Towel dryers: the perfect bathroom compromise

Why has the towel dryer become a must-have?

Over the years, towel dryers have become an essential part of modern bathrooms. No longer a mere accessory, it's a true ally in our daily comfort. Let's find out why this equipment has become so popular and which towel dryer is best for your bathroom.

Gentle, even heat in the bathroom

The towel dryer is specially designed to diffuse gentle, even heat in your bathroom. Unlike conventional radiators, it creates a particularly pleasant, enveloping atmosphere in this room, where a sense of well-being is most important. For optimum comfort, we recommend maintaining a temperature of around 22°C when the room is in use, and reducing it to 17°C when unoccupied. This precise temperature management is all the more important for the elderly or young children, who are particularly sensitive to temperature variations.

Dual function: heating and drying

The main advantage of the towel dryer is its dual function. While, as its name suggests, it dries towels, it is also a heating appliance specially designed to operate in a damp room. While it's highly inadvisable to hang laundry on conventional radiators, the towel dryer allows you to hang or hang out your towels in complete safety. What a pleasure to wrap yourself in a warm, cozy towel when you get out of the shower!

Reducing humidity and odours

A common problem in bathrooms, especially those without windows or small ones, is the build-up of moisture, which leads to unpleasant odors and mold. Towel dryers play a crucial role in combating this phenomenon. By heating the room, it effectively contributes to reducing the ambient humidity level. What's more, this dehumidifying action not only eliminates unpleasant odors, but also prevents the appearance of mold and mildew, which can ultimately cause structural problems on walls.

The bathroom towel dryer therefore meets three fundamental needs: 

• Warm the room comfortably
• Provide warm, dry towels
• Sanitize the atmosphere by reducing humidity

The different types of towel dryer

Choosing the type of towel dryer to suit your needs is a crucial step in optimizing your bathroom comfort. Several technologies exist on the market, each with its own particularities and advantages.

Electric towel dryers

The electric towel dryer is the most widespread solution, thanks to its ease of installation and autonomous operation. It uses two main technologies: fluid inertia (with a heat-transfer liquid heated by an electric resistance) or dry inertia (with a solid heating element). Its great advantage is its independence from the central heating system, enabling year-round use. Recent models offer a host of features, including customizable programming, smartphone connectivity, and intelligent control that detects your presence and programs itself.

Hot-water towel dryers

The hot-water towel dryer connects to your home's central heating network. Made of aluminum or steel, it heats with water from your boiler or heat pump. Particularly economical in use, it nevertheless has one major limitation: it only works when your central heating is on. So, during mid-season or summer, it won't work if your heating is off. What's more, they generally offer fewer features than their electric counterparts.

Combination towel dryer

The combi towel dryer ingeniously combines the two previous systems. Connected to the central heating system, it also incorporates an electric resistance for autonomous operation when the heating is switched off. This solution ensures year-round comfort, allowing you to benefit from the economic advantages of central heating in winter, while retaining the option of occasionally heating the bathroom and drying towels in summer. However, it is more complex to install and more expensive.

Models with integrated blower

For optimum comfort, some models, whatever their technology, feature an integrated blower. This ventilation system rapidly diffuses warm air into the room. This option, also known as "ventilo" or "boost", allows the temperature to rise three times faster, gaining up to 3°C in just 15 minutes. Particularly appreciated on chilly mornings, the blower also dries towels more efficiently and helps reduce ambient humidity.

Modern features for greater comfort

Modern towel dryers go far beyond their basic heating function. Equipped with innovative technologies, they transform the daily bathroom experience by offering advanced features for personalized comfort.

Weekly programming

Programming allows you to adapt the operation of your towel dryer to the rhythm of your life. Recent models offer the possibility of defining up to three comfort temperature ranges per day, for each day of the week. This customization ensures a warm bathroom precisely when you need it, while reducing consumption while you're away. A temperature of 21-22°C is recommended when the bathroom is in use, compared with 16-17°C when you're away, for an optimum balance between comfort and savings.

Connectivity via mobile application

Today, connected towel dryers can be controlled remotely via an app on your smartphone or tablet. So you can turn on your towel dryer before you get home, change the temperature, activate the boost function or program personalized scenarios. You can also view your energy consumption with detailed weekly or monthly reports.

Presence sensor and intelligent control

The most sophisticated models incorporate presence sensors that automatically detect when you are using the bathroom. This technology, sometimes called "Sweet Control", constantly adjusts the temperature according to your presence. What's more, some models are equipped with an intelligent control system that memorizes your habits and automatically adapts its operation. For example, if you regularly take a shower at 7 a.m., the unit will anticipate this moment to heat the room. This feature can generate energy savings of up to 45% compared with a conventional convector heater.

Boost function for rapid heat-up

For immediate comfort, the Boost function, featured on many models, provides a rapid temperature rise. Thanks to an integrated 1000W blower, this option increases room temperature by up to 3°C in just 15 minutes. Particularly appreciated on chilly mornings, it can be activated directly on the appliance or remotely via the mobile app. Some models also offer a specific towel-drying function, with a programmable duration ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours.

How to choose the right bathroom towel dryer?

Selecting the ideal towel dryer requires in-depth analysis of several criteria to guarantee optimum comfort in your bathroom. An informed choice will enable you to combine performance, energy savings and aesthetics.

Calculating power requirements

The appropriate wattage for your towel dryer depends directly on the surface area of your bathroom and the desired temperature. For standard comfort (around 20°C), allow around 100 watts per m². On the other hand, if you prefer a higher temperature (21-22°C), particularly recommended for the elderly or young children, allow for 120 to 130 watts per m².

Don't forget to add another 100 watts or so to compensate for the heat absorbed by damp towels. So, for an 8 m² bathroom, the calculation would be: (8 × 130) + 100 = 1,140 watts.

Design, materials and colors

The towel dryer is no longer a simple functional appliance, but has become a genuine decorative element. Manufacturers now offer a wide variety of designs and finishes.

When it comes to materials, you can choose between steel (economical), aluminum (rapid heat-up), stainless steel (top-of-the-range) or cast iron. As for the shape of the tubes, flat-blade models offer a better exchange surface with the towels, speeding up their drying.

The color palette has expanded considerably: in addition to the traditional glossy white, discover matte white, black, anthracite gray, deep blue, beige, water green and many other shades. Some brands offer over 50 shades, available in gloss or matte finish.

Installation and safety

The installation of a towel dryer must comply with strict standards, particularly in damp rooms. Maintain a minimum distance of 28 cm from the floor, 15 cm from the ceiling and between 15 and 25 cm on each side of the appliance.

With regard to location, the NF C 15-100 standard defines safety zones. A class II electric towel dryer with a minimum IPx4 protection rating can be installed in volume 2 (more than 60 cm from water points) or outside the volume. Please also ensure that the cable outlet is positioned behind the appliance or out of the way.

To optimize efficiency, place your towel dryer on the coldest wall in the room, usually the one facing the outside or near a window.

Towel dryers in the bathroom: the best idea for your comfort

A towel dryer is undoubtedly one of the wisest investments you can make in your bathroom. This room, often neglected in the thermal design of our homes, nevertheless deserves special attention due to its high humidity levels and our vulnerability when using it.

Over the course of this article, we've discovered that the towel dryer goes far beyond its primary function. Not only does it heat the room, it also dries the towels efficiently, while combating humidity. The different technologies available - electric, hot water or mixed - mean it can be adapted to suit all configurations and needs.

What's more, modern features such as weekly programming, smartphone connectivity and presence sensors truly transform the user experience. These innovations generate energy savings of up to 45% compared to traditional solutions, a considerable advantage at a time when controlling energy expenditure is becoming a priority.

Choosing the ideal towel dryer depends essentially on the size of your bathroom, your usage habits and your aesthetic preferences. A prior analysis of these criteria will guarantee optimum comfort while keeping energy consumption under control.

Finally, whether it's a basic model or a highly sophisticated appliance, today's bathroom towel dryer is the perfect compromise between everyday comfort, energy savings and aesthetics. All in all, this equipment, once considered a luxury, is now an essential element of well-being in our bathroom.