Hooded Towels Are for Adults Too (There, We Said It)

There's a reason hooded towels have gone from a niche surf accessory to a serious everyday staple. Once you've used one, a regular towel starts to feel like a bit of a downgrade. You've got a wet head. You're cold. You're trying to change without flashing the entire car park. A flat towel cannot help you. But… a hooded towel can. 

At Nakie HQ, we've put our hooded towels through every aquatic scenario imaginable. Here's everything you need to know about why hooded towels are unbeatable, who gets the most use out of them, and what makes Nakie’s hooded towels worth the investment.

What Makes a Hooded Towel Different?

Adding a hood sounds simple. It is simple. But the impact is significant, particularly in Australia, where you can be standing in full sun, soaking wet, and still feel the chill the second the wind picks up.

A hooded towel dries your body, keeps your head warm while your hair dries, and doubles as a cover-up you can move around in. It's hands-free, full-coverage, and about 80% less awkward than trying to change out of your wet cossie and into your undies in public.

Our hooded towels are made from 86% recycled plastic bottles and 14% polyamide, woven in a tight, smooth pattern that means sand shakes off rather than embedding itself for the rest of eternity. At 80cm wide by 100cm long, they're nicely oversized – built to fit adults of all sizes (unless you're, like, over 7 feet, it might be a bit short on you, tall king/queen). 

Who's Buying Hooded Towels (It's Not Only Who You Think)

The obvious demographic is kids and surfers. Both camps have been using hooded towels for years because no one wants to deal with a flapping towel when a small child is losing their mind over nothing in particular post-swim, and no surfer wants to stand around cold while their hair drips.

But the biggest fans and users of hooded towels? Adults who've tried one and can't go back, like: 

Aqua aerobics regulars. People who do aqua aerobics tell us how much they love their hooded towels all the time. Getting in and out of a pool multiple times a week means needing a towel that's fast to dry, easy to get into, and most importantly, very cosy. Pool decks are cold, changerooms are worse, and the last thing anyone needs is to stand around wet, trying to negotiate a flat towel while also holding their goggles and a water bottle. A hooded towel is on and covering you in approximately four seconds.

Open water swimmers. Cold water swimming has exploded in popularity in Australia, and for good reason: the community, the mental clarity, and, of course, the sheer stubbornness of it. But getting out of cold water in the early morning and standing in the wind is a different kind of experience. A hooded towel offers immediate coverage from head to knees, which is kind of important when getting out is somehow colder than being in.

Campers and caravanners. The Nakie hooded towel packs down into a compact neoprene bag (22cm x 22cm x 8.5cm), which means it takes up no meaningful space in a camp setup. Whether you're showering in a campground facility, jumping in a waterfall, or doing the lake at dawn, it's the towel that can do it all. 

Beach walkers and waterfall hikers. If your idea of a good Saturday involves a coastal walk that ends in the ocean, or a bush hike that finishes at a swimming hole, you want a towel that fits in your backpack and doesn't arrive covered in sand from the walk in. The Nakie hooded towel handles both problems.

Parents who are done with the wrestling match. Getting a small child out of the water and into dry clothes is one of the great underrated challenges of parenthood. A kids' hooded towel (we do those too, from ages 1–3 and up) means you can wrap them up, hood on, and have a hope of keeping them warm while negotiating the next step. 

Why Nakie’s Hooded Towels Are The Best 

Look, we don’t want to toot our own horn, so we’ll get our customers to do it for us. This is what people have said after using the Nakie hooded towel.

• "I love the hooded towels, the fact that it’s made out of recycled products and helps plant trees as well, I feel like I am contributing to a bigger picture than what I have just bought. Thanks for making the world go round.” – Saw (verified review)

• "I just bought the hooded towel! WOW! I love it even more. The colours are just beautiful." – Vicki (verified review)

• “The towel is well made, colourful, great fabric, and the buttons help give more room when you need it. The added bonus was the cute bag my hooded towel came in – it's proved very useful when travelling.” – Helen (verified review)

• “I live in my hooded towel so warm, dry, fast, and so comfy and stylish.” – Tara (verified review)

• “Nice roomy fit. I can totally take togs off and get changed into clothes without anyone seeing anything!” – Anon (verified review)

• “Lovely product.  Nice soft material and nice pattern. Generous sizing.” – Kim (verified review)

Not to mention Nakie's hooded towel is made from 32 post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. That's 32 bottles that aren't in landfill or floating somewhere they shouldn't be.

We're B-Corp certified and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified, which means the materials have been tested against a comprehensive list of harmful substances. We also plant four trees for every product sold.

We're not asking you to feel virtuous about a towel purchase. We just want you to know that the better option and the more sustainable option are the same thing when you shop with Nakie.

Shop Nakies’ Hooded Towel Range for Adults & Kids

We've got adult hooded towels across several fun and vibrant prints – Retro Shores, Ocean Breeze, Kasey Rainbow, Salty Waves, Sound of Summer – plus a kids' range in the same colourways so you can be cute and matching.  Plus, if you're buying for yourself and a partner, the Couples Combo saves you 20 per cent!

SHOP HOODED TOWELS AT NAKIE

Hooded Towels FAQs

Are hooded towels just for kids? 

Nope! The hooded towel had a long run as a kids-only item, but adults have caught on and absolutley loving them. If you've ever stood on a pool deck mid-winter trying to towel-dry your hair with one hand while holding your goggles with the other, you already understand the appeal.

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

A regular towel dries you off. A hooded towel dries you off, covers your head, and doubles as a cover-up you can move around in. It's hands-free, full-coverage, and much less awkward in public.

How absorbent are Nakie’s hooded towels? 

The Nakie hooded towel holds up to a litre of water, so despite the smooth weave, it's doing real drying work (not just acting as a stylish cape).

Do they actually repel sand? 

You betcha! The 86% recycled plastic and 14% polyamide blend is woven in a tight, smooth pattern that stops sand from embedding in the fibres. Dry, it's almost magic. Wet, it's still a significant step up from cotton.

Do your hooded towels fit everyone? 

At 80cm wide by 100cm long, the adult towel fits most people comfortably. If you're on the taller side, grab a measuring tape and check if you will have enough clearance to be comfortable – or check some of the photos in our reviews section!

How big is Nakie’s kids’ hooded towel? 

Our kids’ hooded towels come in S, M and L, so they fit most kids from ages 1 to 12. They come in the same fun design as the adult versions, with the same sand-free fabric and quick-dry performance (and significantly less post-swim negotiation).