Anyone living in a small house or flat will know the woes of drying clothes during winter – myself included. While a tumble dryer can dramatically speed things up, the appliances are expensive to buy and costly to run. On the other hand, a bog standard clothes horse is budget-friendly but can leave damp laundry lingering for days on end (not to mention the wet dog smell).
That’s where the best heated clothes airers come in. These clever, energy-efficient appliances are a true game changer for laundry day. Affordable to buy – often starting from around £40 – and inexpensive to run, heated airers are a happy compromise between slow air-drying and costly tumble drying. Since moving into a small flat, I’m completely converted.
Before using a heated airer, my laundry was either a pitiful sight in the corner of the room for days or I was forced to rely on the tumble dryer while watching my energy bills climb (a choice between damp clothes or damp spirits, you could say).
Now, my three-tiered heated airer can dry up to two loads of laundry in just a couple of hours, meaning there’s no constant airer-shaped eyesore in the flat. Hailing from Dunelm, the heated airer is one of the cheapest three-tier options on the market, too.
Read more: Best heated clothes airers for 2026, tried and tested
How we 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. Here’s why you need to invest...
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 7p 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 7p an hour to run. 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
The verdict: Dunelm three-tier heated airer
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 7p an hour to run, what’s not to love?
How I tested the Dunelm heated airier
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 heatersand smart thermostats.
Looking for more recommendations? These are the best heated clothes airers, tested by experts