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Sea To Summit Pocket Towel

9
£9.29

VERDICT:

9
10
Super lightweight, compact and remarkably effective. Incredibly good value too
Weight: 
50g
Contact: 
www.burton-mccall.co.uk

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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So why should a cyclist own a travel towel like this Sea to Summit Pocket one? Tourists who prefer campsites and hostels to B&Bs and hotels will want a towel, as will those commuters with access to a shower at work. Travel towels are much more portable.

The Pocket Towel is available in two sizes: small, which measures 40cm x 80cm and weighs 50g (or 68g with its protective carry case); and large, at 60cm x 120cm and 122g (without case). I tried the diminutive small, which really is pocket sized. It's an excellent option for those with an eye on shaving grammes off pack weight. Both sizes are made from a soft-to-the-touch microfibre fabric, reputed to be able to absorb up to three times its own weight in water, as well as drying quickly.

In use, the small size is just about big enough to effectively dry a person and their hair. It absorbed water without getting too soggy and quickly dried when hung out in a breeze. Within an hour it was almost dry. The small size is not really generous enough to protect your modesty - obviously depending on how big your modesty is. For situations where coverage is required, the large would be the better choice.

Bike campers might want to consider reserving this travel towel for non-winter use, or choosing the large instead. The drying capacity of the small towel is pretty much maxed out by a single shower, and your skin can get chilly from any remaining moisture if conditions are cold. For summer use and commuting, it's spot on. It's also machine washable.

Verdict

Super lightweight, compact and remarkably effective. Incredibly good value too

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Sea To Summit Pocket Towel

Size tested: Small

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

"For lightweight travellers, cycle commuters or anywhere that space is at a premium and dryness appreciated"

Perfect description.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Made from fine woven microfibre

Absorbs up to 3 times its own weight in water

Dries quickly

Comes in small protective zip-up storage pouch.

2 sizes- small (40cm x 80cm) , large (60cm x 120cm)

Machine washable

Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10

Simple, but well executed. Supple and soft fabric.

Rate the product for performance:
10/10

Excellent capacity for absorbing moisture and dries really quickly afterwards.

Rate the product for durability:
9/10

Nothing really to go wrong.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
9/10

With the pouch it's good, without it's super light.

Rate the product for value:
10/10

Really good value for a product that will get a lot of use.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Performed excellently all round.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Size, weight, packsize, softness of fabric, absorbency, speed of drying, I even liked the colour.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Definitely. And for friends too.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes. Without hesitation.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

There's no reason not to pack one of these, and every reason to do so.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 1.65m  Weight: 67kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, general fitness riding, mtb,

Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling. 

Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other. 

She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting. 

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1 comments

Avatar
jezzzer | 12 years ago
0 likes

bit more expensive on amazon....

http://i51.tinypic.com/jaht0i.png

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