Bathroom Butler Towel Rings

This is one of the smaller Bathroom Butler collections, and it does not pretend otherwise: around twenty stainless steel towel rings from the same numbered series and named design ranges as the rest of the accessories. A ring does one job well: it holds a hand towel at the basin, in reach of wet hands, without a rail taking up wall. The rings share ranges with the paper holders and robe hooks, so one can usually be matched to fittings already going in.

Ring or rail

A ring is the right fitting where a towel is used often, changed often and never needs to dry flat. That is almost always the basin. Hands get dried a dozen times a day, the towel goes back one handed, and a ring lets it hang in a loose fold that stays put. A rail is the better answer for bath towels, because a bath towel on a ring hangs bunched, and bunched fabric stays damp.

Use both where the wall allows. A ring at the basin and a rail on the towel wall stops people drying their hands on the bath towel, which is the usual reason a bath towel never dries. In a guest cloakroom with no bath or shower, a ring on its own is often enough. Where the wall beside the basin is narrow, or the basin sits in a corner, a ring takes less room than the shortest rail.

Open and closed patterns

Both are stocked and the difference is practical rather than decorative. A closed ring is a complete loop: the towel threads through and is unlikely to be knocked off, which suits a family bathroom or a rental. An open ring has a gap at one side, so the towel drops on and lifts off from the side with one hand and without aiming. Most of this collection is the open pattern, including all the named ranges, and the titles say so: the codes without the word Open, 4640, 8240 and 8540, are the closed ones.

Mounting and finishes

Height is where rings go wrong. Fit it within easy arm's reach of the basin, to the side rather than behind, and high enough that a hanging hand towel clears the counter or basin rim. Roughly 1.1m above the finished floor is a common starting point, but hold the ring up and check against your own basin and towels before drilling. Finishes are polished stainless steel, brushed stainless steel, matt black, chrome and champagne gold. See also Bathroom Butler towel rails and the full Bathroom Butler range.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I fit a towel ring or a towel rail?

A ring at the basin, a rail for bath towels. Rings suit a towel that is picked up and put back many times a day and never needs to dry flat, which is exactly what a hand towel does. A bath towel hung on a ring bunches into itself and stays damp, so it belongs on a rail. Most bathrooms with room for both are better off with both.

What is the difference between an open and a closed towel ring?

A closed ring is a full loop, so the towel threads through it and will not be knocked off easily. An open ring has a gap at one side, letting you drop the towel on and lift it off sideways with one hand. Open is the more common pattern in this collection and in the named design ranges. Closed rings suit family bathrooms and rentals where fittings take more abuse.

How high should a towel ring be mounted?

Fit it within easy arm's reach of the basin, on the wall beside it rather than behind it, and high enough that a hanging hand towel clears the counter or basin rim rather than resting on it. Roughly 1.1m above the finished floor is a common starting point, but this depends on your basin height and towel size, so hold the ring in place and check before you drill.

Can a towel ring hold a bath towel?

Physically yes, practically no. A bath towel folded over a ring gathers into a thick bunch with very little air reaching the middle, so it stays damp and starts to smell. Use a ring for hand towels and put bath towels on a single or double rail, where they can hang open. If wall space is the constraint, a double rail gives two bars on one footprint.

Will a Bathroom Butler towel ring match my other accessories?

If you stay within the same range, yes. The rings here come from the 4600, 8200 and 8500 numbered series and from the Felicity, Integrity, Unity, Lavish and Elemental design ranges, all of which also cover paper holders, robe hooks and rails. Matching the range matters more than matching the finish name, because profiles and mounting plates differ between ranges.