What to Look for in a Hooded Gym Towel

Hooded gym towels have become genuinely popular in Australian gyms over the last few years and the market has filled up with options at every price point as a result. Most of them solve the basic sliding problem, but there's a meaningful difference between a hooded gym towel that works well day after day and one that frustrates you within a week. Here's what actually matters when you're choosing one.

Size: big enough to cover the bench, small enough to carry

The size of the towel determines whether it actually covers the equipment you're using it on. A bench press bench is typically around 120 to 130 cm long. A hooded gym towel that's 90 cm long leaves the lower half of the bench uncovered, which means you're making direct contact with the equipment on the parts of your body that aren't on the towel. That's the opposite of what the towel is supposed to do.

The Cheeky Winx hooded gym towel is 140 x 60 cm, which covers a full bench from the headrest down to the seat. The width of 60 cm provides adequate coverage across the bench surface without the towel overhanging awkwardly on either side.

On the other end of the scale, some hooded gym towels are marketed as large as a beach towel, which makes them impractical to carry to and from the gym. A towel that packs down to a manageable size in your gym bag is the right balance. The Cheeky Winx towel comes with its own drawstring carry bag and rolls down to roughly the size of a water bottle.

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The hood: how it anchors matters more than that it exists

Every hooded gym towel has a hood. What varies is how well that hood actually holds the towel in place on the equipment. A hood that's too shallow or too wide will slip off a bench headrest during a session rather than holding its position. A hood that fits snugly over the headrest stays in place regardless of how much you're moving.

The hood on the Cheeky Winx hooded gym towel is designed to fit over most standard gym bench headrests and hold the towel securely across the full session without adjustment. It also fits most standard car headrests, which is what makes the post-gym car seat use case work.

One thing worth checking before you buy: whether the hood also fits chair backs and car seats, or whether it's designed only for gym equipment. A hood that works in multiple contexts gives you more use out of the same towel.

The zip pocket: depth and accessibility

Not every hooded gym towel has a zip pocket in the hood, and among those that do, the depth varies significantly. A shallow pocket holds a gym card but not a phone. A pocket that's around 20 cm deep holds a phone, key, gym card and AirPods comfortably, which is what you actually need if the pocket is going to replace a locker.

Accessibility also matters. The pocket should sit at the top of the hood when the towel is anchored to the bench, within easy reach during the session. If you have to unclip or reposition the towel to get to the pocket, it defeats the purpose.

The zip pocket in the Cheeky Winx hooded gym towel is approximately 20 cm deep and positioned at the top of the hood when the towel is in place on the bench. Keys, gym card, phone and small items are all accessible without repositioning the towel.

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Double-sided design: one side for equipment, one side for you

A hooded gym towel that's the same on both sides means you'll inevitably use the same surface on the equipment that you then use to wipe your face. The point of bringing a towel to the gym is partly hygiene, and a single-sided towel doesn't solve the hygiene problem fully.

The Cheeky Winx hooded gym towel is double-sided with a distinct feel on each side so you always know which is which. One side goes on the equipment, one side is for you. Using both sides also effectively doubles the usable surface area of the towel across a session without needing two separate towels.

Material: microfibre is the right choice

The material of the towel affects how quickly it dries, how much it absorbs and how it feels. Cotton gym towels are heavy when wet, slow to dry and will smell in your gym bag by the time you get home because they've been holding moisture since your session. Microfibre dries significantly faster, absorbs more relative to its weight and stays odour-free between sessions because there's no sustained moisture for bacteria to develop in.

The Cheeky Winx hooded gym towel is made from a high-quality blend of polyester and polyamide microfibre. It's quick-drying, odour-free, machine washable and doesn't require anything special to care for beyond a cold gentle wash and air drying.

Personalisation: worth considering if it's a gift

A hooded gym towel is one of the better gifts you can give someone who trains regularly because it's practical, personal and something most people either haven't thought to buy themselves or have been meaning to upgrade. Personalisation with an embroidered name or initials turns a useful item into a genuinely considered gift rather than something generic.

Cheeky Winx hooded gym towels can be personalised with up to 10 characters in pink, blue, black or white embroidery, done in Brisbane with a 1 to 3 business day turnaround. Browse the personalised gym towel collection if you're buying as a gift.

Design: it doesn't have to be boring

Most gym towels come in a narrow range of plain colours, which is fine but unremarkable. If you're going to bring the same towel to every session, it's worth having one you actually like the look of. The Cheeky Winx hooded gym towel range includes over 40 designs, from bold prints to clean basics, with new drops added regularly. The personalisation option means you can also add your name to the design you choose, which has the practical benefit of making it immediately identifiable in a gym environment where similar-looking towels end up on adjacent benches.

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Frequently asked questions

What size should a hooded gym towel be?

Long enough to cover the full surface of a bench, which is typically around 120 to 130 cm for a standard flat bench. A towel of 140 cm covers this comfortably with some allowance. Anything shorter than 120 cm will leave part of the bench uncovered. The Cheeky Winx hooded gym towel is 140 x 60 cm.

Do all hooded gym towels have a zip pocket?

No. Some have the hood but no pocket, which means they solve the sliding problem but not the valuables problem. If you want to use the hood to store your key, phone and gym card during your session, make sure the towel you buy has a zip pocket built into the hood and that the pocket is deep enough to hold a phone.

What material is best for a hooded gym towel?

Microfibre. It dries faster than cotton, absorbs more relative to its weight and stays odour-free between sessions because it doesn't hold moisture. Cotton gym towels are heavier, slower to dry and more likely to develop a smell in your bag between sessions and washes.

Can I personalise a hooded gym towel?

Yes, through Cheeky Winx. Up to 10 characters embroidered in pink, blue, black or white thread, done in Brisbane. It adds 1 to 3 business days to the order. Browse the personalised collection to see the full range of designs available with personalisation.

What's the difference between a hooded gym towel and a regular gym towel?

The hood. A regular gym towel is a flat towel with nothing to anchor it to the equipment. A hooded gym towel has a hood that fits over the bench headrest and holds the towel in place across the full session. It also typically has a zip pocket in the hood for storing valuables during training. For a full comparison, read our guide on hooded vs regular gym towels.

Is a hooded gym towel worth it?

If you do any bench-based weight training, yes. The towel stays on the equipment without adjustment, your valuables stay secure in the hood pocket during your session and the double-sided design means you're not using the equipment side on your face. For anyone who has ever chased a sliding towel around between sets, the difference is immediate. Browse the Cheeky Winx hooded gym towel collection to find the right design.

If you know what you're looking for, choosing the right hooded gym towel is straightforward. Browse the full Cheeky Winx hooded gym towel range across over 40 designs and find the one worth bringing to every session.