Magnetic Golf Towel Cleaning System: Stubby vs The 40
Stubby vs The 40: which magnetic golf towel should you carry?
Both towels are built from the same cloth, around the same magnet, to the same retention rating. The decision is not about which one is better. It is about how you move around a golf course.
Short answer. If you walk, carry, or push, take the Stubby (16×24). Less fabric swinging off the bag, faster to grab one-handed, and it does not drape into your legs on the walk between shots.
If you ride, take The 40 (16×40). The extra length is not about looking bigger — it is the only way to still have a genuinely dry section of towel on the 16th hole.
What is the same on both
This is the part most size comparisons get wrong. The Stubby is not the cheap one and The 40 is not the upgraded one. Every performance component is shared:
- 400 GSM deep-waffle microfiber — the exact same fabric, same weight, same weave.
- Magna-Anchor™ N52 neodymium magnet, sewn in permanently. Not a clip, not a removable puck, nothing to lose in the wash.
- Rated to 45+ MPH sustained — a conservative working rating with margin, not a failure threshold. See the retention testing and its stated limits.
- Scrub / Wash / Dry architecture — a scrub pad for packed dirt, an isolated wet pocket, and dry microfiber kept separate from both.
- 12-month limited replacement warranty. Designed in Northern California.
Same fabric. Same magnet. Same rating. The difference between these two towels is architecture, not materials.
// differentWhat actually changes
| Stubby | The 40 | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 16 × 24 in | 16 × 40 in |
| Fabric | 400 GSM deep-waffle microfiber | 400 GSM deep-waffle microfiber |
| Magnet | Sewn in, top-right, beneath a round silicone patch | Sewn in, centered |
| Hangs from | Corner — towel falls to one side | Centre — both halves hang balanced |
| Scrub pad | White triangular pad, top-left | White triangular pad, bottom-left when hung from the centre magnet |
| Wash pockets | One, back lower-left — doubles as the ball pocket | Two, back lower-left and lower-right |
| Backup attachment | Sewn loop + heavy-duty carabiner | Sewn loop, centred top |
| Dry surface late in a round | Enough for a walking round | Noticeably more |
| Colours | Black, Blue, Birdie Blue, Green, Grey, Gunmetal Grey | Black, Blue, Green, Grey |
Choose by how you play, not by size
Take the Stubby
Walking punishes excess fabric. A 40-inch towel hanging off a stand bag swings into your leg, catches on the bag frame when you pull a club, and takes two hands to manage on a windy day.
The Stubby is the format most walkers settle on after trying both. The corner magnet keeps it flat against the bag rather than draping, and the carabiner gives you a second attachment point if you are hiking a cart path in weather.
See the Stubby 16×24Take The 40
On a cart, nothing is swinging into you, so length costs you nothing and buys you real estate. That matters more than it sounds: a towel is only useful while some part of it is still dry.
Two wash pockets and a centred magnet let you run genuinely separate zones — wet on one side, dry on the other — instead of working outward from one damp patch until the whole towel is a swamp by the turn.
See The 40 16×40The honest downside of more towel
More fabric holds more water, and a wet towel is heavier than a dry one. Extra mass hanging off a magnet increases the sideways load the magnet has to resist — which is shear, the force that actually pulls towels off carts, not straight pull.
Both towels carry the same magnet and the same rating, so The 40 is not fragile. But if you soak a 40-inch towel, hang tools off it, and then drive a rough cart path, you are asking more of the same magnet than a walker with a damp Stubby ever will. If your bag has no flat steel where your hand naturally reaches, that is the case for adding a Magnetic Landing Pad — it gives the magnet a flat steel target instead of a curved painted rail.
Rule of thumb: match the towel to your round, and give the magnet a proper target. A strong magnet on a poor surface is still a towel on the ground. Pull force vs shear force, explained.
// still decidingIf you genuinely cannot pick
Buy the Stubby. It is the harder towel to regret — it works on a cart, and The 40 does not really work walking. Most golfers who own both end up leaving The 40 in the cart bag and the Stubby in the carry bag, which is exactly what the two formats are for.
Read the long-form size breakdown
// questionsFrequently asked questions
Is The 40 made from better fabric than the Stubby?
No. Both use identical 400 GSM deep-waffle microfiber. The 40 gives you more of it; it does not give you a different or upgraded material.
Do both towels use the same magnet?
Yes. Both use the same sewn-in Magna-Anchor™ N52 neodymium magnet, rated to 45+ MPH sustained. The difference is placement: the Stubby’s sits in the top-right corner, The 40’s is centred so the longer body hangs balanced.
Which one cleans better?
Neither cleans better per wipe — same fabric, same scrub pad. The 40 stays useful longer in a wet round because there is more dry surface left by the closing holes. On a dry day walking nine, you will not notice a difference.
Can the Stubby clean a golf ball?
Yes. The Stubby has one isolated pocket that serves as both the wet wash zone and the ball-cleaning pocket — one pocket with two jobs, not a missing feature. The 40 has two wash pockets on the back.
Do I need a Landing Pad with either towel?
Only if your bag or cart has no flat, exposed steel where your hand naturally reaches. A magnet attaches fine to compatible steel on its own. The Landing Pad exists for bags that give the magnet nothing good to hold.
Can I put a sewn-in magnet through the wash?
Yes. Machine wash cold on a gentle cycle, skip fabric softener, and air dry or tumble dry low. The constraint is heat, not water. Full washing method.