If you don’t have a garden in which to put up a clothesline – or the space inside the home for a tumble dryer – you’ll need the best clothes airer you can find to dry your washing.
There are four types of clothes airers: tiered, winged, folding or tower.
Tiered designs pull up in a concertina shape and are usually three tiers high; they’re the best option if you have limited space to dry your clothes.
Winged types have a criss-cross base section and ‘winged’ sections that project out to the side.
They’re larger than tiered ones so require a bit more room, but there’s usually more space for air to circulate around the clothes so they’ll dry quicker.
Folding styles – usually with three or four sections – are often the cheapest and the easiest to store when not in use as they’re less bulky.
Finally, tower airers have a combination of vertical and horizontal bars on which to hang clothes, and often an area to hook on clothes hangers – a great addition if you wash a lot of shirts.
These, like tiered types, take up less room than other designs.
Obviously, the more bars on an airer, the more clothes you can hang up, but be careful not to overload them with heavy items, such as jeans and bulky jumpers, as they can collapse under the weight.
There are even heated airers available to speed up the drying process. Here’s our pick of the best designs to suit all spaces and budgets.
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Wayfair Accordian Folding Drying Rack
- Accordian Folding Drying Rack, £49.95 from Wayfair – buy here
Think clothes airers can’t look nice? Think again.
This simple and unfussy natural-wood design has four tiers to provide ample drying room and takes up very little space in a room.
BLACK+DECKER BXAR0006GB Deluxe Hanging Airer
- BLACK+DECKER BXAR0006GB Deluxe Hanging Airer, £44.99 from Amazon – buy here
This folding design is made from plastic so it’s super lightweight, and can be placed in any shape, depending on the space you have available.
The varied bars make it particularly good for drying bigger items such as towels, as well as lots of smaller garments, including socks.
Minky Tower 40m Indoor Clothes Airer
- Minky Tower 40m Indoor Clothes Airer, £32 from Argos – buy here
If you have a family to wash for and seem to find yourself with endless piles of washing, a tower airer is your best bet as they can dry the most clothes in one sitting.
On this one there’s also a useful space for clothes hangers and both vertical and horizontal drying bars.
Ikea Frost Drying Rack in White
- Frost Drying Rack in White, £12 from Ikea – buy here
This winged design has more bars than you can shake a stick at, making it perfect for large loads of washing.
It does, however, need quite a lot of room, so is best for those who have plenty of space in a spare bedroom, for example.
Despite that, you definitely can’t fault the price.
Addis Deluxe 3 Tier Airer
- Addis Deluxe 3 Tier Airer, £30 from Dunelm – buy here
We like this tiered clothes airer because the makers have taken a classic design and made it better with the addition of sock pegs and a net section on the top for silky items, like lingerie and satin camisoles, that are likely to slip off the drying bars.
Because it’s tiered, it doesn’t take up much room either.
Dry:Soon Standard 3-Tier Heated Tower Airer
Dry:Soon Standard 3-Tier Heated Tower Airer, £144.99 from Lakeland – buy here
Made from lightweight aluminium, just plug this heated airer into the mains and you’re good to go.
It has 21m of drying room, with three spacious tiers that can hold up to 5kg each of clothing.
It also folds down ultra-compactly, to just 8cm deep.
Fans absolutely swear by it – and like that it doubles as a heater in the cold months.
Brabantia T-Model Foldable Indoor Clothes Airer
- Brabantia T-Model Foldable Indoor Clothes Airer, £75.55 from Amazon – buy here
Ideal for drying a large load of washing (it can support 20kg), Brabantia’s clothes airer with wings includes a shelf for drying delicates flat.
It boasts protective edges to ensure your floor is protected and folds down flat when not in use.
‘Well made steel, got fed up of the cheaper ones breaking all the time (waste of money)’, writes a reviewer.
Wilko Grid Airer
- Grid Airer, £3 from Wilko – buy here
This petite grid airer is designed for your socks and pants, and wins points for versatility.
Hang it on a chair, cupboard door or washing line, it works indoors or out and includes a few integrated hooks.
Leifheit Telegant Protect36 Wall Mounted Clothes Airer
- Leifheit Telegant Protect36 Wall Mounted Clothes Airer, £39 from John Lewis – buy here
Practical and popular with anyone looking for a clothes airer that doesn't take up any space, this wall-mounted design is 'compact and really tidy'.
It features eight pull-out steel rails, an additional towel rail and a 3.6m drying capacity.
MADE Essentials Moss X Wing Clothes Airer
- MADE Essentials Moss X Wing Clothes Airer, £29 from Made – buy here
While appearance is probably the last consideration when it comes to getting a functional clothes airer, it doesn't hurt that Made's sleek black metal design looks so appealing.
The expanding design will 'easily fit a machine load' and fans like that it's 'well made' and 'folds up well'.
Robert Dyas Vileda Mixer 3 Tower Indoor Airer
- Vileda Mixer 3 Tower Indoor Airer, £29.99 from Robert Dyas – buy here
The Vileda Mixer 3 Tower Indoor Airer from Robert Dyas can fit up to three loads of washing, so you don't have to wait for one lot to dry before airing out another.
There are even hooks for hangers, so you can really make the most of the storage space.
John Lewis & Partners Extendable Over Bath Airer
- John Lewis & Partners Extendable Over Bath Airer, £22 from John Lewis – buy here
If you're pushed for space, then an over-the-bath airer like this one from John Lewis will take up a lot less room.
Not only is it expandable, allowing drying space of up to 11m, it can also be laid flat to dry off more delicate clothing.
How much do clothes airers cost?
Clothes airers aren't just better for the environment – they're better for your pocketbook, too.
You can pick up a lightweight-yet-sturdy clothes airer for under £20 – Ikea has a popular version for a tenner – although you can invest more upfront with a heated clothes airer.
Lakeland's popular Dry:Soon heated tower airer will set you back over £100 upfront, but costs less than 6p an hour to run.
Compare that to a tumble dryer – typically upwards of 35p an hour to run – and a heated clothes airer can be an effective, space- and money-saving solution for the home.
Where's the best place to buy a clothes airer?
Amazon and Argos are known for their extensive selection of clothes airers, from top-rated brands like Vileda and Brabantia.
You can also try homewares stores like John Lewis and Lakeland for clothes airers in a range of different styles.
Looking for more great household goods? Read more home products reviews.
Enjoyed our roundup of the best clothes airers? Check out our full range of product reviews in the Sun Selects homepage.
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