Start Here - Choosing the right towel warmer

Have you been looking for the perfect towel warmer or heated towel rack?

Are you overwhelmed by all the choices?

If so, you’ve come to the right place. We have spent several years helping our clients choose the perfect towel warmers for their specific needs and desires, and we want to help you too!

Our job is to help you choose a towel warmer or heated towel rack that not only complements your bathroom design, but that will serve you with the best functionality for many years to come.

Before we get started, it might be helpful for you to see the answers to the most commonly-asked questions we get.

Do I need an electric or a hydronic towel warmer?

A hydronic towel warmer uses hot water or steam to heat the towel rails, and is tied into your plumbing. Because hydronic towel warmers have a more involved and costly installation process, most people use electric warmers.

For this reason, at Only Towel Warmers, we only carry electric towel warmers, which can either be hardwired into your electrical system or simply plugged in.

However, if you are specifically in the market for a hydronic model, we will happily special order one for you.

I’ve established that I need an electric towel warmer, but I’ve read that some of them are liquid-filled and others are heated by a wire cable. What is the difference?

Quite simply, a liquid-filled towel warmer uses heated liquid to warm the rails. Don’t confuse these with hydronic units, however. The liquid in these units is still heated electronically.

The two main differences in these two types of units are the heating time and repair.

Units with wire cables will heat up very quickly (about 15 minutes), regardless of the size of the unit, whereas a liquid-filled unit will take 30 - 45 minutes to heat up.

However, some people say that the liquid-filled units provide a more even and long-lasting heat.

As for repair – if something happens to a wire cable unit, you will probably have to replace the whole unit, but with a liquid-filled towel warmer, you might be able to replace just the heating element.

While heating time might be a factor in your choice of towel warmers, I would not let the fact that a wire cable unit cannot be fixed be a deciding factor. Most towel warmers last many years.

Liquid-Filled Towel Warmers:

• Amba Jeeves & Traditional
• Mr. Steam Broadway & Fifth Avenue
• Artos (Exception: The Artos Triondo)
• Runtal (All models)
• Myson (All models with the exception of the Gem Collection)

What size towel warmer do I need?

It depends on the number of towels you would like to heat at one time.

For instance, a towel warmer such as the Amba Quadro 2016 (20.5”w x 16.75” h) is designed to hold only one towel, while a towel warmer such as the Amba Jeeves E (20.5”w x 31”h) is designed to hold two or more towels.

Amba Quadro 2016 = 1 towel

Click to view the Amba Quadro 2016

Amba Jeeves E Straight = 2 towels or more

Click to view the Amba Jeeves E Straight

A towel warmer like the Amba Jeeves D (20.5” x 53”) is designed to hold three – four towels.

Amba Jeeves D Straight = 3-4 towels

Click to view the Amba Jeeves D Straight

What is the difference between a $200 and a $2,000 towel warmer?

There are several factors that go into the pricing of towel warmers:

• Materials: Entry-level towel warmers are typically crafted out of 201 stainless steel, whereas mid-level towel warmers are crafted out of 304 stainless steel. High-end towel warmers are crafted out of brass tubing (Wesaunard, Sterlingham).
• Manufacturing Location: Entry-level towel warmers are usually made in China, while more expensive towel warmers are crafted in South Africa, the Uk or Italy (Myson, Amba, Runtal).
  
• MAP Pricing: Most towel warmer brands will not allow retailers to sell their products below a certain price as this helps protect the brand from eroding.

• Method of Crafting:  If a towel warmer is custom made, it is handmade specifically to meet the client’s needs. The most expensive towel warmers are normally handcrafted rather than mass-produced.

As the founder and owner of Onlytowelwarmers.com, I am proud of having built a family owned business based upon providing stellar customer service before and after the sale. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me personally at michael@onlytowelwarmers.com.