If you’ve started shopping for ways to keep the mess off your sheets, you’ve probably run into two options: the sex towel and the sex blanket. They solve overlapping problems in different ways. Here’s how to decide which one (or both) you actually need.
The Short Version
A sex towel is a small, absorbent towel for targeted cleanup, quick, portable, and cheap. A sex blanket is a larger throw designed to protect the whole bed surface during sex, especially useful for messier activities. They’re not competitors so much as different tools. Many couples own both.
What Is a Sex Towel?
A sex towel (also called a cum rag, nut rag, vag rag, or squirt towel) is a small towel, usually around 16″ x 19″, made of soft absorbent cotton. Its job is cleanup: you use it after sex to wipe down, or keep it within reach during sex for quick touch-ups.
Strengths:
- Cheap ($14-15)
- Portable, fits in a nightstand drawer or travel bag
- Easy to wash (toss it in with any load)
- Discreet, looks like a normal small towel
- Good for targeted, quick cleanup
Limitations:
- Doesn’t protect the whole bed
- Limited coverage for very messy activities
What Is a Sex Blanket?
A sex blanket is a larger throw, often with a moisture-resistant or waterproof backing, designed to be laid across the bed (or floor, or couch) before sex to protect the surface underneath. It catches everything: fluids, lube, oils, so your actual sheets and mattress stay clean.
Strengths:
- Protects the entire surface
- Ideal for messier play (squirting, heavy lube use, oil massage)
- Saves you from washing sheets and worrying about the mattress
- One layer to remove and wash instead of stripping the whole bed
Limitations:
- More expensive than a towel
- Bulkier to store and wash
- Less portable
- Setup required (you lay it down beforehand)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Factor | Sex Towel | Sex Blanket |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Cleanup after/during | Surface protection before |
| Coverage | Targeted | Whole surface |
| Cost | $14-15 | $40-80+ |
| Portability | High | Low |
| Storage | Drawer | Closet/folded |
| Best for | Everyday cleanup, travel | Messy play, squirting, oils |
Which Do You Need?
Get a sex towel if: you want quick, everyday cleanup, you travel, you want something cheap and discreet, or you’re just tired of using a t-shirt. This covers the majority of couples.
Get a sex blanket if: you regularly do messier activities (squirting, heavy lube, oil), you want to protect an expensive mattress, or you hate washing sheets constantly.
Get both if: you want full coverage. The blanket protects the bed during, the towel handles cleanup after. This is the complete setup, and honestly, it’s not much money for how much sheet-washing it saves.
Start With the Towel
If you’re just getting started, begin with a sex towel. It’s the cheaper, more versatile, more everyday-useful of the two. You’ll reach for it constantly, and if you later find you need full-surface protection for messier sessions, add a blanket then.
Our sex towels are 100% cotton, 16″ x 19″, soft, absorbent, and machine washable, the easy first step toward never grabbing a random t-shirt again.
Related reading: Best Sex Towels for Couples and Why Every Couple Needs a Sex Towel.
SexTowels.com is part of the Wicked Boutique® family. Free US shipping, discreet packaging on every order.