Hooded Towel or Regular Towel: What Do You Actually Need?
Although you can use any towel to dry off your baby after a bath, a specially made hooded towel can be easier and more convenient as it's perfectly sized and covers baby's wet head keeping them even cozier. You can just open the towel, dressing them in their fresh clothes without removing the hood from their head.
In this article, we'll tell you the trade-offs between drying your bub with a regular towel or hooded towel, so you can add just the right items to your registry.
TLDR
You don't need a special hooded towel -- a regular towel dries just as well -- but a hooded towel keeps baby's head covered and warm hands-free, which makes it an easier pick for most families. Plan on four or five hooded towels (or regular towels folded in half, if that makes it easier) plus four to six washcloths, and make sure whatever you chose is sized for infants, not toddlers.
Table of contents
- Do You Need Special Hooded Baby Towels or Will Regular Towels Work?
- The Case for Hooded Baby Towels
- The Case for Regular Towels
- How Many Towels You Need
Do You Need Special Hooded Baby Towels or Will Regular Towels Work?
We know, babies are expensive, so it's important to question category by category: Do I really need this, or does what I have at home already work? When it comes to drying your baby after bathtime, can't you just use a fresh adult towel?
The truth is, you can use a regular towel - it will absorb the water just as well. But this being said, a hooded towel may be a bit easier. Let's take a look:
The Case for Hooded Baby Towels
Once your baby's bath is done, you just pick baby up and lay them on the towel, placing the hood over their head and preventing them from losing heat. Because it's built-in, the hood stays in place.
Then without needing an extra hand, you can wrap baby in the absorbent towel and dry them while their head is covered and warm. Likewise, when it comes to dressing them in their new clothes, the towel opens up but the hood stays in place, keeping them cozy.
In short, the hooded towel is a little more functional, being smaller sized and, as babies lose heat quickly, it's able to keep them toastier post-bath.
The Case for Regular Towels
Of course, using regular towels allows you to save a little money and space, while still getting the job done. If you go this route, you might try folding the towel in half so that it's better sized and not as bulky. You should still try to cover baby's head, although without a built-in hood it's a little harder thanks to squirminess.
How Many Towels You Need
You'll give your baby a number of baths during the week, so it's good to have a few on hand so you're not exacerbating that never-ending wash cycle. We'd say four or five hooded bath towels is just right, along with four to six cotton washcloths (which can be used for baths and in-between baths.
Babesta's Bathtime Recommendation
At the end of the day, we like hooded towels over regular towels, although either can work. Just make sure that any hooded towel you add to your registry, it's made for infants: there are also toddler-sized towels which may be too big for your bub.
When it's time for the bath, you don't have to lose your cool. Shop Babesta - We'll always have your back.
Additional Reading
- Bathtime Checklist: What to Add to Your Baby Registry
- Soft Infant Sink Tub or Infant-to-Toddler Tub: Which Do You Need First?
- How to Chose A Baby Tub for a NYC Apartment
- Best Baby Bathtubs for NYC Apartments - Our Picks
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need a hooded towel, or will a regular bath towel work?
A regular towel works just as well for drying - the hooded towel's real advantage is convenience: the hood stays in place over baby's head hands-free, which a folded regular towel can't quite match.
How many towels should I register for?
About four to five hooded towels (or regular towels) plus four to six cotton washcloths, which double up for baths and quick cleanups in between.
What size hooded towel should I buy?
Stick to infant-sized towels rather than toddler-sized: Toddler towels run bigger and can be bulky and less secure on a newborn or young infant.
Can I use the same towel for baths and everyday cleanups?
The towel itself is best reserved for post-bath drying, but the washcloths in your rotation can pull double duty for both bathtime and quick between-bath wipe-downs.
When should I switch from an infant to a toddler-sized towel?
Once your child has outgrown the infant towel's coverage - usually sometime in the toddler years - a full-size or toddler hooded towel will fit better and keep them just as cozy.
