Two main types of heated towel rails and radiators
Firstly, it’s important to point out that there are two main types of heating methods for towel rails and radiators. This ensures we’re comparing apples with apples.
Most of today’s heated towel rails and many radiators are electric. They have a heating element inside that generally heats up to a set temperature. Some heated towel rails and many radiators are liquid filled. They also have an element that is used to heat up the liquid inside.
In this article we’ll focus mainly on the fully electric, rather than liquid filled versions.
Heated towel rails vs radiators
When we’re looking at which is more efficient and comparing heated towels rails with radiators, essentially we want to know which has a greater heat output and is more effective in dispersing heat to where it’s needed. Because in terms price, a heated towel rail with the same output as a radiator will cost the same to run.
For heat output, if we compare a standard ladder-style heated towel rail with an electric radiator of the same dimensions, the radiator is going to win. It will generate more heat and be more efficient in heating your room because the radiator has more surface area.
Note that we did say standard ladder-style heated towel rails. More on this later.
So, which is more efficient? The obvious answer is that it depends on what you want your appliance to do. If it’s to heat a room, a radiator is going to be your best bet. But if it’s to warm and dry your towels while providing some heat, a heated towel rail is a great investment.
