We all know how much washing families can create, especially with babies needing frequent outfit changes, or toddlers coming home from nursery, or in from the garden, with grass-stained knees, or their lunch down their favourite jumper. Washing baby's clothes is hard work and it can sometimes be a rush to get the washing dried in time for them to wear it again, and more importantly, where do you find the space to hang it all?
We know when you become a parent, the washing pile seems endless, so cutting the time it takes for clothes to dry is a must. That's why we've been scouring the web for the very best discounts on heated clothes airers to help half the time it takes to dry your washing while saving you some pennies.
Now that the weather is miserable and you can no longer hang clothes out on the washing line in the sun, it is really hard drying baby's clothes. Of course, a tumble dryer is one way, but they can be costly to run, plus, not always kind on clothes or the environment. So what about airers? A traditional airer is fine in a warm room, or standing by a radiator, but there are lots of heated airers on the market which do a fantastic job of drying clothes.
The benefit of heated airers is that they are cheaper to run than a tumble dryer, they are kinder to clothes and they will also add a little bit of extra heat to the room they are in. They work even quicker when covered with a specially designed cover, or you can even throw a sheet over them which creates a toasty environment. Heated airers vary in shape in size but most can hold 1 or 2 loads of washing so they are really helpful for drying washing during the winter.
Best heated airers at a glance
After a rainy summer, and an equally rainy start to the winter months, we think a heated airer might come in very handy so we have rounded up some of the best heated airers to help you through the chillier months and make drying your little ones clothes easier and cheaper. Mother&Baby have tried and tested a number of these to make sure we're offering you firsthand experience and the best advice if you're looking to buy the best heated clothes airer.
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Best economic heated airer
www.lakeland.co.uk
This large heated airer dries your clothes quickly and has a running cost of just 9p per hour. It also ups up to 15kg of washing and has foldable heated shelves to speed up drying time. The cover is useful for even faster drying and as a storage bag when the airer is not in use.
Tested by mum-of-two Claire Tapley: “I bought this airer last winter and can honestly say I don’t know what I’d do without it. As a family of four we constantly have the washing machine on and although we do own a tumble dryer we prefer not to use it all the time, as it’s really expensive to run. I also find that constantly tumble drying some clothes makes them shrink so in winter I’m always looking for alternative ways to dry clothes.
When fully extended this airer will take up a fair amount of space, so you’ll need a medium sized room to use it in. However, when folded down it fits nicely inside cupboards or can even be hung on the back of a door. It’s super lightweight so really easy to move around the house. What I love the most is that when it’s on it heats up the entire room and leaves it smelling of freshly washed clothes. If I’m working from home I’ll often bring it into my office and turn off the heating as it keeps the room nice and toasty.
The description says it holds approx. two average loads of washing but I’ve only ever found it to hold one. The controls are really simple to use, you can turn it on or off and set a timer so it switches off automatically. It heats up surprisingly quickly and I’m keen to try some the useful Lakeland accessories to go with it such as the fabric cover that increases the drying time and the little hammock that can be strung up on top to give even more drying space. All in all this is great investment, and the money you’ll save on tumble drying (and heating) means it’ll soon pay for itself."
Pros
- Running cost just 9p per hour
- Includes a cover
- Lightweight yet sturdy
- Can be stored in cupboard or hung on back of door
- Heats the room
- Generous 21m of drying space
- Comes with a three-year Lakeland guarantee
Cons
- No suitable for very small flats/houses
| Drying capacity | 15kg |
| Dimensions (when open) | 70 x 74 x 132.5cm |
| Running cost | 9p per hour |
- Foldable heated shelves
- Running cost 9p per hour
- Holds 15kg of wet washing
- 21m of drying space
- Cover turns into a storage bag for your airer
- 3 year guarantee included
The DrySoon Tri.Mode 3-Tier Heated Hub is Lakeland's latest innovation in indoor drying solutions, perfect for those seeking an efficient, space-saving alternative to traditional dryers. Building on over 15 years of trusted Dry technology, the Tri offers three drying configurations—Standard, Compact, and Wall modes—allowing it to adapt to any space. In Standard mode, it dries full laundry loads within a tower-like setup. Compact mode lets you fold down one side, reducing its footprint while maintaining heating efficiency. Wall mode arranges the airers side-by-side, creating a slim profile that’s ideal against walls.
It features a touchscreen with adjustable temperature (30°-60°C) and an 8-hour timer for flexible, energy-efficient drying. A made-to-fit cover with mesh vents supports fast drying while keeping dust out and it also boasts custom laundry baskets that slot below.
Tested by mum of two, Rebecca: "As a family of 4 I thought we couldn't do much more washing... and then we got a puppy. Now I'm doing a load almost everyday and the cold, wet weather isn't helping to get it dry. The Dry.Soon Tri.mode has made life so much easier. We have a small house so I've put it in compact mode in the corner of the dining room and the grey cover means I can leave it up and it's not too obvious. It is fairly bulky so I doubt I would fold it down anyway - this is an airer to leave up in a utility room rather than folding down and bringing out every time you need it. I have found that it dries clothes far more effectively with a little dehumidifier (I have a Russell Hobbs), underneath and with that I can get clothes dried in a day. It's definitely a better option for people with a spacious utility room who can leave it in full mode but even in compact mode I can fit one smaller load of washing on. I love the option to set the temperature from 30-60c and that I can set the timer and then forget about it. I've used it for about 4 days a week for the last month and haven't noticed a significant increase in my electricity bills."
Pros
- Offers three configurations for different space needs
- The grey cover is chic and keeps clothes out of sight as well as drying them more quickly
- The two laundry baskets make it easy to take the washing down and blend in nicely
- The temperature and timing are adjustable with a control panel and the remote control
- Has 22.5m of drying space for a 30kg load in full mode
- Comes with a three-year Lakeland guarantee
Cons
- Quite bulky when folded so would be best left up, making it better for people with space in a utility room
- In Wall mode the cover won't fit around the back of the airer
| Dimensions (Standard): | 70.5 W x 72 D x 152cm H |
| Dimensions (Compact): | 70.5 W x 43 D x 152cm H |
| Dimensions (Wall): | 137.5 W x 37.5 D x 152cm H |
| Drying capacity: | 30kg |
| Running cost: | 7-9p a minute |
Best price heated clothes airer
Argos www.argos.co.uk
Whatever the weather, you will be able to get clothes dry with the Minky XL Balcony heated airer. It is up to 50% bigger than a standard winged airer, making it ideal for drying bedding too. Not only can it hold a lot but it can save you money too, costing only pennies to run. While it doesn't have a cover, you could throw a sheet or duvet cover over the top to keep the heat in. It has a competitive price point and as a final bonus, when not in use it folds flat for convenient storage.
Review: "Very cost effective. As I do not have an airing cupboard this is the next best thing. I wish I had purchased one years ago. Highly recommended."
Pros
- Large capacity with a slim footprint so ideal for narrow spaces
- Folds flat for convenient storage
- Competitively priced
- Space for 20kg of clothes
Cons
- Some reviewers say you have to lay washing flat rather than hanging
- Doesn't have a cover
| Dimensions (opened): | 108 x 185 x 54cm |
| Drying capacity: | 20kg |
- Total drying space 15m
- Drying capacity 20kg
- Maximum wattage 260 watts
- Holds 1 wash load
- Ideal for flat drying
- 1 year warranty
Best heated airer for storage
www.dunelm.com
With running costs of approx. 7p per hour, this is one of the best value heated clothes airer and an economical drying option. It has 20m of drying space and can hold up to 15kg of washing, which isn't as much as others on the list but should be sufficient for a load of washing. The vertical design makes it easy to fold away neatly after use and store. While it doesn't come with a cover, you can buy the 3 Tier Heated Airer Cover separately for quicker drying.
Review: "With winter approaching and trying to economise on heating costs, I bought this airer. I've had it a few weeks now and found it excellent. It takes about a machine-load of washing and as recommended by other reviewers, I cover it with a duvet cover to keep the warm air in. I've used it in sessions of 2 hours at a time and rearranged the washing if necessary before giving it another 2-hour session later in the day. It gets warm, rather than hot so would probably take much longer to dry the clothes if you put too much on it or have a lot of thick, heavy clothes. The connection lead and plug are fairly short, so you need to think about where to place it in your room and also check the product dimensions - it is tall and square when open and tall when closed down."
Pros
- Costs 7p a minute to run so cost effective
- Folds down when not in use (H 138cm x W 10.5cm x L 78cm)
- Holds up to 15kg of washing
Cons
- Holds less than some other options on our list
| Dimensions | H 138cm x W 72cm x L 78cm |
| Power | 330W |
| Drying capacity | 15kg |
| Running costs | 7p an hour |
- Remote control operated
- Anion sterilisation
- Includes cover
- Stainless steel frame
ON SALE NOW - 9% OFF
Best for small spaces
Amazon This eco-friendly airer is perfect for small spaces. It is lightweight and its flat design makes it great if you are lacking space. Plus it dries clothes quickly as well as larger items such as towels and it is extremely cost effective, with a running cost of less than 3p per hour. It is closer in size to a bathroom towel rail so you won't be able to dry a load of washing, but it's a great option for drying last minute school uniform washes or towels.
Review: "This is a relatively small and simple drying rack, exactly as shown. It appears to cope well with drying smallish garments and hand towels."
Pros
- Doesn't take up much space so ideal for smaller homes
- Lightweight and easy to store when not in use
- Less than 3p per hour to run
Cons
- Hard to assemble
- Only has space for a small number of items so won't do a full load
| Dimensions | H90.5cm x W53.5cm x D36cm |
| Weight | 2.4kg |
| Running costs | 3p per minute |
- Less than 3p per hour to run
- Ideal for small spaces
- Made from aluminium
Best for drying time
Amazon www.argos.co.uk
Holding up to 10kg of washing, this is an efficient dryer which has a powerful motor to circulate warm air, as well as a cover for fast drying. Even better, this great dryer replicates line-dried freshness for convenient indoor drying and reduces ironing time due to gentle drying that minimises creases and prevents shrinkage. Some reviewers mentioned it's tricky to assemble so may be best to leave up. It's also compact so isn't ideal for larger items like duvet covers.
Review: "I love it. It’s cheap to run and dries things quick! It’s not as fast as a tumble dryer but I didn’t expect that. I can now easily wash 2-3 loads of washing a day and get it dry without a million airers all over for days!"
Pros
- Reduces the amount of ironing needed
- Circulates warm air with powerful motor
- Efficient drying
Cons
- Hard to assemble
- Only holds 10kg so less than other options on our list
- Best for smaller items
| Drying capacity | 10kg |
| Power | 1200w |
| Dimensions | 70 x 70 x 160 cm |
- Holds up to 10kg of washing
- Powerful 1200w motor
- Doesn't damage clothing
- Easy to store
How to choose a heated airer?
When deciding if a heated airer is for you, consider how much space you have, how much washing you do and what type of items you are drying. If you do lots of washing for little ones such as babygrows, or tiny t-shirts and socks then you don't need to worry about the height of the dryer. However, children do cause a lot of washing, especially bedding. Don't worry about toddler bedwetting, a heated airer will make changing the bed and getting it dry a lot easier, but make sure you choose one that can hold a bigger load.
With all the toys, buggies, changing mats and other items that babies bring into your home, finding space for a heated airer might be tricky. There are lots out there that fold up flat when not in use, or even heated airers which are fairly flat when standing so you can fit them in with all the other essential baby items you need.
How do heated airers work?
Like traditional clothes airers, you hang the clothes or bedding, even towels, on the rails. However, unlike traditional airers, with a heated airer there is an element in the rails which warms them meaning your clothes dry quicker and you don't have to use a radiator to drape washing over, or stand an airer near to. You can speed up the drying process even more by covering the heated airer when in use, which creates an even warmer environment to dry your washing.
Are heated airers cost effective?
Heated airers are using electricity so they will add to your energy bill, but they are cheaper to use than a tumble dryer and they are kinder to clothes as well. Plus, some will keep the room they are in so might save money on heating. On average a heated dryer will cost about 10p per hour but can be as much as 26p per hour, or as low as 5p per hour. On a plus they will add some heat to chilly rooms too. With drying times ranging from 1 - 4 hours, while they do cost more money than a traditional airer or using a washing line, in the winter when it is hard to get washing dry outside, they are a great value option.
Laura Healy is a Commercial Content Writer for Mother&Baby. She is a mum-of-two girls and loves writing about all things parenting. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and enjoys reading and attending literary festivals, as well as writing fiction.