Best heated airer UK 2026: which one to buy, and what it costs to run

Ofgem’s price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026 sets an average electricity unit rate of 26.32p per kWh for Direct Debit customers on a standard variable tariff in England, Scotland and Wales (announced 26 August 2026). That rate already reflects the government’s removal of VAT from electricity bills from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, so there is nothing to add on top. The standing charge of 54.83p a day is paid whether the airer is on or not, so we leave it out.

The sum is simple: watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × unit rate.

• 198 W (Dry:Soon Mini): about 5.2p an hour, or 31p for a 6-hour session.
• 300 W (Dry:Soon Deluxe and Standard, Minky 3 and 4 Tier, Beldray 3 Tier): about 7.9p an hour, 47p for 6 hours, and 95p if you run a Deluxe for its full 12-hour timer.
• Three 6-hour sessions a week on a 300 W airer: 156 sessions a year, about £74 if the rate stayed at 26.32p all year.

These figures assume the rated wattage for every hour, and real use can differ either way. The Telegraph metered the Dry:Soon Deluxe at 0.331 kWh in an hour, about 8.7p at today’s cap. Lakeland says its Standard and Mini Dry:Soon airers have thermostatic control, and Which?, which measures real consumption, found the models it tested cost from as little as 4p to about 29p an hour (at its own rate of 24.67p/kWh).

Ofgem announces the next cap on 25 November 2026, for 1 January to 31 March 2027, and we will recalculate these figures then. In Northern Ireland, or on a fixed or time-of-use tariff, use the unit rate on your own bill.

Every maker prints a running cost, but each works it out at a different unit rate, and not all of them say which. Lakeland’s Deluxe page says 8p an hour, worked out at 26.11p/kWh (July 2026); Minky’s 12m page also says 8p, with no rate attached. Dunelm calculates at 26p/kWh on its 3 Tier listing; Which? uses 24.67p/kWh. A figure written when electricity cost more will look worse than it is today, and one written at a lower rate will flatter the airer.

The wattage is the number to compare. If a listing gives a cost per hour but no wattage, as Minky’s own 12m page does, ask the seller or check the rating plate before you buy.

Lakeland has sold Dry:Soon heated airers since 2008, and the Deluxe is the top of the tower range. It shares the Standard model’s 21 m and 15 kg, but adds an eye-level control panel, easier front loading and a timer. Lakeland’s instructions say you can set it to switch off, or to come on, up to 12 hours ahead.

The folding shelves are the practical win: open them all for a full load, lay knitwear flat on a shelf, or open only the top tier to hang a sheet without it touching the floor. Folded, it is 8 cm deep. Castors and the fitted cover are extras; Lakeland sells the cover as a bundle, and that bundle is the version The Guardian named best overall in its 26 October 2026 update.

Limits: it is a large frame at 70 × 74 × 132.5 cm when open, and the cover is not in the box unless you buy the bundle.

Minky, a Rochdale firm with a UK customer-care team, makes the largest tower in this guide. Its angled “Vertex” arms hold garments apart so air can move between them, and the top layer adds space for socks and smalls, although its rungs are not heated: The Telegraph found the top tier doesn’t warm up, and Which? measured 20.3 m of heated rail out of 22.9 m. The 300 W rating is the same as the Lakeland’s, so the cost per hour is the same, about 7.9p at the current cap.

The cover comes in the box, and the timer can be set for up to 9 hours. Minky lists a weight capacity per arm (3 kg) and per layer (6 kg), which is worth respecting: spread heavy towels across the tiers rather than piling them on one.

Limits: it folds to 15.5 cm, almost twice the Dry:Soon’s depth, weighs 5.1 kg and comes with a 1-year guarantee. If you don’t need the cover or the extra tier, the Minky 3 Tier sureDRI 21m (300 W, 18 kg) is the same design without them.

Winged airers are the classic clothes horse with heated bars: a central section and two fold-out wings. Minky’s 12m model has 19 rails, takes up to 16 kg and folds away between uses. Minky quotes 8p an hour to run, although its own page does not give the wattage.

Which?’s analysis (first published in November 2023, updated in March 2026) found winged airers a little cheaper to run than towers on average (6p against 8p an hour) but noticeably slower, at around 5 hours 54 minutes for a small cotton load against 4 hours 40 minutes for towers. That suits someone drying a few items most days rather than a family wash.

Limits: less space than any tower here, long items need the wings, and a cover is an extra.

• Tower (3 or 4 tiers): the most drying space for the floor area, warmer bars and the best balance of speed and cost in Which?’s analysis. Best for families.
• Winged: low, light and cheaper to buy; slower, and better for small loads.
• Drying pod: a fan heater blows warm air through a zipped enclosure holding garments on hangers. Which? found pods dried a small cotton load in about 2 hours 13 minutes on average, but cost more per load because they hold less (57p against 35p for heated airers, at 24.67p/kWh).
• Drying cabinet: Lakeland’s Dry:Soon cabinet is rated at 1,200 W, about 31.6p an hour at 26.32p/kWh. It is a tumble-dryer substitute in cost terms, not a cheap airer.

Which?’s current guide (page last checked October 2026) puts numbers on it. Drying three small (2.15 kg) cotton loads a week costs just over £46 a year on a heated airer, against around £79 for a condenser and £93 for a vented tumble dryer. For three large loads a week the order flips: about £112 a year on a heated airer, because you need several sessions per load, against around £58 for the average tumble dryer. If you already own a heat-pump tumble dryer, Which? says to stick with it.

A heated airer does not remove the water from your clothes, it moves it into the room. Which? warns that this raises the risk of condensation and suggests opening a window or running a dehumidifier, which it says also helps clothes dry faster. Many dehumidifiers sold in the UK have a laundry mode for exactly this.

• Lakeland sells Dry:Soon direct, including the airer-and-cover bundles, and also through Amazon. Check the guarantee where you buy: Lakeland’s own product page shows a 3-year guarantee.
• Minky sells direct from Rochdale and through retailers including Argos, Dunelm and Currys, as well as Amazon. Retailer listings of the same airer sometimes use a different model code, so check the drying space and load limit against minky.com.
• Dunelm and Argos sell own-brand heated airers alongside Minky. The Telegraph named Dunelm’s 3 Tier Heated Airer its best value pick in March 2026.
• Lidl and Aldi sell heated airers from time to time as limited-time offers. Compare wattage, drying space, load limit and guarantee with the models above before you buy.

• Don’t leave it running unattended overnight. That is Lakeland’s advice; set a built-in timer instead.
• Skip the smart plug. The Dry:Soon Deluxe instructions we read say not to connect it to an external timer or remote-control system.
• Unfold fully before loading and switching on, and load evenly: the Deluxe’s limit is 15 kg, and an unbalanced load can tip it.
• Use the cover made for your model, not a blanket or a duvet. Lakeland’s instructions for its heated winged airer, for example, say not to cover it with a duvet or thick blanket, to avoid overheating.
• Turn and move the washing. Which? notes that airers dry best where fabric touches the bars, and its drying times assume the laundry is rotated.
• Ventilate or dehumidify the room, especially in winter, to keep condensation and mould off windows and walls.