It’s going to be in the 90’s this weekend in southern Indiana. Ick. My plan is to stay inside with the AC blowing because I don’t like to sweat. What do you do if you have to work or play outdoors when it’s dangerously warm? Staying hydrated is important, but to keep your exterior cool, one solution is an Ice Cold Towel. I don’t mean put a towel in the freezer to make it cold, these Ice Cold Towels are an actual super absorptive fabric made from polyvinyl alcohol and terylene to create a towel that doesn’t require refrigeration to make it cold. When the Ice Cold Towel is damp, the moisture evaporates and causes the towel to have a temperature that’s about 20 degrees cooler than the air temperature. The cooling effect can last 2-5 hours. Thanks Nasa! These towels are hand or machine washable and come in 12″ X 32.5″ in blue, pink or purple for $29.95 each. For more info visit IceColdTowels.com
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I’ve been using these types of towels for years. I first started with the Frog Tog, but there are quite a few other brands. They are similar to an incredibly thin sponge that soaks up amazing amounts of water and then the water evaporates keeping you cool.
If you wear in on your neck during running, walking, exercise, the towel can build up some heat. It helps to take it off the neck, swing it around a bit, and then put it back on. That brings the temperature back to cooling.
There are also quite a few microfiber towels that say they work to cool. They don’t!!!
If you’re going to get a towel like this one, make sure it is the polyvinyl type. Not microfiber.
I use Frog Tog as well. Love it!
Consumer Reports did a quick test of a different brand of polyvinyl acetate (not alcohol) towel versus a microfiber towel and a cotton dish towel. They had essentially identical performance.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/08/consumer-reports-reviews-enduracool-and-chill-its-cooling-towels/index.htm
What what I read, they only actually tested how much cooling they produce, not how long they can keep that cooling going. The advantage of these high-tech towels is how much water they can hold for their size – which should mean they keep the cooling effect up longer. (The amount of the effect is dependent on local humidity, and would be fairly constant regardless of materials.)
These things might work in Las Vegas where it is hot and dry. They will not work nearly as well if at all in Florida where it is hot and humid. They depend upon the heat carried off by evaporation and in 100% humidity Florida, nothing evaporates.
Can you advice which one of this product the best for training in the gym?