Minky Freestanding Portable Rotary Airer review: I was sceptical at first... now I'm a convert

Price on writing: £35 | Buy now from Amazon

How I tested

I used the Minky Freestanding Portable Rotary Airer across multiple loads of laundry in my own home, both indoors and outdoors. Most of the testing happened in my garden, including a particularly windy day, with wind speeds up to 23mph, to see how stable it really is. I also used it indoors with a dehumidifier to check drying performance and practicality indoors.

Related: Best rotary washing lines

My verdict

I must admit, when I first saw the Minky Freestanding Portable Rotary Airer, I was slightly sceptical. Most rotary or retractable washing lines call for power tools, concrete, or at the very least a good wallop from a mallet to keep them in place. Freestanding anything tends to promise more stability than it delivers, and I fully expected a bit of wobble or worse once it was loaded up.

In practice, it’s far more solid than I expected, and I'm genuinely impressed. It's easy and straightforward to set up, and much more lightweight than a full-size whirlygig. Even before adding washing, I tested it by hanging a heavy peg bag off one corner. It stayed put without any drama, which immediately made it feel more reliable than other indoor clothes airers, which all seem to fall over the moment they're brought outdoors.

In everyday use, the washing line comfortably takes a full load. With 15m of line, there’s enough spacing to avoid everything bunching together, and it feels well balanced even when you’re not distributing weight perfectly.

The real advantage is flexibility. Being able to move it around the garden as the sun shifts is genuinely useful. My Minky retractable washing line has double the drying space, but cuts right down the centre of the garden, so for a small or single load, I'd be tempted to set this one up in a sunny corner, out of the way.

It's not perfect, of course. It won't hold multiple loads of washing, and much as I would like to say I could pick it up and bring it indoors when it starts raining, it's wider than my doors by a fair way when open. If you do happen to have doors wider than 132cm then you'll be able to avoid the frantic unpegging of washing during a downpour.

When used indoors, it works as well as any other airer, but it does take up more space than a tiered or winged model. It's best designed for use outdoors, where the fresh air can spin the lines and get between the fabrics - but stick a dehumidifier underneath and it'll do a sterling job of drying laundry inside, too.

Read next: Best washing machines

Does the Minky Freestanding Portable Rotary Airer stay upright in the wind?

This was the part I was most doubtful about, so I tested it on a very windy day. I live on the south coast so it does get quite windy, and on the day I tested, wind speeds were up to 23mph. The airer stayed upright all day, without any tipping or leaning.

Even when slightly unevenly loaded with washing, it stayed upright throughout the day. I hung a full load out at 11am and checked it again at 5pm, and everything was still exactly where it should be - more importantly, it was dry.

The lines spin slightly, but they didn't revolve like a fixed rotary washing line might. The slight movement gives a bit of airflow without destabilising the whole structure, and you can easily reposition the airer to get even coverage from the wind and prolong its time in the sun, if need be.

Can the Minky Freestanding Portable Rotary Airer be used indoors?

Yes, and this is where it becomes more than just a garden extra. I used it indoors with a dehumidifier and it worked well.

It does take up a fair bit of space, so it’s better suited to a larger area rather than a cramped kitchen. Most indoor airers are designed to maximise space with tiers, whereas this one is designed to maximise sun and wind exposure, so it's not the most space-saving way to dry a load indoors. But if you’ve got the room, it’s a practical and versatile alternative to a traditional clothes airer.

How easy is the washing line to store?

It’s straightforward to fold up - the mechanism is pretty much the same at both ends, and it's lots lighter than the big metal rotary washing line I had in my old garden. It's 152cm long and 9cm wide when folded, so can be propped up pretty much anywhere out of the way. You can pick it up and carry it without much effort, even when repositioning it mid use with washing pegged on.

If the weather turns, you can bring the whole thing inside with washing still attached, as long as your doorway is wide enough to accommodate it. That’s worth checking before you buy, as the airer is 132cm wide when open.

Read next: Best clothes pegs

Is the Minky Freestanding Portable Rotary Airer good value for money?

Compared to a standard budget rotary washing line like the Argos Home Rotary Airer at £25, this costs more upfront - £35 at the time of writing. The Argos airer has lots more drying space (40m) and is far bigger. However, with this Minky model, it's the versatility you're paying for.

Whether you're looking for a way to dry your laundry in an inconspicuous corner, you're not able to install a fixed line or you like the idea of an indoor-outdoor airer, the portability of the Minky is its stand-out quality.

If you only ever dry clothes outside and have the space for a fixed line, a cheaper option will do. But if you want something that adapts to your day and your space, this feels like money well spent.

About the author

Poppy O'Neill is a Content Editor at Mumsnet and a mother of two. She researches and reviews the products Mumsnetters swear by, with a particular focus on home essentials like steam irons, vacuum cleaners and heated throws.

From a highly recommended retractable washing line to the best quiet fans money can buy, and Mumsnet's favourite dehumidifier to the steam generator iron that'll cut your ironing time in half, she loves to deep-dive into research and find the very best products on the market.