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You come into the bathroom in the morning and find it a little chilly: Unfortunately, you seem to have forgotten to adjust the underfloor heating to the frosty night temperatures in the evening. So you turn up the bathroom radiator and then prepare breakfast for the family in the kitchen. When you come back ten minutes later, the device is already spreading a pleasant warmth. After a shower, you enjoy a towel pre-warmed by the heating elements. This guide tells you what bathroom radiators are available and what you should consider when choosing one.

Heat sources for drying towels and clothes

The bathroom is one of those rooms that should be warm. Temperatures of 24 °C and more are the rule rather than the exception. Bathroom radiators complement the central heating as an additional heat source : They can reach the right temperature quickly and often offer space for towels and clothes that you can preheat or dry on the heating elements of these devices. Other models complement your bathroom furnishings with integrated mirrors or color-changing LEDs.

These bathroom radiator models are available

Bathroom radiators are available in various designs. All of them provide heat, but differ in their appearance and functionality.

Towel radiator

These models consist of individual, horizontal heating rods. Most of them are quite close together, but there are also one to four larger spaces between them, so that you can easily hang towels and clothes here. Depending on the space available and the desired heating output, these tubular radiators are available in different sizes. They are operated by a connection to the water circuit of the central heating system, electrically or in mixed operation.

Panel radiators

Panel radiators have a different design principle. As the name suggests, they are flatter and emit radiant heat over a closed surface or fine longitudinal grooves, which means their heating output is higher. Depending on the size of the device, smaller bathrooms can be heated without additional heating. Some wall heaters are equipped with a towel rail, mirrors, design elements or lamps. These models are connected to the heating system.

Bathroom quick heater

Fan heaters are used to heat up the air in the bathroom as quickly as possible. They work with indirect convection heat, which means they suck in the cool air from the room, heat it with the heating elements running through the housing and then release the warm air again. A fan ensures that it is evenly distributed. The electrical devices for wall mounting usually have integrated towel rails or hooks for hanging up laundry.

What you should pay attention to when buying a bathroom heater

Before you decide on a bathroom radiator, you should think about the following features so that the device fits the structural requirements in your home.

Dimensions

Depending on your needs, bathroom radiators can be installed flat against the wall or as a room divider. The sizes range from models up to 180 cm high and 60 cm wide with up to four heating elements to small, 15 cm wide and 40 cm high models with just one element. If you use underfloor heating or another radiator as the main heat source in your bathroom, the only decisive factor for the dimensions of the bathroom radiator is the available space. If the radiator is the only heat source, a larger model is better depending on the volume of the room.

Performance

The performance of the radiator is crucial if it is the only source of heat. It should then be able to heat your entire bathroom to at least 22 °C. A rule of thumb is that around 100 W of heat output is required per square metre . The smallest models operate at around 250 W, the largest at around 1,000 W. The higher the wattage, the faster your bathroom will heat up.

Materials and design

Bathroom radiators are usually made of powder-coated steel or stainless steel, designer models can also be chrome-plated. These materials can withstand the high humidity in the bathroom and do not rust. The color selection ranges from classic white or stainless steel to unusual colors such as brown or black. The surface of bathroom flat radiators can also be mirrored or have various design elements. Tubular radiators are also available in special designs with square heating rods.

Connection

Radiators for use with central heating can be connected to the flow and return pipes of the hot water circuit. This means that you can only install them where pipes for the connection are laid. It is important to note whether the heating system requires a central or side connection and what diameter it has. In the product description of the respective model you will find information about the position of the connections. For electrically operated bathroom radiators you only need a socket nearby to supply the heating cartridge with power. This heats the thermal fluid inside the device.

Additional functions

Designer radiators can have a range of additional functions that increase comfort and influence the ambience in the bathroom. For example, you can use models with a front mirror as a large bathroom mirror and models with LED color-changing lighting for different lighting moods . Thanks to the remote control, the different colors can also be conveniently controlled from the bathtub.

How to find a suitable bathroom radiator

A bathroom radiator should not only provide heat as needed, but should also be functionally suited to your requirements. The following tips will help you with your purchase decision.

As the main heat source

If you want to use the radiator primarily to regulate the temperature in the bathroom, we recommend hot water bathroom radiators that are connected to the central heating system. Such a bathroom radiator keeps your bathroom constantly warm with high performance and always works when the normal heating is on. If there is no connection, a quick bathroom heater is also an option: the fan heater only needs electricity.

As additional heating

If your bathroom already has underfloor heating or another main heating source, we recommend purchasing an electric bathroom radiator . It works independently of the standard heating and provides short-term heat at any time of year. Even if there are no pipes for connecting to the central heating, an electric model with around 100 W of power per square meter is a good choice.

As a towel radiator

If you primarily want to use your bathroom radiator to quickly dry damp and wet towels or to preheat clothes and towels, a tubular radiator is sufficient as a towel dryer. The laundry can be hung up comfortably on the heating rods. Small towel radiators are available from €40, floor-to-ceiling models from €130.

Conclusion: Comfort and warmth in the bathroom

A bathroom radiator radiates pleasant warmth and dries damp towels. Depending on the model, the devices have different focuses as a stand-alone heating system or as a functional addition. When purchasing, follow the following recommendations:

• Bathroom radiators with a central heating connection provide a lot of heat for the whole room and can be used as an energy-saving additional heat source during the heating period in autumn and winter or as the main heating in the form of effective panel radiators.
• Electric bathroom radiators provide heat independently of the normal heating and are particularly suitable as additional heating and for heat requirements in the transitional periods. The larger the room, the more powerful the device should be – 100 W per square meter is a good guideline.
• Heaters with transverse heating rods are a good choice if you want to quickly warm or dry towels, swimwear or other laundry items. They are designed for electric, heating or mixed operation.