Our picks of towels and drying coats

Towels and drying coats we would keep by the back door, judged on how much water they hold and how quickly they are dry again for the next walk.

Towels and drying coats, from a thick sheet for a soaked labrador to hand pocket towels, disposables for days out and a robe for a double coat.

and nine more

More round-ups

Ears hold damp longer than the rest of a dog, so dry them first and the rest of the coat follows quickly.

Towel or drying coat?
A towel is quick to grab and easy to wash. A drying coat keeps working after you have let go of the dog, which suits anything happier moving about.
Drying coat or a towel
How big should it be?
Big enough to wrap, not just to dab. A spaniel wants about a metre, a labrador nearer a metre and a half, and two towels beat one huge one.
See our picks
Microfibre or cotton?
Microfibre lifts water straight out of a coat and is dry again by morning, so one towel can cover two walks in a wet week.
See our picks
Wet ears and skin
Floppy ears and thick coats hold damp longest, so dry the ears and the armpits as well as the back, and the dog is properly dry.
Ears after wet walks