Updated on July 18, 2023
This comparison is certified 100% impartial and follows our selection process.
Brabantia HangOn
Its ecological design is perfectly stable and very practical. In fact, the adjustable wings allow you to adapt its design to the type of hanging laundry, and its 6 hooks for hangers are appreciable.
This 4.7 kg clotheshorse features an eco-friendly design with 37% recycled and 95% recyclable materials. It looks sturdy and holds well on the ground, even if it’s a bit windy. With its height-adjustable wings and maximum height of 130 cm, it offers drying options in both length and height, so you can dry bed linen or pants without them touching the floor. The brand advertises a hanging capacity of 20 m; we measured 15.77 m on a total of 28 bars, not counting the 6 hanger hooks for hanging your blouses and shirts. So we reckon it’s suitable for a couple, and will dry about one and a half machines. However, the slender bars can lower slightly when there’s a lot of weight. Despite our various laundry distributions, it always maintained good stability during our test. Simple to fold (59 x 5 x 98 cm), it’s easy to store and never unfolds during transport. Nor does it fold accidentally when unfolded, thanks to the wing locking system. What’s more, the anti-slip, anti-scratch feet protect your floors. Despite this, we do criticize its lack of transport wheels.
The different clotheslines we tested. If you're short of space, we'd advise you to opt for a high-mounted model. Please note, however, that long-mounted dryers generally offer better performance. A model with a hanging capacity of 20 m is more suitable for families or shared accommodation. Check the dryer's resistance to wind, but also to the consequent weight of wet clothes. Wheels can make moving the dryer easier, especially when it's heavy and difficult to transport. Hooks can save you space, but simple clothespins are also sufficient.
Amazon Basics Concertina
This is a sturdy, affordable drying rack that’s perfect as a complement to another dryer. Its folding accordion design makes it the most compact to store and transport of this comparison.
With its accordion design, this full-height model is ideal for small spaces, both when unfolded (36.8 x 74.9 x 106 cm) and when folded (76 x 52 x 9 cm), as it’s the most compact to store among those we tested. In fact, it folds easily flat. Its steel structure is strong and stable, even when loaded with clothes. Foot guards prevent damage to the floor. Capacity-wise, it features 11 thick, durable bars strategically placed with generous spacing, providing an airy structure and consequently faster, more efficient drying. The clip-on top 4 bars also prevent accidental folding. On the other hand, it’s very light to move (1.77 kg), which makes it more fragile in strong winds, although its grip on the ground seemed fine during our test. In addition, its total hanging surface is rather limited (around 7.5 m), which allows you to dry a few garments but is insufficient for a complete machine.
Vileda Infinity Flex Plus
Thanks to its extendable design, it offers excellent hanging capacity and admits both long and smaller linens thanks to the dedicated racks. Its castors are also useful for moving it around.
More suitable for larger indoor and outdoor spaces, this clothesline is made of steel and aluminum. It boasts an extendable design, enabling its central support to be extended up to 205 cm, for a maximum length of around 304 cm (with wings). Thanks to this and its 1 m height, we were able to dry large bed sheets without fear of them touching the floor. Its hanging capacity is close to 30 m, making it ideal for a large family, as it can accommodate up to 2 large machines at the same time. In all, it has 28 bars (with wings and if you count the 2 ends) and there are also 2 removable small linen holders for hanging socks. Thanks to the sturdy joints, the dryer always remained stable during our test, even when the laundry was grouped on one side. Despite this, we found the spacing between the bars to be quite narrow. As a result, laundry is less aired, and drying may take longer. Another criticism is the absence of a hanger support. When folded, its dimensions are reduced to 56 x 8 x 122 cm, but it remains a little heavier (6.68 kg) than others. Fortunately, its 2 castors make it easy to move around, and we liked the locking system that keeps it closed when folded. However, because of the extension, the middle bars are a little more fragile (though still sturdy). On the other hand, the clothesline slips slightly on the floor, but thanks to the protections, it doesn’t damage it.
Leifheit Pegasus 180 Solid Maxx
Its superior height is ideal for long linens and its 2 removable supports also admit small linens. Its simple design is effective and makes it a sure bet on the market.
its fairly high height (108 cm and up to 128 cm with wings) is handy for drying bed sheets or hanging clothes on hangers (pants, dresses, etc.) without them touching the floor. However, when deployed, it takes up slightly more space than other models, making it more suitable for larger spaces. It dries laundry flat and offers a hanging surface of 18 m, making it suitable for a small family (1.5 to 2 small machines). In all, there are 22 bars (7 on each wing, 8 in the middle) + 2 more if you count the ends. Its extra-long wires (approx. 110 cm) can also be used to dry large towels or sweaters. In addition, there are 2 racks for small cloths, accommodating up to 54 socks. However, there are no hooks or holes for hangers. Its 2 parallel feet are fitted with floor-protecting guards and ensure perfect stability, even when one side is loaded and the other is not. The legs sometimes slip but never lift, and it should be able to cope with outside wind, in our opinion. This metal and plastic model weighs around 4 kg, but has no castors. Moreover, we found its folding not very ergonomic and fluid during our test, even though it’s simple. It’s also a little bulkier to store (119 x 55 x 4 cm folded) than other folding drying racks.
Our selection
Our choice, Best mid-range Best cheap Best top-of-the-range Mid-range alternative Brabantia HangOn Amazon Basics Concertina Vileda Infinity Flex Plus Leifheit Pegasus 180 Solid Maxx Its ecological design is perfectly stable and very practical. In fact, the adjustable wings allow you to adapt its design to the type of hanging laundry, and its 6 hooks for hangers are appreciable. This is a sturdy, affordable drying rack that's perfect as a complement to another dryer. Its folding accordion design makes it the most compact to store and transport of this comparison. Thanks to its extendable design, it offers excellent hanging capacity and admits both long and smaller linens thanks to the dedicated racks. Its castors are also useful for moving it around. Its superior height is ideal for long linens and its 2 removable supports also admit small linens. Its simple design is effective and makes it a sure bet on the market. £ 41.99 on Amazon £ 26.60 on Amazon £ 79.99 on Amazon See the price on Amazon
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How did we test?
To begin with, we focused on the dimensions of each element (length, width, height, bars, spaces between bars, etc.) to observe the clutter and aeration of their structure. Next, we hung a series of different garments and fabrics (bed sheets, towels, underwear, dresses, pants, t-shirts, etc.) in various places to check thespreading capacity of each model, and added weight to them at several ends to see their general stability.
At the same time, we counted the number of bars and noted the practical accessories (racks for small laundry or hangers, rods, locking systems, etc.). Then we considered the durability, solidity and modularity of their structure. Their ease of movement and storage (weight, castors, folding system, etc.) and their floor standing were also taken into account.
How to choose your folding clothes dryer?
The folding tumble dryer is an excellent alternative to electric tumble dryers. In fact, in addition to allowing you to take a step towards ecology by considerably reducing your energy consumption, it offers above all the possibility of saving your budget.
At a time when the market is overflowing with models of all kinds and at all prices, making a choice can sometimes seem quite complicated.
To help you see things more clearly, and to help you make the choice that’s best suited to your needs, we’ve listed a few criteria to consider when you want to checkout.
- Dimensions: this first point is particularly important since the dimensions of your clothes dryer must necessarily depend on the space you have. For example, if you live in an apartment, you’re more likely to opt for a full-height model. On the other hand, if space isn’t an issue, you’re better off with long dryers. These offer more efficient hanging and a non-negligible possibility of drying laundry flat.
- Spreading capacity: this depends directly on the amount of laundry you have to dry. For a single person, a hanging capacity of around 10 m is more than sufficient. Families (large or small) will prefer models with a drying surface of more or less 20 m.
- Sturdiness: as the purpose of the tumble dryer is to dry wet and therefore heavier textiles, it’s vital to opt for a model that can withstand this weight, especially if you intend to use it outdoors. In this particular case, not only do you need to ensure that the appliance can withstand the wind, but you also need to pay attention to the rustproof nature of the materials used.
- Additional benefits: as well as offering different sizes, hanging capacities and sturdiness, some dryers can also set themselves apart by offering features designed to make your life easier. So, while the addition of wheels and locking systems lets you easily move the appliance from one room to another, the presence of hooks and hangers gives you the opportunity to optimize the space on your dryer, for well-organized laundry.
Other recommended drying rack
Foppapedretti Supergulliver (€204.78 at time of publication): Elegant design and XXL capacity for big budgets. This clotheshorse boasts an elegant design with its solid wood structure. It offers several possibilities, so its footprint varies depending on how you deploy it. Its XXL hanging capacity (up to 35 m) is suitable for a large family (or 2 large machines), especially as it is spread over a total of 53 bars with a practical 47 cm rod for hanging blouses, dresses or shirts on hangers. Its substantial weight (8.8 kg) doesn’t really pose a problem, as its 4 wheels make it easy to move around. On the other hand, during our test, its folding seemed less quick and intuitive, but it’s still easy to store. However, it lacks a laundry rack, and its stability isn’t always guaranteed if you put a lot of weight on one side and nothing on the other. Finally, its price seems excessive to us.
Other tested clotheslines
Ikea Jäll (€9.99 at time of publication): It’s ideal for small spaces because of its small footprint, but its drying space is too limited (only 6 m). It is therefore only suitable as a complement to a tumble dryer. What’s more, its light weight leaves it little chance of withstanding the wind, and it seems more fragile.
Homidec Clotheshorse (€49.99 at time of publication):This upright model has some handy accessories and generous space between the bars for airy, efficient drying. On the other hand, it’s a little high for shorter people, the bars are a little short, and we couldn’t put 2 t-shirts side by side during our test, which meant we lost space. Finally, assembly takes time and on disassembly, some plastic parts broke.
Brabantia 350184 (€89.50 at time of publication): Its stainless steel structure is durable and stable, and its height-adjustable wings are practical. Even so, we measured 15 m of hanging capacity (and not 20 m as advertised). We also criticized the absence of castors, while the bars are rather short, which is a handicap when drying large towels. As a result, we found its quality/price ratio less attractive.
