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Best Cooling Towels

The Best Cooling Towels - A Buyer's Guide

What to consider when buying a cooling towel

Exercise can do wonders for your overall health, but if you are over-heating, or profusely sweating, then you may put yourself at risk for heat exhaustion or injury from slipping on your perspiration. However, using a cool towel will reduce your body temperature and keep sweat from dripping. This, in turn, helps you avoid injury, stay cool, and allows you to continue your normal exercise routine.

Cooling Towels for Outdoor and Sport Activities

Heat exhaustion can be one of the most debilitating occurrences and can even lead to heatstroke, a life-threatening medical emergency. Heat exhaustion can cause blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, cramping, confusion, weakness, and will prevent you from participating in your beloved sport or activity.

Differnet Types of Cooling Towels for Outdoor and Sport Activities

Microfiber Towels - Microfiber towels are the best choice for a cooling towel, made with specialized fabrics that retain water more than a standard cotton towel. Microfiber cool towels are incredibly soft to the touch and provide prolonged cooling. They are durable, machine washable, and do not dry stiff like PVA towels and similar moisture wicking towels. Microfiber towels are easy to reactivate, by re-soaking in water, wringing, and then a quick snap in the air.
PVA Towels - Polyvinyl Acetate or PVA cool towels retain the most amount of water compared to other towels but they drip more than microfiber towels and become bulky, yet less than cotton towels. PVA towels work well at cool you down, but please know they tend to retain smells and as noted above, dry stiff. As long as you keep them wet, they work well.
Hybrid Towels - There are also mesh microfiber hybrid towels and they absorb water, retain it, and create a cooling effect. The mesh-microfiber towel tends to be more lightweight than other cool towel and subsequently are less bulky. These are perfect for outdoor activities and are very soft to the touch whether they are wet or dry.
Cotton Towels - Cotton towels can be used as a cooling towel but they tend to drip, need to be soaked more often, and are bulkier than the aforementioned. Cotton has a nice feel but with new technology and materials, there are better options for keeping us cool in the gym, outdoors, and during strenuous activities.

Cool Towel Review

Finding the perfect cooling towel can take time and research. It’s important to know the balance you’ll need between its ability to absorb and the amount of bulkiness you can handle. Unfortunately, there is usually an inverse correlation between these factors. In other words, the more the towel absorbs, the bulkier it will be.

Luckily, there are a variety of options on the market to choose from, and cool towels can be found in every category from a high ability to absorb, to a high cooling factor. However, in the end, only you will know the exact balance needed to take care of your personal cooling needs.

Choosing a cool towel for outdoor activities will depend on whether you plan to continue through with dangerous body temperature levels or whether you prefer to take precaution by keeping your temperature down with a cool towel.

Continue Playing as You Stay Cool – If you intend to continue playing through during a hot or humid day, you’ll need a cool towel that is both lightweight and lasts for hours. The cool towel will need to be absorbent enough to retain water, and breathable to keep your skin cool. Our top pick is perfect for this situation.
Wait to Play Until You’re Cool– Waiting until you cool down before playing sports again is usually the best route to take. You’ll last longer and avoid possible heat stroke. During this recovery time, you will heal faster by allowing yourself to cool down naturally.

How To Use a Cool Towel

How do cool towels work? Staying cool with a cooling towel is simple. First, wet the towel; either submerging it water or douse it with a hose. Next, wring it out; you won’t need to expunge it of all the water. Instead, you’ll just need to wring it out once allowing it to retain water. Our top pick retains water without dripping water on your clothes or on the floor. The next step is to snap it and then wave it in the air. This allows for the water in the towel to cool and mix with the air for further cooling. The towel is easily reactivated by following the steps after a few hours of use. Please keep in mind that perspiration will keep the towel cool, but water is much better for keeping you cool.

Cooling Towel Review Conclusion

It doesn’t matter whether you’re going out for a jog or trying to stay cool at an outdoor event. A cooling towel could be vital for cardio workouts or keeping your body temperature down outdoors. If you want to have a better experience while you’re at your next outdoor event, it’s best to have a cooling towel that can help keep you cool without being soaked in water.

Know what your plans are for going out in the heat and choose the best cooling towel for you based on the criteria above.