the right towel for your lifestyle.
Product Quality
While the price range may not be vast, there is a marked difference in quality for cooling towels. If you are going to depend on this towel to keep you cool often, then it is important to have a dependable product. A cooling towel is a simple product, but one that can make a large difference in your quality of life. You don’t want a cooling towel that will fall apart after the second wash. Make sure to buy something with many positive reviews, like all of the products reviewed in this article.
Return Policy
Sometimes thing just don’t work out. Maybe you choose the top rated, highly recommended cooling towel but it just is not right for you. That happens, which is why it is important to choose something with a good return policy or satisfaction guarantee. You don’t want to be forced to keep a product you don’t like just because you can’t return it. Luckily all of the cooling towels reviewed here have excellent return policies.
Overall Value
This is up to you to decide. According to hundreds of positive reviews on each of the cooling towels mentioned here, they make a real difference in your level of comfort in the heat. Not only will you feel more comfortable, but also many users are able to cut down on their cooling costs by using their cooling towels in their homes and foregoing the use of an air conditioner. If you live in a climate with uncomfortably hot summers or you are frequently engaging in activities that cause you to overheat, it is probably a good investment. If you live in milder climates without warm summers, and you don’t spend much time exercising or being active, then it may not be worth it.
Conclusion (Wrapping it up)
No one likes being overheated, and for some people who have a difficult time regulating their body temperature, being exposed to excessive heat can be dangerous. Air conditioning is expensive, and sometimes we are stuck outside without it. Even in less extreme situations, being too warm is just plain uncomfortable. Luckily there is a low cost solution; cooling towels. Just by adding water, squeezing out the excess, and snapping to activate you can quickly evaporate your uncomfortable excess heat. With hundreds of options flooding the market it’s important to choose a cooling towel that is worth the money and works for you.
Discussion and comments
We want to know what you think. Do you own any of the products we discussed? Which did you buy and how did it work out for you?
Do you know of an even better product?
Comment below and help your fellow consumers make the right choice. Over to you!
Resources
- Eric (Channel Host), Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad Cooling Towel-Review, HollywoodFrodo Youtube, November 9, 2013
- Chill Pal Cooling Towel Product Review, Gulf Coast Sports, August 19, 2020
- Reviews, BOJE Cooling Chill Towel Review, Reviews Youtube, December 18, 2015
- James Covet, Athletes on a Mission with Cooling Towels, New York Post, February 22, 2020
- Larry Olmsted, Simple Technology Keeps You Cool During Hot Weather Sports, Forbes.com. July 18, 2020