Lakeland Heated Airer - worth it?

[GemmaRuby]

Do you have the Lakeland Heated Airer? Is it good, so you have the “deluxe” or non-delux one, and do you use the tent thing?

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MNHQ

Ok those who like them, can someone explain to me where the water goes?

But I would definitely completely recommend it. We have Lakeland 3 layer airer, 13 years old now and going strong. It’s saved our bacon many many times.

The water goes into the air in the house, same as any airer. It just happens more quickly than with a normal airer. I like to use it in a small spare room with window open, ideally. But it hangs out in many corners of the house depending on what’s going on. I like you can have it half width if you don’t need the whole thing spread out.

@StillWeRise

Ok those who like them, can someone explain to me where the water goes?

I guess it evaporates into the air...like it does when you put an item on a radiator to dry

Dehumidifier and airers for us too. Dries the washing within a couple of days and all the water from the washing (and our breathing!) ends up in the dehumidifier rather than the atmosphere of our house/the wallpaper. .

Hmm, mixed reviews. At the moment I use a traditional Airer next to the radiator with the window cracked open a tiny bit.
Currently in the baby’s room but will need to relocate when he moves into his own room.

Was hoping for a slightly faster method so I don’t have to have it up all the time because there’s not a convenient space for it anymore.

I would definitely use a dehumidifier instead - but whether condensation is likely to be an issue depends on your house.

Yep I've got the normal one with no cover, but I just put a sheet over the top. I put clothes on each bar and leave overnight. Don't have a tumble dryer.

I love mine, it’s great for delicates. We have a dryer for anything that can go in, but anything else goes on the heated surer with cover. It takes a while to dry stuff but it works, it’s reliable and nothing has a weird musty smell.

I put a sheet over mine and put it near an open window

I thought it was rubbish. Thankfully, mine developed a fault so I was able to return it. I just bought hook things for my radiators that give me extra drying space.

This but cheaper

I have just bought one and so far I am happy with it. I love hanging washing out when the weather is good, but this time of year it is hit and miss, and I don't have a tumble dryer, so this seemed a good option.

If you decide to buy one, take a look at Ebay first. I got a refurbished Lakeland one for £50, with a years guarantee. To buy direct from Lakeland it would have been about £140

@lazylinguist

Being honest, it wasn't as good as I thought it would be. It takes a long time to dry and if you fill it up with clothing hanging over the bars it takes even longer.

^This. I hang stuff outside in summer. But for the rest of the year I end up only using the heated airer for things that can't be tumble dried. So it's not saving energy or money, as I'm using both!

This but it is still useful imo

I've had one for years and although i think it is faster than a regular airer it is still not what I would call quick to dry... and it's probably quite expensive to run - my bills are quite high!

To get the best out of mine I hang on every other rung.. open a window and keep rotating turning clothes throughout the day (when I can be bothered) I have a shelf mesh thing which sits on top of it and that dries pants and socks very quickly. If I fill it up using all the available space then it's rubbish as you do need space between clothes for the moisture to evaporate... light cotton clothes well spaced will dry in a day (just!) Heavier clothes will take longer! You can get a cover for it, but I found that just made the clothes smell fusty.... I'm considering getting a dehumidifier as I think my house is getting a bit damp from drying washing and Im hoping it will speed up drying times and mean I use the heating less - we only have a washer dryer, which is ok for sheets but rubbish at drying clothes... dehumidifier recommendations very welcome!!

Great bit of kit. It's in unheated utility room and is brilliant in the winter. If you put a sheet over the whole thing like a tent it dries things quicker. Had it about 6 years still going strong

Really disappointed with it I sent it back didn't dry clothes well at all I went all out delux and a cover made no difference. I don't recommend.

I have had two - a full price one with all the accessories (returned). I subsequently bought a refurbished one from the Lakeland eBay shop. Both wobbly as anything, but I don’t mind the wobbliness in a £45 airer, whereas at £140 it felt like very poor value for money. I also found the official cover really irritating and fiddly to use - draping a sheet over the top works much better. It’s handy to have but I can’t fit a full load on mine.

I used to have one but I found as the kids got older and their clothes got bigger, I couldn't fit everything onto it. If it was crammed full it would take a good day (24 hours) for everything to dry, and then I would iron everything afterwards, so not very energy efficient.

I have a tumble dryer now and fo prefer it. Plus I don't have to iron any more!

@StillWeRise

Ok those who like them, can someone explain to me where the water goes?

It evaporates into the air.

This is why I like my condenser dryer - sometimes when I empty the tank I am shocked at the amount of water I pour out. All that wouldve been in my house!

I bought an Ecoair dehumidifier this week as I was fed up of waiting days for the washing to dry. I can now hang the washing in the evening and with the dehumidifier on it's all dry by the morning. Added benefit of prevent any further damp in the house.

I have the dry soon one. Bought it the other week. It dries very quickly

I have the Dunelm one which was easier to store in a small house. I bought it because I was about to have a baby in November, live in the North of Scotland and don’t have a tumble dryer. It has hands down been one of my best buys. I hang clothes as you would on a normal airier and baby clothes dried really quickly. My daughter had severe reflux and we went through at least three outfits each day so it was in constant use. The only thing I had to watch out for was poppers on baby sleep suits could get quite hot, so if I snatched something of it for a quick change I just had to be careful they had cooled before dressing my baby. I find it takes 12-24 hours to dry a load of washing depending on the size and thickness. I usually do a load of washing during the day, leave it to dry overnight, and put it away the following day.

@Boriswentcamping

I've had one for years and although i think it is faster than a regular airer it is still not what I would call quick to dry... and it's probably quite expensive to run - my bills are quite high!

To get the best out of mine I hang on every other rung.. open a window and keep rotating turning clothes throughout the day (when I can be bothered) I have a shelf mesh thing which sits on top of it and that dries pants and socks very quickly. If I fill it up using all the available space then it's rubbish as you do need space between clothes for the moisture to evaporate... light cotton clothes well spaced will dry in a day (just!) Heavier clothes will take longer! You can get a cover for it, but I found that just made the clothes smell fusty.... I'm considering getting a dehumidifier as I think my house is getting a bit damp from drying washing and Im hoping it will speed up drying times and mean I use the heating less - we only have a washer dryer, which is ok for sheets but rubbish at drying clothes... dehumidifier recommendations very welcome!!

Could you tell me where your shelf mesh thing is from please?

Personally I’d say Yes.
I’ve had one for years and wouldn’t be without it. However you do need to cover it and there is definitely a nack to how you put clothes on it.

We don’t have a tumble drier and use this in winter instead, alongside a normal airer.

DS’ clothes mainly go on it, and I also will put our clothes on it to “finish” them off after being on a normal airer.