Read next: John Lewis 3-Tier Heated Indoor Clothes Airer review: the perfect indoor drying solution for city living How we tested The best heated airers and drying pods dried small loads in a comparable time to tumble dryers; the worst took over six hours. Energy use

Similar to the JML DriBUDDi airer in design, the slightly more expensive Dry:Soon Drying Pod is fan-powered and circulates warm air to dry clothing within the zip-closed cover To find the very best heated clothes airers for your home, our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute start by timing how long each dryer takes to preheat. They then wash and dry various loads of laundry, including clothes and bedsheets, and time how long it takes until each load has finished drying. It’s effectively a fan on detachable tripod feet with a pole, at the top of which there are six spokes designed to hold up to 12 hangers of spin-dried or well-wrung damp clothing (up to 10kg). It’s particularly useful for shirts and blouses, since being able to hang T-shirts in this way means they dry straight with minimal creases, meaning less ironing. But it’s less useful for drying, say, towels. Throughout use, they monitor how well the airer distributes heat across its rungs and whether the temperature fluctuates. They also measure how much electricity is used, calculating the energy consumption for an hour’s drying. Easy to use, it arrives assembled, simply fold out, plug in and switch on. Ideal for winter months as a perfect alternative to outdoor drying. Features and BenefitsWhen winter comes around and hanging your clothes outside to dry is no longer an option, the best heated clothes airers can be a laundry lifesaver. Taking a simple concept that’s been around for centuries and adding a mains-powered heating element is a simple solution to an evergreen problem, and it can potentially save you money on your energy bills to boot. Compared to a tumble dryer, however, the story is a little more nuanced. If you have small amounts of washing that can fit on a heated airer in one go, then there are savings to be made when compared to condenser tumble dryers. If you already have a tumble dryer and are thinking of making a swap, it will also depend on what type of tumble dryer you already own. Heat-up times are also worth considering as they can extend the drying time if they take a while to get to temperature. We’ve listed how long each took on test below. Is it safe to leave a heated airer on?

So, if you’re after a savvy laundry drying solution that can be cheaper to run than a tumble dryer (or putting the heating on), and speedier than air drying, look no further than a heated clothes airer.

Black+Decker 3-Tier Heated Clothes Airer - Cool Grey 

Another option for speeding the clothes-drying process is to run a portable dehumidfier in the same room. Dehumidifiers can shorten drying time by 25 percent, while also reducing damp and mould in the home. The heated airer was tested on its ability to dry clothes, bath towels and bedding. The clothes were dried laying flat on the shelf, draped over a single heated bar and on the hanging rail. The airer was also tested on how easy it was to set up, use and put away afterwards. About the author Some look like a tower, which typically affords more drying space for the room they take up, but they can be less accommodating of larger items such as dresses, towels and bedsheets.