We've tested best-selling heated clothes airers - our favourites will dry your clothes fast and only cost a few pence to run

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When the weather outside is frightful, hanging your washing in the garden is out of the question. But if you don’t have a tumble dryer or you’re looking to cut the costs of using one, a heated clothes airer might be a cold weather solution to all your damp clothing woes.

Drying clothes indoors can take a long time and creates excess moisture at home, which is usually unwanted, especially in winter. While a dehumidifier can help to tackle this, a heated airer is a quicker and easier way. In fact, some people often use both to supercharge the drying time of their clothes.

They require a lot of space but heated airers really do work and are cheap to run.

While heated airers tend to be more expensive than a standard clothes horse, they pay for themselves over a year or two, especially if you swap your tumble dryer for a heated airer. It will also save you money if you tend to run the heating more when you’re drying clothes, as heated airers cost on average around five to eight pence per hour vs approximately 30 to 50 pence.

We’ve tested a variety of different heated airers to find out which ones are actually worth your money (and your living room space). Below is our quick list, which takes you straight to our favourites, alternatively you can scroll further to read our in-depth reviews of each recommendation in more detail to find out which type of heated airer is best for you.

Beat heated clothes airer: Quick list

• Best overall: Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-tier heated airer
• Best for space saving: Black & Decker X-Frame heated airer
• Best budget: Daewoo foldable heated winged airer 
• Best XL heated airer: Dunelm extra large 3-tier heated airer 
• Best heated airer cover: Minky SureDri heat pod drying system
• Best fast drying heated airer: Minky 4-tier heated airer with cover

How we test

The most important thing your heated clothes airer should do is dry your clothes properly, which is why we’ve tested dozens of laundry loads to see just how effective each model is.

Some of the models were surprisingly spacious

Testing the Black & Decker heated airer on a damp day

Once we know they’re fit for purpose by measuring how long they take to heat up and dry, we also consider size (they can be rather large), capacity, build quality and overall value for money. Every product pick is designed to serve our readers specific needs, be it an XL airer or something for those on a budget.

Best heated clothes airer to buy

1. Best overall: Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-tier heated clothes airer

2. Best for space saving: Black & Decker X-Frame folding heated clothes airer

3. Best budget: Daewoo foldable heated winged airer

4. Best XL heated airer: Dunelm extra large 3-tier square heated airer

5. Best cover for heated airer: Minky SureDri heat pod clothes drying system

6. Best fast drying heated airer: Minky 4-tier Heated Clothes Airer with cover

Verdict

For those who want the best of the best - money being no issue - then the obvious choice is the Dry:Soon Deluxe. It offers plenty of space, dries clothes in just a few hours - even more so if you invest in the bundle with the cover - and folds away neatly for storage. This issue is, of course, the price.

If you’re not quite ready to commit to a £100+ heated clothes airer, my suggestion is to try the Daewoo foldable heated winged airer. It’s not going to be particularly powerful or hold as many clothes as more premium options on this list but it’s an affordable way to see if you like the idea of a heated airer. What’s more, if you just want something you can use occasionally for undergarments or emergency drying situations, it’s great for that too.

Most of the heated airers we tested really impressed us - but we had a few favourites

Similarly, if you already have a perfectly good standard clothes horse that you’re attached to but just want to make it work harder for you, the Minky SureDri is a pod cover system that fits over standard sized clothes airers to transform them into a heated one.

FAQs

How much do heated airers cost to run?

Heated airers can cost as little as six to eight pence to run per hour on average, with some costing even less. Compared to running a tumble dryer or your heating for that long, it’s nothing.

You can read our full rundown on how much a heated airer really costs for even more information.

Can you leave a heated airer on overnight?

Most modern-day heated airers have bundles of safety features that will cause them to shut off if they overheat or come into any kind of electrical problem. This means they are usually fine to leave overnight. However, older models might not be as well equipped, which is why we’d suggest always buying one with good safety features - such as the ones we recommend here.

Of course, there is always a fire risk with leaving on any electrical appliance overnight, so if you want to ensure complete safety, have them on during the day while you’re around, rather than overnight or when you are at work.

Is it time to ditch your basic airer for good? We think so

Do heated airers make your house damp?

When you dry clothes indoors, that moisture does have to do somewhere and unfortunately it will end up in your home. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t or can't do it.

A few simple things you can do include using a dehumidifier to tackle excess damp, as well as opening doors and windows - which might sound obvious but it’s an often overlooked thing.

James Kane, Head of Social Housing at EnviroVent 

 

 

James is a condensation, heating and mould expert. 

He leads a nationwide team of ventilation engineers to help with disrepair cases, condensation and mould complaints in social housing.

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James Kane, Head of Social Housing at EnviroVent, says: “Drying clothes indoors releases litres of moisture into the air. Avoid drying clothes in rooms without airflow.”

He adds: “Use your heating correctly. Every 1 degree change in temperature can impact moisture levels in your home. If the heating in your home is reduced in temperature by just 2 degrees, humidity levels will increase by 10%”.

Stephen Hankinson, heating expert at Electric Radiators Direct, says:

“Of course, keeping your windows open in winter is easier said than done. But just five minutes a day could make a difference, if you can’t withstand doing it for longer. It will be even more beneficial, if you can leave them open for 10 to 15 minutes.

Regularly opening windows can improve the ventilation inside of your home creating an airflow of fresh air and decrease the humidity of the room. Plenty of houses now have trickle vents, especially new builds, these are designed to create ventilation and are a useful way of reducing condensation and getting fresh air into the house. It is recommended to frequently keep them open throughout winter if you can.”