A clothes drying rack is a great item to have in your home, especially if you own a lot of delicate or hand-washable clothing. With so many designs and sizes on the market, you might have a hard time deciding which one is right for you. The Honey-Can-Do Metal Folding Drying Rack is one of the best-selling models out there, boasting 30 linear feet of drying space and a foldable design for easy storage. We put it to the test to see if it could handle all of our clothes-drying needs. Read on to find out if it’s worth your money.
Size: Fairly small footprint
The Honey-Can-Do Metal Folding Drying Rack has ten wire rods across the top, providing 30 linear feet of drying space for your clothing. Measuring 21 x 15 x 32.2 inches, it isn’t the most compact unit on the market, but it has a relatively small footprint. You can place a shirt or spread out a pair of pants on one wire and still have a little room left over. It’s not enough space for a second article of clothing, but you can add a pair of socks or a pair of underwear. We like the fact that this rack isn’t staggered like accordion-style drying racks. All of the wires are at arm’s length so you don’t have to bend over or squat on the floor to reach lower tiers. On the other hand, the lack of tiers means it’s wider and less compact than other units. The rack fit in our relatively small bathroom, but it didn’t leave much space for us to walk around, so we ended up putting it in our bathtub. (Pro tip: If you’re hanging out clothes that are really wet, it’s much easier to have them drip into the tub rather than on the floor.)
Design: Could use some improvement
A great thing about this drying rack is that it comes already assembled. Also, because its metal frame weighs just slightly more than a pound, it’s lightweight and highly portable. It has an X-frame design and folds up flat, similar to an ironing board. Once folded, it fit perfectly behind our bathroom door. One thing we weren’t thrilled with, however, was the hooking mechanism that holds the rack in place. The rack doesn’t come with any instructions and the setup isn’t very intuitive. You have to hook both ends of a wire rod into corresponding holes on the frame. When we first expanded it, the wire was sticking out a bit at one end and the rack didn’t feel very sturdy. Through trial and error, we realized that you have to insert the longer end of the rod into its corresponding hole first, followed by the shorter end on the opposite side. Once properly in use, the rack seemed sturdy enough. It held all of our wet clothing without bending or collapsing. Don’t attempt to move the rack while it’s expanded, though. When we tried to lift it in its upright position, the hook popped out and the rack started to collapse. Overall, we thought that its construction wasn’t very high quality. This rack is certainly not as strong as more expensive units made from stainless steel or iron—it wouldn’t stand up to heavy towels and thick jeans. However, because we only air dry a small amount of laundry, it suited our needs just fine.
Performance: Effective and efficient
When removed this drying rack from its plastic wrapping, we were disappointed to see that some of the print from the packaging had transferred onto the frame. We tried to remove it with a little soap and water, but unfortunately, it wouldn’t come off. On a positive note, though, the ink didn’t run onto our clothes. We used this rack to air dry a medium-sized load of laundry. The rack could easily accommodate several cotton shirts, two pairs of pants, and a week’s worth of underwear. We liked the fact that the wires are spaced wide enough apart that none of the clothes were touching so we didn’t have to worry about the colors running from one garment onto another.
Price: Very affordable
Priced at around $20, this is one of the cheapest clothes drying racks on the market. Overall, it works fairly well but the material is a bit flimsy—not surprising for a budget model. If you want a clothes drying rack that’s better quality and can support more weight, there are plenty of options available. You’ll have to pay a bit more, however.
Competition: You get what you pay for
Cresnel Stainless Steel Clothes Drying Rack: If you’re looking for a heavy-duty rack that’s incredibly sturdy, the Cresnel Stainless Steel Clothes Drying Rack is an excellent—albeit expensive—option. Priced at around $60, it will definitely cost you a pretty penny. It has impressive storage capacity and its stainless steel design is very durable. The Honey-Can-Do Metal Folding Drying Rack is worth buying as long as you don’t set your expectations too high. It does a fine job of air drying lightweight clothing, but it’s not ideal for towels or other heavy items.
