Hammam towel in winter: sauna, scarf, throw and drying in the heating season

Many people associate a hammam towel with summer, beach and sun. Yet a hammam towel in winter has at least as many uses: in the sauna, as a scarf, as a light throw on the sofa and on winter holidays. During the heating season in particular, it shows an advantage that thick terry towels lack – it dries quickly indoors. In this guide you'll find out where the towel shines in winter, how to dry it properly and where, honestly, you're better off with something warmer.

Contents10

1. Why a hammam towel makes sense in winter
2. The hammam towel in the sauna in winter
3. Drying during the heating season: how it works
4. Hammam towel as a scarf
5. The hammam towel in winter at home
6. Hammam towel on a winter holiday
7. Three typical mistakes in the cold season
8. Which model for winter?
9. Conclusion
10. Frequently asked questions

Why a hammam towel makes sense in winter

• Sauna season: In the cold season, many people go to the sauna more often. A towel that dries between sessions is particularly practical then.
• Drying with the windows closed: Flat-woven cotton stores less water than terry and therefore dries faster indoors too. In our experience at the Meri Sauna, a hammam towel spread out indoors takes about 60 minutes.
• Versatile: A towel that can be sauna towel, scarf and throw at the same time saves space in your wardrobe and bag.

The hammam towel in the sauna in winter

With several sauna sessions, a dry towel is a real comfort bonus. A damp towel feels clammy at the next session, especially if it lies in a cool relaxation area. A hammam towel that you spread over a lounger after drying off is usually dry again after a break of about an hour.

To be honest: for the walk through a cold sauna garden or for cooling off outside, a hammam towel on its own is too thin. A bathrobe or a bathing poncho is the better choice for that. The towel then stays for the cabin and for drying off.

Winter situation	Hammam towel	Better combined with
Lying in the sauna cabin	ideal, 180 cm long	–
Drying off after the shower	good, dries again quickly	second towel for many sessions
Walk through the cold sauna garden	too thin	bathrobe or bathing poncho
Relaxation area	good as a cover or wrap	light blanket or bathrobe
Home sauna	ideal, dries quickly afterwards	–

If you are looking for a warm robe for outdoors in winter, we have, for example, the DOTWAVE bathrobe with hood made of textured cotton fabric. At around 1.6 to 1.7 kg, however, it is rather heavy for a sauna bag.

Drying during the heating season: how it works

In winter, laundry often dries more slowly indoors, and too much moisture in the room is not ideal. A thin hammam towel has a clear advantage here. This is how to get it dry quickly:

1. Spread it out: Lay the towel in a single layer over a drying rack or two chair backs, don't fold it double.
2. Near the radiator: A drying rack in a warm room is enough. There's no need to lay the towel directly on a hot radiator.
3. Air the room: Open the windows wide for a few minutes several times a day so the moisture can escape.
4. Leave the bathroom door open: After showering, the air in the bathroom is very humid. The towel dries faster in another, ventilated room.
5. Don't leave it folded: A damp towel on a hook or in the laundry basket quickly smells musty.

For our hammam towels such as Ocean, MAHINA and SULTAN, the care recommendation is air drying anyway. You'll find detailed tips for all your laundry in our article on drying laundry in winter (link below).

Hammam towel as a scarf

On mild winter days, in autumn or in a well-heated office, a light hammam towel becomes a large scarf. Here's how:

1. Fold the towel lengthways into thirds to make a long strip.
2. Wrap it around your neck once, let the ends hang at the front or wrap it around a second time.
3. Let the fringes fall loosely at the front – they are part of the look.

The Manolia hammam towel and the SULTAN hammam towel, for example, are explicitly described as usable as a scarf. To be honest: a cotton towel is no substitute for a wool scarf in real frost. As a light scarf for in-between seasons and indoors, however, it is pleasant.

The hammam towel in winter at home

As a throw: On the sofa or as an extra layer over the duvet, a hammam towel brings colour to grey winter days. We show in detail how to use it as a sofa throw or bedspread in our article on the hammam towel as a blanket.

In the bathroom: Instead of a large terry bath towel that hangs damp on the hook for a long time during the heating season, you can use a hammam towel that dries again faster.

Home sauna: If you have your own sauna or infrared cabin, lay the towel on the bench and hang it up spread out afterwards. By the next sauna evening it is ready to use again.

Hammam towel on a winter holiday

Whether wellness hotel, thermal spa or ski holiday with a hotel sauna: a hammam towel takes up little space in your suitcase and dries quickly in your room in the evening. Because it is light, it also fits into your daypack, for example for the thermal baths after a day of skiing. On the day you leave, you usually won't have to pack a damp towel into your suitcase if it hung spread out over a chair back overnight.

Three typical mistakes in the cold season

• Damp towel in the sauna bag: After a sauna day, the bag often stays closed until the next morning. Unpack the towel as soon as you get home and spread it out, otherwise a musty smell quickly develops.
• Drying in a closed bathroom: In a small bathroom without a window, the moisture lingers. Better dry it in a living room that is aired regularly.
• Only one towel for everything: If you lie on the same towel in the sauna that you dry yourself with afterwards, it will be damp at the next session. Two light towels are the more comfortable solution.

Which model for winter?

• For the winter sauna: A 180 × 100 cm towel you can lie on completely, such as the MAHINA hammam towel at approx. 440 g or the Ocean at approx. 400 g.
• As a scarf: Light towels like SULTAN (approx. 270 g) feel more comfortable around the neck than heavy ones.
• For sofa and bed: Larger formats such as the Anatolia XL at 130 × 180 cm.

Related reading: Drying laundry in winter: why hammam towels have the edge · Sauna in winter: tips for the cold season and the Meri Sauna in winter · Hammam towel as a blanket: sofa throw, bedspread and picnic blanket

Conclusion

A hammam towel in winter is anything but seasonal: in the sauna it dries between sessions, during the heating season it doesn't hang damp in the bathroom for days, and as a scarf or throw it is useful in everyday life too. For the cold walk outside and for real frost, however, you need something warmer, such as a bathrobe or a wool scarf. You'll find all towels in our hammam towels collection, and warm companions for outdoors among our bathrobes.

Frequently asked questions

Isn't a hammam towel too thin for winter?

Not for the sauna cabin and for drying off. For walks through a cold sauna garden or outside, it is too thin on its own; a bathrobe or bathing poncho is better for that.

How do I dry a hammam towel indoors in winter?

Spread out on a drying rack in a warm room, air the room regularly and don't fold it double. In our experience, it takes about an hour indoors.

Can I put a hammam towel on the radiator?

It isn't necessary. A drying rack near the radiator is enough. For models such as Ocean, MAHINA and SULTAN, the recommendation is to air dry.

Can I wear a hammam towel as a scarf?

Yes, folded lengthways into thirds and wrapped around your neck. Manolia and SULTAN are explicitly described as usable as a scarf in their product descriptions. It is no substitute for a wool scarf in severe frost.

How many hammam towels do I need for a sauna day in winter?

For most people, two are enough: one for the bench, one for drying off. Because hammam towels dry between sessions, you get by with fewer towels than with terry.

Hammam towels for the winter sauna

Personally written by Martin – founder of BeachAndSteam. As a family, we have run the Meri Sauna at Lake Kulkwitz for more than 18 years.