For anyone living in a small house or flat, drying laundry during the winter tends to involve deciding between using an energy-guzzling tumble dryer and a standard clothes horse that can leave damp garments lingering for days. But the best heated clothes airers offer a happy compromise.
Tumble dryers may speed things up, but they’re expensive to buy and costly to run. At the other end of the scale, budget clothes horses are affordable but far from efficient. But heated clothes airers – such as my go-to model from Dunelm – offer a smart, energy-efficient alternative and can be a genuine game-changer on laundry day.
Not only are they relatively cheap to buy, with most models starting from around £40, they’re also inexpensive to run. Since moving into a small flat, I’ve been completely converted. Before discovering heated airers, my washing would either sit forlornly in the corner for days, or I’d cave and use the tumble dryer while watching my energy bills creep up – a choice between damp clothes or damp spirits.
Now, my three-tier heated airer dries up to two full loads in just a couple of hours, meaning there’s no permanent airer-shaped eyesore in the flat. The Dunelm model also happens to be one of the cheapest three-tier heated airers on the market, making it even more appealing.
Read more: Best heated clothes airers, tried and tested
How I tested
I’ve been relying on the Dunelm heated airer for more than a year now, using it for big laundry loads (think towels and bed sheets), as well as smaller items such as underwear, socks and tops. Considering how well the airer tackles all kinds of materials, from knitwear to cotton and satin, I’ve assessed how long it takes for clothes to go from damp to wardrobe-ready, as well as considering the appliance’s economical credentials. You can read more about my testing process at the end of this article.
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Dunelm three-tier heated airer
Dimensions: H 138cm x W 72cm x L 78cm
Capacity: Up to 15kg of washing
Wattage: 330W
Running cost: About 9p an hour
Why we love it
- Easy to assemble and collapse
- Space-saving
- Fast drying times
- Heats up quickly
The airer arrives fully assembled, so you can start using it right away. Despite its generous size (138cm x 72cm x 78cm), the wings fold downwards, making it easier to store, as it can simply slide into an airing cupboard when not in use.
The three-tiered design is tall but not too wide, making it ideal for smaller flats and houses. Plus, the airer boasts a long cable, giving you more choice in terms of where you can place it.
There’s ample space for drying clothes, with the rails able to hold around two loads of washing (up to 15kg). I found smaller items such as underwear and socks were dry within two hours, while T-shirts were dry within three.
For larger items, such as tops, jumpers and jeans or trousers, I found it’s best to position them across multiple rails, for quicker drying times. The same goes for towels and bed sheets, which can take up most of the available space when drying. These larger items take around six hours to dry fully but the airer is touted as being safe for overnight use or leaving on while you’re at work, so you can wake up or return home to dry laundry.
When it’s very cold in my flat (I can be stubborn about turning on the heating), clothes take a little longer to dry but an unexpected plus is that the appliance heats the area around it, making the room feel a little warmer overall. Simply plug it in next to your WFH spot, for extra toastiness.
Dunelm roughly calculates the airer costs about 9p an hour to run (at time of writing). On days when the airer was switched on for up to six hours, my bills remained low, making it a far more cost-effective method than using a tumble dryer, which caused my electricty to spike above average.
Buy now £95, Dunelm.com
Is the Dunelm three-tier heated airer worth it?
If you’re looking for a space-saving solution for drying clothes quickly and cheaply during winter, you won’t regret investing in Dunelm’s heated airer. The three-tiered design means there’s enough space to dry whole loads in just a few hours, making laundry day a breeze. Plus, you can safely leave it on overnight or while you’re out. With the device costing just 9p an hour to run, what’s not to love?
How I tested the Dunelm heated airer
As with all of my IndyBest reviews, I tested the heated clothes airer following the strict criteria below.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
As senior shopping writer, Daisy has been reviewing and writing about products since 2020. She applies the same strict testing approach to everything she reviews, from air fryers and mattresses to heated airers and clothing. The wider IndyBest team also offers insights on other laundry-room essentials, such as laundry baskets, washer-dryers and even steam irons. The team strives to offer all kinds of recommendations for making your home more efficient and cosy, with reviews of products like electric heaters and smart thermostats.
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