Minky Sure Dri Heat Pod Drying System review

Price on writing: £90 | Buy now from Very

Overall rating: 4/5

What we like

Transforms a standard three-tiered airer into a heated drying pod
Dries clothes in around three hours
Holds a full load of washing
Cover retains moisture to prevent damp

What we don’t like

Fiddly to set up
Top frame is quite large to store
More expensive to run than a traditional heated airer (but still cheaper than a tumble dryer)
Cable feels quite short

Our verdict

A cross between an electric clothes dryer and a drying pod, the Minky Sure Dri Heat Pod Drying System is a clever gadget that can transform any standard three-tiered drying rack into a brand-new heated airer.

It’s a great buy if you already have a three-tiered airer at home and don’t want to part with it or have to find space to store two separate airers.

I found that it dried clothes in around three hours - quicker than a winged airer and on par with a drying pod. However, unlike a drying pod where you typically have to place a limited number of items on hangers, this setup allows you to dry a full load of washing in one go, either by positioning items over the rails or laying them flat.

It’s a little fiddly to set up and the motor is somewhat noisier than others we’ve tested but it’s an innovative design that extends the life of an existing product. And it dries clothes quickly and cheaply when it’s cold and damp. A smart buy for the winter months.

Buy now from Very

Buy now from Argos

Key specs

What’s the Minky Sure Dri Heat Pod Drying System like to set up?

There are three main elements to this product: an electric heater with an extendable tube, a frame that you put on top of your existing airer and a cover that you place over the frame to allow hot air to circulate around your clothes.

You’ll need to slot a tube and nozzle into the electric heater and build the frame before use. My seven-year-old son enjoyed slotting the frame together (to give you an idea of the level of work involved) and I tightened the screws. It’s not quite as easy as a whip-out-of-the-box-and-you're-ready-to-go winged airer but it’s certainly not a complicated process and took us about 15 minutes to complete.

What’s the Minky Sure Dri Heat Pod Drying System like to use day-to-day?

I’ve tested quite a few heated airers over the past few months and it feels like this product brings together the ease of piling your laundry onto a tiered airer and the power you get from a drying pod’s electric heater.

Once items are placed on the airer, you need to position the heating pod next to it, feed the extendable tube underneath and hook it between the bottom rails so that the nozzle sits upright, ready to blast out and circulate hot air. I found this part tricky to begin with - there’s definitely a knack to feeding the tube between the rails and finding a good spot for it and I spent quite a bit of time on my hands and knees figuring this out initially. I also failed to twist the tube onto the heating pod securely so it kept falling off when trying it out for the first time.

Assembly issues aside, the heating pod is easy to use with a simple on/off dial and four temperature settings. I tended to use the max setting and set the timer to run for three hours when drying a load of laundry. The cooler settings are ideal for delicate fabrics. And the cold air setting can give items a cool blast if you want to wear them straight away - handy for hot kids’ clothes.

I found most items dried within three hours but jeans and heavier fabrics took a little longer. I removed dry clothes after the timer ran out and repositioned remaining pieces to make the most of the space.

Minky Heat Pod Drying System ventilation

The cover keeps the warm air in and there are ventilation slits at the top. When in use, our lounge felt toasty warm rather than damp - something that can be an issue if using a winged or tiered airer without a cover.

It’s designed to work with any three-tiered airer up to the following maximum dimensions: 139H x 59W x 49D cm. I tested it with an older three-tiered airer (a budget buy from Argos) as well as the Minky Sure Grip 3-Tiered Airer and unsurprisingly, the Minky model felt far more stable and secure when in use.

Does the Minky Sure Dri Heat Pod Drying System have any special features?

The heat pod features a handy timer that lets you blast hot air in 30-minute increments up to a maximum of three hours. I found the timer really useful as it meant that I didn't have to keep checking on the laundry or worry about forgetting to switch it off when leaving the house.

Although it’s designed to be used as a heated airer, the pod itself could serve you well as an electric heater for when the temperatures dip at home. There’s a grill that sits on top of the unit when the hose isn’t in use so you could definitely repurpose it as a compact heater to set up in the corner of a room (or next to your feet when working from home).

How much does the Minky Sure Dri Heat Pod Drying System cost to run?

Minky Heat Pod Drying System smart meter

The Minky Sure Dri Heat Pod Drying System costs around 30p per hour to run (or 26p according to our smart meter) which is a similar running cost to a drying pod. It’s more expensive to operate than a winged or tiered airer which typically costs between 6p to 10p per hour. But it’s cheaper to run than a tumble dryer (around £1.50-£1.70 per cycle).

Does the Minky Sure Dri Heat Pod Drying System offer value for money?

Our guide to the best heated airers features products that range in price from £60 to £225 so at £90, this model definitely sits at the cheaper end of the scale.

It’s cheaper than our favourite heated airer, the Dry:Soon 3-Tier Heated Airer (£160) and much cheaper than the family-sized Dry:Soon Deluxe 3-Tier Heated airer (£225). It’s also cheaper than the Dry:Soon Drying Pod (£100).

You’ll need to factor in the cost of a regular three-tiered airer but you may well have one at home already.

I think it offers good value for money, especially if you intend to use it as a compact electric heater when not drying clothes too!

How easy is it to move around and store?

Once you’ve removed the tube and nozzle, the heat pod is fairly easy to pick up and move around. It’s compact, weighs less than 5kg and there’s an indent at the back that makes carrying easy.

The frame feels a little cumbersome though - the dimensions are similar to a folded tiered airer (although not as bulky) so you’ll need to find somewhere to store that in addition to the heat pod. The cover can be folded away neatly but needs to be tied to the frame when in use and untied when put away (you could of course leave it up if you have a spare room or utility space).

How we tested

Reviewer Rachel Erdos lives in south London with her husband and two kids, aged seven and three.

The Minky Sure Dri Heat Pod Drying System was put through its paces thanks to the family's never-ending laundry pile and it was used to dry a variety of items made from fabrics including cotton, polyester, wool and denim. With a footy-mad schoolboy and active toddler at home, it’s been in constant use, particularly on cold, rainy days.

It was tested on its ability to dry clothes quickly. It was also assessed in terms of its energy efficiency, how easy it was to use, take apart, move around, and store.

About the author

Rachel Erdos is an Editor at Mumsnet where she commissions, edits and writes content with a focus on product reviews, homeware roundups and family travel.

She’s written buyer’s guides for publications including Expert Reviews and Coach as well as reviews and features for the Guardian, TripSavvy and Visit London.

As a mum of two, she’s always on the lookout for products that make life easier at home and loves putting appliances and gadgets to the test to highlight best buys for families.

About Mumsnet Reviews

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