The best cooling towels in 2023

Cheerful sportswoman with bottle and towel — Getty Images/iStockphoto

Cooling towels are one of the best-kept secrets for staying cool even when a heat wave has you sweating bullets. The specially-designed cloth is something like a magic sponge in towel form. Soak it, ring it out, and then drape it over your neck or head and work out.

As the water in the damp cooling towel evaporates, it envelopes you in a cool, refreshing feeling -- something like those cooling misters you see on restaurant patios or maybe even your own backyard deck. Some reviewers even say they the towels feel cold to the touch. (Not just cool. Cold!)

Meanwhile, the special fabric of a cooling towel won't weigh you down or feel soggy. Like rung-out sponge, it's wet, but not heavy or dripping with water. So you can wear it while you run, bike, lift weights or whatever else you've got planned for today's workout session. That's why cooling towels are some of our favorite running gear for surviving the summer heat, and these brands below are some of the top-rated cooling towels on Amazon.

Best overall: Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad

Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad (33" x 13") is one of the best names in the cooling towel game. The exclusive polyvinyl alcohol fabric is an evaporative material that stays damp for up to four hours. So you can get more cooling power from a single rinse than most cooling towels on the market.

The Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad cooling towel has a 4.5-star rating with more than 10,000 reviews on Amazon. Get yours for just $14.99.

What we like about Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad:

Machine-washable Frogg Toggs fabric absorbs up to eight times its weight in water, while feeling dry to the touch.
The towel will provide evaporative cooling effects for up to four hours.
It's available in eight colors.

$14.99 at Amazon

Best portable cooling towel: Tough Outdoors cooling towel

The handy Tough Outdoors cooling towel (38.5" x 12") comes with its own mesh pouch so you can clip it to your backpack or toss it in your belt bag before you head out on your next run, hike or bike ride. Then, when you need that extra cooling power, just wet it, ring it out and drape it around your neck or over your head. This 4.5-star rated cooling towel is just $8.95 on Amazon.

What we like about Tough Outdoors cooling towel:

The included mesh bag airs out your used towel to prevent mold and mildew.
The soft-yet-durable fabric is comfortable to wear.
Cooling performance fabric stays cool for at least two hours.

$8.95 at Amazon

Best cooling towel for your head: Mission Cooling Hoodie

The Mission cooling hoodie is specially designed to drape over your head. The soft mesh fabric is breathable, while the evaporative fabric can keep you continuously cool for up to two hours. And when it finally dries out, just wet it again and you've got another two hours of cooling. The machine-washable cooling hoodie has earned more than 3,500 5-star ratings on Amazon. You can get one in your choice of three colors for just $19.99.

What we like:

The hoodie design makes it easy to wear on your head without it falling off.
The cooling fabric is breathable, so it won't trap heat.
The UPF 50 fabric blocks out UV rays.

$19.99 at Amazon

Best multi-pack deal: Yqxcc cooling towels, 4-pack

Show up to your next pilates class or soccer practice with this four-pack and you'll instantly make friends with everyone you share these cooling microfiber towels with. Each towel (47" x 12") comes with its own reusable pouch that can be clipped onto a backpack or belt loop. The 4.5-star rated towels are 35% off right now at Amazon -- you can get this colorful set for just $16.99 (reduced from $25.99).

What we like about Yqxcc cooling towels:

The lightweight towel can be worn as a headband, neckband or tied around your wrist.
Included pouch comes with carabiner clip, so you can easily carry it.
The machine-washable fabric is easy to clean.
This is your most cost effective cooling towel option -- it works out to just $4.25 per towel.

$16.99 at Amazon