Bathroom comfortsThe edit
Luxury bath and spa at home, the UK guide
How to make a bath at home feel like a spa: a warm dressing gown, thick towels, comfort in the tub and a small pamper ritual, with UK guides to each part.
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A bath feels like a spa when everything around it is warm and comfortable: a heated room, a thick towel or bath sheet within reach, something soft to lean on in the tub and a good dressing gown to step into afterwards. Start with the gown and the towels, since you use them every day, and add the extras later.
Start with the dressing gown
A dressing gown is the piece you wear most, so it repays some care. In Britain the dressing gown never really went away: Wikipedia notes that it fell out of fashion in the United States but remains in common use in the UK. In the UK the word covers everything from a fleece gown for a cold house to a cotton towelling robe for after the bath.
The difference matters. A bathrobe is a dressing gown made from towelling or another absorbent fabric, so it dries you. A plain dressing gown, in fleece, cotton or silk, keeps you warm but is not made for drying off.
These pages cover the gown in detail: how to choose one, the fabrics side by side, picking one as a present and the men’s styles.
Luxury dressing gowns: waffle and towelling
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The four parts of a spa bath at home
| Part | What it does | What to look at first |
|---|---|---|
| Dressing gown | Keeps you warm after the bath | Fabric: towelling dries you, fleece is for warmth |
| Towels and towel rail | Dries you properly, and warm | A bath sheet in a heavy cotton towelling |
| Bath comforts | Makes a long soak comfortable | A bath pillow and a tray across the tub |
| Pamper | The small treat that makes it an occasion | One soak or one candle, not a cupboard full |
Spend most on the gown and the towels, since they do the work every day. A bath pillow and a tray cost less and make a long soak more comfortable. Pamper products are the easiest part to give or receive.
Towels and a warm towel rail
Cotton towelling, also called terry, has many small loops that soak up water, and longer loops absorb more. That is the fabric to look for in a bath sheet, the larger size that wraps round you. Waffle cotton towels are the lighter choice: the raised squares let air through, so they dry faster between baths.
A heated towel rail keeps towels warm and dry, so you step out of the bath into a warm towel on a winter evening. It also dries a towelling dressing gown between uses.
Comfort in the bath
A long soak is only comfortable if your head and neck are supported. A bath pillow that grips the end of the tub does that, and a bamboo or wooden tray across the sides holds a book, a drink or your phone above the water.
A pamper night, as a treat or a gift
The pamper side is where gifts come in: bath gift sets, soaks and candles. They suit Mothering Sunday, birthdays and Christmas because they need no size, and they are easy to put together with a dressing gown or towels for a bigger present.
Bath and pamper gift sets
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If you are buying a dressing gown as the main present, the gift guide explains how to get the size and style right without asking.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a bath feel like a spa at home?
Mostly warmth and comfort around the bath itself: a warm room, a thick towel or bath sheet within reach, something soft to lean on in the tub and a dressing gown to step into afterwards. One nice soak or candle is enough to finish it.
Is a dressing gown the same as a bathrobe?
Not quite. A bathrobe is a dressing gown made from towelling or another absorbent fabric, so it dries you after a bath. A dressing gown can be any loose gown worn over nightwear, including fleece, cotton or silk ones that are not made to dry you.
What should I buy first for a spa-style bath at home?
Start with what touches you most: a dressing gown you like wearing and a bath sheet that dries you properly. A bath pillow and a tray come next if you take long baths. Candles and soaks are the easy extras.
What kind of dressing gown is best after a bath?
An absorbent one. Cotton towelling has loops that soak up water, much like a bath towel, and longer loops absorb more. Waffle cotton is lighter and dries faster, so it suits people who towel off first.
Are luxury bath pieces a good gift?
Yes, as long as you pick things that do not need a size or a taste guess. A dressing gown needs the right size; a bath gift set, a bath pillow or a pair of good towels does not.
Sources
- Dressing gownWikipedia
- BathrobeWikipedia
- TerryclothWikipedia
- Waffle fabricWikipedia
Keep reading
- Guide
How to choose a dressing gown: fabric, weight and fit
What to check before you buy a dressing gown: fabric for drying off or keeping warm, weight, length and fit, the collar and fastening, and the care label. - Guide
Luxury dressing gowns as a gift: what to look for
How to pick a luxury dressing gown someone will wear: match the fabric to their home, get the size right without asking and choose a style they reach for. - Guide
Men's dressing gowns: lengths, weights and styles
Men's dressing gowns explained: which length to pick, light or heavy fabric, wrap, zip or hooded styles and the classic shawl-collar gown. - Compared
Waffle, towelling, fleece or cotton: dressing gown fabrics compared
Waffle, cotton towelling, fleece and plain cotton dressing gowns side by side: weight, warmth, how well each dries you, how fast it dries and how to wash it.