Finding the best heated clothes airer may not sound like the most exciting of pursuits. But as a means of drying your clothes in winter, these gadgets are hard to beat. Not only is a heated airer far kinder to your treasured garments than tumble drying (it adds years to the lifespan of your clothes), it’s also better for the environment. It eliminates that damp washing smell and is a good way of minimising crinkles, so you might not need to invest in an iron or a steamer. Most heated airers also fold up compactly for storage. The best clothes airer for you will vary depending on the space you have available at home, and the washing you tend to do. In terms of shape, here are the different styles available and the best uses for each: Tiered

Tiered: These collapsible airers fold out to form a cross-like structure that can support heavier weighted clothes whilst taking up very little floor space. They’re compact, sturdy, and (depending on the number of tiers) can hold a whole family wash. Another option for speeding the clothes-drying process is to run a portable dehumidfier in the same room. Dehumidifiers can shorten drying time by 25 percent, while also reducing damp and mould in the home.You'll also want to consider what type of washing you need to dry – longer items like sheets, towels, and adult's dresses and trousers suit a taller airer, whereas children's clothes can fit better on a tiered design.' Key specs – Type: Winged; Open dimensions: 143 x 60 x 100cm (HWD); Closed dimensions: 104 x 60 x 9cm (HWD); Drying space: 13.5m; Weight: 2.8kg; Guarantee: 3 years Running at 300w, it costs 15p an hour to use at current prices. It’s tall enough for hanging long items like trousers and towels, and the adaptable rungs mean you can lay up to six jumpers flat for speedy drying. My colleague Debora Robertson swears by it as the best way of drying bras and Sally Hughes of laundry experts Kair recommends it to make delicates last longer. Manufacturers don’t recommend leaving any electric heated products unattended but in practice, this is how most people use them. Most come with timers and thermostats to choose lower temperatures for longer drying periods. How much do heated air dryers cost to run? Fold down dimensions and floor space: Keep in mind the size of the airer when it’s folded down so that you have room to store it. That said, most are compact and will take up minimal space. How we test clothes airers

It’s effectively a fan on detachable tripod feet with a pole, at the top of which there are six spokes designed to hold up to 12 hangers of spin-dried or well-wrung damp clothing (up to 10kg). It’s particularly useful for shirts and blouses, since being able to hang T-shirts in this way means they dry straight with minimal creases, meaning less ironing. But it’s less useful for drying, say, towels. Amy agrees, 'You'll want to look for an airer that's big enough to accommodate a full laundry load for your household. Most airers give you an idea of how many metres of drying space they offer in their specifications so you can gauge how much washing will fit.' Generally taller and larger than most other airers, a tower airer comprises several horizontal flat sections and some also have hooks at the top for hanging shirts and dresses. Due to their size, they’re great for hanging double or king-size bedding, as well as heavy bath towels. Radiator Heated airers speed up the drying process and provide a gentler method for drying delicates. Instead of wrapping delicates in towels and balancing them precariously on the bathroom radiator, or hanging dresses up in the shower to drip-dry, an electric airer means you can just wring them out gently and lay them flat to dry. How hot do heated clothes dryers get?This airer has a generous 13.5m of drying space, which is more than enough space for a family load. It’s winged, so it has adjustable arms that can lift to accommodate longer items or fold down to save space. It also comes with handy corner hangers that can be used to hold a delicates dryer, or even to dry shirts using clothes hangers. The only sacrifice you’ll need to make is that it’s not as sturdy as more expensive clothes airers on the roundup, which means you’ll need to be careful not to snap the thinner bars with really heavy items such as dripping wet beach towels – items such as these would be best draped over multiple bars. At a fraction of the price of the other airers, though, this one’s a no-brainer. Heated clothes airers are proving exceptionally popular this year, given the high energy prices. My top-rated airers may temporarily sell out. These are currently the best places to look for alternatives:

Hanging corners: These are a great addition to provide extra space for items to dry – some airers can hold up to four items on each corner. These are great for those with no floor space to spare. Some have legs and long wings to make the most of the space above a standard UK bath, but you can also find smaller tent-style designs that attach to the rim of the bath instead. Tower Guarantees: As mentioned before, finding a clothes airer with a good warranty is always beneficial because if and when it does break, you’re covered. Keep an eye out for this when purchasing an airer. The best clothes airers you can buy in 2023 1. John Lewis 3-Tier Heated Indoor Clothes Airer: Best heated clothes airer

Over-door and over-radiator: These clothes airers do exactly what they say on the tin – hang over doors and radiators, making them perfect if you live somewhere with little floor space. They also harness the heat from your radiators, so they’re great at drying clothes in the winter. However, they have far less hanging space than free-standing clothes airers, despite being generally cheaper.

Rather than heated rungs, this variation on the heated airer features a 70C fan. It circulates hot air around your clothes, which are encased in a tent-like, ventilated outer cover. This means it dries clothes faster than other airers. Heated airers can look pretty same-y but this John Lewis option stands out from the crowd thanks to one small thing: shoe dryers. If you’ve been caught out in a storm and had to stuff your shoes full of old newspapers of kitchen towels to dry them, only to find them still slightly soggy the next day, this is for you. Tiered airers have several levels, four feet and a signature concertina criss-cross look. They’re assembled in one swift pulling motion and pushed down to revert them to folded. These multi-level airers come in different sizes but they tend to have enough space to hang an everyday load of washing including hand towels, T-shirts, shorts, trousers and delicates. Gated Drying space: This is one feature of clothes airers that you don’t want to overlook. This is the total length of all the drying rungs added together as if they formed one long clothesline. Obviously, if you’re a big family you’ll want more drying space, but if you’re living alone this could be something you can compromise on.

The verdict: Heated clothes airers

Usually suitable for standing in the bathtub or on a balcony, they have two large fold-out wings that are perfect for hanging longer items such as towels, trousers and maxi dresses. Most winged models also have flat sections — either between the wings or between the leg rungs — that are great for drying delicates and smaller items. Due to their large wings, they tend to be quite tall even when folded down. Bathtub Key specs – Type: Heated; Open dimensions: 135 x 66 x 72.8cm (HWD); Closed dimensions: 140 x 66 x 7cm (HWD); Drying space: 15m; Weight: 5.5kg; Guarantee: 2 years