I've found a budget heated clothes airer that won't take over your room – and it's under £50

If you've been thinking about buying a heated clothes airer ahead of the colder weather, I've found a budget Beldray option that really impressed me in testing. The Beldray winged electric heated airer, £49.99, is affordable, quick to heat up and most importantly, I found it surprisingly speedy at drying my clothes.

Having tested plenty of the best heated clothes airers, I know that you can easily spend upwards of £100 on one. But what stood out to me about this Beldray airer was just how effective it felt for its price. It also has a relatively compact, familiar winged design, so it didn't feel like it was taking over the room, which is a huge bonus if you're trying to dry laundry in a smaller space.

Here's a little more about why it's an absolute bargain and a must-buy.

Speed was one of the first things I noticed about this heated airer. Its heated bars get warm quickly, so you don't have to wait long for it to start getting to work on damp laundry.

However, there is a knack to getting the best results from this winged style of heated airer. Because the heat is concentrated around the bars, I found it worked best when I moved and repositioned my clothes periodically. This helps different parts of the items come into contact with the heated rails rather than one section drying much faster than the rest.

Alternatively, I took heated airer advice from the laundry experts, and rather than hanging one garment from a single bar, you can drape it across a number of heated bars. This gives more of the fabric contact with the heat and can help it dry more evenly. I've found that this is particularly handy for smaller items, such as my kids' clothes, which fit easily across the main section without taking up too much drying space.

I'd also recommend using it with a heated airer cover, like Beldray's cover, £7.99 on Amazon. A cover helps trap the warm air around your laundry rather than allowing it to escape straight into the room, creating a warmer environment and helping the airer work more effectively.

Its size was another big win for me. Some of the larger three-tier models I've tested offer a huge amount of drying space, but they can feel cumbersome, especially in smaller homes. The winged design of this one felt much more manageable while still providing enough space for an everyday load of washing.

Now, I'll admit, it is a fairly simple heated airer, but I don't necessarily see that as a negative. If you want an affordable way to speed up indoor drying without a huge appliance taking over your room, this does the job remarkably well.

More heated clothes airers I rate

And if this heated clothes airer isn't quite fitting with what you need, there are plenty of other models I rate that are well worth a look.

If you're a heated airer that won't cost a fortune ot ake over a room, I think this Beldray model is a brilliant budget buy. It's simple, heats up quickly and with a little repositioning of your clothes as they dry, gets the job done. Happy drying!