The valve shape you need is decided by one thing: where your pipes come out and where they meet the radiator. Pipes coming up out of the floor into inlets on the side of the rail want angled valves. Pipes coming straight out of the wall, level with the inlets, want straight valves. And if your pipes come up from the floor but the rail takes them at the bottom, that is where corner valves earn their keep. Sort that out first and the finish, the thermostat and the price all come after.

Below is the 60-second version, then the detail, then the questions people actually ask us.

• The only thing that decides valve shape
• Angled, straight and corner, side by side
• Are angled and 90 degree valves the same?
• Radiator tails and what comes in the box
• Do radiator valves come in pairs?
• Matching the finish to your rail
• Shape versus control: two different decisions
• FAQ

The only thing that decides valve shape

Forget the towel rail for a second and look at your pipework. Valve shape is a plumbing question, not a styling one. You are matching the angle of the pipe to the angle of the radiator inlet, and there are really only three situations you can be in.

Where your pipes come from	Where the radiator takes them	Valve you need
Up out of the floor	Inlets on the sides of the rail (facing you)	Angled
Straight out of the wall	Inlets on the sides of the rail, level with the pipe	Straight
Up out of the floor	Inlets underneath the rail (bottom-facing)	Corner

That is the whole decision. If you can see where the pipe currently sits and where the rail will connect, you already know your answer. Most heated towel rails in the UK take their connections at the bottom on either side, which is why angled and corner valves outsell straight ones by a mile.

Angled, straight and corner, side by side

Here is what each shape does and when it wins. The job is identical in all three: open, close and control the flow of hot water into the rail. Only the geometry changes.

• Angled valves turn the flow through 90 degrees, so a pipe rising vertically from the floor can feed an inlet that faces out horizontally. This is the default for wall-mounted towel rails plumbed from the floor. A pair like the Chrome Modena Angled Radiator Valves Pair at £19.99, which carries a 5 year guarantee, covers the most common setup on the site.
• Straight valves keep everything in one line. Pipe and inlet sit on the same axis, so the flow runs dead straight through the valve body. You want these when the pipes come horizontally out of the wall. The Chrome Cubic Square Straight Radiator Valves Pair at £24.00 is a tidy square-bodied option if you like a sharper look, and it backs it up with a 10 year guarantee.
• Corner valves sit flat against the wall and take a floor pipe into a bottom-facing inlet, keeping the pipework close and neat. If your rail connects underneath, this is the one. A polished pair like these chrome corner radiator valves gives you that shape in a finish that suits most rails.

Prefer black to chrome? The black radiator valves range does the same job in a matt finish. If you are still weighing shapes up, browse the full angled valves and corner radiator valves ranges, or the wider radiator valves and accessories section.

Are angled and 90 degree valves the same?

Yes. A 90 degree radiator valve and an angled radiator valve are the same thing described two ways. The name just tells you what the valve does to the flow: it turns it through a right angle, 90 degrees, so a vertical pipe can feed a horizontal inlet. If a product is listed as either angled or 90 degree, you are looking at the same shape.

The confusion usually comes from the word “angled” sounding like it might mean some in-between diagonal. It does not. There is no 45 degree towel rail valve in normal use. Angled means 90 degrees, full stop.

Radiator tails and what comes in the box

A valve does not connect straight to your rail on its own. It needs a radiator tail, the short threaded adaptor that screws into the radiator inlet and gives the valve something to seal against. On a decent pair of valves the tails are included in the box, and they come pre-shaped to match: a 90 degree radiator tail for angled and corner setups, a straight tail for straight valves.

So when you buy a pair, you are getting two valve bodies plus the two tails and the small seals and olives that let them join to standard 15mm pipe. Check the listing to confirm what is supplied, but a proper matched pair should not leave you making a second trip to the merchants for adaptors. If in doubt, buy the valves and tails together rather than mixing brands, because thread standards can be fussy.

Do radiator valves come in pairs?

Yes, and you want the pair. A heated towel rail has two connections at the bottom: one for water to flow in, one for it to flow out. You need a valve on each. That is why radiator valves are sold as a pair, sometimes called a twin radiator valve set or just “radiator two valves” if you have seen it phrased that way in a search.

The two are not identical in job. One is the control valve you actually turn to set the heat, and the other is the lockshield, which is set once during balancing and then left alone under its cap. Buying a matched pair means both arrive together in the same finish, which saves you chasing a second valve that never quite matches.

Matching the finish to your rail

Once the shape is sorted, pick the finish that goes with your rail rather than fighting it. Chrome valves suit chrome and most polished rails. Matt black valves look sharp against a black or anthracite rail and can be a smart contrast on a white one. You can shop valves by colour directly, including the black radiator valves range if you are going for a darker look.

We are not going to re-run the whole finish argument here, because we have already done it properly. If you want the full breakdown of which finish suits which rail and how each one wears over time, read our guide to towel rail finishes compared. Match your valves to that decision and the whole rail reads as one piece rather than three bits bought separately.

Shape versus control: two different decisions

Do not confuse valve shape with valve control, because they are two separate choices and it is easy to mix them up. Shape, the thing this guide is about, is decided by your pipework: angled, straight or corner. Control is about how the valve manages the heat: a manual wheelhead you turn by hand, a lockshield you set once, or a thermostatic head that holds a temperature on its own.

You pick a shape and a control type together. A corner valve can be manual or thermostatic; an angled valve can be either too. If you want the control side explained properly, our companion guide TRV, Lockshield or Manual? Radiator Valve Controls Explained covers exactly what each control does and which to fit where. For how the whole rail fits into a warm, well-heated bathroom, our best bathroom radiator guide takes it from the top.

FAQ

Is a 90 degree radiator valve the same as an angled valve?

Yes. They are two names for the same shape. Both turn the water flow through a right angle so a pipe coming up from the floor can feed an inlet that faces outward. If a listing says either, you are getting the same thing.

What is the difference between angled and straight radiator valves?

Angled valves turn the flow 90 degrees, for pipes rising from the floor. Straight valves keep the flow in a single line, for pipes coming horizontally out of the wall. Match the valve to the direction your pipe approaches the rail.

When do I need corner radiator valves?

When your pipes come up out of the floor and the rail takes its connections underneath rather than on the sides. Corner valves sit flat to the wall and keep the pipework neat in that layout.

Do radiator valves come in pairs?

Yes. A towel rail needs a valve on each of its two bottom connections, so valves are sold as a pair. One acts as the control valve and one as the lockshield used for balancing.

What are towel radiator valves?

They are the same radiator valves used on a heated towel rail: a pair of valves plus tails that connect the rail to your 15mm pipework and let you control the heat. Bathroom radiator valves and towel radiator valves are the same components, just named for where they are fitted.

You might also find these useful

If you are still choosing hardware, our guide to towel rail finishes compared helps you match valves to the rail, and the best bathroom radiator guide covers sizing and heat output for the whole room. Once the shape is settled, the control-type question is next, and TRV, Lockshield or Manual? Radiator Valve Controls Explained walks you through it.