The first quarter of 2025 brought a mix of steady demand and cautious consumer behavior across the radiant heating industry, which was shaped by ongoing trends in remodeling along with seasonal shifts. Despite these variables, WarmlyYours has identified a clear standout in its product lineup: electric towel warmers.
During this period, towel warmers saw the most substantial year-over-year sales growth across all product categories. This surge in demand highlights a growing consumer focus on affordable comfort upgrades and the appeal of luxury features that are easy to incorporate into renovation projects.
While traditional categories like electric floor heating and snow melting systems maintained strong performance, towel warmers emerged as the primary growth engine for the quarter. This momentum may signal a broader market trend toward compact, high-value radiant heating products that offer both comfort and visual appeal and are relatively easy to install.
In this report, we’ll take a closer look at the performance of radiant heating product sales, with a specific focus on towel warmer sales, and analyze the impact that the national housing and remodeling markets are expected to have on future sales.
WarmlyYours Product Sales Q1 2025
In addition to the growth for towel warmers, WarmlyYours saw several other products experience significant increases in sales this quarter when compared to this period last year.
The fastest growing product overall was the 277V Snow Melt Cable, which was up 601.9% in Q1 sales. The growth of this product has been consistent for several years and this is because 277V heating products are often used in commercial projects. The growth of 277V heating elements for commercial projects also speaks to the type of projects being heated. Generally speaking, the higher the voltage of a heating element for radiant heating, the more square feet you can heat with a single control. This would explain why driveways, one of the larger project types to involve electric snow melting, has grown 53.8% this quarter over last year.
For floor heating, we saw a 59.9% increase in sales of our Environ Easy Mat. This product is used in floating floor installations with floor coverings like laminate and engineered wood. The Easy Mat iteration of Environ is used for spot heating applications, where the heating element is only installed under high traffic areas. This helps to save on both product costs and operational costs.
We expect to see this product continue to make gains in the near future when it is combined with the Environ Flex Roll to create the Environ Floor Heating Mat, which will create a one-size-fits-all solution to adhesive-less floor heating installations. This will ultimately cut down on costs on the end and greatly simplify the design process.
Other products that saw a significant uptick in sales were Ember Flex Panels (which were up 220.9%) and Mirror Defoggers (up 71.6%). The Flex line of Ember panels are unique in that, in addition to wall-mounting, they can be mounted from the ceiling or used with stand accessories. This provides a great deal of flexibility which has propelled their growth. Mirror defoggers are gaining popularity as homeowners increasingly seek simple, affordable ways to add comfort and convenience to their daily routines. With bathroom upgrades remaining a top priority in renovation projects, these easy-to-install devices offer a practical solution to a common annoyance, in this case, foggy mirrors after showers, while also aligning with trends toward spa-like, low-maintenance design.
Towel Warmer Sales in Q1 2025
Towel warmers are unique in the WarmlyYours product portfolio because their sales are less impacted by seasonality than floor heating or snow melting systems. This is not to say that there is not increased interest in towel warmers in the colder months (there generally is) but rather that towel warmer sales enjoy a consistent and stable demand throughout the year.
So far in 2025, we’ve seen towel warmers grow 13.9% compared to the same period last year. This wasn’t the fastest growing product line for WarmlyYours (roof and gutter deicing cables took that honor with 24.2% growth) but it did represent the largest sales volume increase for the company. In fact, towel warmers went from 17% of all sales in Q1 2024 to 22% in Q1 2025.
Growth in a number of different customer channels was largely responsible for this increase. The biggest customer channel growth was for Costco (up 86.3%) followed by Home Depot (at 17.9%) and then finally general Ecommerce (up 14.6%). A lot of towel warmers this quarter have been purchased online, which is unsurprising given the low-barrier to entry for both purchasing and installing a towel warmer. In particular, our dual connection models (which come with a plug-in connection but can be easily modified to hardwired) have been popular in online sales.
In addition to shifts in customer channels, there were also some changes in terms of the areas where towel warmers were growing in popularity. The fastest growing state/providence was Washington, which was up 85.1%. This was closely followed by Illinois at 83.9% growth and Quebec at 44.3%. The metro markets who saw growth were Philadelphia (up 120.6%), Miami (up 89.6%), and Seattle (up 81.9%).
A large reason for this uptick in these markets has to do with home sales in these respective areas. As more homes are both staged and sold, more bathroom remodels are undertaken and this is a major driver of towel warmer sales.
In the first quarter of 2025, the Tahoe model emerged as the top-performing electric towel warmer in the WarmlyYours lineup, accounting for 28% of all towel warmer sales. Its sleek design, ample heating surface, and availability in multiple finishes likely contributed to its broad appeal among homeowners and trade professionals alike. The Infinity model followed in popularity at 16%, continuing to resonate with customers seeking a streamlined, round-bar design with multiple finish options to ensure a proper fit with a wide range of bathroom styles. Similarly, the Grande (11%) and Sierra (10%) models, which come in a variety of finishes, were very popular with consumers in the first quarter of this year.
The Maple model, a compact option, made up 6% of sales, indicating that there remains consistent interest in entry-level solutions. The remaining 29% of sales were distributed among other models, including several design-forward and recently introduced products, suggesting that customers are increasingly exploring a wider range of sizes, shapes, and finishes to match their unique bathroom aesthetics. This diversification in buyer preferences supports the ongoing expansion of WarmlyYours’ towel warmer product offerings, said Julia Billen, owner and president of WarmlyYours.
“It’s clear that people aren’t just warming their towels but instead they’re actually upgrading their routines. More and more customers are realizing that a towel warmer isn’t a splurge, it’s a smart little luxury that makes everyday life feel better,” said Billen. “And we’re constantly working to make sure that our line of towel warmers has a solution that’s right for everyone.”
This quarter, we also saw some interesting shifts in the most popular towel warmer finishes with gold showing the greatest increase (98% growth), followed by polished (up 22.7%), and black (up 5.7%).
Our gold finishes come in either polished or brushed. Polished gold models include the Infinity, Riviera, and Sierra. The polished gold finish creates a highly reflective, mirror-like surface that exudes a classic and opulent appeal. This finish enhances the brightness of a space by reflecting light, making it particularly suitable for traditional or luxurious bathroom designs. However, the glossy surface may require regular maintenance, as it can more readily show fingerprints, water spots, and smudges.
Brushed gold, present on the Tahoe, on the other hand presents a muted, matte appearance achieved through a brushing process that creates subtle texture. This finish imparts a warm, contemporary feel and is adept at concealing fingerprints and water spots, reducing the need for frequent cleaning. However, this finish will not have the same level of luster or reflectivity of polished gold.
The polished stainless steel finish is shared by 18 different WarmlyYours towel warmers. Like polished gold, polished stainless steel is known for its high-gloss finish that reflects light beautifully. This finish is achieved through meticulous polishing processes that create a mirror-like surface.
The final finish, matte black, is available with 7 different towel warmer models. The matte in the black finish means that the surface will absorb light without reflecting it. This can create a stark visual contrast in traditional bathroom decors or it can blend seamlessly into more modernistic designs.
“Finish isn’t just about looks. It’s also about personality. Polished gold brings the drama, matte black keeps it cool, and polished stainless steel is that timeless classic everyone can count on. It’s no surprise these finishes are leading the pack. They give people the freedom to match their towel warmer to their vibe, not just their vanity,” said Billen.
According to Billen, the company plans to continue developing new models and new finish options in the very near future.
The National Housing and Remodeling Markets in Q1 2025
The first quarter of 2025 brought cautious optimism to the national housing and remodeling markets. After a prolonged period of economic uncertainty and fluctuating mortgage rates, signs of renewed momentum began to emerge—particularly in the remodeling sector.
According to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, the outlook for remodeling remains strong despite broader economic headwinds. “Homeowners continue to invest in improvements and repairs, especially those that enhance comfort and efficiency,” the JCHS noted in a recent press release. This continued focus on home upgrades bodes well for product categories like radiant heating, which offer both functional and lifestyle-enhancing benefits.
At the same time, the housing market showed surprising signs of life. The National Association of Realtors reported a notable 6.1% increase in pending home sales in March 2025. “March’s Pending Home Sales Index increased to its highest level in a year, signaling growing buyer activity as affordability conditions gradually improve,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. An uptick in housing transactions could lead to downstream gains in remodeling activity, particularly as new homeowners look to personalize their spaces or tackle deferred maintenance.
Taken together, these trends point to a slow but steady recovery in both remodeling and housing activity. While the radiant heating industry remains closely tied to seasonal demand and discretionary spending, the outlook for 2025 appears to favor continued investment in home comfort products—including electric floor heating, towel warmers, and snow melting systems. As consumers prioritize upgrades that enhance daily living without requiring major structural overhauls, radiant heating solutions are well-positioned to meet those needs.
Sources:
- Relevant WarmlyYours internal sales data and website analytics reports
- https://warealtor.org/about-us/contact-us/news-media/blogdetails/articles/2025/04/30/market-statistics-for-re-magazine-for-q1-2025
- https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/more-than-80-of-metro-areas-posted-home-price-increases-in-first-quarter-of-2025
- https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/pending-home-sales-jumped-6-1-in-march
- https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/press-releases/continued-gains-projected-remodeling-amid-economic-uncertainty
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