For three or four towels, measure them as your household actually hangs them, then check how many accessible hanging positions the rail offers. A nominal 800 mm width includes the uprights, so the clear span between them will be smaller.

Measure your thickest towels

Fold a bath towel and a bath sheet as you would hang them. Measure their folded widths and how far they hang below the bar. Lay two side by side with a gap between them and measure the total span. For example, two towels folded to 320 mm each with a 30 mm gap need at least 670 mm of clear hanging width.

Check how the towels will hang on the rail

Use the drawing and gallery to judge the clear bar span and the gaps you can thread a thick towel through. Try laying out three towels on a table to mimic the arrangement. If an upper towel covers the lower hanging positions, allow for that when deciding how many towels the rail can take.

Frequently asked question

Does a rail with more bars always hold more towels?

Check the gaps between groups of bars and the drop of each towel. Several closely spaced bars may still provide only one practical position for a thick bath sheet.

For the full checklist, see our guide to choosing a wide heated towel rail for a large family bathroom. Browse wide towel radiators to compare sizes.