Do you need a tumble dryer if you want to use cloth nappies?

[WestYorkshireGirl]

Just starting to look into reusables (first baby due in Jan), but we don't have a tumble dryer. Would this be a disaster? Currently we dry clothes on an airer and finish off on radiators over winter - would this work for nappies if you had a good supply? Also, do you know any good websites which summarise the things you need and the different brands?
Any thoughts appreciated!

No, an airer's fine so long as you have some quicker-drying ones, so not all-in-ones. Manmade fabrics like bumgenius will keep softness well, terries can crisp up a bit. You can always have sposies for spare if you run out.

we didn' have a tumbler, they dried overnight on the radiators. we didnt use shaped nappies just the prefold cotton nappies, I guess they all dry at different speeds.

no you'll be fine

when i had my first baby i was in a flat with no heating, no garden and no tumble drier! we got by ok (just) lol

I dont have a tumble drier besides very dear to run.
We use reusables no problem winter and summer.
Only tip would be microfibre, avoid bamboo (nightmare for drying) we use Teddies and coolababy (marvellous)

I've never used a dryer for nappies, and I have one, just use it about 3 times a year.

You do need either loads of drying space, or less drying space and more or quicker-drying nappies. I've used the line in summer and radiators in winter - only had difficulties when it rained loads AND the heat wasn't on. I tend to devote 2 large radiators with racks on to drying nappies, baby clothes, socks/pants etc. And half mine are all-in-one now - they dry in 24 hours on top of the radiator.

Babykind is a good site; here and clothnappytree for good 2nd-hand nappies, or Ebay for unused small ones. And Freecycle. But it's really down to personal preference and the shape of your baby, so I suggest get a variety at random.

No tumble drier here either.

Bumgenius and TotsBots Easyfit v2s are our fastest drying nappies that dont need a wrap. We also have some Lolliop Softees and Bambinex Teddies which need a wrap but also dry very fast. However these are all mainly microfibre except the Easyfits which have bamboo next to the baby's skin but microfibre under that.

If you want natural materials, plain terry squares dry fast and are v v cheap. Motherease Rikki wraps are highly recommended with terries, they have a proper leg gusset so are pretty bombproof. We have some Motherease one size nappies, which are cotton, and dry fairly fast (24 hours or so) on the airer.

We didn't have a tumble drier and neither did my SIL. Nappies dried fine. We used tots bots mainly and some clwt twts.

I never tumble dry our nappies - airdryer and radiator works fine - generally takes less than 12 hours. We use bumbles by Easy Peasy.

I have a tumble drier that is very, very rarely used and have used real nappies for the past 2 years and have never tumble dried any of them. For DD1 I used pockets - mostly wonderoos and bumgenius so microfibre inserts which dried pretty quickly, lined dried when possible and finished off inside or dried inside when wet.
I now have DD2 and she comes up in a rash if I use disposables and is a very heavy wetter so I've been experimenting more with different nappies including night nappies. Bamboo takes ages to dry but is very absorbant. All in ones also take ages as they don't come apart although Close parent pop-ins are snap apart all in ones so they do come apart - kind of like a cross between a pocket and an all in one.
Bumgenius pocket napppies are very popular. The V3 might still be available with a discount in some online shops but has been replaced with the v4.
Bumgenius also do flips which is a birth to potty cover and then there are 3 choices of inserts, disposable, stay dri (which has a suedecloth (?) layer so it feels dry against the skin - hence the name) or an organic insert which you fold up but it takes longer to dry, although is more absorbant than the stay dri. Because they come apart they dry quite quickly, you can reuse the cover if it is not soiled and just put in another insert.
I am recent convert to Flips having previously been a huge pocket nappy fan.
They are slim fitting and don't take up much space to dry or in my change bag.
I also like the Totsbot Easyfit v2 but as it has bamboo in it will take longer to dry. It is also slim fitting.

Thanks all so much for reassurance and for suggestions. I think I will need to get a few different types and see what's best for the baby, but will need some to get me started.

Check with your local council. Some offer trial packs, others offer a money back scheme or a voucher incentive.

We had some bumbles too

As above! We did get a good clothes horse which can dry lots of small items without taking up much floor space.
With regard to good websites, both fill your pants and cheeks and cherries have excellent information. Another vote for flips here!

We have a tumble drier and I do find it useful - e.g. if weather was foul or i had run out of nappies and needed to do quick wash and dry or if I had hung them out late or in damp conditions and they just needed a quick tumble to dry them completely. But if we didn't have it I could manage without.

I've just bought a ceiling fixed airer and it is brilliant - dry all my nappies, muslins, baby clothes etc, on that and they are out of the way while they dry. So will probably use the tumble drier less as one of my reasons for using it is that I didn't want nappies draped all over the place if I could help it - this way they are completely out of the way.

I've just got a ceiling pulley, and have to say I am gobsmacked at how well it's drying everything! DH put it up in the stair well, as it's a double stacker so needed extra height, and it's drying things really quick, and they're out of the way as well. I got it from here as it was free postage, and it came quick, easy instructions, easy to put up, and am :) :) Wouldn't need a tumble dryer now!

We live in a small bungalow with no dryer, little drying space and a small garden and we get by :). we use a mixture of pocket nappies and terries and dry on the over bath airer or on the radiators if i have lots to dry.

DP offered to buy me a dryer in the new year but i said no as we manage as we are, no need for extra electicity bills!!

I use cotton terry squares and they dry in a day on an airer inside, less if I peg them out on the line outside.

I got a few bamboo boosters for night time and find these take aaaaaaaages to dry though. I wouldn't personally buy them again!

Also meant to say: I used thenappylady.co.uk for advice as their website was really comprehensively detailed (they give you 5% off your first order too if you ask for their recommendations). BUT they weren't the fastest for delivery (I was waiting for weeks for some stuff that was apparently 'on back order' and actually cancelled some of it cos I was tired of waiting).

I don't have a tumble dryer either. We used Motherease and they dried well (but don't get the bamboo ones, they take forever to dry).

Try www.earthlets.co.uk - they will have everything you need (and a lot of things that you don't!).