What Is The Average Towel Bar Height?

An awkwardly placed towel bar can make it hard to dry off after a bath or shower. Utilizing the standard towel bar height placement makes for a better experience for everyone in the family. 

A towel bar is a horizontal bar secured to the bathroom wall so that residents can hang their towels. There are different size towel bars to accommodate large bath towels, hand towels, and decorative towels.

Standard Towel Bar Height

towel bar heights range from 42 to 48 inches above the floor

The most common towel bar heights range from 42 to 48 inches above the floor. Because there is no exact number, you can use this range to find the perfect height to meet your family’s needs. 

In RVs and small bathrooms, towel bar height is around 42 inches, sometimes less, while in hotels, to protect the towels, the range is closer to 48 inches.

How Big Are Towels?

To know how high to hang your towel bar, consider the size of your towel. Bath towels should be several inches off the ground so that they can air dry without saturating the floor.

Bathroom with modern towel hanger

Types Of Towels

  • Bath Towel – range from 27″ x 52″ to 30″ x 58″ in size and are used in standard bathrooms.
  • Bath Sheet – a bath sheet is as big as, or almost as big as, a beach towel. It is for those who want more coverage than a standard towel offers and ranges from 35″ x 60″ to 40″ x 70″.
  • Hand Towel – this is a standard towel for drying your face and hands. It’s somewhere between 16″ x 28″ to 18″ x 30″ and is found in kitchens and bathrooms in any type of house.
  • Finger Towel – this rather rare type of towel is small and oblong, measuring 11″ x 18″.
  • Washcloth – washcloths are square and are generally 13″ x 13″ though they can be smaller. This type of “towel” is made for washing and can be found in nearly every bathroom in the world.

Towel Bar vs. Towel Ring

Though both a towel rack and a towel ring have the same purpose, they are distinct items. A towel bar is a bar or rod, while a towel ring is a ring or hook. Towel rings are common for hand towels, while towel bars hold bath towels.

A towel ring is often above the sink so that hand towels are easy to access. Most homeowners place towel bars on the wall closest to the shower or bath.