7 best heated clothes airers to speed up laundry drying times this winter

This is one of the bigger airers available. With three tiers and 30 heated rails, it can hold 15kg of laundry, which works out as about two full loads of most standard washing machines.

It’s cuboid shaped, so it can be used in a corner without taking up too much space. We like that it folds up completely flat when not in use, so you can store it horizontally under a table or a sofa, or vertically in a cupboard.

Already assembled in the box, all you have to do is unfold it. That can be done in less than 10 seconds. However, you do have to wait a little longer for clothes to dry on this than you would do on airers that have covers, as not trapping heat near the garment means drying time can be twice as long. One option is to drape your own sheet over the top of the airer – being careful not to cover it completely or you’ll encourage condensation – and that will speed up the process.

This also has a timer, so you don’t waste more electricity than you need, with options for two and four hours. But it’s the only airer we tested with wheels, which were helpful when it came to steering it to a clear drying spot in the corner.

Read our full review of the Easylife XL heated airer

Powered by a 1,200W motor, this pod-style dryer will hold 18 garments (or up to 10kg of clothing) and can be left on for 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180-minute time slots, or just switched on and off at will. It’s another dryer that is ridiculously easy to set up – we simply slotted the shaft into the base, then popped the collapsible parasol-like topper, with its six hangers, onto the top. It’s got the same small holes at the top that other pod-style dryers have, and the clever position of the zip at the top allowed us to control the amount of air circulation, which will come in especially handy when drying extra-damp garments. It was one of the quickest dryers when it came to heat-up times and was warm to the touch in just 10 seconds.

One of the most versatile dryers of our range, Dunelm’s winged heated airer, which costs around 7p an hour to run, can be used with its two wings either folded out or tucked in. This means it takes up less space when not used at full capacity, and we could fold away one of the wings when certain items had dried faster than others. It’s another dryer with an incredibly lightweight aluminium design – we were able to move it using just one hand – and it’s carpet-friendly too, with beam supports instead of separate, carpet-branding feet.

This design went fast and is currently unavailable, but we’ll keep you posted with stock updates.

Another larger airer, this can handle a full washing machine load of clothes and more. The rails are spaced out more than on other rail-based airer models, which makes arranging clothes over it fast and simple. There’s no struggle to squeeze a top or a pair of trousers into the middle rail, for example, you can simply throw the clothes over it as fast as you can and get on with something else.

Powered by a 300W motor, drying times are respectable. You don’t have to wait for it to heat up, as it can reach full power in less than a minute. Should you need to move it, the lightweight aluminium frame weighs just 4.5kg, making it impressively portable, given its size.

Although this airer is currently out of stock, you can sign up to be notified by email when it’s available.

This pod-style dryer features a base pole on a tripod and six rails that can hold two items each. Setup wise, it couldn’t be simpler, which is great if you’re lacking in the DIY skills department. Simply attach the two parts of the base pole together, put the bottom end into the base, add three legs, plug in and power on.

It truly is compact, taking up less space than a coat rack, and it’s powerful too. With the cover on top, the unit heats up to 70C, which means warm air is constantly circulating around your clothes to dry them fast. T-shirts and shirts can dry in just 60 minutes and thicker fabrics, such as jeans, can be mostly dry in two hours. There’s a timer that will automatically shut off power after 30 minutes, three hours or intervals of 30 minutes in between, so you can set it for two hours overnight or before you leave the house without worry it will overheat.

With space for 12 items on hangers, you can dry a mix of items, including smalls, as you can buy sock hangers or underwear hangers to use in one of the 12 holes. The cover gives your garments some privacy as well as fast-drying times.

While the Dry:Soon drying pod is out of stock at the moment, there is more stock coming on 17 January.

Read our full review of the Lakeland Dry:Soon drying pod.

A slimline dryer that is ideal for smaller homes, this sleek heated garment airer resembles a standard bathroom towel rail, and costs around 3p an hour to operate. It’s incredibly light (weighing in at just 2.4kg) but will hold the same amount of washing as a two-metre-long washing line. Although there’s plenty of room for smaller items, its thicker rails make it particularly suitable for larger pieces such as towels and sweatshirts, with no risk of the individual rails sagging or popping out of place.

It’s out of stock at the moment, but come back to this page to check for stock updates.

This is a great pod-style dryer (although it can also be used without the cover) for bigger households keen to dry large amounts of laundry (up to 15kg) in one session. Its accessories bundle includes garment-specific items that transform its capabilities, whether it’s the mesh shelves that are designed for smaller items such as socks and pants that can be laid flat, or the six-peg hanger to keep items in place.

Our advice? Clip the hanger to the bottom of heavier items such as sweaters and dresses to pull them taut and minimise drying times. Although it’s one of the larger dryers in our round-up, its wide, spacious design means easy access to the various racks, and its timer gave us the option to turn it off or on 12 hours in advance. It can be used with or without its cover, which also doubles as a storage bag when not in use.

Although the deluxe bundle is only available in-store at the moment, the airer alone (£199.99, Lakeland.co.uk) is available now, albeit with a slight delay in delivery.