A cold towel after a hot shower is one of those small annoyances that sounds trivial until you've experienced the alternative. A good towel warmer doesn't just warm your towel — it keeps it dry between uses, which means it actually smells fresh instead of that faintly damp smell that builds up in bathrooms with poor ventilation. It's a bathroom upgrade that earns its keep every single morning.
We researched over 18 electric towel warmer racks across hardwired, plug-in, and freestanding categories. We looked at real heat-up times (not manufacturer claims), wattage efficiency, bar spacing for different towel sizes, finish durability, and long-term reliability based on owner feedback. Whether you're renovating a master bath or just want something you can plug in this weekend, there's a pick here for you.
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#1 — Amba Jeeves F Hardwired
If you're doing a bathroom renovation and you want the best electric towel warmer rack money can buy, the Amba Jeeves F is it. Twenty bars of brushed nickel stainless steel, hardwired directly into your wall — no cord, no plug, no visible wiring. It looks like it belongs in a boutique hotel, and it performs like one too. At 141W it reaches a comfortable warming temperature in about 15 minutes, which is fast enough that you can flip it on when you start your shower and step out to a warm rack.
The 20-bar design gives you serious capacity. You can hang two full bath towels with room to spare, or mix in hand towels and a robe. The bars are spaced about 3 inches apart, which is enough for a standard bath towel to drape without bunching. The brushed nickel finish is genuinely durable — no peeling, no rust after years of bathroom humidity. Amba builds these in Canada and the quality control shows.
The hardwired installation does require a licensed electrician and a GFCI-protected circuit — that's code in most jurisdictions for bathroom electrical work, and it's not optional. Budget $100–$200 for the install on top of the unit price. Once it's in, though, you'll never think about it again. No timer to set, no cord to trip over, no outlet to monopolize. It just works, every day, for years.
At around $280 it's a real investment, but for a permanent bathroom fixture that you'll use twice a day for the next decade, the math works out. This is the heated towel rail we'd put in our own bathroom without hesitation.
Pros
- 20 bars — holds 2+ full bath towels comfortably
- Heats to working temperature in ~15 minutes
- Hardwired = no cord, clean wall installation
- Brushed nickel finish resists rust and tarnish
- 141W — efficient for the coverage it provides
- Built to last — Canadian manufacturing, excellent QC
Cons
- Requires hardwired installation + GFCI circuit (add electrician cost)
- Higher upfront price than plug-in alternatives
- Not portable — permanent fixture once installed
Best for: Bathroom renovations, homeowners who want a permanent fixture, anyone who wants the cleanest possible wall installation with no visible cord.
#2 — Warmly Yours Infinity Plug-In
The Warmly Yours Infinity is the plug-in towel warmer we recommend to anyone who wants a real upgrade without calling an electrician. It mounts to the wall with standard hardware, plugs into any standard outlet, and includes a programmable digital timer — which is the feature that makes it genuinely practical rather than just a novelty. Set it to turn on 20 minutes before your alarm and your towel is warm when you need it, without leaving it running all day.
Six bars at 70W keeps the energy draw modest. It won't heat as fast as the 141W Amba — expect closer to 20–25 minutes to reach full warmth — but for a plug-in unit it's impressively efficient. The chrome finish is clean and bathroom-appropriate, and the wall-mount hardware is included. Installation takes about 30 minutes with a drill and a level.
The programmable timer is the real differentiator here. Most budget plug-in warmers give you a simple on/off switch. The Warmly Yours lets you set daily schedules, which means you can run it for 2 hours in the morning and 1 hour in the evening without ever touching it. That's the kind of thoughtful feature that makes a product worth the extra $50 over a basic alternative.
Pros
- Programmable digital timer — set daily schedules
- No electrician needed — standard wall outlet
- 70W draws minimal electricity
- Clean chrome finish, wall-mount hardware included
- Easy 30-minute DIY installation
Cons
- Only 6 bars — limited to 1–2 towels
- Slower heat-up than hardwired models (~20–25 min)
- Cord is visible unless outlet is well-positioned
Best for: Renters, DIYers, anyone who wants a wall-mounted towel warmer without hardwiring — especially if you want programmable scheduling.
#3 — Amba Radiant Plug-In
The Amba Radiant is what you buy when you want Amba quality without the hardwired installation or the top-tier price. At around $130 it's the most affordable way to get a genuinely reliable electric towel warmer rack, and the 17-bar design gives you more hanging capacity than most plug-in competitors at twice the price. That's a lot of bars for the money.
Running at 85W, it heats up in roughly 20 minutes — a bit slower than the hardwired Jeeves F, but perfectly acceptable for a plug-in unit. The bars are evenly spaced and the chrome finish is consistent with Amba's usual build quality. There's no timer built in, which is the main thing you give up versus the Warmly Yours — but you can pair it with a smart plug for scheduling if that matters to you.
The simplicity is actually a selling point for a lot of people. No digital display to confuse, no settings to configure. Plug it in, mount it, hang your towel. It heats up, it keeps your towel warm, it doesn't break. Amba has been making these for years and the long-term reliability record is excellent. For a first towel warmer or a guest bathroom, this is the one to get.
Pros
- 17 bars — exceptional capacity for the price
- Amba build quality at a budget price point
- 85W — reasonable energy draw
- Simple plug-in operation, no setup required
- Proven long-term reliability
Cons
- No built-in timer (use a smart plug to add scheduling)
- ~20 min heat-up time
- Basic design — no premium finish options
Best for: Budget-conscious buyers, guest bathrooms, first-time towel warmer owners who want reliable performance without spending $200+.
#4 — Mr. Steam Broadway
Most towel warmers are designed around standard bath towels. The Mr. Steam Broadway is designed around bath sheets — those oversized 35"×70" towels that are increasingly common in master bathrooms. Its 5 wide-spaced bars are significantly broader than what you get on a typical rack, and the extra bar width means a large bath sheet drapes fully without folding over itself and trapping cold spots in the middle.
At 150W it's the most powerful unit in our roundup, and that wattage translates to fast, even heat across all five bars. Hardwired installation is required, same as the Amba Jeeves F — you'll need a GFCI circuit and likely an electrician. The polished chrome finish is a step up from brushed nickel if you prefer a brighter, more reflective look, and Mr. Steam's build quality is on par with Amba's.
Five bars sounds like less than the Amba's 20, but the geometry is different — these bars are wider and spaced further apart, optimized for large towels rather than maximum bar count. If you regularly use bath sheets or oversized towels and have been frustrated by warmers that leave the middle of your towel cold, this is the specific problem the Broadway solves. At $220 it's priced between the Amba Radiant and the Jeeves F, and it earns its spot for anyone with a large-towel habit.
Pros
- Wide bars designed specifically for bath sheets and oversized towels
- 150W — fastest heat-up in our roundup
- Polished chrome finish — premium look
- Mr. Steam build quality and reliability
- Even heat distribution across all bars
Cons
- Only 5 bars — lower total capacity than multi-bar alternatives
- Requires hardwired installation + GFCI circuit
- 150W is higher energy draw than plug-in options
Best for: Master bathrooms, anyone who uses bath sheets or oversized towels, buyers who want wide-bar design over maximum bar count.
#5 — Zadro Ultra Large Freestanding
The Zadro Ultra Large is the answer to a specific question: what if I want a towel warmer but I absolutely cannot put holes in my walls? Maybe you're renting. Maybe your bathroom layout makes wall mounting awkward. Maybe you just want something you can move between rooms. The Zadro stands on its own base, plugs into any standard outlet, and requires zero installation. Unbox it, plug it in, done.
Five bars, plug-in operation, and a dual-purpose design that works either freestanding or wall-mounted if you eventually decide to commit. At $90 it's the most affordable pick in our roundup by a significant margin, and for what it does — warm your towels without any installation — it does it well. Heat-up time is around 20–25 minutes, which is typical for a plug-in unit at this wattage.
The trade-offs are real. It takes up floor space, it's less stable than a wall-mounted unit, and the build quality isn't in the same league as Amba or Mr. Steam. But if your priority is zero installation and low cost, the Zadro delivers. It's also a great option for a vacation rental, a guest room, or anyone who wants to try a towel warmer before committing to a permanent fixture. At $90, the risk is low.
Pros
- Zero installation — freestanding, plug-in operation
- Can also wall-mount if desired
- Most affordable pick in our roundup
- Portable — move between rooms or take when you move
- No electrician, no drilling, no commitment
Cons
- Takes up floor space
- Less stable than wall-mounted units
- Build quality below Amba/Mr. Steam tier
- No built-in timer
Best for: Renters, anyone who can't or won't drill into walls, buyers who want to try a towel warmer before committing to a permanent install.
Towel Warmer Buying Guide
Hardwired vs Plug-In: This is the first decision and it shapes everything else. Hardwired models connect directly to your home's electrical system — no cord, no outlet, clean wall installation. They require a GFCI-protected circuit (code in most US jurisdictions for bathroom electrical) and typically need a licensed electrician to install. Budget $100–$200 for the install on top of the unit price. The payoff is a permanent fixture that looks built-in and never needs to be switched on manually if you add a timer switch. Plug-in models mount to the wall (or stand freely) and plug into a standard outlet. Installation is DIY-friendly and takes 30–60 minutes. The cord is the main visual downside — placement relative to your outlet matters. If your outlet is behind the unit, the cord is hidden. If it's across the room, it's not.
Wattage and Heat Output: More watts means faster heat-up and higher surface temperature, but also higher electricity draw. For a typical bathroom towel warmer, 70–100W is the sweet spot for plug-in units — enough to warm a towel in 20–25 minutes without running up your electricity bill. Hardwired units often run 120–150W for faster heat-up (15 minutes is achievable at 141W). To put the cost in perspective: running a 100W towel warmer for 2 hours a day costs roughly $7–$9 per year at average US electricity rates. Even leaving it on all day adds up to only $35–$45 annually. It's not a significant energy expense.
Bar Count and Spacing: Bar count determines how many towels you can hang, but spacing determines whether they actually warm evenly. Bars spaced 2.5–3.5 inches apart are ideal for standard bath towels — close enough to hold the towel in contact with the bars, far enough apart that air can circulate and the towel dries rather than just sitting damp. Wide-bar models like the Mr. Steam Broadway sacrifice bar count for width, which is the right trade-off if you use bath sheets. If you're hanging multiple standard towels, a 17–20 bar model like the Amba Radiant or Jeeves F gives you the most flexibility.
Finish Options: The most common finishes are polished chrome, brushed nickel, and matte black. Polished chrome is the brightest and most traditional — it shows water spots but cleans easily. Brushed nickel is more forgiving of fingerprints and water marks and tends to look more contemporary. Matte black is increasingly popular for modern bathrooms but can show soap residue. All three are durable in bathroom humidity when the underlying material is stainless steel — avoid units with chrome-plated plastic, which will eventually peel.
Timer and Thermostat Features: A built-in programmable timer is the feature that separates a towel warmer you'll actually use from one that sits on the wall looking nice. Without a timer, you have to remember to turn it on 15–20 minutes before your shower. With a timer, you set it once and your towel is warm every morning automatically. The Warmly Yours Infinity has the best built-in timer in our roundup. For units without one (like the Amba Radiant), a smart plug with scheduling — Kasa, Wemo, or similar — adds the same functionality for $15–$25. Thermostats are less common on towel warmers than on heated floors; most units run at a fixed temperature that's warm but not hot enough to burn.
Who Should Buy Which
Here's the short version based on what actually matters to you:
- Best overall / permanent install: Amba Jeeves F Hardwired — 20 bars, 15-minute heat-up, brushed nickel, built to last. If you're renovating and want the best, this is it.
- Best plug-in with smart scheduling: Warmly Yours Infinity — programmable timer, wall-mount, no electrician needed. The one to get if you want set-and-forget convenience without hardwiring.
- Best budget: Amba Radiant Plug-In — 17 bars of Amba quality at $130. Add a smart plug for scheduling and it punches well above its price.
- Best for bath sheets / large towels: Mr. Steam Broadway — wide bars designed for oversized towels. If your towels are bigger than average, this is the one that actually fits them.
- Best freestanding / no-install: Zadro Ultra Large — plug in and go, no drilling required. Perfect for renters or anyone who wants to try before committing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are towel warmers worth it?
For most people, yes. The practical benefit goes beyond comfort — a towel warmer keeps your towel dry between uses, which prevents the musty smell that builds up in bathrooms with limited ventilation. If you've ever had a towel that smells fine fresh out of the dryer but starts smelling off after a day or two of bathroom use, a towel warmer solves that problem. The electricity cost is minimal (typically $7–$45/year depending on usage), and a good hardwired unit adds genuine value to a bathroom renovation.
Hardwired vs plug-in towel warmer — which is better?
Hardwired is better if you're renovating or comfortable with the installation cost — cleaner look, no visible cord, and you can add a wall timer switch for automatic scheduling. Plug-in is better if you're renting, want DIY installation, or aren't ready to commit to a permanent fixture. The performance difference is modest; hardwired units tend to heat up slightly faster (because they can run at higher wattage without cord/outlet limitations), but a good plug-in unit like the Warmly Yours Infinity is perfectly capable for everyday use.
How long does it take a towel warmer to heat up?
It depends on wattage. The Amba Jeeves F at 141W reaches working temperature in about 15 minutes. Most plug-in units running 70–85W take 20–25 minutes. This is why a timer is so useful — set it to turn on 20 minutes before your alarm and your towel is warm when you step out of the shower, without you having to think about it. Without a timer, you need to remember to switch it on before you get in.
Can I leave a towel warmer on all the time?
Most electric towel warmers are designed to run continuously and are safe to leave on 24/7. They operate at low surface temperatures (typically 120–140°F) that are warm to the touch but not hot enough to cause burns or fire risk with normal towels. That said, running it continuously does use more electricity — a 100W unit left on all day costs roughly $3–$4/month. Using a timer to run it 2–3 hours per day is more economical and still keeps your towel warm when you need it.
Do towel warmers work for drying towels?
Yes, though they work better for maintaining dryness than for drying a soaking-wet towel from scratch. A damp towel hung on a running towel warmer will dry completely in 1–2 hours. A towel that's been wrung out and is just slightly damp will dry in 30–45 minutes. This is actually one of the most practical benefits — in bathrooms without good ventilation, towels stay damp for hours and start to smell. A towel warmer eliminates that problem entirely.
How much electricity does a towel warmer use?
Less than you'd expect. A 100W towel warmer running 2 hours per day uses 0.2 kWh daily — about $0.03 at average US electricity rates, or roughly $9/year. Even a 150W unit running 3 hours a day comes to about $20/year. For comparison, a hair dryer uses 1,500–2,000W and most people run it for 10+ minutes every day. Towel warmers are not a meaningful electricity expense.