The Costco Gem That Keeps Me Cozy All Winter Long (and Makes Everything Smell Amazing!)

My self-care habits get an overhaul in the winter, when the lack of sunshine and my chronically dry skin can leave me feeling miles away from my happy, thriving summertime self. Since moving to Chicago (where winters are gray and snowy, and often hit below-freezing temperatures), I’ve figured out one of the easiest ways to lift my mood is by adding little pockets of joy into my daily routine — and transforming my bathroom into a cozy wellness oasis has been a game-changer.

Between arranging my collection of Bath & Body Works candles around the bath, hanging fresh eucalyptus in the shower, and splurging on a plush bath mat, my showers and bubble baths have gotten a luxurious upgrade. Even if I can’t be traveling to a tropical destination at the moment, I can bring the spa to my one-bedroom apartment by basically recreating the “treat yourself” experience in my own bathroom. 

Once I’m completely clean, scrubbed, and moisturized, the self-care bathing experience doesn’t stop there. My ultimate hack for making it feel like I’m at one of my favorite spas is by ensuring I have a warm, lightly lavender-scented bathrobe and bath towel waiting for me as I exit the shower.

The Sharper Image SpaStudio Towel Warmer, which is currently on sale at Costco for $89.99 (compared to competitors’ pricing of $120 to $200), is the unassuming-yet-ingenious product that’s upgraded my shower routine. I discovered it last year while casually browsing Costco’s aisles, decided to buy it on a whim, and it’s now left me looking forward to my shower each day. 

If you don’t have a Costco membership yet, this toasty towel warmer may just be the reason you’ve been looking for to spring for one. Plus, if you buy a one-year Costco Gold Star Membership now, it comes with a $45 digital Costco Shop Card — bringing this bathroom game-changer down to half the price.

Since buying this towel warmer, it’s become an essential self-care practice for me (in addition to helping me stay warm when I step out of the bath). Putting on my just-warmed towel and bathrobe always makes me feel like I just finished bathing at a luxury hotel instead of washing up after my hot yoga class. 

The soothing essential oils I add to the warmer’s diffuser disc amp up the spa vibe, too. I love a lavender oil blend for helping me relax and fall asleep faster when I use the towel warmer at night, while Saje’s Energy Blend has a minty and zesty scent that’s a natural pick-me-up for my morning showers.

This small-space-friendly white towel warmer has a compact vertical design that’s perfect when your bathroom is on the smaller size (I store it up against the wall next to the shower). Weighing a little over 10 pounds, the sleek towel warmer measures eight inches in length, about 21 inches tall, and almost 20 inches wide.

I’m also a big fan of how easy it is to use. Balanced on four thin chrome legs, the oval design comes with an easy press lid, a temperature light at the bottom, and, unlike most warmers I’ve seen, a diffuser disc where you can add scents with essential oils and aromatherapy blends. All you have to do is press the warming button, and about 15 to 20 minutes later your towels are steaming warm and ready to use.

While it’s compact, the towel warmer can actually hold a lot of stuff. I can fit a large towel and a medium towel at the same time, a single sheet, or my favorite combination for a cozy Netflix night in: My Barefoot Dreams bathrobe with matching fuzzy socks. From personal experience, I’d recommend not rolling the towels or bathrobe when putting them into the warmer so that they can warm more evenly. 

Unsurprisingly, I’m not alone in loving this towel warmer. Shoppers on this Reddit thread rave about the “very warm” towels it produces, and one person says, “I love this and have been using it almost daily for the past year.”

Several customers also note that they got the product on sale at $64.99, which is even cheaper than the current online price. Because prices tend to be cheaper in-store, it might be worth heading to your closest Costco warehouse and gifting one of these towel warmers to a loved one (and yourself, of course) for the ultimate self-love experience. You can thank me later.