· By Kelly Anguiano
Are Poncho Towels Just for Surfers? (No. Here's What Families Are Using Them For.)
If you've ever Googled "poncho towel" and felt like all the results were for surfers in wetsuits, you're not imagining it. For a long time, the poncho towel was a surf thing. Designed to change out of a wetsuit in a parking lot. Built for one specific person doing one specific activity.
That's not what most families need.
Most families need something that works for a 6-year-old coming out of swim lessons on a Tuesday afternoon. For a toddler at the pool who refuses to stand still. For two kids, a wet dog, and a parking lot full of sand. For a beach day where you're not surfing — you're just trying to get everyone dry and into the car without a meltdown.
That's a different problem. And it needs a different product.
What surf ponchos are actually built for
A surf poncho does one job really well: it gives an adult enough coverage to peel off a wetsuit in a public parking lot without anyone seeing anything they shouldn't.
That's it. That's the design brief.
Which is why surf ponchos tend to be:
Large and oversized — because they need to fit over a wetsuit and give you room to move underneath Thick and heavy — because wetsuits are thick, and you need something that can handle that Built for adults — because surfers are adults
None of those things matter to a family managing three wet kids and a cooler after a beach day.
What families actually need from a poncho towel
The surf poncho solves a single-use, single-person problem. Families have a completely different set of needs.
Speed. You have about 30 seconds after a kid exits the water before they're either freezing, rolling back in the sand, or both. The towel needs to go on fast — one motion, no fighting, no tucking.
Coverage that stays. A regular towel falls off. Every time. A closed poncho goes on and stays on, but it's hard to get over a wet, sandy head. An open poncho goes on instantly and still provides full coverage while the kid moves around.
A changing solution. Swim lessons end and kids need to change in the parking lot. Every week. You need a poncho with enough coverage to do that — not a towel you're trying to hold up with one hand while a kid squirms.
Multiple sizes. Families have kids of different ages. You need something that actually fits a 4-year-old and a 10-year-old and an adult — not one-size-fits-most adult sizing.
Something that does more than one job. Families are carrying enough stuff. The poncho needs to be the towel, the cover-up, the warmth layer, and the changing room — all at once.
How the Poncho+ was built for this
The Poncho+ Towel wasn't designed by surfers. It was designed by a mom who kept showing up to swim lessons and beach days with a stack of regular towels and leaving frustrated.
The open-side design came directly from that parking lot experience — you need to get a poncho on a wet kid in seconds, not wrestle a closed tube of fabric over their head. The hood came from watching kids drip for the entire car ride home. The pockets came from needing somewhere to put a room key, a snack, or a phone without carrying another bag. The side snaps came from windy beach days where open sides meant the whole thing was flying around.
And then there are four sizes — Ponchito for littles (ages 3–6), Poncho for kids (ages 6–10), Poncho Grande for tweens and teens, and Poncheron for adults — because a family needs a system, not a single product.
Every decision was a family decision. Not a surf decision.
What families are actually saying
Sarah M. bought one for her 4-year-old after swim lessons:
"I was skeptical but this thing is a lifesaver. My 4-year-old can actually put it on himself after swim lessons and it stays on while I pack up the car. No more wrestling with towels in the parking lot. We have two now and I just ordered another one."
That's the swim lesson parking lot problem, solved.
Danielle S. had a kid who froze every single week after swim class:
"My 6-year-old always froze after swim lessons. The Poncho+ Towel changed everything. She slips it on and is instantly warm and dry, and we get out the door so much faster. Honestly, one of the most helpful kid purchases we've made."
Elena R. used it on a cold beach day:
"The OnDay Poncho+ Towel is honestly the best family gear purchase we've made. We used it on a chilly beach day, and my kids stayed warm the whole time — no shivering, no whining. They love putting it on. It dries incredibly fast and actually stays on their bodies. Total mom win."
Tara R. ordered multiple after her kids' reaction at the beach:
"The kiddos are so happy with these that I had to order more. Their exact words: 'these are so cool!' They proudly run around the beach with them and feel extra warm and cozy after a long day in the pool. Plus they make for great family photos."
And Ivy N., who bought them for her nieces after one pool visit:
"My nieces basically live in my pool when they visit, and I finally got tired of chasing soggy towels around the deck. Bought two of these and honestly the quality surprised me. The fabric is thick but still dries fast, the stitching feels like it'll hold up through a hundred more cannonballs, and they love the hoods. My sister asked where I got them before the girls even left."
Where families are actually using them
This isn't just a beach product. Families are using the Poncho+ for:
Swim lessons — the most consistent, recurring water day most families have. Every week, same parking lot, same wet kid. The poncho makes this a non-event instead of a production.
Pool days — backyard pools, community pools, hotel pools. Anywhere a kid gets out of the water and needs to warm up fast without dripping everywhere.
Beach days — the original use case, and still one of the best. Out of the water, poncho on, changing underneath, into the car. Done.
Lake days — colder water, windier conditions, longer hikes back to the car. The poncho earns its keep here.
Travel — Janet C. bought them for her son's family who travel in a van full-time. "They pack down small, dry fast, and the kids actually love wearing them. Perfect for life on the road." Carol D. bought the Poncheron for cruise ship pools at 67 years old. "Dries fast so it's not sitting damp in my suitcase, and the pockets hold my room key and reading glasses."
The poncho towel works for all of it. Not because it's a do-everything product that tries to be everything to everyone — but because families have the same core problem at every water outing: wet kids, not enough hands, not enough time.
The bottom line
Poncho towels started as a surf product. But the problem they solve — how do you get dry, warm, and changed in a parking lot without making it a whole thing — is not a surf problem. It's a family problem. It happens every single week, at swim lessons and pools and beaches all over the country.
The Poncho+ was built for that. Not for surfers. For families who are actually in the water, all the time, and just want to make the getting-out part easier.
See the full Poncho+ lineup at onday.shop
OnDay makes the Poncho+ Towel — a quick-dry, hooded open poncho built for families on real water days. OEKO-TEX certified. Four sizes, from age 3 to adults.
