A cooling towel is a runner’s best friend when the going gets tough. Whether you’re embarking on a long-distance run or going for a quick run, a cooling towel is a perfect accessory for you. As the name suggests, a cooling towel reduces your entire body temperature while also absorbing sweat quickly.
Here are the 14 best cooling towels for runners:
- Alfamo Cooling Towel
- Chill Pal Original Cooling Towel
- Way 2 Cool Mesh Cooling Towel
- Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad Cooling Towel
- Syourself Cooling Towel
- Ergodyne Chill-Its 6602 Evaporative Cooling Towel
- Mission Enduracool Cooling Towel
- Chill Pal Ultimate Mesh Cooling Towel
- Polar Pad Cooling Towel
- Your Choice Cooling Towel
- Tough Outdoors Cooling Towel
- Perfect Fitness Cooling Towel
- Balhvit Cooling Towel
- Magic Touches Cooling Towel
You’ve most likely seen a cooling towel in use, most commonly by athletes who sling it around their neck. These towels’ cooling mechanism is activated by soaking it in water for a minute or two. It is then wrung or snapped to get rid of excess moisture. This is why it’s also called a snapping towel.
A cooling towel remains chilly for a long period, sometimes even up to 3 hours. While tennis stars or golf champions are usually seen with these towels, runners also need them. A proper cooling towel offers instant, effective relief by reducing your body temperature by 30 degrees.
Why Are Cooling Towels Important for Runners?
Maintaining a running routine can be difficult in hot and humid weather. Whether you’re training for a marathon or maintaining your fitness, a consistent routine is crucial in achieving your goals. This becomes hard in hot and humid conditions because your body produces more sweat. Consequently, your body temperature rises to help the sweat evaporate.
A cooling towel’s main function is to reduce body temperature, providing much-needed relief in scorching weather. Cooling towels can also be used by indoor runners as the body’s cooling mechanism still works the same way, regardless of where you are running.
If the marketing for cooling towels is to be believed, then these towels are useful for most physical activities. This includes fishing, relaxing on the beach, camping, hiking, and more. While these claims may be questionable, scientific studies prove that cooling towels effectively lower body temperatures and provide relief.
Alfamo Cooling Towel
One of the most popular cooling towels on the market, Alfamo provides towels that can stay cold for up to 3 hours. The towels are lightweight, soft, and versatile, making them easy to use. Simply wet the towel, wring it out, and you’re ready to go. The fabric ensures that the towel remains plushy after use, unlike other towels that become hard.
In addition to its long-lasting cooling effects, Alfamo’s towels also provide SPF 50 sun protection. This helps runners stay refreshed in hot/ humid conditions and also protects them from harmful UV rays.
The towels are also affordable and available in 4 sizes from small (good for wrapping around your neck) to extra large (big enough to cover your entire body). They are also available in various trendy colors.
Chill Pal Original Cooling Towel
Made from high-grade PVA material, the Chill Pal Original Cooling Towel uses advanced evaporative technology to stay cool for longer. The towel is lightweight and comes in a handy pouch for easy portability.
Chill Pal’s cooling towel is available in one size and is mainly used for wrapping around your neck but is versatile enough for multi-purpose usage.
The Chill Pal is also thicker than other cooling towels and stays cold for a longer period. It is one of the most affordable towels on the market. It is as easy to use as any other cooling towel – wet it, wring it, and wrap it around your neck.
Way 2 Cool Mesh Cooling Towel
The Way 2 Cool Mesh cooling towel uses microfiber technology and is perfect for every occasion. The company boasts that the towel can lower your body temperature by around 30 degrees. It is great for running on hot days and helps you avoid sunburns with built-in UPF 50 UV protection.
It is guaranteed to be soft after use, unlike other towels that become inflexible once dry. The towel measures 12 by 33 inches and is convenient to carry around. Like most cooling towels, the one offered by Way 2 Cool one is dry to the touch, so you do not need to worry about wetting your clothes.
Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad Cooling Towel
This cooling towel is designed with a specific focus on lasting cooling. It keeps users cool for as long as possible and provides relief, even in direct sunlight. The company uses ultra-evaporative and lightweight materials in manufacturing these towels.
The Chilly Pad is extremely durable and doesn’t fray easily. You can store this handy towel in the freezer or refrigerator and grab it right before your run or gym session. It comes in one size and multiple colors.
The towel might become a little stiff with long-term usage but a quick trip to the washing machine, and it becomes soft and pliable once again.
Syourself Cooling Towel
This unique range of cooling towels provide immediate relief and can even be used on pets. Its cooling effect lasts for multiple hours and comes with a waterproof carrying pouch that can be attached to your apparel or bag. Runners can get quick relief by using this towel as a headband, bandana, or even a scarf.
Syourself uses breathable Softcool Extreme fabric to ensure that the towel doesn’t drip water and remains soft even after drying. The towel also absorbs sweat at an excellent rate, making it a popular choice for athletes of all kinds.
Ergodyne Chill-Its 6602 Evaporative Cooling Towel
Runners, especially long-distance athletes, know not to carry too much weight on them. Ergodyne’s Chill-Its cooling towel is ultra-lightweight, weighing only 6.2 ounces when dry.
PVA material is used to manufacture these towels so users can stay cool for a long time. The brand claims that the towel remains chilly for up to 4 hours. The towel is also treated using an antimicrobial to prevent molding but can also be thrown in the washing machine for a quick clean-up.
Chill-Its towels are reasonably priced and have a great reputation amongst hikers and runners. They are easy to use – soak in water, wring, and snap before slinging around your neck or wrapping it on your head.
Mission Enduracool Cooling Towel
Mission’s cooling towels are used by the best of athletes. You’ve likely seen tennis players like Serena Williams using this brand. Despite their high demand, Mission’s Enduracool cooling towel is reasonably priced and worth every penny.
The towel boasts the unique feature of being completely chemical-free. It is created using a blend of polyester and nylon. These fabrics ensure the towel is flexible, soft, and lightweight. The Enduracool cooling towel can bring down your body temperature by up to 30 degrees in less than half a minute!
The cooling effect lasts for up to 2 hours and can be reactivated by repeating the initial steps of wet, wring, and snap. It also provides UPF 50 protection, so you don’t have to worry about sunburns.
Chill Pal Ultimate Mesh Cooling Towel
The features of this towel are similar to Chill Pal’s Original Cooling Towel (listed above) but with some improvements. This mesh cooling towel has been built for breathability and is thinner than the original. The towel is perfect for active use as it absorbs sweat and stays chill for long periods.
Chill Pal’s mesh cooling towel utilizes technology that makes it highly-evaporative and soft to the touch. It is guaranteed to dry soft, meaning you can fold it back up and tuck it into your bag after use. There’s plenty of colors and designs for you to choose from.
The mesh cooling towel is also bigger than the original. Chill Pal offers a waterproof pouch to carry the towel around conveniently.
Polar Pad Cooling Towel
Polar Pad offers another top cooling towel for runners. Their state-of-the-art technology keeps the cloth cool for around twice as long as regular microfiber towels. Their towels use advanced evaporative technology to ensure that sweat dries fast.
The towel offers UPF 50 protection, so you are protected from harmful UV rays while running in summer or on warmer days. The towel is available in one size (33 by 13 inches) and many colors. It is also priced reasonably.
Unlike other cooling towels, the Polar Pad variant must be rinsed in warm water and then soaked in cold water. Once it is ready, you can wrap it around your neck or head for quick relief.
Your Choice Cooling Towel
A towel that provides instant relief, following a quick soak in cold water. Your Choice Cooling Towel is made using polyester fabric. It is completely chemical-free, ultra-absorbent, and lightweight. It is also very portable since it comes in a mesh carrying bag with a carabiner clip.
The towel is manufactured in eco-friendly conditions and is available in 4 attractive colors – blue, black, grey, and black. A quick look at the reviews for the product proves that the fabric is soft yet ultra-absorbent. It also offers light UPF protection.
Depending on how you want to use it, you can pick between extra-large, large, and medium sizes. It can be wrapped around the neck or head, used as a bandana or around your shoulders. The towel is perfect for all sports, but runners find it particularly useful.
Tough Outdoors Cooling Towel
This appealing range of towels come in various colors and are easy to use. Made using highly-absorbent mesh and PVA fabrics – the Tough Outdoors cooling towel is lightweight, soft, and efficient. It is the perfect addition to your running kit.
Use the towel to cool down after a grueling run or during a long-distance run so you can keep going. The Tough Outdoors cooling towel also provides UPF 50 sun protection, making it ideal for running on hot days. Wet the towel for a minute, wring it, and it’s ready to use. It stays cool for several hours and can be re-activated by re-wetting it.
It is available in one size (38.5 by 12 inches), large enough for multi-purpose usage. The materials used to make the towel are breathable, meaning they prevent the formation of odor and mold. The towel can be folded and tucked away in a portable pouch.
Perfect Fitness Cooling Towel
Running kits can be expensive with state-of-the-art shoes, apparel, and other accessories. After spending all that money, a cooling towel might seem unnecessary. If you’re one of the people that wants a cooling towel on a budget, then Perfect Fitness is your best option.
The Perfect Fitness cooling towel costs $5 – $10 on Amazon, but its cooling effect is comparable to that of its pricier counterparts. The towel is manufactured using hyper-evaporative materials and stays cool for hours.
To activate the towel’s cooling effect, simply soak it in cold water. There is no need to wring or snap it. It measures 17 by 26 inches, and users can choose from three colors – blue, yellow, and red. The towel can be folded and carried around in the tube that it comes with.
Balhvit Cooling Towel
Created using 55% polyamide and 45% polyester fabrics, Balhvit’s cooling towel is great for outdoor runners. This is a highly-acclaimed towel that is advertised towards golfers and travelers, but it is perfect for runners as well.
Balhvit’s towels are made using fabrics that are light, durable, and breathable. The company prides itself on its highly absorbent towels that can be used as a neck scarf, headband, or bandana. The towel is silky to the touch, and you can carry it in the accompanying waterproof pouch with a carabiner clip.
You can choose between 10 different colors. The towel measures 40 by 12 inches. Balhvit is confident in its cooling towel’s capabilities and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for dissatisfied customers. You can rest assured that you’ll love this cooling towel or get your hard-earned money back.
Magic Touches Cooling Towel
As the name suggests, Magic Touches provides a cooling towel that provides instant relief, almost like magic. Their cooling towel wicks sweat away and can reduce body temperatures by 30°.
Magic Touches creates its towels using eco-friendly PVA, edible starch, and polyester yarn. This makes the towel super soft, ultra-evaporative, and dry to the touch – meaning your clothes don’t get wet.
Runners, golfers, gardeners, casual gym users, and others all use this extra-absorbent towel. It is also priced well and comes with a hygienic plastic container for portability. Magic Touches also gives you codes to 3 free eBooks with your purchase.
Choosing the Right Cooling Towel for You
The comprehensive list of cooling towels above is proof that runners are spoilt for choice in this category. From high-priced, well-known brands to well-built yet under-rated companies, there’s never a shortage of options for you. Picking the right one among these is important as it directly affects your run and here’s how you can go about it:
- Material – Picking the right cooling towel that keeps your body refreshed, and your clothes dry largely depends on the material of the towel. PVA towels are the most common as they are absorbent and lightweight, but higher-end towels use mesh or microfibers.
Some runners also need to take care and ensure they aren’t allergic to the materials used to manufacture the towel.
- Size – Some runners prefer to use their towel while running by simply wrapping around their neck or head; others prefer to use a larger towel to wrap around their body post-run. Depending on which one you are, choose the right size. Keep in mind that some companies offer only one size and might not be suitable for you.
- Durability – The last factor, and the most important for some, is how long the towel can be used at its prime functionality. You want a towel that lasts for a long period while still maintaining its cooling effects and without sustaining easy damage. Running in hot weather might easily damage cheaper towels.
- Add-ons – Cooling towels come with added benefits like UV protection, dry-soft (meaning the towels are soft once they are dry), and dry-use (meaning water doesn’t drip on your clothes while you’re using the towel). Some companies even offer deals for other products along with the towels.
Apart from the above crucial factors, runners must also consider the design, portability, weight, and price. All things considered, as a runner, you want a good-looking, efficient, easy-to-carry, and affordable towel.
Conclusion
Cooling towels can be a runner’s best friend, and it is definitely something that you should invest in. A good towel is easy to activate and turns an uncomfortable, humid, and moist run into a cool and comfortable one. It can also help avoid serious conditions like sunburns, heat strokes, or other illnesses related to excessive heat exposure.
We hope you have gained some valuable insight into cooling towels – how they work and some of the best on the market. The above list is comprehensive and should help you pick the ideal one so that you have a fun run, regardless of the weather.
Steve Rajeckas is an HVAC hobbyist with an avid interest in learning innovative ways to keep rooms, buildings, and everything else at the optimal temperature. When he’s not working on new posts for Temperature Master, he can be found reading books or exploring the outdoors.