Even though they were once considered a luxury and therefore weren’t much popular in the past, bathroom towel rails nowadays are one of the most valuable bathroom necessities for every modern household. If you’re planning to upgrade the functionality of your bathroom with a couple of convenient towel rails, here are some things you may want to know.

Why Do You Need Towel Rails in the First Place? 

If you thought that towel rails are just another useless bathroom element that only looks nice, know that their purpose is far beyond just adorning your bathroom. Even though there’re many reasons to buy towel rails online from the comfort of your home or from a local bathroom supplier, we selected a few of them worth to be mentioned.

So first of all, bathrooms are one of the most used areas of our homes, where you regularly shower and wash your hands at least a couple of times throughout the day. This also means using towels multiple times on a daily basis, which are probably going to get wet, or at least damp after the first use. But keeping your towels damp isn’t hygienic at all, since damp fabrics make for the perfect conditions for different germs to settle on the surface of your towel. While you can reduce the exposure to germs by washing towels more frequently, in the long term, the dampness contributes to mould building up all over your bathroom.

So, instead of wiping your hands and wrapping up your body in a damp towel full of bacteria and germs, you can conveniently keep them well-aired using bathroom towel rails. Some of them can even feature heating elements that won’t only keep your towels dry and warm after you jump out of the shower, but they’ll also heat up your bathroom so you won’t have to freeze once you’re done with your long relaxing shower or bubble bath.

Another reason to get some convenient bathroom towel racks is that you can store as many towels as you want neatly, instead of hanging them in every corner of your bathroom. This way you can keep your bath area organised and clutter-free, without putting in much effort.

But aside from keeping your towels in the most organised way, many households tend to face a lack of laundry drying space, while some of them may not have convenient laundry dryers for the sake of the energy bill at the end of the month. If you’re part of these people too, know that having a couple of convenient towel racks, especially the ones featuring heating systems in your bathroom can serve as that extra drying space you’re missing every time your indoor clothes hanger gets overloaded and there isn’t any free radiator thorough your entire house too.

How to Choose Towel Rails?

If you decided to embrace all these benefits and get a couple of racks for keeping your towels in the tidiest way, here’s what you need to consider before you spend your money.

Consider the Different Types of Bathroom Towel Racks

So, whether you decide to buy towel rails online, or get them at your favourite brick and mortar bathroom supplier, it’s important to determine the type that works best for your bathroom and your storage needs.

So starting from one of the most popular types, freestanding towel rails are the most flexible and the most convenient option. This is due to them not being attached to any walls, giving you the freedom to place them wherever you have some free space in your bathroom and choose a size that won’t overwhelm and eat much of your available bathroom space. But if you go for the freestanding type, make sure you get the ones that are made of lightweight materials, so you can easily transport them wherever you like.

On the other hand, there’s the wall mount type of bathroom rails which won’t take any extra floor space and therefore, are perfect for not that spacious bathrooms. They also come in many different sizes and made of many different materials, so it won’t be hard to choose something that suits your bathroom. But have in mind that they’ll require a bit more effort since they need to be properly fitted and mounted against a wall to prevent falling once you overload them with towels.

Ladder towel racks became very popular during the last couple of years due to the convenience they offer for every bathroom. Not only do they not take much of your valuable bathroom space, but they can also be both wall-mounted or freestanding, allowing you to position them wherever you want. Also, they are often spacious enough so you can accommodate more than one towel without them overlapping.

Towel shelves are also very valuable, since they come with or without racks, and are wall-mount which means they won’t take any of the floor space. Aside from that, they’re very suitable for large households, since they can accommodate a great number of towels while keeping your bathroom tidy.

Finally, heated towel rails are the most expensive type of all the bathroom racks and rails we mentioned before. This is due to them being very versatile- they come in a variety of shapes and sizes and contain a heating element which is useful to keep your towels dry and at the same time keep your bathroom warm and “suck out” the humidity to keep it a germ and mould-free area.

The Most Common Towel Rail Materials

Bath towel rails can be made of many different materials, but they’re mostly made of metals such as mild or stainless steel. These materials are great since they have natural antibacterial properties, which are perfect for humid areas such as the bathroom. Steel rails are also suitable for accommodating your wet towels since they won’t rust and corrode, and can retain heat very well.

But when it comes to materials that retain heat, aluminium makes for a better choice, especially for heated towel rails. In fact, aluminium can heat up five times faster than any metal out there. And even though purchasing aluminium bath towel racks may seem expensive, they make for a great long-term investment since they trap the heat, causing the temperature to rise up to 50°C, instead of losing it in the surrounding.

The market also offers many wooden bathroom racks, but know that they’re not recommended since they absorb moisture and get deformed over time. But if the rustic design of your bathroom doesn’t allow anything else than wooden elements, make sure you choose teak as the most moisture-resistant wood.

Pick a Design That Complements Your Bathroom

Finally, towel racks come in many different finishes, shapes and styles and it’s not hard at all to find the ones that perfectly match your bathroom’s design. So, if you’re having a contemporary and modern bathroom, make sure you go for one of the many interesting geometric shapes and sharp lines that come in black matte, chrome or gunmetal finishes.

On the other hand, there’re many curved shapes with lavish carvings or elegant different towel rings that are perfect for any traditional or classic bathroom design. Make sure you choose the finish that matches your bathroom- from the nickel and gold to the classic black designs and see how beyond its functional purpose, there’s a range of bathroom rails to perfectly complement any bathroom ambience.