Are heated clothes airers worth it?

[SecondClassReturnToDottinghamPlease]

I'm thinking of getting one. There seem to be a lot for sale on FB marketplace and I'm wondering if that's because people don't use them or they aren't very good. Do you have one and is it worth the price to buy/run?

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MNHQ

I have a Lakeland one and would highly recommend it. I have an old house with no wall insulation so it takes forever to heat up and washing can take a couple of days to dry however with this one I only need to out the timer on for 3 hours and then leave it overnight and that's it dry.

Definitely yes. Our tumble dryer has been banished to the shed and we use our airer all the time in the winter.
The heated throw is a wonderful thing also.

I just bought one last week. Absolutely love it! I put it on in the morning with a sheet over and beside a open window, usually by bedtime everything is dry. I bought mine because if the weather was rubbish the clothes inside was starting to smell musty, especially thicker trousers.

I bought a black and decker one from Amazon, there was cheaper ones but the reviews weren't great.

We had one and it finally died. I can't say we miss it and have no plans to replace it.

We've got the Lakeland one, it's good. We live in a flat and don't have a tumble dryer so it really helps, especially in winter.

It's not as convenient as a tumble dryer though, especially with a large family. I think a lot of people bought them last year to try and save money but have decided it's too much hassle

@SecondClassReturnToDottinghamPlease

yes if you don’t have heating on and you can’t dry outside.

I have the lakeland one with a cover and I'd be lost without it. Old draughty house in a particularly wet area, its far better, cheaper and easier than using a tumble dryer which is my only realistic option

I have a Lakeland one with cover . Definitely helps I don’t have a dryer

Yes we love ours. We use it over the Autumn/Winter and Winter/Spring cross over when it's too warm for the heating but not dry enough outside to put the wash out.

We use our one a lot in the winter - is a Lakeland one - works much better with the cover. We don’t have a tumble drier so this really speeds up drying washing in the winter.

It was a while ago but when I compared a Lakeland heated airer to my Beko condenser dryer the electricity cost was the around the same!

Different people seem to have different experiences with heated airers. For me, I had to have mine on for at least 12 hours to get everything dry. I much prefer my dryer, I can get everything washed, dried and put away on the same day.

If you get one definitely get the cover too, dries much quicker

Make sure you have plenty of ventilation.

I also looked at buying one but when I did the maths it works out cheaper to use my Bosch condenser tumble dryer. Plus the tumble dryer doesn’t risk making my old damp house even damper.

Heated airers often use more electricity than a decent energy efficient tumble dryer. Apparently heated airers are also not tested to the same level as tumble dryers are, and so can be dangerous too if you use them daily. That’s actually what a Lakeland rep told us when we were thinking of buying one - apparently they’re okay when you only use them once a week or so, don’t leave them on overnight everyday etc, but they don’t recommend it for daily use.

I had a Lakeland one with the cover and it was rubbish; ended up turning it. I felt the staff really oversold it, to the point of misleading tbh. Took days to dry and didn't hold as much washing as they claimed.

I like ours for drying things that can't go in the tumble dryer - the stuff I'd have hung over a radiator in a past life. If it's a choice between a dryer and a heated airer, I'd go for a dryer. If it's a choice between heated airer and a non-heated one, I'd go for the heated one.

Yeah love ours. Put a sheet over it and it dries stuff pretty quickly and without wearing stuff out which the tumble does.

We've had a Lakeland one for years (10+). It's on almost permanently during winter and I cover it with a duvet cover/sheet/towels.

You do need good ventilation though.

Ours definitely isn't a substitute for the tumble dryer. It's useful to have for things that can't be tumbled when the weather isn't good enough to dry outside. It works best when the cover is on and there's plenty of space between the clothes, so not ideal for drying a whole big load (would take ages). I'd say it's useful to have if you have the storage space for it.

We got one when our daughter started school in case we needed any “quick turnarounds” with her uniform. It’s great especially this time of year. We never replaced our tumble dryer when it broke and this has been really helpful.

I don't have one as I've nowhere in my small house to put it.
My mum had one a couple of years ago and got rid of it last year as it was costing more than the tumble dryer to run. She complained that it was too slow as well as costly.

I have a John Lewis one, love it, heats up the room too when it’s on.

No cover though, wondering if a sheet over it would be the same?

Its only me at home so never really in a mad rush to get things dried quick, right enough.

Thanks, this is helpful. I live in a flat and don't have a tumble dryer as no space so am thinking of getting one. Added bonus if they warm the room too!

Yes, what do people mean by "good ventilation"?

I'm toying with the idea of getting one to stick up in the conservatory over winter with the doors and windows open.

Our tumble dryer is in the shed, and our first baby is due, so looking to minimise the trips out, but only if it's manageable inside.