A few weeks ago I was contacted by Smack Media to see if I would be interested in trying some free products from Perfect Fitness in return for a free product review.
I browsed the website and came across the Perfect Cooling Towel.
With the hot and humid summer temps in Greenville and training for an October Ironman, anything to keep me "cool" sounded appealing.
I received the Perfect Cooling Towel and followed the instructions to completely soak the towel and then wring excess water.
The towel is like a soft chamois when soft (like a board when dry), similar to what divers use when they exit the water after a dive. I remember using towels of this texture when I was swimming competitively in high school between events.
Although reviews for cooling towels have not supported the hype, I wanted to provide my unbiased feedback on the cooling towel from an endurance triathlete perspective.
After a long ride, I took a little extra time in my transition before the run to get my cooling towel ready in the kitchen sink. I gave the towel a twist to remove extra water and then I rolled up my towel and put it around my neck. I tucked in the edges of the towel under my short sleeve Canari tri suit.
For the purpose of this review, this towel did what it needed to do in that it helped keep me cool.
Although the towel was a little heavy around my neck at first, I just loved having the towel to squeeze every time I felt hot. Because I carry my Clif Hydration in my two flasks in my Nathan hydration belt, this leaves me with no extra water to cool my head and neck when I train.
On race day (like in Kona) I can use water and ice and sponges at aid stations but in training, it's a priority to me to carry sport nutrition in my flask but I often wish I had just a bottle of water to use for cooling.
The cooling towel came to the rescue!!
The towel really held a lot of water and although I only ran for 40 minutes off the bike, I had water in the towel for the entire run (and a little squeeze for post run). For athletes who race in hot conditions with limited aid stations, this towel may be beneficial as it can help keep the neck/head cool with the help of water at the aid stations. And in training, with the help of water stops, this towel may come to the rescue for athletes who just want to feel "cool" when running.
Another great thing about this towel is that it doesn't drip water so despite it holding a lot of water, you don't "feel" wet. Therefore, a great use for the cooling towel would be spectating. I know how hot it can be to stand on the sidelines for hours and hours and this cooling towel can do the trick when you just need a little water to cool down the skin but you don't want to soak yourself with water. Also great for our furry children (like Campy) who need a little cooling on the back when spectating.
Although the towel was a little heavy around my neck at first, I just loved having the towel to squeeze every time I felt hot. Because I carry my Clif Hydration in my two flasks in my Nathan hydration belt, this leaves me with no extra water to cool my head and neck when I train.
On race day (like in Kona) I can use water and ice and sponges at aid stations but in training, it's a priority to me to carry sport nutrition in my flask but I often wish I had just a bottle of water to use for cooling.
The cooling towel came to the rescue!!
The towel really held a lot of water and although I only ran for 40 minutes off the bike, I had water in the towel for the entire run (and a little squeeze for post run). For athletes who race in hot conditions with limited aid stations, this towel may be beneficial as it can help keep the neck/head cool with the help of water at the aid stations. And in training, with the help of water stops, this towel may come to the rescue for athletes who just want to feel "cool" when running.
Another great thing about this towel is that it doesn't drip water so despite it holding a lot of water, you don't "feel" wet. Therefore, a great use for the cooling towel would be spectating. I know how hot it can be to stand on the sidelines for hours and hours and this cooling towel can do the trick when you just need a little water to cool down the skin but you don't want to soak yourself with water. Also great for our furry children (like Campy) who need a little cooling on the back when spectating.
As endurance athletes, it is important that we not only focus on executing our workouts but also keeping our body in good health as we train to perform.
Although the cooling towel may not take your performance to the next level, I firmly believe in the power of feeling cooler when training in hot conditions. So many workouts are cut short simply because an athlete "feels" too hot. And above all, we don't want to just be carrying water for cooling/sipping when we can carry our sport nutrition to meet our electrolyte, fluid and energy needs. Having the ability to cool yourself is a great thing when you are out training, unsupported. I have ran several Kon-prep brick runs with the cooling towel and with our hot temps, I was more than happy to try this out..over and over again.
To get your own cooling towel: