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I fully understand you cannot ever please everyone. The main reason I like reviews on Amazon is that I can read everything, possibly understand why someone did not like something, see comments others have made about those reasons, and decide for myself if it's something I would still be ok with. This towel warmer is great. I got it as a Christmas gift 2010, and just really like it. I wanted one for my enclosed outdoor gazebo where the hot tub is, and I didn't want something that had to be plugged in and left powered on all the time. I put the towel in when I go into the gazebo, when I take it out to use I immediately drop in my robe so it's warm when I am done with the towel. This is definitely the warmer to make those "right out of the dryer" towels and robes. I have also dropped in socks, sweatpants and shirts on occasion. I have a huge towel that is 5'x7'... it fits in this warmer just fine. I do not roll my towels up as the photos of the item suggest. I hold it by one corner, drop in the opposite corner, and kind of just wiggle the towel down into the warmer, push it down to fit the lid on, and it warms even that huge towel completely.
As for the smell, yes it's noticeable at first, but has already dissipated in mine to where it's barely there anymore. I would suggest turning it on without a towel in it, leave the lid off and let it run the warming cycle. Let it cool down completely, then run it again like that. I can see why it takes awhile to get rid of the smell if you're only turning it on while a towel is in it and the lid is on. The smell has nowhere to go but into your towel!
This was purchased from Brookstone through Amazon, on my husbands account, so it doesn't show that it's a verified Amazon purchase, even though it was.
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I got this directly from our local Brookstone due to one of the raters on this item bemoaning having to return (a defective unit?) by mail. I would feel comfortable buying this online here because I'm extremely pleased with the warmer I got locally over 3 weeks ago. (This was originally posted in February 2011.) I've been using it at least once a day and sometimes twice a day from the day I bought it. I would definitely recommend this to someone looking to buy a great working and sturdy towel warmer.
REMEMBER: LARGER THICKER TOWELS TAKE IN MORE HEAT AND RETAIN IT LONGER! Don't be a cheapo and use small flimsy towels. They won't hold heat or warm right.
This warmer is shaped like a trash can, just short of 2' tall and 13" at the widest point. I would have preferred a smaller warmer but am so pleased with the way this unit heats towels I don't care anymore that is larger than I wanted. The cover is clear Plexiglas and you can see the condensation from the warmer drying any damp towel you'd put in there. I have even used it to dry a damp towel before hanging the towel back up. I always warm 2 large bath towels without having to cram them in. It is also large enough to warm jackets, bath robes, reasonably sized blankets, gloves, socks, pants and even shirts or sweatshirts or use your imagination for something you may want warmed. Just be careful when warming things with metal or plastic zippers, buttons, or snaps. It could end up causing something sensitive to become very uncomfortable.
Run the unit open and several times to try and get some of the VERY LIGHT plastic smell out before using this for towels. I like to warm 2 large 5' X 3' plush towels at a time and run the cycle twice. The secret is to start about AT LEAST 15 18 minutes before you plan on getting out of the bath or shower. When the green light goes off wait about 30 to 60 seconds and start the heat cycle again. You may have to wait a bit longer or keep pressing the start button or hold it down a few seconds to start the second cycle. There will still be a VERY SLIGHT plastic smell on the heated towel but nothing enough to be a bother.
Impatient people need not apply. As long as you start it before you bathe or shower it will be ready when you get out if you want to run it 2 times before using the towel(s). I tried to reheat 3 times to see what it would be like but it gets a tad hot and seems overkill.
Other than the larger size which I wish was smaller I easily overlook the size for the benefits the warmer provides. The price is nice too compared to the place that sells bedroom and bathroom things and stuff from beyond. They also carried a smaller warmer that Brookstone and Hamburger Schmuckler also sell but at higher prices that provides less space for smaller towels, uneven warming, and a product defect with the on/off button. The on off button on this model is solid.
I highly recommend this warmer and am looking forward to giving at Christmas this year! I am not easily impressed with things like this one but I am hooked on using this. I make it a point to do a 2 time heat up because I love my towels on the hot side. You won't be disappointed. If you are leery about buying online go and buy one from a brick & mortar Brookstone. That way, if you are unhappy you can return it easily, but I'm pretty sure you will be more than pleased with this warmer.
Another thing to remember is that you can run the heat cycle repeatedly (with a small wait before starting the heat cycle again) and that is great for families or multi person households. The smaller units are only good for one person with a long wait before another family member can use it. Do yourself a favor and use big thick lush towels as they retain the heat better. If you use a cheap flimsy/thin and smaller towel don't expect it to hold heat very long. I have had one wrapped around my drying long hair for nearly 10 minutes and it still feels slightly warm.
This product is also sturdy. If you are careless you could break the cover though but I think you'd have to be a gorilla or child playing the symbols to break it. Check your local Brookstone first because I got mine for $60.00.
3/8/11 Still working strong and to my satisfaction twice daily for just me. I ALWAYS run the warmer for 2 cycles with 2 large plush towels at a time just for me. Remember to wait for about 60 seconds, maybe a tad more before restarting the 2nd heating cycle. I LOVE this machine.
For best results start the heater early. The first heating runs about 15 to 18 minutes and then I wait about 60 seconds or until the button lets you start the heat cycle again. (You may need to hold the button down a tad longer) The second cycle runs about 8 to 10 minutes. If you want to luxuriate in warm towels then you have to take the time to run the warm cycle first. Time it so you start and end your shower or bath 4 to 8 minutes before you get out of the bath or shower. Anyone grumbling about cool towels or towels not staying warm long aren't using good towels and/or are running the warmer the moment they hop in the shower. Give this puppy time to do its work and you be extremely happy and WARM! Try to time it for your shower or bath to end a few minutes after the second cycle shuts off. Hey I know this sounds humbug but man the results are worth it!
I do feel more comfortable for a longer time after my showers now because of the warm towel drying me while keeping me warm unlike the regular cool towel that doesn't warm the cooling water evaporating off of your skin after hopping out of the shower as in the past. I feel warmer and better for a longer time after a shower because of using this.
To be honest I can't think of anything that makes me feel so good that I always look forward to using it and make it a point to prep it the pain in the ass way. I LOVE THIS MACHINE!!
3/17/11 The warmer is still going strong. I was about to throw the box out today and noticed that the receipt stated "We want you to be satisfied. Returns are welcome within 60 days with receipt and packaging. See reverse for policy..." When I saw that I was blown away. Not many people honor a 60 day money back guarantee nowadays. I am impressed again.
1/8/13 The towel warmer is still going strong and I still heat 2 to 3 large towels for 2 heat cycles at a time and this warmer is still rocking away. I LOVE this towel warmer!
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My husband bought this towel warmer from amazon and I felt i needed to write a review. The concept of it is wonderful and it does what it is intended to do. It warms up the towel very nicely. Just pop in your towel, hop in the shower, and by the time you are done, the towel is toasty warm for you. This item however, is only used by my husband because I CAN NOT stand the stinky smell of the machine. We have had it for 2 weeks now and as other reviewers said, you must run a few cycles without towels to make the stink go away. Well, i did this every night at least once or twice in the day for a week...without the lid on top to let the stink air out...and it STILL wreaks of something that makes me want to vomit. I even tried to put in dryer sheets in the bottom of the barrel, hoping to get rid of the smell....but to no avail. I never use the warmer because i feel dirty using the towel when i smell the smell comming from the machine. I really wanted this to be fabulous but the smell is just too gross for me. On the other hand,if you are like my husband and dont mind the yucky smell after a nice clean shower, then you may like this. I like clean fresh smells....especially after a shower.
*If you have sensitivity to smells then this is not for you.
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Bought this in Dec 2010. Worked until now but when it broke it really broke. The auto shutoff stopped working so the towel it was warming started to burn. Luckily I caught it before there were flames but there was definitely the smell of smoldering towel. The towel was almost too hot to touch. I took it straight to the bathtub and gave it a good soaking.
Bottom line: Don't ever leave this device unattended. It is a potential fire hazard.
Called Brookstone and they are replacing it under warranty.
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I will begin my review saying I may have just gotten a lemon and plan on exchanging the product for a replacement. But here goes my experience so far:
Ordered the product for Christmas and 1 week later I am returning it. The fumes coming off the warmer are disgusting. It's smells like motor vehicle exhaust like noxious fumes! I have run the product through 20-25 cycles with the lid off and no towel insideit still smells as bad as day 1. It accutally smells up the entire apartment. I have run it another 10 times with towels inside. After about three days I noticed the unit doesn't always turn off after 10 minutes like it is designed to. One day I was running a cycle to try and "burn off" the odor and came back 2 hours later to check and the green light was still on! Can we say fire hazard. 5 days after the initial use, we have noticed there are warm and cold spots on the towels indicating some of the heating element is broken. I contacted amazon for an exchange and the product must be exchanged directly to Brookstone. They emailed me a RMA # and return address label WITH NO POSTAGE. They expect you to pay to ship back the defective product. I immediately called amazon and was connected with Brookstone. They said I can return it directly to a local store which I will do this evening. There was another review stating that the local Brookstone would not accept returns from amazon purchased Brookstone products. I will find out tonight and update the review accordingly.
