Heated Clothes Airers: The Smart Drying Option for 2023
Drying clothes, especially in bad weather, is a daunting task for most people. Sometimes the weather doesn’t play ball on laundry day, and many households don’t have space for an outdoor washing line anyway. Those of us with outdoor space constraints often end up hanging clothes around the warm radiator to hasten the drying process. But doing so raises moisture levels in your house and creates the ideal conditions for mould spores to grow, spread, and damage your health, home, and belongings.
Heated Clothes Airers, The Smart Drying Option
Tumble driers are not an option for delicates, they take up tonnes of space, and are often expensive to operate (35p/hour, on average), too.
That leaves heated clothes airers. Unlike tumble dryers, these machines are realtively cheap to operate (roughly 5p/hour), take up little space, and dry your clothes gently.
Before we dive into my list of the top heated airers on the market, keep in mind that these devices aren’t meant to function as a tumble dryer — they lack the heat and to dry clothes completely.
How Electric Heated Clothes Dryers Work
Heated clothes airers typically have an aluminium metal frame with several bars that get heated by an electric heating element. You hang your wet (better, damp) clothes on the bars to dry. That’s it.
These simple devices can be placed anywhere in your home where you have an outlet nearby. Since many models have a built-in thermostat or timer, it’s easy to control the drying process and avoid using too much energy.
The Best Heated Clothes Airer
1. Elpine Bargains Galore Heated Airer
Elpine Bargains Galore is a powerful heated tower airer that produces up to 300W of heat. It has open-sided shelves that can be folded when not in use, and 24 aluminium tube rails for a total of 21 metres on which to hang your washing. The maximum surface temperature of the bars is 45-55°C. It is efficient and and only costs about 4p/hour to operate.
The Elpine Bargains Galore folds easily to a thickness of 8cm, so you can handily fit it behind a door or beneath a bed.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 178 X 72 X 77 cm
- Folded dimensions: 8 cm
- Material: Aluminium
- Power Source: Electric 220-240 V
- Heat Output: 300W
- Drying space capacity: 21 linear metres
What do people say about it? This is a budget-priced airer that doesn’t hold back on quality. The dryer is extremely sturdy, both with and without items hanging to dry. It’s suitable for thinner cotton items, but less so for heavier garments like Denim Jeans. It will dry your items overnight while conveniently warming the room it’s in. It is cheap to run and simple enough to set up and fold back together.
Pros:
- Easy to set up and fold
- Sturdy
- Budget price
Cons:
- Nothing obvious
To summarise
The Elpine Bargains Galore is a large and versatile heating tower that can dry a substantial amount of washing at the same time. It easily folds and unfolds, so the setup process is always straightforward.
2. Quest Benross Foldable Electric Clothes Airer
The Quest Benross Foldable Electric Clothes Airer is a compact and portable drying rack designed for use in small spaces. It has six high-efficiency drying bars running at 100W. The device weighs only 2.6 kg, so it is easy to bring with you and tuck away almost anywhere once you’ve folded the legs. Setting up is a no-brainer – simply plug the 1.4-meter cable to an outlet and start drying.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 105 x 55.4 x 6.2 cm
- Weight: 2.6 kg
- Material: aluminium
- Power source: Electric 230-240V
- Heat output: 100W
What do people say about it? Customers on Amazon describe the Quest Benross Foldable Electric Clothes Airer as “a brilliant purchase” when you have limited space, or need a heated airer you can bring with you on trips (in a caravan, for example). It’s lightweight, easy to assemble, and folds up swiftly. It is not the sturdiest device, but it lasts a long time with a bit of care. Most importantly – it dries your clothes overnight.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Compact
- It comes with clips for the laundry.
Cons:
- Lacks sturdiness
To summarise
If you’re living in a small space, travel often, or have delicate items not suitable for tumble drying, the Quest Benross Foldable Electric Clothes Airer is an excellent Airer choice. It’s easy to set up and put away, and it takes little electricity to operate the device.
3. Easylife Lifestyle Solutions Heated Clothes Horse 300W
The Heated Clothes Horse from Easylife Lifestyle Solutions is a heated tower airer designed to dry an entire family’s load of washing in approximately 6 hours. The 3 hanger levels work well for flat drying and hanging longer garments. It comes assembled on delivery, and simply needs to be folded out and plugged to an electric outlet.
It takes up very little floor space, with a footprint at just 72x67cm, and has lockable wheels for extra mobility. The Easylife Lifestyle Solutions Heated Clothes Horse 300W features an auto-off times, so you can choose between 2- and 4-hour drying times.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 147.5 X 72 X 67 cm
- Folded dimensions: 8 cm in height
- Weight: 7.52 kg
- Material: Lightweight, non-corrosive aluminium
- Drying space capacity: 21 linear metres
- Drying weight capacity: 15 kg
- Cable length: 1.3 metres
What do people say about it? People who purchased this Airer mostly leave positive feedback. It dries washing quickly, and apparently costs even less to run than stated (some reviewers checked their smart meters to monitor the actual costs in pounds and pence, and it’s about 3p./hour). You can purchase a separate cover to speed up the drying even more, or simply hang a sheet over top instead.
Pros:
- Low operating cost
- Large drying capacity
- Affordable
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Nothing obvious
To summarise
The Easylife Lifestyle Solutions Heated Clothes Horse 300W is an excellent choice for arger households. It provides multiple options for laying or hanging clothes at different heights, and it dries the washing quickly. Best of all, it costs very little to operate.
4. Amos 230 Electric Heated Clothes Dryer
The Amos 230 Electric Heated Clothes Dryer comes fully assembled and is ready to use as soon as you plug it in. It’s a durable electric airer made of lightweight, non-corroding aluminium that can withstand years of drying wet clothes. The 18 drying bars gently dry your clothing with a surface temperature that never exceeds 45-55°C. You can store the device almost anywhere, as it folds to a height of only 6cm.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 94 X 148 X 54 cm
- Folded dimensions: 6 X 112 X 54 cm
- Weight: 1 kg
- Material: Aluminium
- Power: 220-240V
- Drying space capacity: 11.2 linear metres
- Drying weight capacity: 10 kg
- Cable length: 135 cm
What do people say about it? The Amos 230 Electric Heated Clothes Dryer works perfectly and dries an average load of washing in about 5 hours. For lighter clothing, this airer is an excellent alternative to tumble drying or hanging your laundry on the radiator. The bars get a bit hot, so it’s best to keep it away from children. The only major complaint is that the device is a bit stubborn when you fold it.
Pros:
- Easy to operate
- Low running cost
- Cheap
Cons:
- A tad rigid during folding
To summarise
The Amos 230 Electric Heated Clothes Dryer is relatively affordable and cheap to operate, so it’s perfect for smaller households on a budget. It’s simple to use, and very easy to store just about anywhere.
5. Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-Tier Heated Airer
The Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-Tier Heated Airer is a thermostat-controlled airer that provides 21 metres of drying space and holds up to 15 kg of washing. It’s quite gentle, and works great for delicates like silk, satin, wool, and other fabrics that are not suitable for tumble drying. It can be folded down for use in smaller areas.
This model has an eye-level display and control panel with 12-hour timer. It folds to 9cm in depth and can be easily tucked in your cupboard or behind a door.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 5 X 70 X 74 cm
- Folded dimension: 8 cm
- Weight: 7.7 kg
- Material: Metal
- Power source: 220V
- Drying space capacity: 21 linear metres
- Drying weight capacity: 15 kg
What do people say about it? The Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-Tier Heated Airer is a great product. The assembly is straightforward, and everything folds out intuitively, so the device is ready to use in minutes. It’s large enough to fit a massive load of washing. The items dry overnight (4-5 hours for shirts, and 10+ hours for heavier materials), and most customers report setting the timer to 6-8 hours. The bars never get too hot to touch, so there are no major safety precautions to consider. It’s not the sturdiest device, but don’t worry — it won’t fall over unless you actually push it.
This airer is relatively light, weighing only 7 kg, and the carry handles make it is easy to move around.
Pros:
- Easy assembling and folding
- Good quality
- Built-in 12 hour timer
Cons:
- Expensive compared to other heated airers
- Short cable — only 1.3 metres
To summarise
This airer is light yet powerful, and you can count on it to dry your entire family’s washing in a single night. It has some handy features, like the carry handles, eye-level display, and wheels, that make it very convenient. Best of all, it folds down to only 8cm in depth, so you can store it anywhere you want when it’s not in use.
6. Status Portable Clothes Electric Airer
The Status Portable Clothes Airer is made of lightweight, rust-free aluminium, and has 18 heated bars that dry your clothes gently and quickly. It provides instant heat and costs only 4p./hour to run. It doesn’t take much floor space, but provides almost 11 metres of drying space. The wings and legs fold easily for storing, and the device fits just about anywhere.
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 88 X 148 cm (wings out), 90 X 53 cm (wings folded)
- Weight: 2.5 kg
- Material: Aluminium
- Power: 220-240V
- Drying space: 10.8 linear metres
- Drying weight capacity: 15kg
What do people say about it? The bars heat up quickly, so an entire load can dry overnight. It’s lightweight and foldable, so storage is never an issue. Some reviewers claim to have even brought this model on camping trips, thanks to its portability and lightweight nature.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Efficient heating
Cons:
- Feels flimsy
- A bit too low for comfortable loading
To summarise
The Status Portable Clothes Airer is a great choice if you want a portable device that’s easy to bring on trips. It also works as advertised, and dries clothes with speed and efficiency.
7. Dry:Soon Mini Standard 3 Tier Heated Airer
The Dry:Soon Mini Standard 3 Tier Heated Airer is made from robust yet lightweight aluminium, and hasside supports to keep it stable. The heating bars are thermostatically controlled to prevent overheating. The shelves can be folded up or down to suit the garment length. When you’re not using the airer, you can fold it to a depth of only 8cm.
You can buy a separate cover that speeds up the drying process and very conveniently doubles as a laundry bag when not in use.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 5 X 60 X 63cm
- Weight: 5 kg
- Material: Lightweight aluminium
- Power: 220-240V / 200W
- Drying space capacity: 13 linear metres
- Drying weight capacity: 15 kg
What do people say about it? The Dry:Soon Mini Standard 3 Tier Heated Airer seems to be one of those purchases that most buyers don’t regret. It dries most laundry items overnight, though heavier items may take a bit longer. Heat rises upwards, so it’s best to hang thinner clothing at the bottom and things like denim at the top. As a bonus, the airer generates enough heat to warm up the surrounding area effectively.
Pros:
- Cheap to run
- Efficient
- Compact design
Cons:
- On/Off button is at ground level.
- Short cable at 1.3 meter
To summarise
Even though this is the mini version, there is still plenty of space for an average load of washing to hang. It’s efficient and dries most items overnight while accruing low energy costs, usually about 4p./hour.
Drying Racks: Parting Words
Have you used a clothes airer that you liked? Or any of the ones I listed here?
If so, please share your experience by leaving us a comment below.