Towel rails used to be the exclusive province of the well-to-do middle classes but their image has relaxed over time. They’ve shed their reputation of being an aspirational status symbol and transformed into a practical home addition loved by all. Though they’ve still retained their ‘luxury appliance’ label, modern towel rails are now reasonably priced enough that most households in the UK can afford to have them installed. Once you’ve lived with a towel rail, it’s hard to imagine owning a bathroom without one. There’s nothing quite like having a shower and being able to grab a warm towel straightaway to cocoon yourself in – it can certainly make the colder months a lot more tolerable! It’s not just a matter of comfort; being able to keep your towels well heated allows them to be kept in use for longer and means you don’t have to worry about them being left in disorderly piles or draped over the edge of the bath. If you’re still on the fence when it comes to purchasing a towel rail, here’s why you should take the plunge and enhance your bathroom.
Dual fuel, central heating or electric?
Towel rails make a particularly effective room heating solution because they’re available in different fuel types to suit your usage habits. You can choose a wet system to work alongside your central heating or an electric system that can work in isolation.
Electric towel rails are useful in instances where you might want control of your bathroom heater to be separate from your central heating system, or if you live somewhere that doesn’t have central heating installed in the first place. Bathrooms are usually one of the few rooms that you might still want to heat during the warmer months, so it makes a lot more sense to have an independent heat source. It means you won’t have to run your entire central heating just to heat one small area of your home. If you’d rather have your whole heating system synched together, there’s nothing wrong with choosing a central heating towel rail.
For the best of both worlds, dual fuel towel rails come highly recommended. These towel rails are installed as part of your central heating system but have an additional electrical element inside that allows them to switch between the two fuel types. They provide synchronised heat for winter or standalone warmth for summer to provide adaptive heating all the year round.
Warm towels, warm room
A good-sized towel rail will function well both as a means of keeping your towels warm and as a room heater in its own right. If you do decide to opt for a towel rail that can provide comfortable room heating, you’re best off looking for a product with thermostatic controls or timer functions. Some towel rails have features that allow you to set them to come on at certain intervals in the day and ensures your bathroom is nicely warmed up before you come to use it. Programmers are a boon if you use your bathroom at regular times throughout the week and provide complete peace of mind over your energy usage. You know exactly when it’s going to come on and exactly when it will switch off – no wasted energy, no effort needed. Basic push-button timers are also popular towel rail accessories which keep the heater switched on for a certain length of time before turning it off again. But of course, if you’re the first one into the bathroom, you won’t be the one who benefits from this method!
A style for every bathroom
We’re all familiar with the iconic ladder-style design from when towel rails first hit the scene, but a lot of modern manufacturers have created a variation on this theme to suit contemporary bathroom suites. Alongside the ever-popular traditional styles, you can also purchase rails with flatter, sleeker profiles; geometric patterns and unconventional shapes; asymmetrical designs and variations in colour. The options don’t stop there – wonderful period style towel rails are available for older properties or bathrooms that have a vintage aesthetic, so you really are spoilt for choice when it comes to making a selection. The wealth of style options available makes it easy to find a towel rail as unique as yourself to act as the perfect statement piece.
Glass towel rails are quickly becoming a popular alternative over more traditional models and use a large glass panel to provide an even spread of heat over a wide area. Where regular ladder rails will warm the towels from direct contact with the rungs, glass towel rails radiate heat across the entire length of their surface for quicker, more uniform drying. Glass panel towel rails come in a range of colours – although black and white are the predominant options – and they provide a particularly striking focal point to augment your bathroom’s appearance. The glossy exteriors of these designer towel rails tend to make them more suited to modern styled bathrooms, but as they’re available in a range of shapes and colours, they’re certainly versatile enough to be worked into other design schemes.
Exceptional comfort and convenience
The appeal of towel rails doesn’t just lie in their sophisticated appearance, they’re also practical, space-saving heaters that provide warmth and storage at the same time. If it’s a tight squeeze in your small bathroom and your standard central heating radiator is monopolising the wall, switching it out for a towel rail will often make better use of the space available. Heatingpoint offers a range of towel rails to suit bathrooms of all kinds so be sure to take a look at our range to find the perfect product for you.