With the colder months creeping in, many people are looking for ways to dry laundry indoors without relying on radiators or running a tumble dryer. I’ve had a Lakeland heated airer for years (and it’s still going strong). During the winter, I often choose to use the heated airer over my tumble dryer.
I’m seriously considering snapping up another now that Lakeland’s Dry:Soon deluxe three-tier model is currently priced at £169.99, down from its usual £199.99.
It has a 15kg capacity and offers 21 metres of drying space spread across 36 heated aluminium bars. The design folds out vertically to save floor space, standing at around 132.5cm high, 70cm wide and 74cm deep when in use. When folded away, it measures only 8cm deep, making it easy to slide behind furniture or into a cupboard.
According to Lakeland, running costs are roughly 9p per hour, based on average electricity prices in 2023, so it could be a little bit more depending on which provider you use. However, the airer uses 300 watts of power, which is far less than a tumble dryer that uses an average of 3,000 watts. It has a built-in one—to 12-hour timer, so you can set it to switch off automatically.
One shopper wrote: “I love my Dry:Soon airer! It has plenty of hanging space. I normally leave it running overnight with the cover on. It’s easy to move it around with the castors, and it folds away easily for storage. It’s cheap to run, so my tumble dryer is now retired.” Another satisfied customer added: “Far, far better than radiators and cheaper to run than a dryer. So pleased we bought this product.”
Several reviews highlight how much quicker laundry dries when paired with an optional fitted cover, which helps trap in heat. A trick I discovered over the years is to use a duvet cover or bed sheet, which works just as well.
However, not everyone was convinced. One customer left a review saying: “My only negative is that the dryer is not on castors (which can be purchased separately) – it is difficult to move when loaded with washing. Otherwise, no problems – it does what you’d expect.” Some users point out that thicker items, such as hoodies or heavy towels, still take several hours to dry completely, especially without a cover. Others mention that while it holds a lot, careful spacing of clothes helps speed things up.
The Deluxe version differs from Lakeland’s standard model by having wider shelves and front-opening panels, which make it easier to load items without stretching across bars. The three tiers can also be folded individually, allowing longer garments like jeans or dresses to hang without bunching. At around 6kg in weight, the frame is light enough to move between rooms but sturdy enough to remain stable when fully loaded.
The Deluxe model isn’t the only one reduced. The entire Dry:Soon range currently has 15% off and includes the three-tier heated clothes airer, currently £139.99 but was £159.99.
The standard airer is the same size as the deluxe and also holds 15kg of wet laundry. The main difference between the two is that the deluxe product comes with a built-in timer. In addition to this, the Mini three-tier heated airer is now £114.99, down from £129.99. It might be smaller, but it can hold an impressive 15kg of wet laundry over 13m of drying space. Measuring 113.5cm high, it can close down to just 8cm wide.
