Lidl tower clothes airer for €19.99: compact drying for small flats

Standfirst: Many flats lack room to dry laundry – a new tower clothes airer from the discounter aims to solve the problem affordably.

Anyone without a balcony or drying room, and with only a few spare square metres, will know the situation: wet washing ends up all over the home, while traditional winged clothes airers take up half the living room. Lidl is now bringing a compact tower clothes airer to its stores, aiming to impress with a low price, high load capacity and a practical design.

A vertical clothes airer instead of space-hungry wings

Lidl’s new clothes airer prioritises height over width. Rather than extending across the room like a winged frame, it is built upwards. This means it can fit into alcoves, beside a wardrobe, in a narrow hallway or directly next to the washing machine.

Its dimensions are approximately 74 centimetres wide, around 59.5 centimetres deep and roughly 155 centimetres high. It therefore takes up scarcely more floor space than a standard kitchen chair, while providing considerably more room for hanging laundry.

Despite its very small footprint, the tower clothes airer provides around 16 metres of total drying space.

The rails are arranged across three levels, each of which can be folded down at the sides. This creates a tiered structure where shirts, jumpers, towels and bed linen can dry on several layers above one another. It should comfortably suit single people and couples, while families can use it as an additional option alongside a cellar washing line or tumble dryer.

Under €20: what does Lidl’s offer include?

Lidl has priced the tower clothes airer at €19.99. That puts it well below many branded airers with a similar design, which can quickly cost €30 or more in DIY stores or online.

Even at this low price, the discounter promises respectable load capacity. According to the product details, the frame supports up to 12 kilograms of laundry. That is enough for a full washing-machine load of towels, bedding or jeans – precisely the heavier items that often cause cheaper, standard airers to buckle.

A steel frame forms the base of the design. This provides stability and reduces the chance of the airer leaning to one side when washing is unevenly distributed. This matters particularly with tall models, as a knock against the tiers could otherwise make the entire unit wobble.

Thicker rails for quicker drying

Lidl states that it uses slightly thicker drying rails than many basic frames. This may not sound significant at first, but it has several benefits:

• Laundry rests over a slightly wider surface rather than hanging as if on wire lines.
• More air remains between layers of fabric, allowing moisture to escape more effectively.
• Fine pressure marks in fabrics are less pronounced, which helps reduce creasing.

The tower also has two fold-out holders that can accommodate up to twelve clothes hangers. These are useful for shirts, blouses or jackets coming straight from the washing machine that need to dry while retaining their shape. Anyone with a small home office could, for example, wheel the airer into their study to dry work shirts without taking over the room.

Flexible use in compact flats and small households

The tiers can be used not only fully opened or folded down, but also on just one side. If the airer is to stand against a wall, for instance, simply unfold the rails on one side. The other side stays closed, saving space and preventing people from constantly bumping into it.

Folding out one side only allows the tower to be pushed directly against a wall or into a corner – ideal for micro flats.

This is useful in a range of living arrangements:

• Studio flats where the bed is in the same room as the clothes airer
• Narrow storage cupboards or utility alcoves
• Bathrooms with a free corner beside the shower or bath
• Shared laundry rooms where several people want to dry washing at the same time

The vertical layout also makes it easier to sort laundry as it is hung up: delicate clothing at the top, T-shirts and underwear in the middle, and towels or bed linen at the bottom. Households with children can reserve an entire level for children’s clothes, which are lighter and dry more quickly.

Four castors make drying more flexible

A key practical feature is the four castors at the base of the frame. They allow the clothes airer to be moved carefully even when loaded. Its position can therefore be adjusted as required:

• Place it beside the washing machine immediately after a wash to catch the initial drips.
• Then move it in front of an open window to take advantage of airflow.
• In the evening, wheel it nearer to a radiator as the room air becomes warmer.

Anyone using a portable dehumidifier at home can position the tower directly in front of it. The combination of drier air and densely arranged laundry pays off: clothes dry more quickly, musty smells are reduced and humidity in the flat does not rise as sharply.

Common issues when drying laundry indoors

Moisture can build up quickly, especially in smaller rooms with poor ventilation. This may lead to damp marks on walls, mould or persistently humid indoor air. A tower clothes airer cannot solve this by itself, but it can be positioned more purposefully:

• near an open window
• in front of a radiator, without covering it completely
• in a room that can be aired easily, such as the kitchen

Its wheeled design makes one thing clear: the airer is not merely a static frame, but part of a flexible drying strategy for small flats.

Who is the Lidl tower clothes airer for?

The €19.99 price is clearly aimed at households with limited space and a restricted budget. Typical users include students in halls of residence, commuters in one-room flats and couples in urban areas where every square metre matters.

For families doing a large amount of washing each week, the tower is best suited as an extra drying solution:

• for delicate items that should not go in the tumble dryer
• for sportswear that needs to dry quickly between uses
• for bed linen or blankets when the tumble dryer is already running

Anyone who already owns a winged clothes airer can use the tower alongside it to hang certain garments higher up. This leaves more floor space free, for example for a laundry basket or a shoe drying rack.

Useful tips for laundry that dries faster

A clothes airer alone will not dry the washing. However, a few simple measures can greatly improve drying time and odour:

• Run the washing machine on a high spin setting to reduce residual moisture.
• Do not fold large textiles such as bed linen double over a rail; spread them out more widely instead.
• Shake laundry out properly before hanging it up to reduce creasing.
• Leave some space between items rather than packing everything too tightly together.

Delicate fabrics such as wool or viscose can be placed on the upper levels. Air circulation is generally better there, and the garments can hang freely without rubbing against heavy jeans.

What to consider when buying clothes airers

The Lidl tower demonstrates how much functionality can fit into a small footprint. When comparing clothes airers generally, the following criteria are useful:

Feature	Question to ask when buying
Total drying length	Is the number of metres sufficient for a full machine load?
Load capacity	Will the airer support heavy towels or blankets as well?
Dimensions	Will the frame fit in the intended location, such as the bathroom?
Material	Does the frame appear sturdy or rather unstable?
Mobility	Are there castors or other aids for moving it?

With energy prices rising, many households are once again choosing clothes airers more often instead of tumble dryers. A model with a well-designed layout and high load capacity makes this far more practical for everyday life – particularly in flats where space is already limited.