Clothes Airers, Clothes Horses & Drying Racks

A clothes airer, also called a clothes horse, clothes maiden or drying rack, is a folding frame that lets you dry washing indoors or outside without a tumble dryer. Our range covers the three styles UK homes use most: a large winged airer with 18 metres of drying line for full family loads, slim 3-tier airers that stand tall on a small footprint, and an over-radiator airer for socks, towels and smalls.

Every airer folds flat for storage, works indoors and out, and comes with free next-day delivery, 30-day returns and a 12-month warranty. Not sure which one suits your home? The quick guide below the products will point you to the right one.

Which clothes airer is right for you?

Start with how much space you have and how much you wash, then match that to a style. Here's the short version:

Types of clothes airer and drying rack explained

Winged clothes airers

A winged clothes airer stands on an X-shaped frame with a flat drying deck in the middle and a fold-out wing at each end. Because the wings spread your washing out sideways, air reaches every item, so this is the style to pick for big loads, long trousers and bath towels. Our large winged airer opens to 183cm wide and 90cm high, gives you 18 metres of drying line and supports up to 20kg. Then, when you're done, it folds to just 4cm thick.

The trade-off is floor space. You'll need roughly a two-metre run of floor, patio or lawn to open it fully, so it suits a spare room, a utility room or the garden best.

3-tier clothes airers

A 3-tier clothes airer, sometimes called a tower airer or clothes maiden, stacks its rails on three levels. As a result, you get plenty of drying space from a small footprint, which makes it the go-to clothes horse for flats, student rooms and utility rooms. Our compact black 3-tier airer offers 18 metres of drying space, holds up to 10kg and weighs only 2.15kg. Better still, it folds to 136 x 7cm, slim enough to slide behind a sofa or under a bed.

Prefer to dry shirts and blouses on hangers? Our 3 Tier Clothes Maiden has hanger notches along a 97cm top span and stands 136cm tall, so towels and trousers hang at full length without touching the floor. Meanwhile, reinforced locks and anti-slip feet keep it steady around children and pets.

Over-radiator airers

An over-radiator airer hooks onto a radiator, door, shower screen or balcony rail, so it takes up no floor space at all. Ours has five bars on a 33 x 52cm frame, plus adjustable arms that fit radiators of different sizes. It's designed for light things such as socks, underwear, tea towels and hand towels, with a maximum load of 1kg. Before you order, check there's at least a 6cm gap between your radiator and the wall.

Heated or non-heated?

Heated airers plug in and warm their rails, so clothes dry faster, but they cost money every time you switch them on. A standard drying rack, on the other hand, costs nothing to run. Put it in a warm, airy room and most everyday washing dries overnight or within a day. We don't sell heated airers at the moment, so every airer here is non-electric, silent and safe to leave unattended.

Compare our clothes airers and drying racks

How much drying space do you need?

Drying space is measured in metres of line, which is simply the length of all the rails added together. The more metres you have, the more you can spread out, and spreading out is what makes washing dry quickly. As a rough guide:

• A few items between washes: an over-radiator airer is plenty.
• One or two people's weekly wash: an 18m 3-tier airer keeps it all off the furniture.
• A family wash with towels and bedding: an 18m winged airer spreads heavy fabrics wider, so they dry evenly.
• A large household: two airers often work better than one huge one, because you can put them in different rooms.

Don't forget the maximum load, too. Wet jeans and towels are heavy, so a frame rated for 10kg to 20kg won't sag or fold under a full wash.

Where to use and store your clothes horse

The best spot is warm, airy and out of the way: a utility room, a spare bedroom or a bathroom with the extractor fan running. On dry days, carry it out to the garden, patio or balcony instead, because every airer in this range works outdoors as well as in. Whichever room you choose, leave a little space between the airer and the radiator so the heat can still warm the room.

Once your washing is dry, fold the airer flat and slot it beside the washing machine, behind a door or under the bed. In other words, it's out of sight until laundry day comes round again.

How to dry clothes indoors faster, without the damp

1. Spin well first. Use the fastest spin your fabrics allow, because less water in your washing means less moisture in your home.
2. Leave gaps. Hang items with space between them so air can move freely, and avoid doubling up on one rail.
3. Put heavy items where air flows best. Towels and jeans go on the wings or the top tier, and smalls go in the middle.
4. Keep the air moving. Open a window slightly or run an extractor fan, then close the door so damp air doesn't spread through the house.
5. Use gentle warmth. A warm room helps, but don't drape clothes straight over radiators. If you use an over-radiator airer, keep it to light items.
6. Turn and shake. Flip thick items halfway through, and shake shirts out before hanging them to cut down on ironing.
7. Add a dehumidifier if you dry indoors often. It pulls moisture out of the air, which speeds up drying and helps prevent condensation and mould.

Is a clothes airer cheaper than a tumble dryer?

Yes, by a long way. A non-heated clothes airer uses no electricity at all. By comparison, Which? estimates that an average vented or condenser tumble dryer costs around £139 a year to run if you dry three loads a week, based on Ofgem's price cap of 26.32p per kWh from October 2026. On top of that, air drying is gentler on fabrics, since there's no hot drum to shrink wool or fade colours.

Clothes airer FAQs