What to look for when buying pegs
There are many different clothes pegs to choose from, so how do you find the ones that are best for you? Here are some things to take into account when making your choice:
Material: Do you prefer plastic, stainless steel or wood? Wooden pegs are more eco-friendly and sustainable, but plastic is often more budget-friendly.
Type of grip: Your pegs must keep your washing secure and grip on your laundry line, but some grips can leave unsightly marks or imprints on your clothes. Soft grip pegs tend to be kinder on your clothes, but you may struggle with delicate fabrics.
What are you hanging?: Are you looking to hang heavy or thick clothes and garments such as towels and duvets? Some pegs are better suited to slimmer, more lightweight fabrics, whilst others open wider to hold more bulky items securely. If you want to hang fine or delicate materials, you may consider soft grip pegs with additional hooks or clips.
Durability: How long do you want your pegs to last? Are you resigned to the fact that you will need to replace them when they crack, split or break, or are you looking for pegs that will stand the test of time?
Weather suitability: Can the pegs cope with extreme weather and windy days? Will they fade or become discoloured or brittle if left outside?
Suitability for travel: If you’re planning on taking pegs away with you when you travel, how portable and lightweight are they? Will they fit ‘non-standard’ washing lines or various hanging rails?
Related: The best budget washing machines under £500
Are wooden, metal or plastic clothes pegs better?
There is much debate about the ‘best’ material for clothes pegs; ultimately, it comes down to personal choice.
Wooden pegs, like Smith’s Strong Hardwood pegs, are solid, durable, sustainable, and eco-friendly. However, they shouldn't be left outside when not in use, as they can damage easily when wet, even discolouring, turning black and staining clothes. Ensuring you keep them in a sheltered spot and bring them indoors during winter is the key to making them last.
Plastic pegs are often more affordable, with well-made plastic pegs being far more resistant to the wind and rain, but lower-quality plastic pegs can risk splitting, fade in colour and become brittle quite quickly when left in the sun. The springs can also rust, so you may replace them more often, which is ultimately not great for the environment.
Stainless steel is the happy medium. Despite having a higher upfront cost, these pegs provide a good balance of durability and grip and are likely to last far longer than the other varieties. If you’re worried they’ll rust, try the Mumsnetter-recommended Ruesious Stainless Steel clothes pegs.
Do stainless steel pegs ruin clothes?
No, they are less likely to rust, rot or grow mould and will be better for your clothes in the long run. Just keep them inside during the winter and in a sheltered place when not in use.
Related: Researching tumble dryers? We have in-depth guides to the best heat pump tumble dryers, the best condenser tumble dryers and the best vented tumble dryers.
What are the best pegs that won’t mark clothes?
Our best overall Lakeland Flower Soft Grip pegs have high-quality, non-slip cushioned grips that promise not to damage your clothes, from your laciest delicates to your most expensive woollies. Highly recommended by Mumsnetter users, they’re all about protecting your clothes come sunshine or wind.
What are the best clothes pegs for windy days?
Minky’s Sure Grip Pegs is our best strong grip clothes peg that’ll securely hold your clothes in place regardless of the weather conditions without leaving unsightly marks or imprints when you bring the washing back inside. Although they come with a higher price tag, it is a large pack size.
How we chose our recommendations
At Mumsnet, every article is created using a rigorous verification process designed to develop well-researched articles that give you the honest truth about the best products available.
Recommendations from real Mumsnet users
When it comes to washing copious amounts of clothes and tackling the never-ending laundry pile, our Mumsnet community knows their stuff, with a wealth of real-life experience on everything from laundry detergents to fabric softeners, coat hangers to clothes pegs.
That's why we sought out the trusted opinions of our Mumsnet users to research and gather feedback on their favourite clothes pegs. This allowed us to determine which products they rated, recommended and used in their homes.
Expert opinions
Our second step was to cross-reference our list using the opinion of experts and recent awards to whittle our list down to those with the industry's stamp of approval too.
Consumer reviews
Finally, we triple-checked our list by thoroughly investigating genuine, in-depth customer reviews on retailer sites such as Amazon, Argos, John Lewis and Lakeland to get broader consumer experiences on our shortlisted products. Ultimately this enabled us to share with you our definitive list and honest guide to the best clothing pegs available in 2026.
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