AS a mum of two boisterous girls, the amount of washing we get through every week still blows my mind.

It needs a load put on every day if I'm to keep on top of it and wash baskets soon turn into warzones if I dare to take a bit of time out.

More than half the battle is drying, and I have to admit, over the years, I’ve become a ninja clothes horse hanger (this is not something I thought I’d ever be boasting about, but times change and ambitions lower).

Generally, it takes about 18 hours to completely dry a load in my house on a conventional non-heated clothes horse, which is nowhere near a radiator. If you hang it out one day, it's generally dry the next.

So, for a while, I could never really understand the point of heated clothes dryers. But after trying them out for Sun Shopping, I'm now a complete convert.

They massively reduce condensation, which can lead to horrible damp patches around the house.

Plus, if you’re suddenly reminded three minutes before bedtime that the next day is PE and their horrible stained tee is still in a ball in a corner, a heated dryer means you’ll have it washed and ready by breakfast without it costing an arm and a leg.

At roughly 7p to 10p an hour to run, the cost comparison to a tumble dryer is an absolute no-brainer.

Studies have shown it costs £1.51 to run a tumble dryer for £178 annually.

How we tested heated clothes airers

Our reviewers tested the heated clothes airers in real-life situations at home, using them to dry their family wash.

They tested how practical the airers were to use, how much space they took up when in use and if they were foldable or easy to store away.

Our testers also considered how they looked and how much energy they consumed, in addition to factors such as cable length, whether the airer came with a cover for quicker drying and extras such as different temperature and time settings.

How much each airer can dry at any one time depends on the size of the appliance, with some airers able to handle full wash loads, while others have limited capacity so are better suited to one or two-person households rather than larger families.

1. Black and Decker 3-Tiered Heated Airer

Black and Decker 3-Tiered Heated Airer, £109.99 from Robert Dyas

• Pros: Doesn't take up a lot of room, folds away, six hours to dry
• Cons: Unsightly
• Rating: 4/5

The daddy of all dryers, this is a large aluminium beast boasting 21 metres of drying space, which is incredible.

I managed to get two whole loads on one dryer - and that's the ultimate time saver.

It comes flat and then slickly folds out with shelves you click in, and although it's 140cm high and 73cm wide, it folds down really smoothly.

It's activated with a simple switch without timers, and, as with all these products, I never think the (1.6m) power cable is long enough; unless you start involving extension leads, you're trapped into where you can put it.

And although it doesn’t take up a huge amount of room, once it’s got the cover on top, it's rather imposing and not that attractive, which is not ideal if you live out of one room.

However, one load dried in only six hours with the hood on, which is absolutely brilliant.

I don’t think I’d use the cover unless I needed really speedy drying, as it works very well without it.

Capacity: 15kg, Size: 140cm H x 73cm W x 68cm D Power 3000W

2. Argos Home 11.5m Heated Electric Indoor Clothes Airer

Argos Home 11.5m Heated Electric Indoor Clothes Airer, £50

• Pros: Sturdy, easily hang a family load of washing on it, 10kg capacity, lightweight
• Cons: Basic
• Rating: 4/5

This Argos heated clothes airer does exactly what it says on the tin.

It folds out nicely, looks sturdy, and boasts a large drying area over 18 smooth-to-the-touch racks.

You could easily hang a family load of washing on there; it says it can take up to 10kg.

It folds up small, and crucially, it's lightweight, so it can be carried and stored away when you don’t need it.

Also, this is ideal for taking outside in the summer when you don’t need to heat it.

It's basic but decent and heats to a nice temperature; a really good budget buy.

Capacity: 10kg, Size: H93 x W84 x D54cm Power: 120 watts

3. Asda Heated Winged Clothes Airer

Asda Heated Winged Clothes Airer, £40

• Pros: Easy to set up, cheap to run
• Cons: Took nine hours to fully dry clothes, 5KG capacity
• Rating: 4/5

Asda’s airer was much easier to set up than the other winged airers and the legs are already attached. 

During the drying process, I found the clothes weren’t drying fully and needed to be moved twice. 

It took approximately nine hours to dry completely, which cost around 56p.

Thicker items like towels and heavier t-shirts took the longest, while lighter bits like sports bras and socks took far less.

That’s because the gadget uses 230W of energy, which is the equivalent of 6p an hour.

Capacity: 5kg, Size: H54 x W147 x D94 cm, Power: 230 watts

4. JML DriBUDDI Heated Indoor Airer

JML DriBUDDI Heated Indoor Airer, £79 from Argos

• Pros: Six hours to dry load
• Cons: Loud when in use, doesn't fold down after use, doesn't have largest capacity
• Rating: 3/5

This was an unusual style of drier we’d not seen before, with a - rather loud - fan attached to a tower from which you hang your clothes up. 

Unlike some of the others, you have to put the contraption together yourself, and it doesn’t fold down, which is definitely a downside. 

It also doesn’t hold as many clothes as the usual airers, although there’s no denying it’s quicker at drying than some of the others.

While loose tops took a couple of hours, jeans and thick jumpers took about double that. 

This airer was slightly more expensive though, it uses 1200W an hour. 

It took around six hours to dry the full load which equates to £1.94 in total.

Capacity: 10kg, Size: H: 133cm, D: 64cm, Power: 850 watts

5. Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-Tier Heated Airer and Cover Bundle

Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-Tier Heated Airer and Cover Bundle, £222.49 Was £244.98

• Pros: Large capacity, saves money in the long run, worth the price, bundle includes cover
• Cons: Expensive if you're on a budget
• Rating: 5/5

Lakeland's Deluxe 3-Tier Heated Airer is the priciest airer on this list, so I was intrigued to see if it would significantly speed up drying times.

Its large size means it’s not ideal for tight spaces, but the well-designed cover with zips helps insulate the heat effectively.

After hanging my washing on it and placing the cover on top, each time I went to check up on how things were doing, warm air wafted out from under the cover – so it held in the heat.

While moving it can be cumbersome due to its size and weight, the savings from the reduced dryer and radiator use could make up for the high cost.

And although expensive, I think it’s an investment worth considering – proving that quality often justifies the price.

Capacity: 15kg, Size: 70 x 74 x 132.5cm H. Folds to 8cm deep, Power: 300W

6. Lakeland Dry Soon Mini 3-Tier Heated Airer

Dry Soon Mini 3-Tier Heated Airer, £119.99 at Lakeland

• Pros: Great size, good for smaller spaces, fit a week's worth of washing on it
• Cons: Pricey cover not included
• Rating: 4/5

This Lakeland heated clothes airer comes without a cover, unlike the other two I tried.

You have to buy the separately, which is available from the retailer for an extra £39.99 - pricey!

But what’s great about this airer is its size. It has three layers and is tall, rather than folding out like the Aldi one, which can be extremely beneficial for smaller spaces.

It also has more bars to dry clothes on than the two from Amazon and Aldi I tested, holding a week’s worth of washing.

Lastly, it uses only 229Wph, which means it costs 62p for eight hours of usage.

Capacity: 15kg Size: 60 x 63 x 113.5cm Power: 198W

Review by Hayley Minn

7. Amazon Concise Home Electric Clothes Dryer

Concise Home Electric Clothes Dryer, £49.99 - from Amazon

• Pros: Only takes two hours to dry clothes, can double as a heater
• Cons: Unsightly, burning smell, loud
• Rating: 3/5

This dryer from Amazon is slightly different to the other ones I tested, as it uses an electric fan rather than heated rails to warm up the clothes.

While this dryer uses considerably more energy (940Wph), it dries clothes a lot quicker, needing at the most two hours of run time.

Once it's done, it turns itself off automatically, so despite its higher energy use, it still costs just 64p to run.

The fan can also double as a heater, although it was quite loud and had a slight burning smell.

The other problem with this dryer is that the cover is quite ugly, bright blue. It also doesn’t fold away, which means you’re stuck with an unsightly box in your home at all times - there's no hiding this one.

Capacity: 15kg, Size: 140 x 45 x 60cm Power: 1000W

Review by Hayley Minn

8. Aldi Ambiano Heated Upright Airer

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Aldi Ambiano Heated Upright Airer, £79.99 - no longer available

• Pros: Cheaper than others on the market, includes drying cover and extra racks, heats up fast, dries up to 30kg of washing
• Cons: Bulky and hard to store, not very lightweight, average drying results
• Rating: 3/5

This Aldi heated clothes airer was released in stores on October 20th and flew off the shelves.

Priced at £79.99, it's more affordable than competitors – and with running costs under 9p per hour, it's an appealing budget-friendly option.

The unit is large, cumbersome, and requires assembly with a screwdriver.

While it boasts multiple racks and accessories like mesh shelves and peg hangers, these additions don’t all heat up.

And though effective for up to 30kg of laundry, thicker items need rotating for full drying.

My overall verdict is that it’s good but not exceptional. You can read more in my Aldi heated air tried and tested review.

Capacity: Up to 30kg, Size: 140 x 45 x 60cm Power: 300W

Review by Rebecca Miller

Best electric heated clothes airers FAQs

Do heated clothes airers use a lot of electricity?

The majority of heated clothes airers are not expensive, with some costing as little as 3p an hour to run.

However, it's best to check with your energy provider to get an estimate on how much it costs to run a heated clothes airer.

Heated airers are actually more environmentally friendly than having your heating on and drying your clothes on a non-electric drying rack.

You can save money on energy bills by investing in one, that's for sure.

Are heated clothes airers worth it?

Think of electric heated clothes airers as an upgrade from your bog-standard drying racks.

Often, letting clothes dry on an ordinary airer can leave them smelling damp because they just take too long to dry without the help of sunshine. Britain's not reliable for that either.

Heated clothes airers are definitely worth spending money on in terms of saving time and money on central heating.

The airers we tested did the job and the best of the mid-tier models were distinguished by their energy efficiency and the low cost of running them.

We also love heated airers that can be folded and stored away easily.

This means if your room is small you don't have to have the airer constantly in your view and you can put it out of sight when you're not using it.

How long do heated airers take to dry clothes?

The time it takes to dry your clothes on a heated clothes airer depends on the capacity your airer can hold and its maximum temperature.

Cotton or linen will usually dry in three to four hours on your heated airer, whereas thicker fabrics such as knit jumpers might take ten hours.

Each heated clothes airer has individual instructions, although they are generally similar to operate — you hang your clothes on the airer, plug it in and switch it on.

Maximum temperature varies between brands and even between products, however, the top temperature seems to be around 60 degrees.

If the space your airer is situated in is breezy, then the temperature will drop, and as a result, take longer to fully dry your clothes.

Most airers we tested took between two and six hours to dry a load of clothing.

But that's much quicker than an old-fashioned, non-electric one.

Can I leave my electric clothes dryer on overnight?

If used responsibly, heated clothes airers are perfectly safe to use, although they shouldn't be left on overnight or unattended.

As with anything that emits heat, electric clothes dryers can be fire hazards when left on for too long.

When using any electrical appliance in and around the home, you should always read the instructions and safety advice before using it.

Best way to dry clothes/ hang clothes on a heated airer

When hanging clothes on a heated clothes airer, think of it as playing Tetris with your laundry.

Start with heavier items like jeans or towels on the outer bars as they need all the extra heat they can get.

Hang shirts and PJs in the middle, where they can soak in the warmth.

The key is not to cram everything in as your clothes need space for air to circulate so it dries properly.

Pair the lightest items like socks and underwear together on the smaller bars, as they'll be the quickest to dry.

For best results, you'll want to rotate your clothes halfway through for an even finish.