The best heated clothes airers to dry your laundry (that are cheaper to run than your tumble-dryer)

Heated clothes airers are the space and energy-saving alternative to drying your laundry in a tumble-dryer or on a traditional drying rack. But we get it: they’re also a very unglamorous purchase. Of course buying an electric clothes airer comes no where close to being as exciting as investing in the Arket puffer coat or a pair of ankle boots. But we’re not just about the, erm, GLAMOUR-ous here. We’re also all for shouting about those game-changing devices that will genuinely change your life forever. And the best heated clothes airers are one of them.

I invested in my first heated clothes rack last winter, when I spotted everyone online raving about how energy efficient they can be. Winter doesn’t do much for laundry drying times, and I had been caught out by damp clothes on SO many occasions when my favourite office outfit didn’t dry in time for my commute. I wanted in.

The best heated clothes dryers are flying off the virtual shelves right now – because contrary to popular belief, they’re not actually particularly expensive to run. The average tumble dryer costs around £1.44 per cycle to run which, with current energy prices, would cost you around £150 a year if you use it twice per week. A plug-in rack costs around 10p per hour to run, so if you use it for ten hours every week, will cost you around £52 per year. You do the math.

SKIP TO: What is a heated clothes airer? What are the benefits of a heated clothes airer? Is it worth buying a heated clothes airer? How long do heated airers take to dry clothes? Is it safe to use a heated airer?

5 best heated clothes airers 2023 at a glance:

1. Best heated clothes airer with wings: Minky Wing 12m Heated Clothes Airer with Cover, £60, Argos
2. Best 3 tier heated clothes airer: Dry:Soon 3-Tier Heated Airer, £159.99, Lakeland
3. Best heated airer with cover: JML DriBUDDI Indoor Airer, £79, Argos
4. Best heated clothes airer for fast drying: Dry:Soon Drying Pod, £99.99, Amazon
5. Best heated clothes airer for small spaces: Dry:Soon Mini 3-Tier Heated Airer, £129.99, Lakeland

What is a heated clothes airer?

Heated clothes airers are normal driers – that you can tuck away in your bedroom or living room – but that emit heat at a temperature of between 60C and 70C.

What are the benefits of a heated clothes airer?

Not only are electric airers faster and cheaper than their more traditional counterparts (more on that later), heated airers can increase the lifespan of your clothes, too. With woollens and silk pyjamas, you can soak them in a tub and then lay them out on your airer to dry gently, and since heated airers are also known to reduce crinkles, you might not need to use an intense steam iron or garment steamer.

Is it worth buying a heated clothes airer?

In short, yes. They dry your clothes more quickly than their non-electric counterparts – allowing you to reduce the time you spend doing your laundry hugely – and they leave you with toasty, warm garments that are a dream to pull on.