Hammam towel at the Baltic and North Sea: beach chair, wind and cool days
A hammam towel at the Baltic Sea has to do more than in the Mediterranean: instead of a sun lounger there's the traditional German beach chair, instead of calm there's a fresh breeze, and even in July a grey, cool day can come along. This is exactly where a flat-woven cotton towel shows its strengths – as padding in the beach chair, a shoulder wrap in the wind and a light blanket in the evening. In this guide you'll find out how best to use your towel on the Baltic and North Sea coasts, how many towels you need for a week and where the honest limits are.
Contents10
- What makes the German coast different
- The hammam towel in the Baltic Sea beach chair
- In the wind: keeping your towel where it belongs
- On cool days: shoulder wrap and blanket
- Which towel for which coastal weather?
- Baltic or North Sea: do you need a different towel?
- How many towels for a week on the coast?
- Sand, salt and the journey home
- Conclusion
- Frequently asked questions
What makes the German coast different
If you're used to Mediterranean holidays, you often pack too little for the northern coast. Three things set a beach day on the Baltic and North Sea apart:
- Wind: There's almost always a breeze by the water. A loosely spread towel is quickly gone, and wet skin cools down faster.
- Temperature: Water and air are usually much cooler than in the south. After swimming you want to dry off quickly and put something on.
- Beach chair: It protects you from wind and sun – but cushions and wood appreciate a cover that catches sand and sun cream.
A light hammam towel on a Baltic Sea holiday covers all of this without you having to lug three different textiles around.
The hammam towel in the Baltic Sea beach chair
The roofed wicker beach chair (Strandkorb) is the classic on the German coast. A common distinction: Baltic Sea chairs are often rounded and curved, North Sea chairs tend to be angular. For your towel this hardly matters – a size of 180 × 100 cm fits both.
How to lay it in properly
- Backrest first: Lay the towel with the short side at the top over the backrest so that it falls forward over the seat.
- Cover the seat: Pull the rest smoothly over the seat cushion. With a length of 180 cm it usually reaches over the front edge.
- Footrest: If the chair has pull-out footrests, lay a second towel over them – that way sandy feet stay on fabric instead of the cushion.
- Secure it: A cushion or your bag on the top end stops the wind from flipping the towel up.
For two in one chair, one large towel is more practical than two small ones. The Coastline XXL beach towel measuring 240 × 200 cm covers the whole seat and can be pulled over your legs when needed.
In the wind: keeping your towel where it belongs
To be honest: a light, flat-woven towel blows away more easily in a strong wind than a heavy terry towel. With a few simple moves, that's no problem:
- Weigh down the corners: A bag, shoes, a water bottle or a pouch filled with sand on each corner.
- Find shelter: In the beach chair, behind a windbreak or a beach tent the towel stays put.
- Mind the direction: Point the short side of the towel into the wind so it catches less surface.
- Don't leave it to dry unattended: Hang it over the beach chair and secure it with a peg rather than leaving it spread out.
The upside of the wind: a thin cotton towel dries quickly in the breeze. In our experience from the Meri Sauna, a hammam towel dries in about 30 minutes in the sun – on a windy beach day it's often similarly quick.
On cool days: shoulder wrap and blanket
When the sun hides behind clouds, it quickly gets chilly by the water. Then the towel changes roles:
- Shoulder wrap: Folded lengthwise over your shoulders, it warms you after swimming.
- Blanket in the beach chair: Laid over your legs, it keeps the breeze off.
- Pareo: Tied around the hips as a skirt for the walk to the beach café.
- Headscarf: Against wind in your ears or as light sun protection.
If you also use your hammam towel at the Baltic Sea in September, take a heavier model. The MAHINA hammam towel weighs approx. 440 g and feels fuller than a very light towel. For changing on the beach after a cold dip, a bathing poncho is a practical addition: pull it on, change, stay warm.
Which towel for which coastal weather?
| Weather | Use | Our recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Sunny, little wind | Lying on the sand, drying off | Ocean beach towel, 180 × 100 cm |
| Sunny, strong wind | Cover in the beach chair, weigh down corners | Ocean or Coastline XXL in the chair |
| Cloudy, cool | Shoulder wrap, blanket over the legs | MAHINA hammam towel, approx. 440 g |
| Cold water, wind | Drying off and changing | Towel plus bathing poncho |
| Family, two in the beach chair | Large surface, blanket for everyone | Coastline XXL, 240 × 200 cm |
Baltic or North Sea: do you need a different towel?
In short: no. Whether it's a hammam towel at the Baltic Sea or the North Sea – the requirements are similar. On the North Sea, tides play a role: at low tide wide, damp stretches of sand are often exposed and the walk to the water can be long. A light towel you can drape over your shoulder is then more practical than a heavy bath towel. The Baltic Sea has no significant tides, but many beaches are narrower and packed with beach chairs. Here what matters most is that your towel fits the chair well. The wind can be strong on both coasts. Our tip: take the same hammam towel to the Baltic as to the North Sea – and plan one extra towel for the North Sea, because after a long mudflat walk your feet need a towel too.
How many towels for a week on the coast?
For a week with your hammam towel at the Baltic or North Sea we reckon on two towels per person: one for the beach chair or sand, one for drying off and wrapping up. Because flat-woven cotton dries quickly, that's usually enough – even if the holiday flat has no tumble dryer. Families also bring one large towel for everyone.
Another advantage in your luggage: folded, a hammam towel takes up only a fraction of the space of a terry towel. According to the product description, a beach bag such as the Marina beach bag measuring 50 × 40 × 15 cm holds, for example, two hammam towels, a water bottle and a change of clothes. The bag is open at the top – for valuables, an additional small bag with a zip is a good idea.
Sand, salt and the journey home
Fine sand trickles out of flat-woven cotton more easily than out of terry loops – one good shake is usually enough. Salt water makes the fabric a little stiffer. Rinse your hammam towel briefly with fresh water at the beach or in the holiday flat and wash it at 30 °C without fabric softener after the holiday. How that works in a sink while travelling is covered in a separate guide.
You'll find all towels for the beach in our beach towels collection.
Related reading: Washing a hammam towel on holiday: sand, salt water, hand wash and drying in the hotel · Beach towel without sand: which fabric helps and 10 tips that work · Hammam towel at the lake: lawn, changing, drying and packing list
Conclusion
A hammam towel at the Baltic Sea is a beach-chair cover, shoulder wrap and blanket in one. It's light in your luggage, dries quickly in the coastal wind and lets go of sand easily. The honest downside: in a strong wind you have to weigh it down. With two towels per person, one large towel for the family and a poncho for cold moments, you're perfectly equipped for the Baltic and North Sea.
Frequently asked questions
Which towel is best for the North Sea?
A versatile model such as the Ocean beach towel measuring 180 × 100 cm – beach-chair cover, shoulder wrap and blanket in one. On cool days a slightly heavier towel such as MAHINA is more pleasant.
Won't a hammam towel blow away in the wind?
A light towel blows away faster than a heavy one. Weigh down the corners with a bag, shoes or a bottle and lie in the shelter of a beach chair or windbreak.
Does a thin cotton towel keep you warm on cool days?
As a shoulder wrap or blanket it keeps the breeze off and warms you slightly. For really cold days a bathing poncho or a jacket is also a good idea.
How many towels do I need for a week's holiday on the coast?
Two per person: one for the beach chair or sand, one for drying off. Because they dry quickly, that's usually enough. Families add one large towel for everyone.
What can I do about salt in the towel?
Rinse it briefly with fresh water and let it dry. After the holiday, wash it once at 30 °C without fabric softener – then it will be soft again.
Personally written by Martin – founder of BeachAndSteam. As a family, we have run the Meri Sauna at Lake Kulkwitz for more than 18 years.
