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HEATED airers are one of the best products you can use to dry your clothes without forking out loads on your energy bills.

The gadgets work by heating up metal bars which you wrap your garments round – and they cost just pennies per hour to run.

But, like with any product nowadays, there are so many on the market it can feel a daunting task knowing with one to buy.

So, we’ve done some of the hard work for you to find the cheapest selection out there.

Of course, make sure you do your own research before buying one we found as you might find a cheaper alternative, particularly as we only looked at winged heated airers.

Websites like Price Spy let you search the internet for a range of products, filtering from the cheapest to most expensive.

You can try having a quick scan of the internet using the Google Shopping/Product tab as well.

Always read product reviews too so you know what you are getting for your money.

In any case, here are the cheapest heated airers we found this week.

Aldi – £34.99

Aldi

Aldi’s sellout heated airer is back again for this winter[/caption]

Discounter Aldi’s £34.99 heated airer is always welcomed back by customers with open arms, and it is the cheapest we could find this week.

The retailer started re-stocking the gadget on September 19 so you’ll want to be quick as it often flies off shelves.

Aldi’s heater costs roughly 6p an hour to run and can hold 10kg of washing, including towels and bedding.

If you want to buy one of the heated airers, you’ll have to head to your nearest Aldi branch as the retailer doesn’t do delivery.

You can find your nearest Aldi store by using the branch locator tool on its website.

George at Asda – £40

Asda

George at Asda has a winged heated airer on sale for just £40[/caption]

George at Asda‘s heated airer comes in at £40 and £5 more expensive than Aldi’s.

It is made of aluminium, comes with a 100-day warranty and plenty of five star reviews on the Asda website.

The airer also has foldable arms which make it easy to pack away when you’re done drying all your bits.

Click and collect is currently unavailable on the product online, while delivery costs from £3.75.

Dunelm – £40

Dunelm

Dunelm shoppers can pick up this airer for £40[/caption]

Dunelm shoppers can snap up this heated airer for the same price as Asda’s – £40.

The retailer says it costs just 5p an hour to run as well, which is 1p cheaper than it costs to run Aldi’s winged airer.

The airer has a 10kg washing limit with a combined 12 meters worth of bar space to hang your pants, socks and other clothes.

You can click and collect one for free from your local branch or delivery costs from £3.95.

You can find your nearest Dunelm branch by using its store locator.

Homebase – £40

Homebase

Homebase has cut the cost of this heated airer to £40 from £60[/caption]

Homebase has slashed the price on this heated airer from £60 to £40 – a 33% discount.

One massive perk is that it comes with a cover included, which helps lock in any heat produced to dry your clothes quicker.

It comes with 10.9metres of drying space across all the bars and can hold up to 10kg of your garments.

Bear in mind delivery will set you back a whopping £6 though, although click and collect is free.

You can find your nearest Homebase branch by using the store locator tool on its website.

The Range – £37.99

THE RANGE

The Range is offering free delivery on this airer[/caption]

The Range has slashed the price of this winged heated airer from £44.99 to £37.99, or you can buy one with a cover for £47.99 – an extra tenner.

It comes with foldable wings so you can store it away easily after use plus delivery is also free as well as click and collect.

You can find your nearest The Range branch by using its online store locator tool.

Bear in mind though, if you do want free delivery, you may have to wait over a week for it to arrive.

Robert Dyas – £39.99

Robert Dyas

Robert Dyas’ heated airer can hold up to 15kg worth of clothes and bedding[/caption]

Robert Dyas has discounted this heated airer by £7 tucking it just under the £40 mark.

One advantage to the airer compared to the others we found is that it can hold 15kg worth of clothes making it slightly sturdier.

It also comes with 18 heated bars and a foldable rack making it easy to stash away.

Robert Dyas’ website is offering shoppers who enter a specific code free delivery too.

Or, you can try finding it in your local Robert Dyas store, by using the retailer’s store locator tool.

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TOE-ON-SHOW season might be drawing to a close, but that doesn’t mean that we’ll be putting our Birkenstocks away until next year.

These days, the brand offers an array of styles, and I’ve reviewed four to see if they’re worth your money.

Pros:

• Stylish
• Comfortable
• Environmentally friendly
• Adjustable
• Huge number of styles and colours available

Cons

• Sizing can be a bit of a lottery with the Arizona
• Expensive (especially newer models like the Reykjavik and Shinjuku)

Rating: 5/5

Birkenstocks review: quick summary

It’s hard to understate quite how much I’ve come to love my Birkenstocks.

Although they take a bit of wearing in, after a few weeks they became one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I own (which is no mean feat — I own a lot).

They’re amazing for throwing on to go to the shops, they’re the first thing I throw in my suitcase when I go on my summer holidays, and they can be dressed up to make a very stylish outfit — especially the Bostons, whose louche clog silhouette has been seen on Spring/Summer runways for half a decade now.

The main drawback is the cost — the popularity of the Bostons has pushed their price up to over £150 for some styles, while the Arizonas cost a slightly less painful £105. Newer styles like the Shinjuku fetch a jaw-dropping £190.

While that might be what you’d expect from a pair of shoes or boots, for a pair of clogs or sandals, it’s undeniably pricey.

However, the price is justified by the fact that I’ve had pairs of Birkenstocks that have lasted me the best part of a decade — and when you’re wearing them almost daily for half of the year, that’s not bad going.

Birkenstocks review: full review

Birkenstock Arizona review

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Birkenstock Arizona, £105 from Size

Pros: Classic timeless design, durable, comes in a huge array of designs
Cons: Expensive, footbed starts to look dirty after continued wear (but you can buy cleaning products to counteract this)
Rating: 4.5/5

Nowadays Birkenstock makes every type of shoe imaginable, including boots, sneakers, slippers, and even rain boots.

However, if you’re reading this review, it’s probably because you want to know about the brand’s bread and butter: sandals.

The Arizona is likely what you think of when you think of the word “Birkenstock”. It’s the platonic ideal of a sandal: two straps with adjustable buckles and a cork footbed.

It comes in more than 100 variations, comprising different fabrics, colours and properties, but for maximum versatility, I went for classic black leather.

Having been in production for more than half a century, it’s fair to say Birkenstock has had its fair share of time to perfect the Arizona, and it’s hard to fault them at this stage.

Thanks to a shock-absorbing cork footbed and a design that is contoured to support and stabilise your feet, Arizonas are better for your trotters than almost any other sandals or flip-flops I can think of.

While the footbed does take some getting used to (especially the way that it raises in the middle) they quickly became some of the comfiest shoes I own.

Something to note is that, in the Arizona, you might want to size down slightly — the first pair I got, despite being a size 9, made me look like I was walking on a pair of surfboards.

However, it’s not too big of a deal, because Arizonas are super adjustable. In fact, I first started wearing them when I was wearing a cast after breaking my knee, because they were the only shoes that were adjustable enough to wear.

The only other thing to mention is that the cork footbed does get quite dirty, thanks to buildups of dust, dirt and sweat. However, Birkenstock does sell products designed to counteract this.

Birkenstock Boston review

Birkenstock Boston (Natural Leather), £125 from End Clothing

Pros: Probably the trendiest of Birkenstock’s offerings, durable, comfortable
Cons: Expensive
Rating: 5/5

While the Arizona is the prototypical Birkenstock, if you’re looking to be bang on trend, then you should look to a more northern part of America.

The Boston, for all intents and purposes, is a clog, and to be honest there’s no particular reason for them to have become as fashionable as they are; indeed, my friends have taken to calling mine my “Birken-crocs”.

I got mine because, like a flea-bitten dog with mismatched ears, there’s something endearing about their ugliness.

And it’s undeniable they have the most clout of any Birkenstock, thanks to high-profile collaborations with the likes of Dior and Stussy and their appearance on the feet of celebs like Kendall Jenner.

Again, for optimum wearability, I got mine in black leather, but I actually sort of prefer them in suede — especially in this tan colourway.

The Boston is fundamentally very similar to the Arizona, with many of the same components; the only difference is that instead of having the Arizona’s double-strap design, there is a single piece of leather that covers the entire upper part of your foot.

I think this tweak in the design makes them a bit more durable than the Arizonas; the stolid, singular piece of leather has held up remarkably well over three years of wear, whereas the straps on the Arizona do start to show signs of fatigue after a couple of years.

My only real qualm with the Bostons (and Birkenstocks more widely) is their price; they currently retail for £125. When I bought them in 2021, I paid £85 and thought that was a splurge.

Even if you take interest into account, based on a price of £85 in 2021, a pair of Bostons should cost around £100 now. And even considering an increase in the cost of materials, a price rise of £40 over three years feels hard to justify.

Birkenstock Reykjavik review

Birkenstock Reykjavik, £180 £145 from Size

Pros: Futuristic, fashion-forward design, comfortable, easy to clean
Cons: Design will split opinion, expensive, colour leaks when wet
Rating: 4/5

If you find the look of the Birkenstock Boston divisive, you might fall off your chair when you see the Reykjavik.

I had to do a double-take when I first saw the picture of them, but I’ll admit they grew on me.

Their leather upper is virtually the same as the Boston clog, but instead of Birkenstock’s signature cork footbed, the Reykjaviks feature a statement polyurethane sole that covers the toecap of the shoe and most of the heel. The effect is quite futuristic.

In its press release, Birkenstock claims that the Reykjavik is a “perfect 24/7 all-rounder, especially on long and active days”.

That’s quite a claim, so I wore them for a long (but easy) walk, and I’ll admit they held up really well — they’re immediately comfortable and very lightweight.

However, unfortunately for both me and the Reykjavik, I got caught in heavy rain during the walk, and I can testify that they’re not waterproof. Not only did my feet get soaked, but the dye from the leather leaked through onto my white socks.

However, I can forgive this in a pair of shoes that are evidently designed for summer conditions, and I can also vouch that they’re easy to clean.

What I struggle to forgive, however, is a price tag of £180. That’s £45 more than the Bostons and £95 more than the Arizona.

Birkenstock Shinjuku review

Birkenstock Shinjuku, £189 from End Clothing

Pros: Fashion-forward design, comfortable
Cons: Very expensive, design is a bit overcomplicated, run large
Rating: 2.5/5

Like the Reykjavik, the Shinjuku is one of Birkenstock’s newer styles, and like the Reykjavik, it comes with a futuristic design language to match.

However, I didn’t warm to the design of the Shinjuku in the same way I did to the Reykjavik.

I think that’s down to the overabundance of features; there’s the sort of wide leather straps going across the top of your feet you get on the Arizona, as well as thinner fabric straps, big metal buckles, and further straps going around the back of your heel.

However, they’re comfortable enough, and the number of straps does mean that there’s a lot of room to adjust them to your feet.

I would recommend sizing down, though; I was sent a 9.5 due to stock issues, and although I knew they’d be slightly too big, they were easily a full size too large for me; I’d go a half-size down from your true size.

The main issue with the Shinjuku, though, is the price; at £190, they’re even more expensive than the Reykjavik, and double (double!) what I paid for my Bostons in 2021.

For that money, I’d recommend you get a pair of sandals from Suicoke instead; they’re marginally cheaper, have the same Japanese-inspired design language as the Shinjuku and probably have slightly more fashion cache.

Where to buy Birkenstocks in the UK

As the most drooled-over sandals brand in the UK, Birkenstock is unsurprisingly available in almost every major shoe retailer.

Come summer, stock can often get low in some sizes — especially in the trendy Boston — so I’d recommend pulling the trigger sooner rather than later, especially if you’re lucky enough to find your preferred size and colour in the sale.

You can buy Birkenstocks from:

• Office
• ASOS
• END Clothing
• Schuh
• Next
• Amazon
• Harrods
• Size?

Birkenstock review: the verdict

For me, Birkenstocks are the essential summer shoe. They’re versatile, comfortable and stylish, and come in enough silhouettes, colours and materials that there is something for everyone.

However, having tested out two styles that have been around since the 70s and another two that have only been introduced in recent years, I’d recommend you stick to the Arizona and Boston; they’re more affordable and more timeless.

I’d recommend you stick to the Arizona and Boston; they’re more affordable and more timeless.

It’s undeniable that all of Birkenstock’s styles require a bit of an initial investment, and you do need to be careful when choosing your size, but once you’ve worn them in, you’ll never look back.

A RACEHORSE has died following a collision with a car and its rider was left with minor injuries.

A two-year-old filly was struck from behind by a grey Volkswagen Polo in Berkshire.

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A horse has died after being hit by a car[/caption]

The horse suffered serious injuries and did not survive.

While the horse’s rider escaped with small injuries but was badly shaken – the driver of the car was unhurt.

The horse belonged to a nearby stable called Berkshire Racing Centre in Lambourn, where Tom Ward is the trainer.

He said of the incident: “It was pretty horrific for everyone. It’s the last thing you want to happen.

“The horse involved was a nice, young two-year-old filly who was going forward and would have made into a lovely three-year-old.

“Obviously her rider was very lucky to get away with small injuries as it could have been a lot worse.”

He continued: “She was part of a string going down the road.

“Lambourn is a very small community and we’ve got lots of yards, so a horsey village and we’d expect people to be more aware of their surroundings but in this incident the person wasn’t.

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“The rider is okay but was shaken up and pretty bruised. She is off work at the moment but hopefully she will be back at some stage. Nothing seems to be broken. It was pretty messy.”

Ward also urged drivers to be more vigilant when passing horses, revealing the necessary precautions were taken.

He added: “We took all the right precautions. The rider had a high viz on, it was a bright morning and there was nothing obstructing her from being seen.

“We just want to bring attention to the road safety of horses and make sure people are aware they need to be careful when passing them.”

A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: “We can confirm that a road traffic collision occurred at around 8.15am on Monday (30/9) involving a grey VW Polo and a horse.

“The driver of the Golf was not injured, but tragically, the horse sustained injuries which led to it being put down by a local vet.

“Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to call 101, quoting reference 43240469386.”

THE family of missing Victoria Taylor say they “feel sick and lost” – as a new photo of the mum with her partner has been released.

The 34-year-old has been missing from her home in Malton, North Yorkshire, for five days, with a major search launched involving police and the general public.

North Yorkshire Police

Victoria Taylor with her partner Matthew Grant Williams[/caption]

Her belongings were found on the bank of the River Derwent, leading to specialist teams focusing on the area.

Today, Victoria’s sisters Emma and Heidi have said in a statement: “We currently feel sick, distraught and lost following the disappearance of Vixx, but we are trying to focus on the children in the family to maintain a sense of routine at this difficult time.

“We would like to thank all the emergency services and volunteers who have assisted in the search for Vixx so far.

“The wider local community has also rallied around, and we are eternally grateful for the support that they have given to us, Vixx’s family.

“The police have told us that searches will continue over the weekend for which we are grateful.

“The water is challenging at the moment due to the recent weather so if people are out searching for Vixx, then please do not put yourself at risk.”

It comes after her fiancé Matthew spoke to the Sun pleading with Victoria to come home.

Speaking outside the couple’s home this afternoon, while cradling their two-year-old daughter Nancy in his arms, he said: “Please come home, babe.

“Come home to Nancy and be the mum that you know you are and can still be.”

Matthew broke down in tears as he urged his partner to return home to their daughter.

Struggling to speak and visibly emotional, he said: “She loved this bairn so much and I cannot reiterate how grateful I am for the effort  from the local community.

“She has done so much charity work for the local community. She dived out of a plane for Dementia UK and stuff.

“She is so amazing and it breaks my heart that she’s not here.

“All she wanted was to give this bairn the best.

“She didn’t have the best of upbringings and she just wanted to give this one a better one.

“I just hope she comes back.”

Matthew has also revealed he and Victoria are due to wed – but had not yet set a date.

He has updated his Facebook profile picture to a touching black and white snap of the pair.

A STAR from MTV has tearfully quit her huge reality show after six years.

The TV presenter revealed the news in a long emotional statement on her Instagram page.

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Kamie Crawford has announced that she is going to step down from her role in Catfish: The TV Show[/caption]

2022 Michael Kovac

The TV presenter appeared alongside Nev Schulman for the last six years[/caption]

Instagram

She first appeared on the series in 2018 when she was handpicked to host a number of episodes[/caption]

Kamie Crawford, 31, is best known as the co-host of Catfish: The TV Show.

She first fronted the popular MTV format in 2018 when she was one of the guest presenters following the departure of Max Joseph.

The TV star was later selected to join Nev Schulman full-time as his replacement for the eighth edition.

However, Kamie took to her profile grid with an essay to announce her departure from the long-running series.

Two graphic squares were posted to her 862K followers, which read: “After six years of living my absolute dream working on Catfish – one of the most iconic shows in television history, it is with a heavy heart and much consideration that I have decided to move on to my next adventure.

“When I got an email in 2018 from an absolute stranger at Catfish’s production department asking if I wanted to guest co-host two episodes of one of my favourite shows of all time, I never would’ve imagined the life, love, memories and worldwide support that it would’ve awarded me.

“I am so grateful for every single moment spent travelling the country, meeting so many of you and helping people find love – whether that be from a partner or finding new ways to love themselves a little bit more.

“My mom has always taught me that, ‘People may not always remember what you said, but they’ll always remember how you made them feel.”

Although Kamie is sad to leave the hit show behind, she thanked her fans as she revealed she wants to embark on a new challenge.

The presenter admitted that although the change in her life is “hard,” she now has different goals and ambitions that she wants to aim for in her life.

She continued: “The outpouring of love that I receive from a daily basis from Catfish fans around the world lets me know that I have done what I’ve always intended on doing, which is to leave every room a little bit brighter, warmer and safer than I entered.

“Thank you for wrapping your arms around me and accepting me with welcoming arms.

“Change is hard but your acceptance and love made it so much easier to fill some already pretty big shoes.

“I am proud of the work we’ve done and the impact I’ve left and I am forever grateful to Nev, Critical Content and MTV for this once in a lifetime opportunity and shot at a dream I’ve been working towards since I was 19 years old.”

Kamie added: “I have so many new dreams now and although I’m writing this with tears in my eyes (y’all know I’m a water sign at the end of the day).

“I am excited for what’s to come and I’m even more honoured that I get to take you all with me.

“Thank you a million gazillion times Catfish – I LOVE YOU!!!! BOCK, BOCK, BYE FOR NOW!!!!”

Aside from Catfish, Kamie is known as the host of the hit Paramount+ show, ‘Are You The One?’

She has also hosted Ex On The Beach, as well as her own podcast called Relationsh*t.

MTV

Kamie called her role on the series as a ‘dream come true’[/caption]

Splash

Kamie wants ‘change’ in her life as she has ‘new dreams’ in her life[/caption]

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Max Joseph departed the show after seven series on air[/caption]

SEVERAL airlines in Europe are set to bump up the price of their hidden costs with UK holidaymakers impacted by the measure.

British holidaymakers will be affected as UK routes won’t be an exception in the hike.

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Airlines like Lufthansa are increasing the cost of seat reservations on its flights[/caption]

The Lufthansa Group covers Lufthansa, Eurowings Discover, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Swiss and Air Dolomiti.

And from the start of this month, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa and Swiss raised the cost of seat reservation prices.

Seat reservation prices aren’t often included in the initial price, making them a hidden charge to customers.

Most economy class passengers travelling on short-haul flights won’t be affected by the measure, with seat reservations for “regular seats” remaining free of charge.

However, anyone who wants to book certain seats like an extra legroom seat will now need to pay.

Meanwhile, holidaymakers flying on an Economy Light Fare on short and medium-haul flights will need to pay to have their assigned seat changed.

This means passengers will be issued an assigned seat for free but will have to pay for any changes.

A Lufthansa spokesperson has said assigned seats can be changed at an airport desk without a charge.

Those passengers travelling on medium and long-haul flights will also pay a fee if they want to pick their seats.

Just like on short-haul routes, seats will be assigned for free but holidaymakers will pay to change their seat reservation.

This amount will not be fixed. Instead, it will be based on factors like a passenger’s route and the type of seat they’d like to book, such as a regular seat compared to an extra legroom seat.

The cost of seat reservations will start at €14 (£11.70) but cost as much as €115 (£97) for economy passengers travelling on long-haul services.

Families travelling with children and groups of holidaymakers on a joint booking will be seated together where possible.

Earlier this year German carrier Lufthansa also increased the price of its flights by up to £60 in a bid to cover new EU regulations.

Lufthansa introduced an environmental charge of up to £60 to its fares.

Holidaymakers now have to splurge extra when flying from EU countries as well as Britain, Norway and Switzerland.

The increase will be effective as early as Wednesday but will cover flights starting from January 1, 2025, onwards.

EU regulations force airlines to use more sustainable jet fuel in a bid to reduce emissions, and subsequently, drive up costs.

The German airline said: “The surcharge is intended to cover part of the steadily rising additional costs due to regulatory environmental requirements.”

It comes as flight experts have warned travellers that plane tickets will likely skyrocket this summer.

A group of aviation industry leaders have revealed that worldwide inflation and jet fuel costs are significant factors in the price hike.

Earlier this year, Lufthansa has launched a new airline with routes across Europe, including Hanover, Düsseldorf, Bordeaux and Birmingham.

Holidaymakers in Birmingham will be able to fly directly to Munich when the new route takes to the skies tomorrow.

It comes after the German carrier scrapped all of its flights to a popular UK airport in February.

Lufthansa only started running flights between Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport and Frankfurt in May 2022.

However, the route was scrapped, despite an increase in the number of flights between the two airports in the summer of 2023.

Meanwhile, Lufthansa will also be introducing “business class style” economy seats without the hefty price tag.

Alamy

European airlines will increase the price of their seat reservations[/caption]

Ahead of the October 9 local government election in Plateau State, 11 political parties have signed a peace agreement to ensure a violence-free and fair electoral process. The peace accord was organised by the Plateau State Peace Building Agency (PPBA) in collaboration with the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC). The PPBA Director General, Julie […]

An Abuja-based lawyer, Nkem Okoro, has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to law teacher and social critic, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, to retract and apologise to him for an alleged defamatory publication. In the letter dated October 3, 2024, Okoro also demanded the sum of N1 billion in damages and an apology to be published in three […]

Saoirse Ronan is sharing a dispatch about her marriage. The Irish actress, who wed her Mary Queen of Scots costar Jack Lowden in July, gave some rare insight into her relationship on the heels of...

Will Smith has found a fresh perspective.  The Academy Award winner recently shared how he’s spent the last few years working on himself, and where that has led him. “In the last couple of years...