Chill Pal PVA Cooling Towel

I am an avid hiker, camper, and wilderness backpacker, and primarily take these kind of trips in California/Utah/Arizona weather where it can get quite hot. For a long time, I had always dipped my hat into the cold, running streams or lake to keep myself momentarily cool, and that also meant having the water drip onto my shirt for additional cooling. However, this relief would usually subside in 30 minutes after the hat has completely dried up in the sun.On many of my hikes, I had also seen many wear a towel around the neck (a popular practice in Korea and Japan), and one day -- I do not remember how -- this Chill Pal towel caught my attention. The overwhelming number of positive reviews further picked my interest, particularly at a time when my toddler son was having a 100F fever the night before. I thought that I would give one a try to not only help cool him down, but to also use as a hiking towel.PROS- Keeps my neck cool, and as a result, makes the hot weather very bearable- Maintained moisture (and cooling effect) for over an hour- Did not feel drenched, though it does wet the top of the shirt a bit like any other towel- GREAT customer service. I had an issue with their Mesh (not PVA) Cooling Towel, and the owner responded back right away and took care of it. This service inspired me to write the review to give kudos for that small business- Comes with a plastic carry pouch and carabiner- Size is perfect: it is more like a scarf than a towel- Holds more water than their Mesh Cooling Towel- Helped cool down my son's fever when wrapped around his legs, arms, and foreheadCONS- The material is reminiscent to the towel I use to wash my car with. It felt odd because of that, but once it was around my neck, that feeling went away- Once dry, the towel was no longer foldable/bendable (just like the car wash cloth). So, be sure to fold to the shape you want first. I hesitate to store it in the carry pouch while still wet... that just invites disease to grow. This also makes the towel not as suitable for use while backpacking the wilderness as it can be a bit too bulky to put awayTO USE- Soak with water- Wring out the water- Put around the neckOverall, the towel accomplishes its cooling purpose VERY well. However, the feeling of having a car wash cloth around my neck bothers me a bit, and the fact that it cannot be folded nicely once dry makes me recommend the Mesh Cooling Towel more (which itself feels like a microfiber cloth).If you found this review helpful, please click the "Yes/Helpful" button below to encourage me to write more. Thank you!

Does it hold a lot of water that can evaporate and provide a cooling effect? The short answer is yes. Yes, this towel does prove to be cool to the touch and holds a fair volume of water given its size/weight. However, it is just a standard PVA super chamois type towel. Now that I've gotten this, it's the exact same thing as the "Absorber" towel that I've been using to dry my cars after washing them for years. Does it work, yes, but it is not some miracle product that currently 1700+ glowing reviews would have you believe. So the claims aren't false, but the hype factor is high. There are a number of these cooling towels available on Amazon and this one is typically the lowest priced, so that's a plus.

Extremely pleased! Went on vacation for a week where the sun was fierce and the temperature was in the high 90s every day.The Amazon reviews are favorable but seem to be written primarily by people who received a free sample. I researched other sources and found a consumer report review of a couple similar products, though not this particular brand. The review of those products were discouraging, reporting that their infared camera recorded identical temperature readings with a standard wet cotton towel. I'm not sure if Chill Pal is an exception but they felt startlingly cold and not just "cool." Curious people in our tour group asked to touch the towels, wondering just how cool the towels really got and all responded with great surprise. Regardless of the actual towel temperature, it should be mentioned that these towels hold moisture and their cool temperature much longer than a standard towel, without being dripping wet like a cotton towel.Interestingly, our luggage was delayed so we were without our Chill Pals for the initial three days. I can not emphasize enough the difference the towels made!! The initial days were unbearable and exhausting, and we were unable to enjoy the tour activities. Two of my children suffered heat exhaustion with nausea. Having the towels enabled us to remain outdoors longer and enjoy walking around. I'd walk with the towels draped over my shoulders or arms, or when sitting, we'd drape them over our laps. While walking, we'd swing the towels against our legs, behind the knees for great relief.In constant direct sunlight, 98 degree temp, the towel began to stiffen after a few hours. Even then, I could wrap my hand in the towel and feel as though it were in a pocket of cool air. A water bottle or bathroom sink quickly replenishes the towel. The cooler the water the better, but even lukewarm water is sufficient if you wave the towel around in the air.It is important to wash the towel before use because it bleeds a lot of color. Even now, washing releases some color. (I bought blue towels.) Regardless, I have observed no color transfer on our clothing.The towels arrive damp but they are so because they've been soaked in a preservative solution, which is washed out with the recommended initial pre-washes. It's important not to store the towels wet later.Being on vacation, I hand-washed towels after each use and stored in hotel mini-fridge. It's not necessary to keep in fridge but it's extra nice! Some towels once froze, and we tried to force them apart. The towels started to tear and disintegrate. Once we noticed the damage, we ran water over the towels until they defrosted and released themselves. There was then no further damage. Do not intentionally freeze. The towels will be unusable until they defrost.I was nervous about how to transport the towels home since they no longer have the preservative and so mold if stored not completely dry. They hold moisture for exceptionally long so I had more reason to be concerned. I hung all towels up on pants hangers outdoors in direct sunlight and surprisingly, they dried completely after just 3-4 hours. They do dry stiff as a sponge dries so I didn't try to fold them. I just lay them flat in a large suitcase. I'm doubtful that they'll dry that quickly indoors or in the shade though. Before the trip, I did partially dry them in the drier and lay them out flat as I could to complete drying. I imagine tumble drying them completely will leave them in an unpackable form.One confusing point is that the Amazon site repeatedly emphasizes a full refund with no return necessary, but when I called Amazon, they are insisting that I return the damaged towels. I can not return them dry because they are flat and hard, unfoldable, unrollable. I will have to wet and roll to fit back in the tube. They will most definitely arrive molded. I went round and round with the Amazon rep but the rep wouldn't hear anything of it, and didn't care what their site stated.Photo taken of flat, stiff, dried towel. Towel is being held still by one hand, not being waved around. When dried, it is light and stiff like a thin sponge sheet. Previous reviewers have likened it to cardboard. I'd agree.Don't expect wet towel to feel like a cotton towel. Imagine a thin, smooth, soft sheet of foam-like material.

The towel arrived on time & felt cold when I opened it which I took as a good sign.It stays cold for a long time & isn't too heavy.It has a real futuristic feel to the material. Like silky rubber but it doesn't have a rubbery smell which is nice.I'm looking forward to summer when I will be able to get full use out of it.

I bought this for mum, she gets very hot, when on holidays. Because of her eczema skin, she doesn't sweat she goes red in the face. So this is the perfect solution, she has already tested it, and more than happy with it. She cant wait to take on the next holiday we due to go on. Plus the seller of this item will give you tips on to take care of this item.

Great product and excellent info about usage and storage from the seller.

This product is brilliant and just what I needed, really helps during an intensive work out and does exactly what it says!!! I can highly recommend this product!!

excellent product - easy to use and very effective

Does exactly what it says on the tin! Kept me cool for a number of miles.

Great idea for anyone going to the gym especially as it’s getting warmer, husband happy with gift.

The product is great and works extremely well especially after sporting activities and super easy to use. Just wish it was a little bit bigger :)

My partner gets very hot so I thought I’d try this item out, she loves it. Cools her down

My wife loves this.

Great Product. Easy to use and cools you down very quickly.

really good, I like.it

Great product, best towel ever.

Used the product twice and it started to de-laminate and come apart, have returned very disappointing

kleines perfektes Handtuch zum auswringen, ideal nach dem Duschen zum abtrocknen. Sehr gut, da kleine Packmaße, kein großes Handtuch erforderlich.