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Heated clothes airers are designed to dry your laundry in double-quick time, preventing damp clothes from lingering too long.
Not only that, but the best heated airers should also save you a bit of money when compared to tumble drying clothes – meaning a heated clothes airer can be an especially helpful and financially savvy purchase for the colder months.
Much like the best electric blankets, they look exactly like regular, non-heated, models, but they also have an electrical element that creates heat in order to dry your clothes, rather than air drying your items.
As well as using one of the best dehumidifiers, they tend to be one of the most useful ways to dry your clothes indoors in the colder winter weather, when ventilation is worse, and clothes stay damp for longer.
But that said, there are a huge amount of these heated airers on the market, so it can be difficult to know which one best suits your needs, and which ones actually work as well as they claim to.
To help you make the right purchase, we’ve tested six of the most sought-after heated clothes airers from across leading UK retailers – including options for those on a budget, and premium airers for those with a little more to spend.
The quick list: Our top 3
Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-Tier Heated Airer
If you’re going to buy just one heated clothes airer, and this rather pricey option is within budget, we really couldn’t recommend this Lakeland model highly enough – it’s absolutely one of the best heated clothes airers on the market, and popular for a reason.
George Home Heated Clothes Airer
The George Home heated airer is among the most affordable on our list, coming in at £46 if you’re looking to buy both the airer and the cover (the cover is £6 separately) – which is something we would advise doing.
Beldray Electric Heated Indoor Clothes Dryer
This Beldray model is an excellent choice if you’re looking to dry delicate clothes vertically without any further creasing, or if you’re looking for a model for a smaller laundry room with less floor space.
The best heated clothes airers: tried and tested
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Best overall
(Image credit: Lakeland)
Measuring in at 70 x 74 x 132.5 cm when fully open, it is sizeable, which may put some people off. But given that it is larger vertically than it is horizontally, it doesn’t actually take up that much floor space. Plus, this Lakeland airer can also fold down to just 8cm wide for storage, and you can also customise its usable size by pulling certain rails up or down if you ever want an airer that is more compact.
The first thing we noticed when testing this airer is just how much space there is for your washing to dry on. Because this Lakeland model has multiple (30) heated bars, there’s enough space to stash your smaller items and larger pieces like dresses and trousers, too. There’s also plenty of room to lay these bigger items out flat too, which only helps them to dry faster.
However, if you’re happy to wait a little longer for dry laundry, you can really up the capacity of this airer by allowing your items to hang on just one or two of the rungs, instead.
Speaking of the drying capabilities, this Lakeland airer is pretty speedy – one of the fastest of all the models we tested. After just one hour with the cover on, our softer, cotton clothes were already starting to feel dry – though it took around three hours for the majority of our washing to dry during testing.
However, this was fairly impressive, as we tested the model by drying a couple of pairs of jeans which, in winter especially, are infamous for drying slowly.
It’s worth noting that we also found that the cover truly makes all the difference with the Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-Tier Heated Airer, so be sure to actually use it! During testing, we also realised that as with other airers, clothes dried far quicker if they were laid out flat, and as close to the middle of the model as possible, so bear this in mind for the most effective drying.
(Image credit: Future | Amy Hunt)
Lakeland also has a regular version of this 3-tiered airer, which is less expensive. However, we really rate the upgrades made to this pricier Deluxe model. The Deluxe model feels much more sturdy when moving it around – even with washing on it – and also has a new control panel at eye-level, which allows you to set a timer too, which is helpful if you’re out and about.
There’s also a handy clip for easily storing the model’s plug and cable, as well as a new handle at the top of the airer to help you move it around your home – something we found incredibly useful.
The Lakeland Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-Tier Heated Airer might be an investment, but its drying capabilities, extra features, and its thoughtful design mean that we’d say it’s well worth the splurge, if you can.
Best airer pod
(Image credit: Beldray)
One of the most uniquely shaped heated clothes airers out there, unlike the previous models, this airer has 6 arms – instead of heated rails – which are designed to hold hangers with damp clothes on them. It was easy enough to put together, but it does come almost completely disassembled, which means it might not be the right option for those who want something that’s ready to use straight out of the box.
The cover of this airer (which must be used) looks a bit intimidating but is actually very simple to fold around your hanging items. After this, the machine is switched on and the fan heater comes on, circulating hot air around your encased laundry. Because of this, this airer emits a low humming noise, which is something the majority of heated airers with hot rails don’t.
Though this may put some people off (it’s fairly loud, but you can still easily hold a conversation over it), we don’t think it should if you’re looking for a fast way to dry your more delicate items.
There are six settings on the machine that allow you to customise your drying time, which we found very useful to guarantee you don’t forget its on. You can choose to have it on for 30 minutes up to 180 minutes; though we’d urge that 30 minutes probably won’t make much of an impact unless your clothes are already mostly dry.
The drying this machine did was impressive – though the machine is only allowed to stay on for a maximum of three hours at a time, our clothes were pretty much almost dry by the end of this period. Plus, unlike the other airers, the clothes dried evenly, thanks to the hot air circulation.
During testing, however, we found that it was important that this model isn’t overloaded with clothes, as it was less effective when packed more tightly. While this does decrease your drying capacity, it’s worth it to allow the model to function more effectively.
(Image credit: Future | Amy Hunt)
When it comes to its design, the Beldray heated airer undeniably looks a little bit like a spaceship, so it may not be something everyone would want on display in their home. But if you can get past its slightly odd look, you’ll find that the frame is actually super lightweight, even with clothes on, meaning it’s very easy to move around.
One important thing to note about this model is that it does use up more electricity than a standard heated clothes airer. While its increased energy use is to be expected because of the way it operates, it is estimated that this model uses around 34p of electricity per hour, which is important to consider if your energy bills are of concern. However, this does mean that the Beldray airer is still less pricey to run than a tumble dryer, which is something to think about.
Best budget
(Image credit: George Home)
Unlike the Aldi model, which is very similar in size and style but slightly more awkward to put together, assembly of the George Home heated clothes airer couldn’t be simpler. It comes pre-assembled; all you need to do is pry the legs apart to stand the airer up. The legs were a little stiff when pulling the model out for the first time, but this stiffness did improve as we continued to test the product.
When assembled, the airer feels light yet sturdy, making it incredibly easy to move around your home if needed, even with clothes on it. The airer heats up within a matter of minutes and while it gets pretty hot, it’s not too warm that you should be concerned about touching the heated rails.
Performance-wise, this affordable airer does the job of drying clothes well. It’s not quite as proficient as, say, the Lakeland model, though we wouldn’t expect that for the price difference. After a few hours of use, we found our laundry was pretty much mostly dry, particularly if using the cover, which is very easy to put on.
(Image credit: Future |Amy Hunt)
However, there are a few caveats to this result – like the Aldi airer, our items dried best if we placed smaller things on there, such as underwear or hand towels, and if we laid items across the rungs, rather than looped them over, which does reduce its capacity somewhat.
Plus, we found it didn’t hurt to rotate clothes halfway through the drying process, flipping items over to allow the other side to touch the heated rails. This does mean that this isn’t the most hands-off heated clothes airer to use, but for the brilliantly affordable price, it’s hard to complain about that.
Overall, we’d say that the George Home model is a great alternative to a non-heated clothes airer, and will dry your clothes far quicker for a very reasonable price. It’s easy to set up, to use and should cost you just pennies to run per hour. For those needing help drying smaller items in winter, you really can’t go far wrong with this affordable model.
Best looking
(Image credit: Lakeland)
This Lakeland airer, like the Beldray option, operates via the circulation of hot air, so it’s a pricier model to use (and to buy) than some of the other models in our round-up of the best heated clothes airers. This one will heat your items up to around 65 degrees, which means it’ll set you back around 36-41p per hour when in use. So in comparison to the George Home and Aldi models, it’s definitely more of an investment buy.
However, we’d argue that this heated cabinet from Lakeland is well worth the expense if you feel comfortable with its running cost. Because of its size, it fits really neatly into almost any corner, so it can be tucked away in a bedroom and left to work without intruding on your home life. But, it is sizeable, so it may be a better option for larger homes.
One huge caveat we have for this model is that it is trickier and more time-consuming to set up, and can’t be taken down and stored away easily on a daily basis. The Heated Cabinet essentially needs to be assembled like a piece of furniture, with the rails needing to be fitted into place.
During testing, this took me and my partner around 20 minutes. As such, this model is intended to be a permanent fixture in the home – so if you’re looking for something you can put up and down, this won’t be the right heated airer for you. However, if you have a spot where it can live, such as a laundry room, this could really be a helpful purchase.
Like the Beldray model, you’ll need to hang your clothes up in this model, rather than lay them over heated rails. It allows you to hang up 12 larger items of clothing, which means it’s great for more delicate options, such as dresses, midi skirts and blazers, especially as an alternative to a tumble dryer, which is rougher on delicate clothes.
However, this capacity is across two rails, so your laundry will likely overlap a little. Despite this, it’s important not to overload this airer in order for it to work as effectively as possible; make sure to give your items as much space as possible.
That said, drying worked very well during the testing of this model. After just one hour (the machine allows you to set a timer in 30-minute increments, and there’s also a handy remote control) lots of our items were mostly dry, which is one of the best results we’ve had throughout the testing process. However, it did take a little longer than this for weightier items to fully dry – around three hours – which is still excellent.
(Image credit: Future | Amy Hunt)
Importantly, operation of the Lakeland Heated Cabinet was louder than most heated airers, given that this option circulates hot air. But similarly to the Beldray model, it wasn’t distracting, and we could still hear the TV over it. However, if you want something completely silent, this won’t be the right model for you.
Generally, this is a fantastic option for those who want an effective airer that looks as stylish as it is possible for a heated airer to look! It’s also a great choice for those wanting to avoid the harshness of a tumble dryer for more delicate clothing – but only if you are happy with the longer construction time, and the fact that it can’t be stored away when not in use.
Best capacity
(Image credit: Daewood)
With a similar stature to the Lakeland model, this Daewoo 3-tier Heated Clothes Airer is ideal for busy households, as it’s able to handle a full load of laundry with its impressive 30kg capacity.
But we would argue that upon testing – despite having a similar capacity and design – this model doesn’t feel quite as premium as the Lakeland Dry:Soon Deluxe airer, or even the less expensive Dry:Soon model. However, this is reflected in the more affordable price, which we’d argue is the biggest draw of this 3-tier model – in fact, it’s one of the most affordable 3-tier models we’ve seen on the market.
Set-up of this airer was incredibly easy; all you need to do is pull out the legs and the heated rails from the base. However, the rails feel quite stiff when pulling them down, and the structure of the airer feels a little off – the rails and base aren’t completely level with one another. This isn’t too much of an issue when hanging your clothes though.
When it comes to drying, this Daewoo model delivered great results. After around 3-4 hours of drying time, lots of the bigger items we had placed on the airer were mostly dry, including a hooded jumper and even a pair of jeans. However, the parts of our items that hadn’t been touching the heated rails were still quite damp, so still needed to be left hanging overnight, after which time, they had dried entirely. This isn’t helped by the fact that the Daewoo 3-tier airer doesn’t come with a cover, which we reckon would have sped up the drying process.
(Image credit: Future |Amy Hunt)
Lack of cover aside, there were plenty of other things we liked a lot about this heated airer option. Unlike some models, the cable length is great, at 1.4 metres, meaning you have some flexibility with where the airer is positioned during use. It’s also very easy to store away, folding down into a very slimline structure that we could easily slot into our storage cupboard.
And it came up trumps in the all-important running costs category, too. Daewoo estimates that this model costs just 10p per hour to run, which is a brilliant number given its large capacity. Bear in mind however that you will need to run this for at least a couple of hours in order to get the best results.
Overall, this is a fantastic option for those who need to get through larger laundry loads but don’t want to pay the more premium prices for a 3-tier model; just expect a slightly less premium experience in return (though still a drying experience that’s superior to a non-heated airer).
How we tested the best clothes airers
As such, while there is ample space for drying clothes indoors, this airer works best when drying smaller items like underwear, socks, tea towels, and small pieces of clothing. You can fit bigger items onto this model, but if you want to drape these across the bars for optimal drying, we’d estimate that it would only hold around four/five pieces, as it isn’t the biggest airer we tested.
One huge highlight of using this airer is that the drying didn’t cost much at all – based on current energy prices, the airer costs less than 7p per hour to run, meaning three hours of almost dry laundry, at an estimate, costs just 21p. This affordable running cost is another reason why this is a great choice for those on a budget.
What is important to note is that the cover, which helpfully comes included in the price, is absolutely essential for getting your laundry to dry as quickly as possible on this Aldi airer. Thankfully, the cover is easy to fit on single-handedly, but there’s no denying that it’s pretty unsightly – the blue colour and the material make it feel more like a tarp than a good-looking home accessory.
- Ease of use: How easy was it to set each heated clothes airer up, and how easy was it to understand the functionality? We looked at how technical (or not) each product was.
- Value-for-money: The best heated clothes airers vary hugely in price, so during testing we made sure to consider how much the consumer is being asked to pay, for how well each airer dried our clothes. We also made note of whether we thought you could get a better experience for a more affordable price – or, if you have to pay more for a better drying experience.
- Style and storage: How does each heated airer look in the home? Were any of them stylish, or are they all purely functional? We also analysed how easy each model is to store away when not in use – a major factor to consider to keep homes clutter-free.
- Drying abilities: Finally, and most importantly, we made note of how long each heated airer took to dry clothes during testing, from smaller garments to larger items like towels. We also looked at how thoroughly it did the job; were there any remaining wet patches on the items?
FAQs
Are heated airers worth the money?
As you’ll have noticed in our above round-up of the best heated clothes airers, you’ll always pay more for a heated airer than a non-heated airer – so it’s sensible to consider whether stumping up the money for the more expensive option is worth it. Like asking whether air fryers are worth it, the answer is subjective.
However, we’d argue that if you’re able to pay more, you won’t regret spending the extra money on the heated airer, particularly if you struggle with ventilation and condensation on windows in your home during the colder months.
Whichever model you opt for, heated airers will allow you to dry clothes much faster than regular airers, especially in winter when there’s a lack of hot air to do this for you.
Using a heated airer will also prevent a range of different issues, stopping your damp clothes from lingering for days on end (risking them getting smelly), and allowing you to get through more washing. This is because, with a heated airer, you’ll likely only need to hang your clothes up for a few hours – rather than a few days.
And while there are obviously some pricey heated airers out there, there are also plenty of options available from £40 at their most affordable, which we’d argue is a very reasonable investment for a much faster and easier washing and drying process.
Do heated clothes airers use a lot of electricity?
Heated clothes airers inevitably use some electricity – however, it’s probably not as much as you think, as heating expert Peter Clayton from Trade Plumbing explains.
“On average, a heated clothes airer runs at 300 watts, which is 0.3 kW per hour when based on the 27p/kWh energy price cap that’s a cost of £0.08 per hour. Drying clothes using a heated airer can take roughly 4-8 hours per 10kg load, thus consuming anything from £0.32 to £0.64,” he says.
To put this into context with your other household appliances, running your washing machine once will generally cost you around 26p while running a dishwasher cycle will likely set you back between 51p-£1. So in comparison, a heated clothes airer uses a fairly minimal amount of electricity – and considering the benefits it’ll provide, it tends to be well worth the extra electricity usage for many households.
This number does obviously vary depending on the power of your airer however, if you want to understand how much your specific model costs to run, James Longley, managing director at Utility Bidder says, “This formula can help you calculate expenditure: Cost = power (kilowatt) × time (hour) × cost of 1 kWh (pence).”
It is also worth calculating how much it costs to run a dehumidifier given how much dehumidifiers can help to dry clothes indoors.
Which is the cheapest to run, a tumble dryer or a heated airer?
Tumble dryers are undoubtedly a very speedy and effective way of drying laundry, and are often even quicker than using a heated airer. However, when it comes to the expense of using both appliances, there’s a clear winner, both in terms of the initial purchase cost, and the running costs.
Peter explains that heated airers, as well as being cheaper to buy, are generally much more affordable to run than tumble dryers. As mentioned, most standard heated airers should only cost you between 7-10p per hour to run (though pricier models may cost more). But, he says, “when it comes to tumble dryers, on average they run from 1.8 kW to 5 kW meaning there is a potential for tumble dryers to cost £1.35 per 1 hour load of laundry.”
It’s also important to consider how long you would need to use each type of clothes drier too, with James pointing out, “although heated airers are more efficient than normal airers, they may not be as fast as tumble dryers, which can deliver quicker results and are convenient. But in turn, tumble dryers do consume more energy per hour.”
He continues, explaining, “Heated airers can be a more cost-efficient way to dry washing during winter, given that a 9kg heat pump tumble dryer – one of the most cost-effective types– uses 2.16 kWh for a full load. As a result, you’ll be spending 59p per cycle. A 300-watt heated airer, on the other hand, would cost 41p to use for five hours under the current energy price cap.”
As such, if you need your items to be dry quickly (for example, if you’re going away on holiday), using your tumble dryer may be worth the extra expense. But overall, heated airers will cost you far less to run, even if they do take that little bit longer to dry your laundry.
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