Vileda Cordomatic Retractable Washing Line review: perfect for small gardens

Price on writing: £11 | Buy now from Amazon

How we tested

Our tester Tamsin installed and tested the Vileda Cordomatic Retractable Washing Line in her small garden in Surrey over the space of a month in early spring. She and her husband used the washing line to dry their washing; testing out all the features of the line and taking detailed notes on the ease of installation, user-friendliness and quality of the washing line.

Our verdict

If your garden's on the small side, a rotary washing line will likely take up too much room, leaving you unable to enjoy your lawn in the sunshine. The Vileda Cordomatic is one of Mumsnet users' best retractable washing lines, offering a clever solution to a lack of outdoor space.

Taking up practically zero space, the washing line is screwed to a sturdy post or wall. When your laundry is out of the washing machine, pull the line out from its plastic case and fix it to a hook on the opposite side of your garden. There's a simple hook to lock the line in place and keep it taut, then it's ready to hang out up to 15kg of wet washing using your best clothes pegs. Once your washing's dry, unhook and unlock the line and it'll wind itself neatly away for next time.

As a space-saver, it's very impressive. But when compared to a heated clothes airer or even the best tumble dryer, the fact that the retractable washing line uses zero energy is another point in its favour.

A word of warning - you will need a power drill to fix the Vileda Cordomatic safely and securely enough to support the weight of a load of washing. The washing line is a bargainous £11, but if you don't already have a drill, this is potentially an extra expense to consider. Mumsnetters recommend a combi drill like this Bosch Cordless Combi Drill for a good all-rounder.

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How easy is the Vileda Cordomatic Retractable Washing Line to install?

The Vileda Cordomatic comes will all fittings included in the box. There are two screws, a hook and wall plugs. Drill pilot holes in your wall or post, push in the wall plugs then fix the washing line's metal bracket onto the wall using the screws. Tamsin fixed her washing line to the side of her garden office, so when the washing line isn't in use, you wouldn't know it was there.

If you're not very handy, don't be put off by the DIY involved. The process is simple and straightforward, and the metal bracket can be unscrewed from the main plastic case for installation, so you'll be able to see what you're doing and mark the holes with a pencil before you begin drilling.

Tamsin said she'd have preferred a washing line that didn't require DIY to install, which is a fair point. It doesn't look like there are any on the market currently, so if you want to avoid power tools a small rotary washing line like the Vileda 4 Arm Rotary Dryer might be a better bet.

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What's it like to use the Vileda Cordomatic Retractable Washing Line day-to-day?

Once installed, Tamsin loved how easy the Vileda Cordomatic is to use. Much less unwieldy than a rotary, you simply need to pull the line out from the case as far as you'd like, attach it to the hook and lock the line in place to prevent sagging.

Vileda have gone for a red line rather than the more commonly seen clear or white washing lines, to make it easier to see.

As long as you tighten and lock the line properly onto the case, the line can easily take a load of washing without sagging. Tamsin didn't feel the need for a prop to keep the line up, finding the locking mechanism sufficient to keep the line taut across a relatively small garden.

When not in use, the washing line is super discreet, as the plastic case is a less eye-catching dark grey, which, while it doesn't match the colour of her garden office, blends in easily.

The washing line is sturdy and great quality, especially for the low price. Stretching to a maximum of 15m, it provides plenty of room for a full load of washing.

Related: The best dehumidifiers for drying clothes

Does the Vileda Cordomatic Retractable Washing Line offer good value for money?

At £11 at the time of writing, the washing line is fantastic value for money. If you're looking for a low-maintenance solution to drying your washing over the warmer months that takes up little to no storage space, you can't really go wrong for this price.

However, you could spend a little more and get twice the drying space with the Minky Retractable Duo Washing Line, which is currently £19. If 15m is ample space for your washing needs, it may make more sense to go for the smaller, single line as it's more compact and quicker to install.

About the author

Poppy O'Neill is a Content Editor at Mumsnet and a mother of two. She's been researching and reviewing home and parenting products for 2 years, with a particular focus on laundry and cooling. From washing machines to baby monitors and dehumidifiers to cooling pillows, she loves to deep-dive into research and find the best products out there.

Poppy is also an award-winning, best-selling children's and parenting author of books such as Don't Worry, Be Happy, The Extraordinary Book That Makes You Feel Happy and Mother Power. She specialises in children's mental health and her books are used by therapists, teachers and SENCOs across the UK. She won a The Week Junior Book Award in 2023, her books have been translated into several languages and she's been featured in The Guardian, The Sunday Times and The Sun.

After earning a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Leeds and a PGCert in Fashion and Lifestyle Journalism from University of the Arts London, she worked in fashion for most of her 20s. When her children were young, she undertook an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Chichester and re-trained as an author and freelance writer.

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