What are cooling towels?

A cooling towel is more like a cold compress rather than a full-on bath towel: functional rather than fluffy! Typically extremely affordable, a cooling towel is designed to keep you cool when the temperature soars and is best used around the neck to bring some instant relief. Whereas with a normal towel you might just be able to wipe away the sweat from physical exertion, a cooling towel can be dampened to bring more targeted and effective relief. You might also have heard them referred to as “snap towels”. That’s because to activate it, you need to dampen the towel with water, wring it out, then “snap” it to circulate air through it. Rather than just drying you off, a cooling towel will help to bring your temperature down.

How do cooling towels work?

Cooling towels work by bringing down your body temperature when in contact with your skin. The best cooling towels are made of PVA materials or microfiber mesh, as these materials are absorbent and stay cool while air drying for up to four hours or longer. Most cooling towels are designed to be worn around your neck but many can also be worn as a hoodie towel, over a shoulder, or as a blanket if they are large enough. Since the towel can stay cool for so long, it can help you stay cool by moderating your temps for hours on end. Some towels are designed to stay in the fridge or freezer until you need them but many towels only need to be soaked with water, then wrung out and snapped a few times to be activated.

How long does the towel stay cool?

The answer to that question depends on what material your cooling towel is made from. Typically, towels made from PVA remain cooler for longer (up to four hours) but some folks may find them irritating on their skin. Microfiber towels usually cannot stay cool for as long as their PVA counterparts (usually up to two hours, tops), but they're softer and therefore gentler on the skin. As a general rule of thumb though, as long as you can keep the towel damp, it should stay cool.

Fitness - Page 2 of 163

Our team of testers are athletes first. Editor Billy Brown is a former gym owner and boxer. Seiji Ishii is a rock climber, cyclist, dirt biker, and an American College of Sportsmedicine certified and degreed trainer. Editorial director Sean McCoy is an ultramarathon runner with finishes of the Leadville 100, Never Summer 100, and many other trail races under his belt. So we know and care about workout equipment. And we'll offer you the best advice we can find, whether you want to train to climb a mountain or reach a new personal record lift.