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Best heated clothes airers and drying pods for drying clothes indoors
Trying to dry laundry in the winter months is a real headache for UK families. When drying indoors is the only option, a heated clothes airer could save you time, space and money. I've rounded up the best heated airers to add to your home.
By Rachel Erdos | Last updated Dec 30, 2025
A heated clothes airer is a genuine life saver when it’s too cold and wet outside to use a rotary washing line, and the energy crisis has rendered your washer-dryer off limits - I should know, I've tested some of the UK's best heated airers in the course of researching this article. Costing around a third of the price of running a tumble dryer, it's no wonder heated clothes airers sell like hot cakes in the winter months.
Keep scrolling for our heated airer deep dive, where you'll find hand-tested reviews of each of the heated clothes airers on our list. However, if you're looking for a quick recommendation, here's our top 6:
The UK's best heated clothes airers
Best heated clothes airer overall: Dry:Soon 3-Tier Heated Airer, £160
Best budget heated clothes airer: Minky Wing 12m Heated Airer with Cover, £60
Best drying pod: Dry:Soon Drying Pod, £80
Best heated clothes airer for large families: Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-Tier Heated Airer, £200
Best drying system: Minky Sure Dri Heat Pod Drying System,
£90£50Best slimline heated clothes airer: Homefront Slimline Heated Airer,
£50£40
When used correctly, a heated airer can revolutionise your laundry routine, drying an entire laundry load in hours while taking the chill off the room you’re in - great news for your heating bill. Mumsnetters recommend throwing a cover on top to trap heat (an old bed sheet will do the trick) and positioning a dehumidifier underneath to absorb evaporated water. It's a hack that will speed up drying times considerably, although you should still expect it to take about a day to fully dry a full load (using a winged or tiered airer).
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How we tested heated clothes airers
We sourced authentic recommendations from the Mumsnet forums, drawing up a longlist of heated airers. Cross-referencing this with expert opinions and online reviews, we put each heated airer through its paces.
I've spent hours putting the best heated clothes airers to the test in my family home: from winged heated airers to tiered heated airers and drying pods, wading through piles of laundry to put together a definitive guide to the best heated clothes airers to buy.
I assessed the aspects of a heated airer consumers really need to know, including drying times, energy efficiency, ease of use as well as how easy they were to set up, move around and store in a real family home.
Best overall heated clothes airer
Large enough for one big load, or two small loads of washing
Lightweight and foldable, easy to move around when not in use
On/off switch is at the base of the unit
It’s a little bit wobbly
It's incredibly popular, so it's frequently out of stock
Key specs
Price: £160 | Size: H137 x W75 x D73cm | Capacity: 15kg | Energy use: 300 watts | Cost per hour: 10p | Drying time settings: No timer | Foldable: Yes | Cable length: 1.35m | Tiers: Three
What Mumsnet users say
Tested by Rachel Erdos: Read our full review of the Dry:Soon 3-Tier Heated Airer
Released in 2008 by Lakeland, the Dry:Soon 3-Tier Heated Airer stormed to the top of its bestsellers list and has remained there ever since (and for good reason). It's raved about on the Mumsnet forums. And thanks to some rigorous testing over the course of seven years, it gets our vote too.
This large airer provided me with ample drying room for damp washing – 21 metres to be exact. Enough space for me to dry 15kg of washing in one go (or roughly two seven kg loads from your washing machine), a godsend for above-average-sized households. If you have a smaller space or only a few items to dry, you can opt to only open the shelves on one side. It can dry a full load of washing overnight and smaller items within a couple of hours.
I found it simple to set up, easy to use day to day, lightweight and long-lasting. This is a great all-rounder and deserves its title as the best heated clothes airer on our list.
Read next: The best retractable washing lines, tried and tested
Best budget heated clothes airer
Great price and cheap to run (around 8p per hour)
Holds a full load of washing
Lightweight but not flimsy
Takes up a lot of space when wings are extended (more than upright versions)
No timer
Feels a little stiff to set up and disassemble
Key specs
Price: £45 | Size: 94H x 148W x 54D cm | Capacity: 16kg | Energy use: 230 watts | Cost per hour: 8p | Drying time settings: No timer | Foldable: Yes | Cable length: 1.35m | Tiers: Winged (three sections)
Tested by Rachel Erdos: Read our full review of the Minky 12M Electric Heated Airer
I found this popular heated airer simple to set up, lightweight without being flimsy and effective at drying clothes quickly. Pretty much what you want from an affordable airer! It's around half the price of many of the products that feature on this page and sturdier than other basic models we've tested.
It did take up quite a bit of space in my living room (bear in mind that once the wings are extended, it measures 148cm in length) and the folding mechanism is a little stiff, but it dried my family's clothes cheaply and swiftly, helping me to blitz through the laundry pile.
Heating up within minutes, there's enough space for a full load of washing. Just be careful when hanging things on the outer rails, particularly heavy items like jeans and towels, as I found it could easily topple over. It's worth noting this is an issue with the winged design in general, rather than this particular model.
Easy to use, effective and affordable - this gets my vote as my favourite budget buy.
Best drying pod
Dries items within 2-3 hours
Great for delicates
Helps to reduce creases
Fiddly to move around and take apart
Sounds like an electric heater when in use
Items need to be hung on rails
Key specs
Price: £65 | Size: 146H x 62W cm | Capacity: 10kg | Energy use: 1000 watts | Cost per hour: 30p | Drying time settings: Timer (up to 3 hours) | Foldable: No | Cable length: 1.85m
What Mumsnet users say
Tested by Rachel Erdos: Read our full review of the Dry:Soon Drying Pod
Part of Lakeland’s much-loved Dry:Soon range, this drying pod regularly sells out for good reason. When testing, I found that it dried clothes in around two to three hours thanks to the electric heater base unit (that circulates hot air around the pod). It's a fantastic way to keep on top of your laundry basket and it can reduce the ironing pile too as items are hung on hangers which helps to smooth out creases. The timer can be set up to run for up to three hours.
Perfect for delicates that you can’t put in a tumble dryer, it’s worth noting that it’s better suited to shirts, tees, jumpers and trousers rather than towels and smaller items like baby clothes and underwear.
We found it a little fiddly to set up and take apart and it sounds like an electric heater when in use but it’s a speedy way to dry clothes, is cheaper to run than a tumble dryer (around 30p per hour vs £1.50-£1.70 per cycle) and takes up far less space than a winged or large tiered airer. A win-win-win that lightens your laundry load at home.
Best heated clothes airer for large families
Easily holds two large washes
Can be folded flat for easy storage
Built-in timer with an eye-level control panel
Sturdy
Expensive
Accessories like the cover and castors are sold separately
Key specs
Price: £160 | Size when open: H132.5 x W74 x D70cm | Capacity: 15kg | Energy use: 300 watts | Cost per hour: Approx. 10p | Drying time settings: Timer can be set up to 12 hours | Foldable: Yes, 8cm deep when folded | Cable length: 1.35 metres | Tiers: Three
What Mumsnet users say
Tested by Rachel Erdos: Read our full review of the Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-Tier Heated Airer
While the original Dry:Soon 3-Tier Heated Clothes Airer takes the top slot on this list, Lakeland’s larger, deluxe version is a brilliant buy for families. It might be more expensive than the original but for its size, lightweight design, and drying space, it’s a great option for large loads of washing.
When it comes to drying solutions for larger families, bigger truly is better. I found the deluxe version has all the reliability and effectiveness of the original design, but with a few innovative enhancements. My favourite was the eye-level, built-in timer, allowing me to customise the heating duration and time to suit my needs without having to stoop.
It also features an integrated carry handle and storage clips, making it easy for me to move around and store. And it costs pennies to run (approximately 10p per hour), which is far more affordable than running the tumble dryer every other day when it’s too cold to get the washing on the line.
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Best if you've already got a standard airer
Transforms a standard three-tiered airer into a heated drying pod
Dries clothes in around three hours
Holds a full load of washing
Fiddly to set up
Top frame is quite large to store
Cable feels quite short
Key specs
Price: £80 | Size: 28H x 33W 17D cm | Capacity: Dependent on heated airer | Energy use: 850 watts | Cost per hour: 25-30p | Drying time settings: Timer (up to 3 hours) | Foldable: N/A | Cable length: 1.5m | Weight: 4.6kg
What Mumsnet users say
Tested by Rachel Erdos: Read our full review of the Minky Sure Dri Heat Pod Drying System
A cross between an electric clothes dryer and a drying pod, the Minky Sure Dri Heat Pod Drying System is a nifty gadget that transformed my standard three-tiered drying rack into a brand-new heated clothes airer.
When testing, I found that it dried clothes in around three hours - quicker than a winged airer and on par with the Lakeland drying pod. But unlike a drying pod where I had to place a limited number of items on hangers, this setup allowed me to dry a full load of washing in one go.
I found this a little fiddly to set up, but it’s a clever design that extends the life of an existing product. And it dried my clothes quickly and cheaply when it’s cold and damp. A smart buy for the winter months.
Best slimline heated clothes airer
Takes up just 2sq ft of floorspace
Lightweight
Cheap to run
Simple controls
Can be stored flat
Good for socks, pants and warming towels
Not suitable for drying a full load of washing
No timer
Larger items take up all the drying space
Key specs
Price on writing: £42 | Size: 91H x 54W x 36D cm | Capacity: up to 2m of laundry | Energy use: 90 watts | Cost per hour: 3p | Drying time settings: No timer | Foldable: No | Cable length: 1.6m | Tiers: 6 rungs
What Mumsnet users say
Tested by Mumsnet editor Poppy O'Neill: Read our in-depth Homefront Slimline Heated Airer review
While it's not built to dry a full load of laundry, this slimline airer comes in handy for drying small items of clothing, warming towels and baby bedding. I tested it on a range of clothing and found that larger items need the whole airer in order to dry, as overlapping meant wet patches were left on the clothes.
Folding flat for easy storage, I really like having this airer available for when I need some school uniform dried in a hurry, and for drying socks to free up space on my standard airer.
It would also be great for warming baby sleep suits and sleeping bags for cosy bedtimes. At less than 3p per hour to run, the Homefront Slimline Heated Airer is a brilliant backup option for drying clothes indoors.
Read next: We've tested the best dehumidifiers out there, and rounded up the best quiet dehumidifiers and the best budget dehumidifiers under £100 so you can choose the perfect one for your home.
Are heated clothes airers worth it?
In a word, yes. The UK’s unpredictable climate can wreak havoc on our laundry plans, which is why many families see the humble heated clothes airer as a household hero that’s well worth splashing out on and which they couldn’t live without, particularly on cold or rainy days.
Priced from as little as £60 and relatively cheap to run, one of these appliances will soon pay for itself – you won't need to use the tumble dryer or leave the central heating on for longer when damp washing is hung over radiators. It’s also a worthy purchase for its minimal environmental cost.
How much do heated dryers cost to run?
In the current energy crisis, heated clothes airers aren't as cheap as they used to be but are still relatively low on energy use.
A heated clothes airer or dryer currently costs between 7p and 45p per hour to run, making the cheaper models extremely economical compared to even the most energy-efficient tumble dryer – even if it takes several hours longer than expected to dry your washing.
Heated dryers with a fan cost more to run than non-fan models, but as a result, they also complete the drying process more quickly. As well as being more economical, heated clothes airers and dryers can also leave garments crease-free, cutting down ironing time. Unlike their spinning rivals, heated clothes airers also pose little risk of clothes damage or shrinkage, particularly to delicate items like underwear or woollens.
Are heated clothes airers safe?
Heated clothes airers are generally safe but always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and safety advice. Many have timers and are thermostatically controlled to avoid overheating.
While the bars do become warm (the clue's in the name), they shouldn’t be too hot to touch, which is good news for parents of curious infants and toddlers.
Leaving any plug-in electrical item on overnight is risky, but many heated clothes airers have a timer that will switch the appliance off once the time is up. In contrast, others have a thermostat that automatically shuts off beyond a certain temperature. The best we can say is always to check the safety features of your particular model and try as much as possible to dry clothes during the day.
How to choose the best heated clothes airer for your home
There are a variety of different heated clothes airers on the market, so here are some things to consider when making your choice:
Cost to run - To ensure your airer is economical, most brands now give an estimated cost per hour based on the average usage.
Capacity - How much washing do you want to hang? Do you wish to dry a full load or focus on the essential items you need the next day? Some dryers have a 10kg capacity, whereas others have up to 15kg – enough to carry a big load.
Ease of use - How easy is the heated airer to run? Does it have a timer? Can you set a drying time that auto shuts off once reached?
Size - How big is the heated airer, and how much space do you need? Some airers can be on the large side, whereas other tiered dryers tend to be more compact.
How easy is it to store? - Does the heated airer fold? Does it lie flat to enable simple storage?
Does it come with accessories? - Some of the best heated clothes airers come with accessories such as covers and casters included, whereas other brands have them available as an optional extra.
Read next: The best vacuum storage bags for freeing up wardrobe space
Which is the best heated clothes airer?
Mumsnetters, previous customers and experts all agree that the Dry:Soon 3-Tier Heated Airer is the best heated clothes airer available (hence the expensive price point). With a decent size capacity, and a lightweight and easily foldable frame, it’ll whizz through your laundry in no time and save you money on your energy bills.
Although it is often out of stock, it's worth checking with Lakeland and Amazon regularly, as stock often comes back in.
About the author
Rachel Erdos is an editor at Mumsnet where she commissions, edits and writes content with a focus on product reviews, homeware roundups and family travel.
She’s written buyer’s guides for publications including Expert Reviews and Coach as well as reviews and features for the Guardian, TripSavvy and Visit London.
As a mum of two, she’s always on the lookout for products that make life easier at home and loves putting appliances and gadgets to the test to highlight best buys for families.