I love the outdoors. I love the feeling of the sun on my skin as I train for my next race.
It does, however, get too hot, especially when you’re pushing yourself for some amount of time. I constantly tend to get these headaches when the sun is scorching.
Even if you don’t stay in the direct heat of the sun, gyms might not provide the right amount of ventilation.
Having Cooling towels can definitely help you to keep cool! You want to get rid of some of the excessive amounts of body heat. Even athletes use that!
What’s the right kind of cooling towel, though? Can you use your normal bath towel instead? Is there anything really that special about it? Anyway, let’s get into it and we’ll cover that more towards the buyers guide down the bottom.
Best Cooling Towels For Exercising Compared and Reviewed
| Image | Name | Brand | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top | Mission Original Cooling Towel | Mission Original | Check Price on Amazon |
| Your Choice Cooling Towel | Your Choice | Check Price on Amazon | |
| Tough Outdoors Cooling Towel | Tough Outdoors | Check Price on Amazon | |
| FROGG TOGGS Chilly Pad Cooling Towel | FROGG TOGGS | Check Price on Amazon | |
| Chill Pal PVA Cooling Towel | Chill Pal | Check Price on Amazon |
#1 - Mission Original Cooling Towel
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Mission has always made products that even professional athletes can rely on. Their original Cooling Towel is especially great for both the fitness enthusiast and the professional.
Cooling towels are simple, but the technology behind them is quite amazing. Mission says that all you have to do is wet the towel with water, wait 30 seconds, and find that it will cool to 30 degrees below average body temperature.
The towel itself is made of brushed microfiber for extra comfort. Particularly, it’s made of 90 percent polyester and 10 percent nylon.
Polyester has always been known to wick away moisture, which is great for when you have to wring it out to activate the towel’s cooling properties. Nylon is also known to have very durable fibers, which prevent wear and tear.
This particular cooling towel also provides UPF 50 protection. UPF, or Ultraviolet Protection Factor, shows you how much UV radiation reaches your skin. UPF 50 means that only 2 percent of UV rays penetrate the fabric to your skin.
Although Mission claims that their cooling towels last for 2 hours, some users don’t agree. They do work, but maybe only for 10 to 20 minutes, then the cooling sensation doesn’t last for too long.
PROS
- UPF 50
- 90 percent polyester, 10 percent nylon
- Drops 30 degrees below average body temperature in 30 seconds
CONS
- Does not last for as long as they claim
#2 - Your Choice Cooling Towel
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Another choice, or should I say Your Choice, for a great cooling towel, this one is made of polyester and has patterns of mesh.
Polyester is known to be a durable material, great at wicking moisture. This will help at keeping your towel dry instead of dripping too much. This is especially important after soaking your towel in cool water, wringing the towel out, and snapping it.
The patterns of mesh are there to make the towel more absorbent. It makes it seem more lightweight, too, with its high-density cooling properties.
Mesh makes this towel more breathable, too. You don’t really want a super heavy towel weighing down on the back of your neck. With these small little holes, air can flow freely onto your skin.
Its material is also chemical-free, so its cooling technology is all physical. It also provides UPF 50 of protection from the sun’s rays.
UPF, or Ultraviolet Protection Factor, is the number of rays that reach the surface of your skin. UPF 50 means 2 percent (or 1/50th) of rays are able to penetrate the fabric and onto your skin.
Users don’t think the cooling effect lasts as long as other products do, so you’ll have to reactivate quite a lot.
PROS
- Mesh material makes the towel lightweight and breathable
- Durable polyester material
- UPF 50
CONS
- Doesn’t last as long as other products
#3 - Tough Outdoors Cooling Towel
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Here’s another compact cooling towel that you can fit into the palm of your hand. It has a small bag to fit in so you can bring it anywhere with you!
This cooling towel is especially great since it’s made of a mix of polyamide and polyester blend. This material makes it durable and moisture-wicking, which is great because it makes the towel light and dry. You don’t want a dripping wet towel on the nape of your neck!
It is also made of mesh, so it is more breathable and absorbent than most towels. It also provides UPF 50 protection from the sun’s rays. Ultraviolet Protection Factor is the percentage of rays that penetrate the fabric and reach the surface of your skin. A UPF number means a lower percentage reaches your skin.
All you have to do is soak this towel, wring it to remove excess moisture, and place it around your neck. Users do complain that the cooling effect does not last very long.
PROS
- Compact and can fit into the palm of your hand
- Polyamide and polyester blend
- UPF 50
CONS
- Does not stay cool for too long
#4 - FROGG TOGGS Chilly Pad Cooling Towel
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Frogg Toggs created a cooling towel made of a synthetic material that is simple but effective. This really is a no-fuss product that simply works.
This material is great at evaporating water but retaining the proper amount of water to keep your towel cool. After soaking in water and wringing out, which is what you usually do to activate your towel, your towel can cool up to 30 degrees.
It can also absorb a lot of water, but once it dries, it tends to get a bit stiff. Users also comment that the dye of their towels tends to leak out, which is something you might want to be careful about (especially for your gym clothes).
You’ll also find that this towel is a bit more rubbery, so don’t expect a super smooth and comfortable towel. It does the job, though, but for the price I would try another towel.
Weirdly, some users have also found some mold growing. Try not to leave this damp and warm into your gym bag. Hang it up to dry.
PROS
- Evaporates water to keep towel dry to touch
- Retains up to 8 times its weight
- Cools up to 30 degrees
CONS
- Gets stiff when dry
#5 - Chill Pal PVA Cooling Towel
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The Chill Pal is another variation of a cooling towel that is made of another material, namely PVA. PVA, or polyvinyl acetate, has been used a lot in cooling products. It’s very absorbent, which is great for cooling towels since we want to keep them cool for as long as they can.
It is also dry to the touch, something that cooling towels tend to fail at. Imagine running or going hard at the gym and feeling the mix of water and sweat dripping down your back! Eek! You can prevent that with this super absorbent towel.
All you have to do is soak this cooling towel in water, preferably cold, wring it out and swing it onto the back of your neck. Chill Pal also claims that their PVA towels are thicker than most. This also comes with a plastic carry pouch for easy storage.
Some horror stories have come up from some users though. For example, users have been experiencing rashes and chemical burns from this towel, which might be a manufacturing error, but is still very troubling. Try to do a patch test first on your skin before use.
Users also think that the material is similar to those towels that are quite stiff when dry. Overall, though, users love how this cooling towel works very well.
PROS
- PVA material is great in a lot of cooling products
- Thick material
- Absorbent
