Drying your clothes needn’t be difficult with Argos Home’s 3-Tier Indoor Airer

RRP at time of testing: £14 | Check price at Argos

My verdict

I’m always the first to admit it: I hate doing the washing. If AI is allegedly taking over the world, I want to see a robot that can take my washing out of the machine, hang it on an airer, fold it when dry and put it away. That way I can crack on with more interesting things like practising the piano or play football with my kids in the garden.

Sadly, I fear we’re a few steps away from that still and so, doing the washing remains firmly on my daily chores list. And as ever - because I am the furthest away from domestic goddess as you can imagine - anything that makes it just that little bit tedious always wins points with me. 

For the last two years I’ve been using the coveted Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-Tier heated airer, which for my family of four, has worked perfectly. Though while it’s great at space and drying speed, it is a humongous thing that still, even after two years, doesn’t quite have a place ‘to live’ in our home. It gets shoved down the side of the staircase. It’s also a faff getting it out and set up for smaller, daily loads of washing that I do throughout the week. Argos Home’s 3-tier indoor airer, however, helps solve this reluctance-to-put-the-washing-out of mine.

The airer arrives fully assembled and can be opened and used straight away

This Argos airer made a decent first impression for £14. It’s tall rather than wide, has three levels of drying space and folds thin enough to slip in my utility cupboard (ie. out of sight and not next to my staircase). It’s easy to open, close, move, lift, carry… Though, getting the supporting arms into position does take a little more care than it should. 

Its biggest advantage is also its potential weakness. It’s an extremely light airer, which is great when you need to move it between rooms. But the frame initially felt wobblier than my usual go-to. 

Then again, I’m not daft: this was never going to be an airer that could handle overstuffed family washes that involve towels, P.E. hoodies and dog blankets. Instead, it shines when I need to hang smaller loads out without much effort. And to be fair, Argos does say it can handle a one wash load that weighs 14kg max. It also has corner holders for hangers! Tiny holes that make it easier to hang things out without having to place them on at a dodgy angle! 

As a result - anyone in search of a quick go-to that’s reliably slim, easy to move around and can hold enough for a small wash (students, couples, families that are organised enough to put a load on every morning…), this might just be the one for you. 

How we’ve tested Argos Home’s clothes airer

Admittedly, this isn’t a review after long-term testing. The airer has been in my home for two weeks now, but has slotted into my routine nicely. Throughout use I’ve opened and folded it repeatedly - checking the frames and joints - all while assessing its size, weight, tier arrangement and stability. 

I’ve also considered drying access between the tiers, how easy it is to move while loaded and whether repeated folding has any effect on the joints or locking mechanism. Riveting stuff. 

What’s in the box packaging? 

The airer arrives as one folding unit, so there are no screws or instructions requiring an engineering degree. It can be opened and used immediately. Simply remove the plastic wrapping and you’re ready to go.

The airer folds almost completely flat for storage, although it still had to pass the customary canine inspection

Argos Home 3-Tier Indoor Airer: Design, stability and capacity

There’s no beating about the bush. This is very much a standard, budget clothes airer. It has three narrow tiers, a white slim frame but comes with corner holders that you can hook your clothes hangers on to. It’s tall but only 63cm wide and 48cm deep when open, so it uses height rather than sprawling across half of my lounge like my rather large Dry:Soon deluxe. 

For a family who needs to do large loads, it’s unlikely to be the right option for you. But for students, couples or families who do frequent, daily loads, I’m sure it’d do the job just fine.

Argos lists 14 metres of drying room and it should be able to hold a 14kg maximum load and capacity for one wash. Throughout testing, it has managed to hold loads lighter than 10kg for me just fine with no issue - though the space between each shelf is a little tight depending on the type of item you’re hanging. That said, the shelves also allow flat drying. 

As for how sturdy it is - the frame did feel wobbly during the first setup. Though, I’m used to using my more robust Dry:Soon so anything is lighter than that. It’s yet to tip during use, but I do consciously make sure to load it evenly each time. The last thing I want is it to topple over behind me while on a Google Meet call.

The lightweight frame is easy to move, but it felt a little wobbly during the initial setup

Folding and storage of Argos Home’s 3-tier indoor clothes airer

At just 2.56kg, it’s very easy to lift and move - and shove out of sight behind the door of my utility room. More specifically: it folds to 5.2cm deep, 63cm wide and 76cm high, so it can easily slide beside a wardrobe or against a wall. The retaining rail is simple once lined up - just don’t accidentally trap your pinky finger like I did.

Argos Home 14m 3-Tier Indoor Airer: is it good value?

Fourteen pounds for a full wash load’s worth of listed drying room does look appealing, especially for students, couples or smaller families. The compact footprint suits halls and smaller flats - and thanks to its lightweight frame, it’s easy enough to shuffle between rooms without pulling a muscle.

Tall rather than wide, the airer makes good use of vertical space without taking over the room

Final verdict: is this the clothes airer for you? 

After two weeks, this rather unglamorous little airer has made itself surprisingly useful. It won’t replace my Dry:Soon when I’m facing a hefty wash full of towels, P.E. hoodies and dog blankets. For smaller daily loads, though, it’s far less of a faff to get out, fill and put away again.

The lightweight frame still feels wobblier than my usual airer and I’m careful to spread washing evenly across it. That said, it hasn’t tipped over, the joints have held up to repeated folding and it has comfortably managed my loads weighing under 10kg. The 14 metres of drying room is generous for something that takes up relatively little floor space, although the narrow gaps between the tiers work better for everyday clothes than long or bulky items.

For £14, I think it’s excellent value. It’s particularly well suited to students, couples and families who wash little and often, or anyone looking for a compact second airer that can be shoved out of sight afterwards. If you want a heavyweight laundry workhorse, this isn’t it.

If you want something cheap, light and useful for regular smaller loads, it does the job very nicely.

About the author

Rebecca Roberts (aka Beccy) is our resident lifestyle expert with a practical focus on sleep, wellness and everyday comfort. She’s equally at home tackling frank, NSFW‑adjacent topics as she is road‑testing kitchen appliances, mattresses and vacuums that work for real parents. As a mum of two, she writes with the time‑poor, sleep‑deprived in mind - honest product reviews, realistic routines and products that make parents’ lives easier.

When she’s not at her desk, she’s probably product‑testing with her two helpers, corralling a PTA or walking her two dogs up and down country lanes.

About Mumsnet reviews

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All prices are correct at time of writing.

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