Better Homes And Gardens Wall Mounted Drying Rack White

The 9 Best Clothes-Drying Racks of 2021

An essential your favorite fabrics can't live without

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The Spruce / Photo Illustration by Chloe Jeong / Retailers below

Even though automatic tumble dryers can make laundry day easier and faster, some fabrics don't belong in a dryer, including silk, suede, and activewear. These materials should be dried on a clothes-drying rack, which is more gentle, helps prevent stretching and shrinking, and reduces pilling. Even if you have an automatic dryer, a clothes-drying rack is an essential tool for the laundry room that you'll want to snag, so you can treat your favorite clothes to the best care.

When you're ready to shop for a drying rack, first consider the rack's size and shape. Most clothes-drying racks are collapsible since homes don't typically have a dedicated spot for one. Before you purchase a rack, consider how large it will be when fully opened and loaded with laundry. A wall-mounted rack is perfect for small items and tucks out of the way when not in use, while a rack with wheels is helpful if you need to move a loaded or bulky one around.

Weight capacity is also important to consider. If you couldn't already tell, wet laundry is veryheavy, and modern large-capacity washers can hold up to about 30 to 40 pounds of wet clothes. Will you be using the rack for lightweight, delicate items or drying bath towels and king-sized comforters? Ask yourself this question before purchasing to avoid ending up with a toppled rack on your floor.

Last, consider where you're using your clothes drying rack: indoors or outdoors. An outdoor drying rack must be made from durable materials that can withstand the weather, while indoor racks can opt for more decorative finishes. Before you purchase an outdoor rack, be sure your homeowner's association or local ordinances allow outdoor clothes drying.

To help you find the best type of clothing drying rack for your laundry needs, we've done loads and loads of laundry and tested dozens of racks. Here, the best clothes drying racks for your home.

Our Top Picks

With 66-feet of hanging space and a flat-drying shelf, this collapsible clothing-drying rack is perfect for a family's laundry.

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Available in a chrome or white finish, this lightweight rack is perfect for drying small loads and delicates.

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Slim and stylish, this rack can be mounted on a wall or hung on the back of a door.

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Sturdy, weatherproof, collapsible, and easy to reposition, it makes hanging clothes outdoors a pleasure.

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Crafted from sustainable bamboo, this drying rack has four rods on the top-level suitable for flat drying.

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Sold with 12 hooks and six clothespins, this lightweight clothesline is strong enough to hold more than wet laundry.

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Its capacity to hold up to 75 pounds of wet laundry in a small footprint makes this clothing drying rack a winner.

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Perfect for small laundry rooms or apartments, this rack can be folded tent-style on a tabletop or propped upright against a wall.

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This clothing drying rack has plenty of rods to accommodate all the small pieces of children's clothes.

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Brabantia T-Model Drying Rack

What We Like

Heavy-duty construction, with nonslip feet to protect floors
Adjustable wings to accommodate longer items
Transport lock for easy moving when loaded with laundry

What We Don't Like

Large footprint when in use

If you're looking for a clothes-drying rack on wheels, the Minky Multi Dryer Indoor Drying Rack is a top pick.

This wheeled clothes drying rack is perfect if you want to load your wet laundry in front of the washer, then move the rack somewhere else with better ventilation for drying. Instead of trying to lift and carry the rack without dropping anything, simply wheel it to a new location.

The rack is made of tubular steel with a white finish. It offers 78 square feet of drying space, which is the most of any clothes drying rack to make our list. Users love how easy it is to set up and put away this lightweight rack, and it folds when not in use. One unique feature of this clothes drying rack with wheels is the addition of a mesh drying rack for flat drying delicate garments that may lose their shape. The convenience of the Minky Multi Dryer Indoor Drying Rack makes this large capacity wheeled clothes drying rack a great choice.

AmazonBasics Foldable Drying Rack

What We Like

Budget-friendly
Easy to set up and collapse
Requires narrow storage space

What We Don't Like

Limited drying space
Not sturdy enough for drying heavy items like comforters

If space is at a premium in your laundry room or home and you plan to use a clothing drying rack for lightweight, small items, then the AmazonBasics Foldable Drying Rack is a perfect choice. Weighing only 4 pounds, it folds up small enough to tuck behind a door when not in use. The small footprint makes it ideal for really drippy items because you can put it in a bathtub or shower stall with no worries about damage to floors.

While the rack will hold up to 32 pounds of laundry, it is difficult to place more than one or two large items on the rods without causing overlapping fabrics. This means it takes longer for the fabrics to dry, but it will happen eventually. However, the non-corrosive materials and price make this clothes drying rack well worth the buy.

What Our Testers Say

"We liked everything about the AmazonBasics Foldable Clothes Drying Laundry Rack, particularly its compact design and sturdy build. Considering its reasonable price tag, you really can't go wrong with this unit. The only downside is its limited capacity, but it was perfect for our two-person household."—Sage McHugh, Product Tester

Dotted Line Drying Rack

What We Like

Requires no floor space
Can be wall-mounted or hung over a door
Wood can be painted to match decor

What We Don't Like

Small drying area
Limited weight capacity
Needs additional hardware to secure to wall

To reduce waste, I am a strong proponent of using kitchen towels instead of paper towels for many tasks. So, one of these wall-mounted racks hanging in my pantry is usually filled with damp towels. A second rack hangs on the back of the door in the guest bathroom. I use it for extra towels but tell guests that they are welcome to use it for hanging delicates that they might need to hand-wash during their stay.

Made of wood and painted white (could be easily painted another color), the rack extends from the frame and is held in place with straps. When not in use, the rack is secured in the frame with magnets. The one downside of the rack is that the wall-mounting hardware only secures the top of the rack, and the bottom will slide around. One or two additional screws into the wall at the bottom take care of the problem.

Brabantia Lift o matic

What We Like

No tools required for assembly
Large capacity
Arms have an opening for clothes hangers

What We Don't Like

Ground spike can be difficult to install in hard or stone-filled ground

While not offering as much exercise as walking up and down a long rope clothesline, the rotating arms of Brabantia Lift-O-Matic do make quicker work of hanging wet clothes. The sides rotate with just a spin to present empty lines without having to move the clothes basket. The easily adjustable height is a must for comfort and for hanging exceptionally long items.

Made of aluminum and steel, the line dryer is sturdy and rust-resistant. The lines are designed to remain taut and provide nearly 20 feet of hanging space. At the ends of each supporting arm are openings for clothes hangers providing even more hanging space. During inclement weather, the arms fold inward, and there is a zip-on covering to protect the dryer until you use it again.

Installation is simple if the ground is not overly rocky. While no tools are required, a rubber mallet helps drive the spike into the soil. The support pole of the dryer then just slips right in.

What Our Experts Say

"Hanging clothes to dry in the fresh air is great exercise, gentle on clothes, and helps reduce odors. Tucked in a sunny corner of my garden is the Brabantia Lift-O-Matic that helps me take advantage of our abundant southern sunshine."—Mary Marlowe Leverette

Home-it clothes drying rack

What We Like

Top level has four rods for drying items flat
Small footprint
Made from sustainable material

What We Don't Like

Has limited drying capacity
Not sturdy enough for heavy wet items

If you like the look of wood and want to purchase a clothing drying rack made from sustainable, eco-friendly materials, then the Home-It Bamboo Drying Rack is a very good choice.

This rack has the same small footprint as other vertical collapsible racks, but instead of two rods on the top, it has four. The four rods make it sturdy enough to support a sweater or other garment that needs to be dried flat. With a total of nine rods, the rack is useful for small loads of laundry. The rack is simple to set up and collapse and can be stored in a very small space.

What We Like

Weighs only 8.8 ounces
Comes with carabiners and clothespins
Can be mounted between trees or tent posts

What We Don't Like

Can leave clothing wrinkled if placed in loops

Perfect for camping, traveling, or a temporary backyard clothesline, this lightweight clothesline is a must-have for drying clothes. Made of quick-drying microfiber, the double-thickness rope can be stretched between two trees, strung across a hotel bathroom, or secured between tent posts.

Sturdy enough to hold wet clothes or camping gear, the clothesline comes with 16 carabiners and six clothespins. You can also hang small items like socks and gloves in the pre-designed loops without using a clothespin. All of the components come in a small pouch and weigh only 8.8 ounces.

Greenway Folding Drying Rack

What We Like

Sturdy enough to hold 75 pounds of laundry
Easy to open and collapse
Rust resistant

What We Don't Like

Drying rods are close together
Must balance laundry load to prevent tipping

If you have a large capacity front-loading washer or just wait to do laundry until there are no clean clothes left in your closet, then you need a clothing drying rack that can hold lots of wet laundry. Weighing only 8 pounds, the Greenway Folding Drying Rack holds an impressive 75-pounds of laundry. Made of sturdy, rust-resistant stainless steel, this is a heavy-duty rack that can be used inside or outside.

Featuring a gullwing shape, the side racks are adjustable to accommodate longer pieces. The lower fixed rack is perfect for shorter items or for drying a garment flat. On the side supports are four permanently affixed shoe-drying forms that can also be used for hats or gloves.

Spacesaver Drying Rack

What We Like

Budget-friendly
Easy to store
Requires small footprint

What We Don't Like

Small drying capacity
Not suitable for large or very heavy items

If you are looking for a small, versatile drying rack, the Whitmor Spacesaver Drying Rack can be positioned in a free-standing tent shape or leaned against a wall like a ladder. The 16 rods will hold a surprising amount of wet laundry.

Made of coated steel, the rack is rust-resistant and perfectly sized to fit in a bathtub or shower stall or even on a countertop. It folds in half for easy storage behind a door or between appliances.

Multi Dryer Freestanding Drying Rack

What We Like

Lots of drying rods
Has wheels for easy moving
Easy to adjust and collapse

What We Don't Like

Some rods are very close together
The upper racks do not adjust

Kids, especially babies, have tiny clothes. So when you're looking for a clothing drying rack, you need one with lots of drying rods to accommodate all those tiny things. The Rebrilliant Multi-dryer has more than 44 drying rods and a mesh shelf for items that should be dried flat. Some of the rods are close together, but that works just fine for small people's clothing.

Weighing only 11 pounds, the drying rack can hold 55 pounds of clothing. The taller height makes this model easy to load. Since having children requires lots of adapting, this rack's wheels help it be easily moved to different areas even when loaded with laundry.

Final Verdict

The best overall clothing drying rack is the Brabantia T-Model Drying Rack (view at Home Depot). The heavy-duty construction will hold 45 pounds of laundry. With a five-year guarantee, adjustable wings to accommodate variously-sized laundry, and a bottom rack for laundry that should be dried flat, this collapsible rack will provide a family with years of service.

Style

There are advantages and disadvantages to nearly every type of clothes drying rack. Learn which type works best for you.

Winged Dryer Racks

These clothing dryer racks stand on an A-framed base but most often have wings that form into a fixed T-wing shape or adjustable gullwing shape. While they take up a larger footprint than other styles of dryers, these dryer racks will hold larger and heavier loads and are good for families. Look for one that has a flat drying rack between the support legs for more versatility.

Collapsible Tiered Dryer Racks

The most classic shape found in every college dorm room, most tiered dryers have an accordion shape, small footprint, are lightweight, collapsible, and hold a limited amount of laundry. They are not suitable for a large load of heavy items.

There are also tiered dryer racks that can be formed into a tent or ladder shape. These are small enough to fit over a bathtub or lean against a wall and are most useful for very small, lightweight items that should be air-dried.

Wall-Mounted Dryer Racks

Attached to a wall or hung over a door, each type of clothing dryer rack saves space and is handy to use in a laundry room or bathroom. Some are designed like a ladder that pulls out of the wall. Others, however, pull out in an accordion design or retract into a clothesline. The drying racks can be made of wood or metal, and most will only handle a small amount of lightweight laundry at one time.

Outdoor Dryer Racks

Some of the aforementioned types of clothing-drying racks are made from materials that can be used outside on a patio or balcony. However, if you'd like to have a more permanent outdoor dryer, there are numerous clotheslines in free-standing umbrella shapes, classic t-shaped support poles and lines, retractable lines, and pulley systems. Perfect for families with lots of laundry, these are eco-friendly and reduce utility costs.

Material

The most important material consideration of a drying rack is that it is made of something that will not harm wet fabrics. Always look for materials that will not rust, transfer color, or snag fabrics. While plastic will not rust, stainless steel is much more durable and will support more weight. If you feel that metal rods are more slippery, look for models that offer rubber coating on the hanging surfaces. If you opt for wood, check that the finish is sealed to prevent snags on delicate items.

Weight Capacity

The weight capacity of a clothing drying rack is determined by how much wet laundry it can hold at one time. Today's large capacity washers can produce loads weighing up to 40 pounds in one load. If you tend to wash several loads in a single session, you may want a larger drying rack. If you do only one load per day, then a smaller rack will usually meet your needs.

FAQ

Is a clothing-drying rack better than a clothes dryer?

The lower temperatures of air-drying clothing are more gentle on fabrics, embellishments, and structural components like elastic waistbands. Fresh air also helps remove strong odors and prevents some stains from becoming permanently "baked" into the fibers. Air-drying saves money on utility bills and reduces your carbon footprint. In the winter months or arid climates, indoor drying improves the humidity level in a home.
How do you install a wall-mounted clothing-drying rack?

Wall-mounted racks should always be secured to a wall stud or vertical structural post with sturdy screws. When loaded with wet laundry, the rack will be heavy and can fall or cause damage to the wall if only screwed into drywall. For fold-out wall-mounted drying racks, the drywall can be cut away and the frame installed between two studs, so it flushes with the wall. This is usually done during construction or a remodeling job.
How do you use a clothing-drying rack?

Each type of clothing-drying rack is slightly different and may offer guidelines on the best way to hang clothing. In most cases, the laundry is draped over one of the rods, leaving space between each row so that air can circulate freely. Clothing, like a sweater, that should be dried flat is placed on a horizontal mesh or metal rack. Small items like baby clothes or socks can be secured to the rods with pinch-style clothes pins.

Mary Marlowe Leverette, a leading laundry expert and consultant, researched and wrote this roundup. She has extensive personal and professional experience testing, reviewing, and writing about laundry appliances and products. You can find more of her work on The Spruce.

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