The best heated airers are a must-have appliance for the winter months and offer the perfect solution to wet washing - especially if you don’t have a tumble dryer. All you need to do is plug them in, load up your heated airer, and let the warm drying rack or fan dry your clothes in a matter of hours.
However, as there are so many different options out there - from heated drying racks to drying pods - buying a heated clothes airer can be a minefield. You could spend weeks decoding what shape, size, and functionalities you require for your laundry routine, and in the end, you may squash your dream of drying clothes in winter altogether. And as someone who understands just how transformative a heated clothes airer can be, I wouldn’t want that to happen.
That’s why a team of certified experts and I have spent months testing some of the bestselling heated clothes airers on the market, reviewing everything from their size and drying power to their capacity and their extra features. With everything we’ve learned, I’m confident that one of my top-of-the-class picks below will suit your needs perfectly. And for the ultimate winter laundry setup, I recommend pairing it with one of the best dehumidifiers to suck away any excess moisture that your laundry releases as it dries for fresh and dry clothes, bedding, and towels in record time.
The quick list
Short on time? This quick list is an overview of the best heated clothes airers we've tried. You'll find more information on each airer and why our testers recommend it if you keep on scrolling.
Best overall
Super-fast 2-3 hour clothes drying times mean this fan-powered heated clothes airer is our number one choice. It's also affordable and dismantles when not in use. The only downside; you can only fit 18 hanging items inside at once, but that still makes it perfect for quick-drying school uniforms and sports kits in cold, wet weather.
Best versatile
Minky's latest launch converts a standard 3-tier clothes airer into a quick-drying pod thanks to a fan motor and zippable cover. That makes it one of the most versatile heated airers we've come across. It's not perfect, but it is useful and could be the best heated airer for you depending on your laundry priorities.
Best large capacity
Currently on the market for just under £40 less than the Dry:Soon 3-Tier Deluxe, the newest Minky heated airer offers an extra fourth tier of drying space that can hold smaller items like socks and underwear. Overall, this heated airer has the largest capacity of all the airers we've tested, holding 20kg of washing on 23m of drying rack space compared to the Dry:Soon 3-Tier's 15kg and 21m.
Best budget buy
A winged heated clothes airer is generally the most affordable option, and will still speed up drying times compared to a non-heated airer. However, the single-tier design means washing tends to stay wetter where it isn't touching the heated bars, so drying children's clothes can be easier than longer adult items.
Amazon's bestseller
We're pleased to say that Amazon's bestselling heated airer really is as good as the reviews regularly boast – especially with the addition of the castors and cover. Sporting a similar design found in the fan-favourite Lakeland Dry:Soon range but for a cheaper price, what's not to love?
Best for bed sheets
If you need a heated clothes airer with a larger capacity then Dry:Soon's 3-Tier Deluxe Heated Airer can handle 15kg of washing thanks to 21 metres of drying rack space. It's also one of the best options for drying large items like trousers, sheets and towels as they can be more easily draped over its three tiers of heated shelving.
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Best for small spaces
If drying and storage space are big factors in your choice of airer, then the compact Dry:Soon Mini is the option that can most easily be hidden, slotting easily into a cupboard or tucking behind furniture. It holds up to 15kg of washing, but the racks are closer together so we found washing stayed wet for longer than on more spacious models. However, it's still a useful option for small homes.
Lakeland's bestseller
One of Lakeland's bestselling heated clothes airers, the original Dry:Soon 3-Tier Heated Airer has a 15kg drying capacity, but lacks a few useful features compared to the 'Deluxe', including slightly awkward crossbar supports which make clothes hanging more fiddly and get in the way of draping larger items. That said, it's cheaper than the 'Deluxe', which could swing your decision.
Best for delicates
If you want an alternative quick-drying option to the JML DriBUDDI, this Dry:Soon Drying Pod does the job and more, offering a slightly sturdier build and working incredibly well for drying delicate garments of clothing.
Best collapsible
If you don't want to compromise on the space and power a large 3-tier heated airer provides but don't quite have the available floor space to store it, this airer is the best collapsible model we've tried; making it perfect for those with limited storage.
Best ladder-style
Slightly different from the usual tiered or winged design we often see, this ladder-style heated airer is a fantastic choice and even features four hooks at the bottom, perfect for easily drying slippers or thick socks with no fuss.
Best heated clothes airers 2025
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Best heated clothes airer overall
This fan-powered heated clothes airer circulates warm air within its zip-up cover to dry washing in super fast times.
Instead of folding clothes over rails, the heated drying pod has six poles at the top of the airer that you can hang coat hangers from. That means drying space is more limited – you can only hang 18 items on hangers within the pod which means it isn't going to cope with a full washing machine load – but on testing, we were extremely impressed with the drying times, with clothes drying in 1-3 hours, dependent on thickness, compared to 8-12 hours on a classic heated airer. Plus, the bonus of hanging garments is that this eliminates creasing and reduces the need for ironing.
The downsides are that the fan does make for a noisier addition to the household than a silent railed rack – we found that we wanted this option set up in a room with a closed door rather than one we were using – and, the setup is more time-consuming. Unless you have the space to leave the airer set up, then there is five minutes of work in slotting together all of the components, and this airer requires a little more storage space than a racked airer which folds flat.
It should be noted that the powerful 1200W fan uses more energy than a standard 300W heated airer. However, in our tests, we only needed this airer turned on for a fraction of the time of a standard heated drying rack, with even the thickest hoodies and jeans drying in 3 hours max. That's why this quickly became our go-to airer for speedy drying.
Best versatile heated clothes airer
Investing in the Sure Dri Heat Pod Drying System gets you a zippable cover that fits a standard 3-tier airer (which isn't included) and a small motor with a fan that generates warm air and circulates it within the cover to dry wet washing faster.
It's one of the few fan-powered heated airers we've come across that works with a tiered drying rack, which means it combines the larger drying capacity of a tiered rack with the quick drying times of a fan-powered airer. In many ways that combo should this the best heated clothes airer going. However, in practice, we found it isn't quite perfect.
First up, it's fiddly to assemble, and we found that wet washing still needed rotating regularly for even drying, with washing at the top and sides of the airer (furthest from the fan hose) taking longer to dry than items in the middle of the airer. The fan motor is also bulky to store, its controls could be of better quality, and, unlike a silent heated drying rack, that fan motor also means noise.
However, its larger drying space does make the Minky Sure Dri Heat Pod Drying System one of the best heated airers we've come across for drying larger items like towels and sheets, and that circulating warm air meant drying times were considerably faster than using a standard heated drying rack.
Ultimately whether this is the best heated airer for you probably depends on whether you have an existing 3-tier airer you want to convert over winter, the type of washing you want to dry faster, and whether you're happy to accept fan noise in return for faster drying.
Best large capacity heated clothes airer
A new launch from laundry specialist Minky, the brand's 4-Tier Heated Airer with Timer & Cover looks set to give the market-leading Dry:Soon 3-Tier Deluxe Heated Airer a run for its money.
Similarly to the Dry:Soon Deluxe, each drying rack on the Minky SureDri can be folded down independently, which makes it a great option for drying longer items like trousers, towels, and sheets. Like the Dry:Soon Deluxe, it also offers a useful timer function, meaning you can set the airer to heat for drying intervals of up to 9 hours before it will automatically shut off.
On testing, we were also impressed by the Minky SureDri's angled tiers which make hanging washing easier, and allow a little more space to hang longer items without them touching the rack below. Plus, the SureDri comes with a zip-up cover included, whilst the Dry:Soon's must be bought separately. The cover helps to retain the heat and can speed up drying times a little.
However, our favourite feature has to be the fact that the SureDri's clever adjustable feet mean it can be used with one half of the airer folded flat so it fits against a wall – perfect if laundry space can sometimes be limited, or you only have a small load of washing to dry.
And, whilst the SureDri is a bit more bulky when folded flat than the Dry:Soon (the Minky airers folded depth is 15.5cm compared to the Dry:Soon's 8cm depth), because the SureDri is freestanding, it can be stored upright which the Dry:Soon can not.
The only real niggle we have with this airer is the fact that its control panel is on the base of the airer next to the floor, which makes it slightly awkward to operate. The Dry:Soon Deluxe has solved this issue by offering more user-friendly eye-level controls.
The Minky SureDri isn't cheap, and drying times are slower than either of the drying pods in our round-up (either the JML DriBUDDI Heated Indoor Airer or the Dry:Soon Drying Pod), but, if you have a large volume of washing to dry indoors then we think this model is one of the best large capacity heated drying racks available right now.
Best affordable heated clothes airer
A winged drying rack is generally one of the most affordable options to consider if you're looking for the best heated clothes airer on a budget.
This Status model has one of the lowest prices in our round-up, plus it's one of the most economical to run, with a relatively low 220W power usage.
That said, the winged design does mean our testers found clothes were a lot slower to dry compared to a tiered option, with longer garments staying wet at the ends that were furthest from the 18 drying bars – a problem that can be solved by rotating your clothes frequently, but that does make laundry drying a more time-consuming affair.
Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor, Molly Cleary, says 'I love my heated clothes airer and have it on most days during winter. However, I do find this winged design means I need to keep shuffling the clothes around so that all sections of a garment get the chance to touch the bars and dry thoroughly.
If this particular model is out of stock when you come to shop, you'll find a host of other winged heated clothes airers on Amazon.
Amazon bestseller
Unlike the other models in this round-up, the Black + Decker 3-Tier Heated Clothes Airer earned its spot despite having not been tested, because of its good price and regular raving reviews about it from verified purchasers across a multitude of websites; namely Amazon. However, we're pleased to say that we've finally had the pleasure of testing it for ourselves, and it really is as good as they say it is and has since kept its spot in this guide.
Similarly to the comparable Dry:Soon models at the top of this list, this 3-tier drying rack can hold a 15kg load of wet washing, and operates similarly. However, trying to fill all 3 tiers can prove a tad tricky because of the middle bar running through, so I have found myself needing to be quite crafty in the way I decide to hang things. Reviewers have complained about increased drying times when it's packed full, but because I always use it with the cover (which you can buy with the airer, or separately if you already have one) I've never ran into this issue.
The model is foldable, and can be tucked away nicely when it's not in use. Better yet, it even comes with wheels you can attach at the bottom of the legs to allow for easier manoeuvring and portability. These accessories (the cover and the wheels) have made what may have once been a pretty bog-standard heated airer into a game-changing laundry day essential for me.
One of my only biggest gripes is the fact that this heated airer lacks an auto shut-off timer, a feature that comes in useful if you're prone to forgetting to turn your airer off after it's had a few hours to run.
However, it is a lot cheaper to purchase than the Dry:Soon alternatives, with an RRP of £109.99 compared to the entry-level Dry:Soon's £149.99 price tag, so if you have a set budget to play with, this could be an option worth considering. Mind you though, should you choose to buy the bundle with the wheels and cover included, the RRP does shoot up to £139.99, which can call into question whether you're better off just spending that little bit more for an entry-level Dry:Soon.
Best heated clothes airer for drying bed sheets
Dry:Soon's deluxe heated clothes airer isn't as fast at drying as the fan-powered JML DriBUDDi Indoor Airer at the top of this list, and it's more expensive, but it is silent and can cope far better with large volumes of washing. Plus, the right Lakeland discount code may help you cut down this price tag.
It offers the most drying space of any airer we've tested. The 3-tiered design offers 36 heated drying bars overall, which means 21 metres of drying space that can hold up to 15kg of washing. Its generous size means there's a good amount of space between clothes which allows for better airflow and quicker drying times compared to more compact drying racks.
The well-thought-out design also means it copes the best of all the drying racks we've tested with airing longer items like trousers, towels, and even bedsheets. Plus, an eye-level control panel makes for easy use, and an auto shut-off timer means you don't need to worry about remembering to switch it off. Although sizeable once erected, the aluminium frame folds down to just 8cm deep, which makes it easy to tuck it out of sight behind furniture or in a cupboard.
This deluxe version also comes with several attachments (that can be bought separately or as part of a bundle) including detachable castors that mean you can wheel the airer around for loading or unloading, or easily move it out of the way if guests arrive.
Best heated clothes airer for small spaces
Cute and compact, this mini version of the Dry:Soon drying rack is a great option for a smaller space, with its footprint and height both of a more manageable size when unfolded.
Of course, that does mean less drying space. Although its specifications state the Mini 3-Tier Heated Airer can still dry 15kg of wet washing – just like the larger Dry:Soon models – there is only 13m of drying rack space compared to both the larger Dry:Soon airer's 21m.
As well as less heated bars (25 compared to the larger model's 36) each drying bar is also narrower (43cm in width compared to 57cm for the deluxe version) and crucially the distance between each tier is reduced, offering a 33cm gap compared to the deluxe models 37.5cm. This may not sound like much, but in practice, we found it made a real difference to drying times, with the reduced space resulting in reduced airflow around the garments meaning they stayed wet for longer. It also makes hanging longer items without them touching the clothes on the tier below more challenging.
For kids' clothing in particular, it's still a workable size though, and if space is at a premium, it may be the best option for a smaller home.
Best heated clothes airer for drying delicates
Similar to the JML DriBUDDi airer in design, the slightly more expensive Dry:Soon Drying Pod is fan-powered and circulates warm air to dry clothing within the zip-closed cover
On assembly, it became clear that both fan-powered models were very similar in design, although in general, we found the Dry:Soon Drying Pod to be the more sturdy option and the easiest to fit together. The Dry:Soon's threaded components are much easier to twist into a secure fit and the hanging poles are less fiddly to operate as they don't require the depression of a slightly awkward safety catch to lock them into place. However, we did miss the grooves to locate each coat hanger on the DriBUDDi features.
The DriBUDDi can also hold more washing, offering space for 18 coat hangers as opposed to the Dry:Soon Drying Pod's capacity for just 12 items. Both models require clothes to be spread out evenly so that the weight of the washing is well distributed for stability, but when clothes weren't well positioned, we found this model the more stable of the two on its feet.
Performance-wise, the DriBUDDi is slightly more powerful at 1200W compared to the 1000W Dry:Soon Drying Pod, although in practice we didn't see that much difference in drying times. So which would we buy? For the build quality and stability the Dry:Soon Drying Pod gets our vote, but in terms of price, the DriBUDDi is better value in that it's more affordable and has a larger drying capacity, which is why it just pipped the Dry:Soon model to the post in this league table. However, overall, we don't think you'll be disappointed investing in either model.