Much like llamas and alpacas, people often confuse a towel warmer with a heated towel rack, also known as a heated towel rail. Unlike our furry friends that are both fantastic, towel warmers and heated towel racks have their pros and cons. If you’ve wondered which would suit your bathroom best, you’ll be glad to know we’re going to weigh them up.
So, you think you want a towel warmer?
While a space-saving heated towel rail is fixed to a wall, a towel warmer is a stand-alone appliance often shaped like a bucket.
The pros
Towel warmers will vary in price, but generally cost much less than a heated towel rail. Well, at least in the short term.
The cons
Anything you place inside the towel warmer has to be completely dry already. After all, its function is to warm, not dry. If you live in a chilly climate, you’d probably have to invest in something that could dry, so adding a warmer is often an unnecessary extra step. Also, bear in mind that towel warmers run on approximately 500 Watts of electricity, so you can expect to see a spike in your electricity bill if you use it every day. Lastly, you’d need to be pretty organised. Your towels are only going to be warm if you remember to put them in the warmer around 20 minutes before you plan to use them. A quick, impromptu shower before running out the door? That might mean having to use a cold towel. Sorry!
But what about a heated towel rack?
Now we’re talking!
The pros
A heated towel rack doesn’t just warm your towels – it also dries them! This multi-functionality means you only have to buy one appliance. It’s also more hygienic too as damp towels are a breeding ground for bacteria. Beautifully designed heated towel racks, such as those you’ll find at Bathroom Butler, will really enhance your bathroom’s allure in the way a clunky bucket just can’t. Bathroom Butler towel racks also use Dry Element Technology, so they only use between 40 to 180 Watts of electricity, depending on how many bars they have. You could even opt for a heated towel rack with a WiFi-controlled timer (talk about fancy pants!) to be even more energy-efficient. Now you don’t have to dread your electricity bill!
The cons
As we said, heated towel racks will typically cost more than a towel warmer. However, they’ll cost you less in the long run as they use much less electricity. Also, they’re an investment that can raise the value of your home.
Well, there you have it! Ultimately, what you choose will be up to you. But when you weigh up the pros and cons, it’s easy to see which of the two will serve up more benefits – not just a deliciously warm towel. Even a llama – or an alpaca – knows which one they’d prefer to pick!