Towel Rails & Rings

Towel Rail, Towel Ring or Hand Towel Holder: Which Fits Where

A towel rail suits the wall beside a shower or bath, a towel ring or hand towel holder suits the wall beside a basin, and a towel shelf adds storage for folded spares. A hand towel rail lets the towel hang flat, so it dries more evenly than a towel ring, which holds the towel in a compact loop.

The towel rings in the listings we checked measure Ø165mm (IKON Clasico Hampton) and Ø170mm (Otus solid brass). Open-ended hand towel holders, such as Aquaperla Ivano, let you slide the towel on from the side.

Single or Double Towel Rails

A single towel rail holds one towel and sits closer to the wall, so it suits narrow walkways. A double towel rail holds two towels in the same wall space, one per person or a bath towel and a hand towel. The trade-off is depth: in the models below, double rails project 72mm to 120mm from the wall.

• IKON Ceram double towel rail: 72mm from the wall, the slimmest double rail we checked
• Aquaperla Lucid Pin double towel rail: 112mm from the wall
• Aquaperla Vog and IKON Flores double towel rails: 120mm from the wall, with the two Flores bars set 50mm apart

For a walkway beside a vanity or door, compare the projection on each listing before you choose a double rail. About a third of this collection is double towel rails, and about a third is single towel rails.

Towel Rail Lengths from 300mm to 900mm

A towel rail should be at least half the width of the towel it holds. A 600mm rail suits a hand towel, or a bath towel folded in half in a small ensuite. An 800mm rail lets a full bath towel hang open, so it dries faster.

Before you order a towel rail, measure the wall:

• Measure the clear wall between the vanity, shower screen and door.
• Check how far the rail projects from the wall, and whether a door swings past it.
• Leave room below the rail, so the towel hangs without touching the floor.
• On an odd-width wall, consider a cuttable Lucid Pin rail. The Otus Slimline listings also note that the rail tube can be cut to size.

Towel Rails Beside the Bath, Shower and Basin

A towel rail beside the bath or shower should sit within easy reach of the wet area, on a wall with enough clear width for the towel to hang open. The towel rails in this collection fix to the wall, not to shower screen glass, so plan the rail for a tiled or plaster wall next to the screen.

• Beside the bath: an 800mm single or double towel rail lets a bath towel hang open within reach of the bath.
• Beside the shower: fix the towel rail to the wall next to the shower screen opening, clear of the door swing.
• Beside the basin: a towel ring or hand towel holder keeps a hand towel close. Aquaperla's listings suggest a common height of around 1000–1200mm above the floor, so the towel clears the vanity top.
• Over the toilet: a towel shelf stores folded spare towels without a separate cabinet. See more bathroom shelves.

If you want towels warm as well as dry, compare our electric heated towel rails.

Towel Rail Finishes, Materials and Matching Ranges

Towel rails are easiest to match when they come from the same range as your other accessories. The Aquaperla Vog, Aquaperla Lucid Pin and IKON Flores ranges each include matching hand towel holders, robe hooks and toilet roll holders, and Lucid Pin also includes towel rings.

Shop the same finish across the room:

• Chrome bathroom accessories: the easiest finish to match with existing chrome tapware
• Black bathroom accessories
• Brushed gold bathroom accessories
• Brushed nickel bathroom accessories
• Gunmetal bathroom accessories

The material depends on the range. In the listings we checked:

Warranty terms are listed on each product page. Browse the full Aquaperla and IKON ranges to match a towel rail with your basin mixer.

Installing a Non-Heated Towel Rail

A non-heated towel rail needs no wiring. It screws to the wall with fixings, so the main job is finding solid fixing points on tiles or plasterboard. Follow the installation notes on each product listing, because the advice differs by range: some listings say a handy homeowner can fit the rail, and others recommend a licensed installer, especially on tiled walls.

• Check that the wall behind the rail can take fixings, such as a stud, noggin or solid masonry.
• Mark both brackets level before you drill.
• Some ranges, such as Aquaperla Lucid Pin and IKON Ceram, hide the fixings inside the wall plate.

Finish the wall with matching robe hooks and toilet roll holders, or browse all bathroom accessories.

Which Towel Rail Should You Choose?

• If you share the bathroom, choose a double towel rail.
• If the walkway is narrow, choose a single towel rail, or a slim double such as IKON Ceram.
• If you only need a hand towel by the basin, choose a hand towel rail for faster drying, or a towel ring for a narrow wall.
• If your wall is an odd width, choose a cuttable Aquaperla Lucid Pin or Otus Slimline rail.
• If you need storage for spare towels, choose a towel shelf with a hanging rail.
• If you want warm towels, choose an electric heated towel rail instead.

Towel Rail Pickup and Delivery

You can pick up towel rails free from our Sydney warehouses, with no booking needed. To see a product before you buy, call 0480 746 325 to book a viewing in Sydney, by appointment. Free metro delivery applies to orders over $2,000 in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, over $2,500 in Brisbane and Adelaide, and over $3,200 in Perth.

The RJ Bathroom team in Sydney wrote this guide from the product listings in this collection. If a listing and this guide ever differ, the listing is correct, and you can call us to check before you order.