Search for an electric towel warmer and the first page is mostly wall-mounted rails from bathroom brands, the kind an electrician hardwires during a renovation. That is one way to get a warm towel, and the most expensive. The other way is the one Amazon actually sells by the thousand: a bucket or a plug-in rack that goes into an ordinary bathroom outlet tonight, with no plumber, no electrician and no hole in the tile. This guide is about that second kind, because it is the kind most people searching the phrase can use.
Every warmer here was checked live on Amazon on the day of writing, and the price and stock under each heading come from Amazon’s own data, refreshed on a schedule, rather than from this text. Every specification in an entry (capacity, heat-up time, timer settings, safety listing, mounting options) is taken from that product’s listing and presented as the seller’s claim; where a listing is silent, the entry says so. Nine picks in three groups: six bucket warmers, which are what most buyers want; one spa-style cabinet for hot, damp face towels, which is a different job; and two plug-in racks that also dry towels, one of which stands on its own feet.
If the point is warmth in a cold house rather than a spa moment after the shower, the cordless heated blankets, heated mattress pads and heaters for large rooms on this site do more for the money. A towel warmer is a luxury, and the picks below are chosen on the assumption that you know that and want it anyway.
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Three kinds of towel warmer, and which one you can plug in tonight
Bucket warmers are insulated drums with a heating element and a lid. You put dry towels in, press a button, and ten to thirty minutes later they come out hot all the way through. They sit on the floor or a counter, plug into any outlet, and move between rooms. Their limit is in the name: a bucket warms a towel, it does not dry one, and every bucket listing on this page says so in one form or another.
Plug-in racks are the heated rails you see in hotel bathrooms, sold in a version with a cord. They run continuously rather than in a cycle, so a towel hung on one after a shower is dry and warm the next morning. Some mount to the wall with the screws in the box; one pick here stands on its own feet near an outlet. A rack that offers hardwiring as an option still works from a plug, and the entry says which is which.
Hot towel cabinets are the salon machines: an insulated cabinet with steel racks that heats wet, wrung-out face towels to a temperature a bath towel never reaches. If what you want is the barber’s hot towel on your face, this is the product, and the one on this page has one of the longest review records on this list. If what you want is a warm bath sheet, it is not for you, and the bucket is.
The nine at a glance
| Pick | Best for | Type | Capacity (listed) | Timer (listed) | Safety listing (listed) | Price | Stock | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. SAMEAT Heated Towel Warmer Bucket | The best seller, and the one to buy | Bucket | Two 40 x 70 in towels | 30 min, 1, 2 or 4 h | ETL | $79.94 | In stock |
 | 2. Keenray Luxury Towel Warmer Bucket | The most-reviewed bucket | Bucket | 21 L, two 40 x 70 in towels | Up to 60 min | Not stated | $96.29 | In stock |
 | 3. FLYHIT Large Towel Warmer Bucket | The one with a stated heat-up time | Bucket | 20 L, two 40 x 70 in or about five medium towels | 1 to 4 h | ETL | $79.95 | In stock |
 | 4. CWDOlROI 20L Towel Warmer with LCD | The one with a display | Bucket | 20 L, two 40 x 70 in towels | 30 min, 1, 2 or 4 h | Not stated | $109.99 | In stock |
 | 5. POWSAF Luxury Towel Warmer Bucket | The cheapest, with a child lock | Bucket | 20 L, two 40 x 70 in towels | 30, 60, 120 or 240 min | ETL, child lock | $69.98 | In stock |
 | 6. SereneLife Luxury Rectangle Towel Warmer | The one that doubles as a gift | Bucket | 20 L, two large towels | 20, 40 or 60 min | Not stated | $99.99 | In stock |
 | 7. ForPro Professional Hot Towel Warmer Cabinet | The salon cabinet for hot face towels | Hot towel cabinet | 23 L, 24 facial towels | On/off, no timer | UL | $129.99 | In stock, low |
 | 8. Pursonic TW300 6-Bar Towel Warmer Rack | The rack that stands on its own feet | 6-bar rack, wall or freestanding | 6 bars | None stated, continuous | Not stated | $101.99 | In stock |
 | 9. Colliford 6-Bar Wall-Mounted Towel Warmer | The wall rack with a temperature control | 6-bar rack, wall | 6 bars, 26 in | 1 to 9 h | Not stated | $89.99 | In stock |
Prices and availability as of 03:08 EST – details
Bucket warmers
1. SAMEAT Heated Towel Warmer Bucket
This is the bucket with the highest “bought in past month” count of any pick on this page, by Amazon’s own counter, and it is the pick for most people for an ordinary reason: it does the whole job and nothing odd. The listing states room for two 40 by 70 inch bath towels, bathrobes or blankets, a built-in timer with 30-minute, one-, two- and four-hour settings that shuts the heater off when it ends, and a “thermos bucket” construction that it says heats towels all the way through. It defaults to 30 minutes when switched on, so a morning routine is one press. The listing states ETL certification, a hot-surface indicator light, and a 30-day return with a 12-month warranty.
Two cautions, both from the listing itself: cotton only, no synthetics, and never use it to dry a damp towel. That second line is the one every first-time buyer of a bucket needs to read, because the obvious use (shower, wet towel, back in the bucket) is the wrong one. Among the six buckets here it sits in the middle on price, roughly a fifth less than the Keenray and about ten dollars more than the POWSAF, and it is the one to buy unless one of the specific reasons below applies to you.
2. Keenray Luxury Towel Warmer Bucket
The Keenray has the longest review history of any towel warmer on this page, more than three times the SAMEAT’s. The listing states a 21-litre capacity (13.88 inches square and about 20 inches tall) for two 40 by 70 inch towels, a heating element that starts warming in one minute and reaches its high temperature in six, and single-button operation with up to 60 minutes of heating time. The bucket and lid separate for cleaning, and the listing makes a point of the round base and the fact that it is light enough to move from room to room.
What it lacks is the four-hour timer the newer buckets added: 60 minutes is the maximum, which is fine for a shower and not fine for keeping a robe warm through an evening. The listing does not state a safety certification, where SAMEAT, FLYHIT and POWSAF state ETL. It costs about a fifth more than the SAMEAT, and the difference buys review history rather than features. Buy it if the depth of that record matters to you; otherwise the SAMEAT does the same job with a better timer.
3. FLYHIT Large Towel Warmer Bucket
The FLYHIT is the bucket whose listing answers the question the others dodge: how long does it take? It states a 450-watt heating element that brings towels to a cosy temperature within 25 minutes, then a TIMER button that holds them there for one to four hours. Capacity is 20 litres (11.53 inches square, 19 inches tall), which it puts at two oversized towels or about five medium ones. The listing states ETL certification, a wooden lid, a fire-resistant plastic exterior, and a triple-layer temperature control that cuts the heater if the inner bucket gets too hot.
In practice it is the SAMEAT’s twin at the same price with the timer labelled in hours instead of minutes, and the choice between them is a coin toss decided by which is in stock. The same warning against synthetic fibres applies, and the listing states a 30-day return and 12-month warranty. If you are buying for someone else and want to say “it takes about 25 minutes”, this is the listing that lets you.
4. CWDOlROI 20L Towel Warmer with LCD
Most buckets tell you what they are doing with one light. This one has a small LCD that the listing says shows the timer and the working state (power on, heating, warm), with the same four settings as the SAMEAT (30 minutes, one, two or four hours, defaulting to 30). The feature that sets it apart is inside: the listing states heating wires in both the base and the inner walls, so towels warm from the sides as well as from below, plus an aroma tray for scent tablets and a stainless inner surface. It is a newer listing with a shorter record than the first three, which is the honest reason it is fourth rather than first.
The listing’s own fine print is more candid than most: use only cotton or fabrics rated above 140°C, never put damp items in, and load towels loosely so the heat gets through. It does not state a safety certification, describing a three-layer protection instead (a temperature sensor with overheat cut-off, an insulation layer and a fire-resistant outer shell). Same price as the SAMEAT; pick it if the display and the side heating appeal, and accept the thinner review history.
5. POWSAF Luxury Towel Warmer Bucket
The cheapest bucket on this page and the only one whose listing states a child lock, which makes it the obvious pick for a family bathroom. The listing gives it 20 litres for two 40 by 70 inch towels, robes or blankets, heating that starts within a minute and warms the whole chamber within minutes, and four timer settings of 30, 60, 120 and 240 minutes. It states ETL certification, an overheat warning and automatic safety protection alongside the lock, a flip-up unibody lid, an aroma tray, and a plastic shell with a metal liner.
It has the shortest review record of the six, a small fraction of the SAMEAT’s count, and that is the trade: about ten dollars saved against a shorter track record. The listing describes it as whisper-quiet and light enough to move between the bathroom and the bedroom, which is the use the four-hour setting is for. If there are small children in the house, this is the one; if not, the SAMEAT’s record is worth the difference.
6. SereneLife Luxury Rectangle Towel Warmer
The one bucket here styled as an ornament rather than an appliance: a rectangular rose-gold case with a double-walled insulated lid that the listing says stays cool to the touch while the inside heats. It holds two large bath towels or a throw blanket in a 20-litre chamber, runs on a 450-watt element at 120 volts, and offers 20, 40 or 60 minutes on a single-touch control with automatic shut-off. The listing states overheat protection and a water-resistant design, a stainless inner sheet, and a cord just under six feet long; its title adds a fragrance feature for a scented towel.
Two things to weigh. Its timer tops out at 60 minutes like the Keenray’s, so it is a shower bucket rather than an all-evening one, and it is the most expensive bucket on this page, about a quarter more than the SAMEAT, for the finish and the lid rather than for capacity. For a wedding or housewarming present it is the one that will be opened with a reaction; for your own bathroom the first pick does the same job for less.
The spa cabinet for hot face towels
7. ForPro Professional Hot Towel Warmer Cabinet
This is a different machine for a different ritual, and it is here because it sits in Amazon’s top results for “electric towel warmer” with the second-largest review count on this page. It is the hot towel cabinet from the barber’s chair and the facial room: the listing states that it heats to approximately 180°F within 30 minutes with no thermostat to set, that towels should be wet with warm water and wrung out before they go in, and that the 23-litre cabinet holds 24 facial-sized towels on two stainless racks over a drip tray. It is UL listed, the cabinet is insulated so the outside stays cool when it runs all day, and the listing adds that it will hold hot packs, neck warmers and massage stones laid on a towel.
Do not buy it for bath towels. The inside is 14.5 by 7.5 by 9.75 inches, which is face-towel territory, and the temperature it reaches is for a damp cloth pressed to the skin for a minute, not for wrapping up in. For that job it is the most-reviewed product on this page after the Keenray and the only one that states a two-year warranty. It is also the most expensive item here, about 60 percent more than the SAMEAT bucket, which is the price of professional kit.
Plug-in racks
8. Pursonic TW300 6-Bar Towel Warmer Rack
The only pick on this page that stands on its own feet. The listing offers two set-ups: mount it to the wall with the included brackets and hardware, or use the freestanding feet and put it anywhere near an outlet, which is what makes it the rack for renters and for anyone who does not want to drill tile. It is plug-in only, with no plumbing and no hardwiring, and the listing states that it reaches 122°F within about 30 minutes and is designed to run continuously, keeping towels warm and dry through the day. Six chrome-plated bars, and the listing’s title promises minimal assembly.
Its rating is the lowest on this page, and the listing’s one efficiency claim (“about the same as a light bulb”) is the seller’s figure with no wattage given, so treat it as a description rather than a specification. What it offers that no bucket can is drying: hang the wet towel on it after the shower and it is dry and warm next time. It costs about a quarter more than the SAMEAT bucket and about the same as the Keenray. If you have ever wanted the hotel rail without the hotel renovation, this is the closest a plug gets you.
9. Colliford 6-Bar Wall-Mounted Towel Warmer
The rack for people who want a thermostat. The listing states a touchscreen that sets the temperature between 115°F and 155°F and a timer from one to nine hours, the longest on this page, on a 26-inch stainless-steel frame with six bars and an IPX4 water-resistance rating. It is the one pick here that offers both installation methods: plug it into an outlet, or have an electrician hardwire it later for a cordless look. It mounts to the wall only; there are no feet.
Its review history is short and its rating sits below the buckets’, which is why it is last rather than first among the racks. It is also the cheaper of the two racks, a little above the SAMEAT bucket and below the Pursonic. Buy it if you want a wall rail with a real temperature control and the option to lose the cord one day; buy the Pursonic if you cannot or will not drill.
How to choose an electric towel warmer
Bucket or rack
Ask one question: do you want the towel warm, or warm and dry? A bucket makes a dry towel hot in under half an hour and is finished; it is portable, cheap to run because it only runs when you press the button, and useless for a wet towel, as every bucket listing on this page says. A rack runs for hours at a set temperature, and dries. Households that shower in the morning and want a hot towel waiting buy a bucket; households fighting damp towels in a humid bathroom buy a rack.
Timers and auto shut-off
Among the buckets here, four state a four-hour maximum (SAMEAT, FLYHIT, CWDOlROI, POWSAF) and two stop at 60 minutes (Keenray, SereneLife). An hour covers a shower; four hours covers a robe kept warm through an evening or pyjamas warmed before bed. On the racks, the Colliford states a nine-hour timer and the Pursonic states continuous running with no timer mentioned; if you want a rack that switches itself off, buy the one that says it does or put the other on a plug-in timer.
Safety listings, outlets and where it sits
Three buckets on this page state ETL certification (SAMEAT, FLYHIT, POWSAF) and the ForPro cabinet states UL; the rest describe overheat protection without naming a listing. In a bathroom, the outlet should be a GFCI outlet, the kind with the test and reset buttons, which has been standard in American bathrooms for decades; if yours is not, that is an electrician’s half-hour and worth doing regardless of the warmer. Keep a bucket off a wet floor and away from the shower spray, and keep a wall rack out of reach of the bath; the IPX4 rating the Colliford states means splash-resistant, not submersible.
What it costs to run
Two buckets here state 450 watts (FLYHIT, SereneLife); the others do not state a figure, and buckets of this size are generally in that range. At 450 watts, a 30-minute cycle uses about a quarter of a kilowatt-hour, which at a typical American residential rate is a few cents. A rack running continuously is a different sum: neither rack listing here states its wattage, but anything left on for 24 hours uses many times what a 30-minute bucket cycle does, so the timer on the Colliford, or a plug-in timer on the Pursonic, pays for itself quickly.
What a towel warmer will not do
A bucket will not dry a wet towel, will not heat synthetic fabrics safely (the SAMEAT, FLYHIT and CWDOlROI listings each warn against synthetic fibres), and will not keep a towel warm indefinitely. A plug-in rack is a different kind of heat: the two racks here state 115°F to 155°F and 122°F, while no bucket listing on this page states a towel temperature at all. Neither heats a bathroom; for that, the room heater guide is the place to look, and for warmth you wear rather than wrap in, the winter work gloves and heated blankets on this site are the practical end of the same instinct.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a towel warmer bucket take to heat up?
The listings on this page that give a figure say 25 minutes to a cosy towel (FLYHIT) and six minutes to the element’s high temperature (Keenray), with the towel itself taking longer. Plan on 20 to 30 minutes from pressing the button, which is why two of the buckets here (SAMEAT and CWDOlROI) default to a 30-minute cycle.
Can I put a wet towel in a towel warmer?
Not in a bucket: the SAMEAT and CWDOlROI listings both say never to put damp items in. A plug-in rack is built for exactly that and dries the towel as it warms. The ForPro cabinet is the exception that proves the rule: it is designed for wet, wrung-out face towels, at a temperature meant for a cloth rather than a bath sheet.
Do I need an electrician for an electric towel warmer?
Not for anything on this page. Every pick plugs into a standard outlet. The Colliford offers hardwiring as an option for a cordless look, and the wall-mounted rails from bathroom brands usually require it, which is the main reason this guide is about buckets and plug-in racks instead.
Can a towel warmer run all day?
A rack can; the Pursonic listing says it is designed to run continuously. A bucket is a cycle appliance: every bucket here shuts itself off at the end of its timer, and the longest timer among them is four hours.
Which towel warmer is best for a gift?
The SereneLife for the look, the SAMEAT for the safe choice, and the POWSAF for a household with children, because it is the one that states a child lock. Four of these listings (SAMEAT, Keenray, FLYHIT, CWDOlROI) pitch themselves for Mother’s Day, housewarmings or weddings for a reason: a towel warmer is the kind of thing people love and would not buy for themselves.
Related guides
Winter comfort on this site: the best cordless heated blankets, the best heated mattress pads, the best heaters for large rooms and the best winter work gloves.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.