towels How got hi-tech
They repel sand, dry in seconds and cool you down with jade crystals...
FOr most of the year, they are stuffed at the back of a cupboard, still sandy from last year’s getaway.
So if your family beach towels are well past their best, maybe it’s time to invest in the new surprisingly hi-tech options...
THE JADE COOLER
Dock and Bay QuickCool Towel, £14, dockandbay.com
THIS small, silky polyester neck towel is infused with powdered jade stone designed to help keep you cool. Soak the towel in cold water, wring it out, and snap the fabric like a whip to boost evaporation from the towel’s layers and activate the cooling process. Its temperature should drop to around 59f (15c) and stay cool for up to six hours.
Jade has low thermal conductivity so absorbs heat more slowly. This effect, combined with the towel’s double layers and dimpled surface, makes the fabric feel cool against the skin.
ANY GOOD? Wearing a wet towel around your neck is not comfortable, but on the hottest day of the year it was easy to overlook any initial discomfort as this really does feel blissfully chilly against the skin.
unfortunately the cooling sensation only lasts for around five or ten minutes. You need to give the towel a shake to cool it again. (You can repeat this routine over and over, as long as the towel remains damp).
It’s a bit of a faff, but on a blisteringly hot day it offers welcome relief. 3/5
CLEAN DREAM
Large Eono Microfibre Towel, £13.99, amazon.co.uk
THIS towel is made from microfibre, a featherweight synthetic fabric that claims to hold up to four times its weight in water and dry up to ten times faster than cotton. It folds into a pouch and has an antibacterial coating that combats musty smells. There’s a zipped pocket to keep your mobile phone or keys safe.
ANY GOOD? This 55in (140cm) x 27.5in (60cm) towel has a chamois-like feel, which takes a bit of getting used to. Because of the way microfibre sucks up water, it’s best if you blot your skin with it, rather than rubbing to get dry.
It dries out quickly and does seem to keep damp smells at bay. It folds up small, but the storage pouch is flimsy. 4/5
TURKISH DELIGHT
Nautical Travel Towel, £30, hamamingo.com
A cOLOurFuL, modern take on a Turkish ‘ hamam’ towel, this 100 per cent cotton sheet with knotted fringing at either end is a generous 71in (180cm) x 39in (99cm).
It is lightweight, too, and folds neatly into a small travel pouch. It’s designed to absorb up to three times its weight in water and will dry three times faster than a thick terry towel.
ANY GOOD? This beautifully soft towel comes in a range of fashionable colours and a neat storage bag. Once unfolded it’s big enough to use as a picnic blanket and dries out quickly after a dip. Sand slides off it, too. even better, it’s pretty enough to wear as a beach cover-up, shawl or scarf. 5/5
SAFE IN SUN
LuvBug UPF 50+ Sunscreen Towel, £19.99, kidshappyhouse.co.uk
THIS beach towel with a hood — designed for babies and small children — is made from stretchy, tightly woven polyester and Lycra.
It has uv Protection Factor of 50+, so it should block around 98 per cent of harmful uvA and uvB rays. The fabric, measuring 29.5in (75cm) x 39in (99cm), should also help to keep your child cool as it’s designed to wick moisture away from the skin.
ANY GOOD? I really like the graphic seahorse print on this towel. unfortunately the hood (which is definitely baby, rather than toddler, sized) on the one I purchased had been sewn on the wrong way, so the seahorses were upside down when worn.
It’s handy for covering up small children on days out. even better, it sheds sand with a quick shake.
It’s not bad at drying — but the thin fabric doesn’t have the cosy cuddle factor you get with fluffy cotton. 3/5
SAND-FREE FUN
Tesalate Towel for Two, £79 uk.tesalate.com
TOWeLS from Australian brand Tesalate come in a wide range of bright and beautiful prints. This oversized, square ‘ towel for two’ measures 63in (160cm) x 63in and is designed for sharing.
Made from AbsorbLite fabric, it should dry in half the time of a regular beach towel, roll up small and ‘ leave sand at the beach’.
ANY GOOD? It may be pricey, but the bright, stylish prints, flat weave fabric and neatly finished edges are bound to attract admiring glances on the beach.
The soft towel absorbs water well and dries more quickly than a conventional beach towel. Sand really does slide off the surface, too.
Although it folds up much smaller than a conventional towel, it’s surprisingly weighty at 2.2lb (1kg), so is perhaps not as portable. 4/5