Best clothes airers for drying laundry all year round: Heated and traditional options

Clothes airers for drying your washing have come a long way since the ways of the collapsible almost-sure-to-end-up-on-the-floor-at-some-stage models.

You no longer need a degree in engineering to negotiate their complex erection – these days, you can expect them to snap into place out of the box and have lots of little extras like hooks to hold hangers and extendable frames. Some you can plug in for speedier drying, some can be left permanently outdoors, and some come in pod form, where clothes hung on hangers dry in an enclosed heated space.

Are heated airers worth it?

While electric airers and pods also come with a heating charge, the cost is considerably less than running a tumble dryer. We’ve detailed hourly running costs, where possible, for all the electrical products we tested to make comparisons easy.

The tumble dryer is becoming a less attractive choice due to rising electricity costs, its unfavourable effects on the planet and you have to find space for it in your home to start with. An average tumble dry cycle produces just under 2kg of CO2 each time – add up your yearly drying load and that’s quite a lot of carbon released into the atmosphere. Not to mention the increased cost of your electricity bill and potential damage to your clothes, which also has implications for your green credentials as you’ll have to replace them more often.

And, of course, once you’ve made the initial outlay, traditional clothes airers dry clothes for free every time. While nothing beats the fresh-air smell of clothes dried on a washing line outdoors, the vagaries of the weather mean this isn’t a year-round option – most of us have an indoor airer tucked away somewhere for inevitable wet days.

There are several different designs on the market, so it pays to do your research and find the best option to suit your needs and your available space. Whether you have a large family or it’s just you