Best Cooling Towels to Keep You Refreshed During Work Outs

Whether you are spending hours lifting weights at the gym or snaking through your favorite trails in your morning jogs during the hot summer days, chances are you will have an uncomfortable time to complete your mission. The scorching sun and grueling heat won’t allow you.  Yes, taking more water might help cool your organs; finding cool spots with air conditioning might also do the trick. Dropping ice down your shirt could also help. But let’s be realistic; all these options may not always be available.

So, what do you do? We got a simple solution for you — get the best cooling towels! You see, a cooling towel allows you to easily conduct your exercises without the inconvenience of carrying a water bottle, or a cooler with ice cubes. Just like radiators, these towels are designed to work by modifying evaporation rates and rotating molecules in order to drop the fabric’s temperature. Amazing, right?

We know you love the idea, and we are here to help you. We have researched for you, browsing far and wide to find the best cooling towels for your needs. We have also included a good number of tips in our buying guide to help you make an informed decision.

Top 9 Cooling Towels of 2020 Reviewed

1. Chill-Its 6602 Evaporative Cooling Towel

Best Cooling Towel for Quick Evaporation

When packing for the great outdoors, you want to minimize the weight as much as possible. What you need is a lightweight cooling towel that will come in handy when the heat starts taking a toll on you. The Chill-Its 6602 weighs a paltry 6.2 ounces which is ideal for backpacking.

It is made from PVA material, whose major characteristic is super-absorbency. To use it, all you need to do is soak it in water, wring, and put it on the part of your body you need to be cooled. A single soak can last you a couple of hours. The towel is not just meant for the outdoors. You can also use it at work or during any of the indoor sports.

Another thing you will appreciate about the Chill-Its towel is its anti-microbial capabilities, which stops it from molding. To wash it, simply through it into a washing machine together with the rest of your laundry. It is available in a variety of colors including blue, gray, green, pink, and orange. The good thing is that the dye hardly runs when washing.

Ergodyne Chill-Its 6602 Evaporative Cooling Towel, Blue

Pros:

  • Keeps cooling you for hours
  • Soft, lightweight, and easy to pack
  • You can wash it together with another laundry in a machine

Cons:

  • It is available in one size only
  • You may have to snap it vigorously to activate the cooling properties

2. Alfamo Cooling Towel

Best Absorbent Cooling Towel

The Alfamo Cooling Towel is preferred by many because of the variety of sizes in which it is available. As such, you may hang the small-sized towel on your neck and use the extra-large one to cover your entire body. To use this towel, you don’t have to be doing anything special. It is great for athletes and sports enthusiasts. You may carry it on your next workout session at the gym. If you are a woman who suffers from hot flashes, the Alfamo Cooling Towel will do just fine.

After soaking the towel and wringing it, you can expect it to remain chilled for up to three hours. During that time, you can use the towel to reduce your body temperature by up to 30 degrees. The towel will eventually dry, giving you a pliable, silky-soft material that’s easy to fold and keep in your gym bag.

Interestingly, this towel is made using a fabric with the capability to protect you from the harmful effects of the sun. With this dual-functional towel, you best are protected from the heat as well as the effects of UV rays. In addition to the variety of sizes, this towel comes in an array of colors so you can choose what best works for you.

Alfamo Cooling Towel for Sports, Workout, Fitness, Gym, Yoga, Pilates, Travel, Camping & More

Pros:

  • The stitching is of the highest quality
  • It is soft, long, and comfortable to use
  • Easy to use

Cons:

  • The dye may wash off when cleaning the towel
  • You may have to wet the towel frequently

3. Cooling Towel Sports Towel

Best Cooling Towel for Intense Workouts

Every sportsman will tell you how easy it is for the body temperature to rise to the highest levels within a very short time. The Cooling Towel Sports Towel is a perfect solution. It is made of breathable, hyper-evaporative mesh material, which after soaking and wringing gets into a body cooling overdrive. The residual moisture in the towel draws the heat and evaporates to cool your skin for hours. As you sweat, your body will release salt. So you have to keep rinsing out the salty water as the day progresses.

It doesn’t matter the activity in which you are involved. Whether it is CrossFit training, golf or rock climbing, you can easily carry the towel with you in a reusable pouch. No need to add it to the rest of your luggage. If you ever find yourself with a high fever, this towel will do just fine.

Since this is mainly a towel for the outdoors, it is created to stop UV rays from harming you. It comes in a variety of colors, which simply means you can choose the one you prefer the most.

[4 Pack] Cooling Towel

Pros:

  • Soft, lightweight, and easy to carry
  • A versatile, multi-purpose towel for use on different occasions
  • A hyper-absorbent, evaporative towel that cools you for longer

Cons:

  • Available in only one size which limits your freedom of choice
  • You have to keep moistening it to maintain its cooling abilities

4. Your Choice Cooling Towel

Best Multi-Purpose Cooling Towel

Looking for a cooling towel that you can use in a variety of ways? You Choice Cooling Towel could easily act as a sweatband, scarf, neck wrap, head cover or cooling bandana. It is perfect for anyone leading an active lifestyle or in need of all forms of cold therapy. Take it with you on your way to a fitness class, gym, or running track. You will be amazed how bearable this towel makes your outdoors experience in the hot summer sun.

The towel is primarily made from a premium, eco-friendly polyester fabric that is easy to use. After soaking the towel, wring, and apply it on the area of your body you want chilled. After a single soak, you can use the towel for a couple of hours before it dries. But that’s not all there is to the fabric. It is super-absorbent, lightweight, and soft. In addition to cooling you up, it will provide the much needed UPF 50 sunscreen protection.

Just how is the towel capable of cooling you off on a short time? Inside the fabric is a high-density mesh fiber. It is super-absorbent, fast-evaporating, and super-cooling. You wouldn’t want to use another towel brand.

Your Choice Cooling Towel Workout

Pros:

  • The material contains no chemical elements, making it environmentally friendly
  • A multi-functional towel, which can be used in a variety of situations
  • Protects against the harmful effects of UV rays

Cons:

  • You have to keep soaking it every time

5. Cooling Towel Microfiber

Best Microfiber Cooling Towel

Who wants a cooling towel that feels wet to the skin? This Cooling Towel is designed to keep you cool while staying dry to the skin. When you soak, wring, and snap it, the towel will retain water inside so that when it operates, you will feel cool. It keeps working for a couple of hours every time you soak it. All this thanks to the towel’s super-absorbent technology. The fiber mesh regulates and retains water so that the towel keeps working for longer.

The cooling towel is not just multi-functional. It is also versatile and can be used in all sorts of situations, including the gym, fitness, yoga sessions, and sports. In medical emergencies where victims are in danger of sunstroke or fever, this towel will come in handy.

It is extremely easy to use. After soaking it for a minute or so, wring, and snap the towel a few times then wrap it in the area of the body you intend to cool. The towel feels silky soft to the skin. When dry, it is easy to fold and pack with the rest of your luggage.

Cooling Towel Microfiber Towel Fast Drying

Pros:

  • A machine-washable towel that won’t give you much of a hassle cleaning it
  • Versatile and highly-functional
  • Keeps you cool for longer

Cons:

  •  You have to keep soaking it to keep cool

6. Chill Pal Mesh Cooling Towel

Best Mesh Cooling Towel

The Chill Pal Mesh Cooling Towel utilizes the same effective technology, albeit with a comfy, thinner, and ultra-breathable design. It may not be fancy, but the towel is soft, light, and comfortable on the skin. The towel is designed using an improved evaporative technology that enables the cloth to keep you cool for longer. When dry, the mesh design ensures the towel can easily be folded and packed away. It is definitely suitable for people who like being out in the outdoors.

A versatile, multi-purpose towel, it is designed for golfers, hikers, runners, and more. No matter what you do or where you go, this towel is good enough to keep you cool throughout. The towel has a larger surface area, which means you can use it on larger parts of your body. When the water evaporates on a wider surface, the cooling is also more effective.

When you are out in the outdoors, you need an easy-to-use cooling towel. With the Chill Pal Mesh Cooling Towel, you start by soaking in water. After wringing it, you can spread it on your body and wait for it to drive away from the heat. What more could you ask for?

Chill Pal Mesh Cooling Towel

Pros:

  • A versatile multi-purpose cooling towel
  • Available in a variety of colors
  • Comes with a reusable carry pouch

Cons:

  • Available in only one large size
  • A little on the short side

7. DARUNAXY 4-Pack Evaporative Cooling Towels

Best Foldable Cooling Towel

An easy-to-fold cooling towel, this product is compact enough to fit in your pocket. It is perfect for that time to the gym when you do not want to burden yourself with heavy luggage. Even if you were to pack it in a bag on your next hiking trip, the towel is still compact and hardly noticeable.

To use this towel, all you need is to wet and wring it before putting it around your neck. It will cool you down in the gym, golf course, sports ground, or hiking trail. This towel isn’t just meant for people with active lifestyles. It is also great for anyone with hot flashes due to a medical condition, working under the sun for long or changes in life. The process of using it remains the same.

The other thing about this cooling towel is that you can choose among any of eight different colors. Whether you like light or dark colors, you can be sure to find exactly what you are looking for. Perfect for a gift to a friend of a family member on a special occasion such as an anniversary.

DARUNAXY 4pack Evaporative Cooling Towels

Pros:

  • Available in eight different colors, bright or dark
  • A versatile, multi-purpose cooling towel
  • Folds to a size that’s small enough to put into your pocket

Cons:

  • Available in only one size
  • You may not like some of the colors in the pack

8. Cooling Towel – Cool Neck Wrap for Instant Relief

Best Neck Wrap Cooling Towel

In the summer, when it gets unbearably hot, all you need is a cooling towel for wrapping around your neck. However, this cooling towel goes further than that. You can use it in the gym, sports ground, beach, camp, and so on to reduce the dehydrating effects of excess body heat. But just how do you use it? Simply soak and wring the towel before wrapping it around your body. As moisture evaporates, the towel soaks in heat from your body.

This towel does more than just cool you. Its fabric is designed to provide the much-needed SPF 50 sunscreen protection. With that, you can be sure of warding off the harmful effects of UV rays. Besides, the towel doesn’t feel wet to the skin. Rather, it is soft and dry.

What do you do when you have finished using the towel? Well, just wait for it to dry. It is made from a breathable mesh that quickly dries. In fact, it is this characteristic that makes this such an effective cooling towel. It is machine washable, which makes its cleaning almost hassle-free. Not many cooling towels are that convenient.

Cooling Towel - Cool Neck Wrap for Instant Relief

Pros:

  • Protects against harmful UV rays
  • A fast-drying cooling towel
  • Small and compact when folded

Cons:

  • Available in only one size
  • Only one towel color available

9. Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad Cooling Towel

When it comes to designing cooling towels, Frogg Toggs are in a class of their own. They go further than any other cooling towel maker by making their own, unique super evaporative material. Known as the Chilly Pad, the towel feels soft to the touch. It is also breathable and lightweight. Since this is a waterproof material, you won’t feel any wetness while using the towel on your skin.

So, how do you use the cooling towel? You can soak it in cold or hot water to activate its cooling properties. When you place it on your skin, it will reduce the temperature on your skin by up to 30 degrees. That should give you the much-needed relief no matter whether you are out camping, fishing, golfing, working out, or playing a sport. It is also great for people with hot flashes, fever, or such other medical conditions.

Concerning how the towel compares with similar products, the material is known to cool two times longer than microfiber material. So, if a normal towel works for two hours, this particular one will remain cold for four hours. This will minimize the number of times you have to soak the towel.

Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad Cooling Towel

Pros:

  • A cooling towel that works twice as longer
  • Dry and soft to the touch
  • Comes with a plastic tube for easy packing

Cons:

  • May not be small enough for packing together with your luggage
  • Available in only one size and color

How to Choose the Best Cooling Towel: The Ultimate Buying Guide

Designed to maintain body temperature at a comfortable and safe level, cooling towels are a must for anyone with an active lifestyle. When leaving the house on a hot and humid day, always carry a cooling towel which will go a long way in helping you apply to various unwritten gym etiquette rules. Most cooling towels are designed specialized fabric that feels dry to the touch even when wet. For some cooling towels, you have to soak in water for them to work. Others only require a little bit of snapping to work. To use a cooling towel, simply apply it on the head, neck, or other pressure points.

But just how do you choose the right cooling towel? The following are some of the things you should consider before adding that cooling towel into your gym bag:

Materials and Type

There are two main materials from which cooling towels are made, including polyvinyl acetate (PVA) or microfiber. Some are made from a combination of both PVA and microfiber in varying proportions. Others also make use of beads with a cooling gel. Basically, the fabric you pick will depend on the purpose to which you intend to put the cooling towel. Here is a detailed look at each of the materials and types of cooling towels.

  • PVA

Some towels have their fabrics treated with PVA which ensures the quick evaporation of water when exposed to body heat. This evaporation is what makes you feel the cooling effect. After some time, the towel dries out or begin to feel hot. Simply soak, wring, snap, and use it once again. You may have to dampen the towel several times to stay cool.

The alternative to PVA-treated towels is anything made from microfiber. While both kinds work well, microfiber is more effective. They are also compact, easy to fold and pack. It also stays soft when it dries up.

  • Microfiber

Microfiber towels are made from fabric with fibers that are infinitely thinner than what’s used in traditional clothes. While traditional fiber is around 3 to 5 microns, microfiber is about 0.33 microns. This creates a wider surface area, which allows the water to circulate and evaporate quickly. With that, it is much better than the alternative cooling towels.

Of course, the alternative ate the PVA-treated cooling towels. These aren’t as efficient when it comes to cooling you down. But that doesn’t mean that PVA cooling towels are that bad. What you end up with boils down to your personal preferences.

  • Cooling Get Beads

Some of the towels available on the market make use of gel beads which expand when exposed to water. That’s how that is able to gather a cooling “blanket.” They are popularly used in gyms and workplaces since they are easy to buy in bulk. The major issue with this kind of cooling towels is that they do not have a long life.

  • PVA and Microfiber Combination

When all the positives of PVA and microfiber cooling towels morph into one, what you get is a highly effective product. These towels have a soft feel and dry fast. They last long and are machine washable.

Things to Be Super-Attentive To

Regardless of the type of cooling towel you settle for, there are a few things you must pay attention to including the following:

  • Anti-microbial properties
  • Quick-drying performance
  • Small, compact, lightweight construction
  • Length of time it lasts while cooling you

Daily Uses

As you go to buy a cooling towel, first be clear on what you will mostly use it for. Mostly, people use cooling towels for running, backpacking, camping, exercising, and so on. If your activities are mostly on-the-go, then something lightweight will do. If sporting events that involve many people, then you need something stylish. For a towel meant for daily use, make it something easy to wash. At the end of the day, you should only pick a towel that best fits your lifestyle.

Product Quality

Even among cooling towels made of the same material, the quality differs greatly. If you want a towel you are going to use daily for a long time to come, it should be of the highest quality. However, if all you want is a towel for short term use, you can buy just about anything. Think about it like this. A towel for daily use during gym sessions should be durable. Check that the online reviews are positive. That way, you will know if you are buying a durable product or not.

Size

One of the most important things to look for in a cooling towel is the size. There are several brands which come in a variety of sizes while others come in only one size. The size really matters. Small-sized cooling towels can be used on the head or neck. They are small enough to carry them with you wherever you go. An important aspect when it comes to the size of a cooling towel is the surface area. Usually, towels with a bigger surface area are known to cool off quicker than the smaller ones. In other words, a bigger towel is better when it comes to cooling your body.

Effectiveness

Cooling towels work in a very simple way. They rely on the evaporation of the water that had earlier been absorbed by a specialized material. The amount of water held in a cooling towel largely depends on the material from which the towel is made. For instance, PVA can hold water by up to eight times the weight of the towel.

This is an important consideration, especially when buying a cooling towel for people with permanent conditions such as hot flushes. So, only pick a towel with the ability to do what you want it to. Luckily, there are a number of towels which can be described as “multi-purpose.” They can be used for golfing, hiking, biking, camping, and so on. Whichever towel you buy, make sure it can effectively perform the task for which you want it.

The Price

Like for any other product you will buy, the price is always the most important consideration. After all, you can only buy a towel if you can afford it. The best strategy is to pick several towels that fall within your price range. Once you have a variety of cooling towels under your radar, compare them in terms of all the other properties, and stick with one. If it works for you and affordable, just why shouldn’t you buy it?

Conclusion

Who likes to be overheated? Whether it is difficult for you to regulate your body temperature or you are involved in outdoor activities that leave you heated up, you need a cooling towel. You will feel better and also reduce the money spent on cooling your home. Once you have a cooling towel, soak, wring, and use it to cool your body. If you have no idea which one to buy, read the reviews and buying guide above.