how many hooded towels do you need for baby
Kristina Davis

Many people, especially new parents ask, how many hooded towels do you need for baby?

Is it necessary to have the same number of hooded towels as the baby’s tops? Or would having a few that can accommodate a few bath times per week be fine?

Ideally, having 3 to 4 baby hooded towels is enough, because the number of towels will depend on how often bath time is. Moreover, different households have different ways of handling the baby, but this range is good to keep you from washing frequently.

Being a parent of 4 children, I am confident that I knew the ins and outs of baby apparel.

So, let me help you answer this question comprehensively.

What is a Hooded Towel?

a hooded towel

Hooded towels are generally towels that have an extended hood, and the purpose of this hood is to ensure that the baby’s head is kept warm.

But, couldn’t a regular towel do that, too? Wouldn’t they be as effective as baby hooded towels?

Do Babies Really Need Hooded Towels?

Yes, having hooded baby towels is essential in ensuring that your baby’s health is on point.

There are certain factors that make this true, and these factors are:

Smaller and Fitter For Babies

Larger towels call for longer drying times. Hooded towels are smaller, tighter, and fitter for babies, especially those that are aged below 2 years old.

smaller and fitter

Therefore, your infant’s body will dry faster when you use a hooded towel compared to a regular towel – they can help your babies avoid chills and cold moments!

Safe and Hypoallergenic

Another benefit of using hooded towels is that they’re safe and are typically hypoallergenic.

They’re made of gentle and fewer fibers that are usually present on regular towels.

It’s guaranteed to be safe for their skin, as well as to keep them from catching allergies because of the lint and the fluff of towels.

Consistent Warming

Unlike traditional towels, they wouldn’t be able to cover the head.

Furthermore, this component of hooded towels is the anchoring component to your baby’s body. It can keep your child warm while you prepare their clothes.

Easier to Wash and Dry

easy to wash

Lastly, they’re easier and faster to wash because they’re small. In fact, in my personal experience, I hand wash hooded baby towels.

You’ll rarely need to throw them inside a washer and a dryer because they do not take up that much space.

By now, I should have properly explained why there is a need for parents like you to get baby hooded towels.

The question is, how many hooded towels does a baby need? Do they function just like the standard or regular towels, or are they more special?

How Many Hooded Towels Do You Need For Baby?

Typically, a single child would need about 3 to 4 hooded towels.

This is already a conservative amount if you think about how often babies take showers, the accidents involved, as well as the washing and drying.

how many towel needed

This amount, though, would still depend on every household as we have different opinions on how often babies should shower.

On a personal note, I have 5 hooded towels. And with this, I do the washing and drying every week.

The number of hooded baby towels you have prepared will help in determining how often you should wash them.

Also, helps you to anticipate a couple of problems and accidents such as spilling food, poop, and urine on the towels.

How Many Times Should You Use Hooded Towels Before Washing?

Regular days are often lenient when it comes to the washing of baby towels.

Cleveland Clinic suggests laundering it at least once a week. This is for regular application, though.

If your baby is ill, you want to clean and launder it after every usage.

NOTE: You can dry it out under the sun after each use so you can use them up to 3 times before laundering.

Living in a Humid Environment

If you’re residing in a humid location, you would want to wash it every after usage.

humid environment

Humid environments are the perfect breeding grounds for molds and mildew, and these nasty organisms can attach themselves to the hooded towel.

Can Babies Use Regular Towels?

Yes, your babies can use the towels you’re using.

However, you need to take extra precautionary measures if you don’t have hooded baby towels or if you decide to use regular towels for your infants.

Your Towels Could Be Dirty

Bodies of adults are prone to germs, bacteria, and viruses, and therefore, using regular smelly towels for your babies could transfer these external objects to their bodies.

Use a newly washed and dried towel if you’re planning to use it to dry your baby.

Your Towels Could Cause Itchiness and Allergies

cause itchiness

Not all our towels are hypoallergenic. This is simply because we don’t need them to be.

So long as our bodies get dried, it’s enough for us.

Be careful and gentle when you use regular towels to dry your baby’s body. Blot the towel around the baby’s body and avoid harsh and rough wiping.

Your Towels Aren’t Effective Absorbents

Lastly, we use our towels by wiping our bodies with them, they’re not really great absorbents like hooded towels.

And because you don’t want to wipe your baby’s body with your towel, it would less likely be successful in absorbing water and moisture from their bodies.

There’s no harm in using regular towels to dry your babies after a bathing session. 

However, you have to make sure that it’s clean, that you won’t wipe it roughly, and that you’ll do it quickly to avoid chilling.

How Do You Use Hooded Baby Towels?

how to use hooded towel

Using hooded towels isn’t like how we use our regular towels after a shower.

In fact, it requires a bit more patience and time – after all, you don’t want your babies to feel irritated, right?

I’ve found quite a few different versions on how they’re used, but the following process is what I consider the best and the safest for your young one.

  1. Right after showering, let your baby air dry for about 30 seconds.
  2. Then, damp and blot the hooded towel on their face going down the legs.
  3. Wrap the hooded towel around your baby’s body.
  4. Pull the hood up so that it covers the entire head.
NOTE: When damping and blotting, use the exterior or the outer part of the hooded towel to make sure that the interior or inside of it is kept warm and dry.

FAQs

Still, have a couple of questions in the ballpark?

popular questions about hooded towel

Check these questions out as they are the most asked questions about how many hooded baby towels you need!

What Age Are Hooded Towels For?

Baby hooded towels are ideal for babies that are between 12 and 20 months old.

This does not mean that when they turn 2 years old, it wouldn’t be ideal any longer.

In fact, some experts suggest using hooded baby towels up to the age of 3 to help their bodies maintain and regulate the heat inside the hooded baby towel.

What is the Size of a Baby Hooded Towel?

Different models and makes of baby hooded towels have different sizes. However, the rough estimate and size of these towels is 30 inches x 30 inches.

Toddler towels can be a bit wider and larger in size simply because they will need the extra length to wrap themselves more.

What Fabric Is Used For Baby Towels?

Similar to size, the fabrics used for baby towels vary but the most common would be polyester and cotton.

The make is important because they need to be tightly packed and secured to avoid linting and fluffing, which babies can inhale.

Final Thoughts

So, what do you think, how many hooded towels do you need for baby?

Regardless of how frequent you give them bath time, being prepared wouldn’t hurt. In fact, it can even save you a lot of time in doing so for as we all know, you need to focus on your baby!