The Best Boot Dryers of 2025

Given that virtually everyone agrees that walking around in wet shoes is miserable, it’s a wonder boot dryers aren’t a more common household appliance. Whether your footwear is soaked from rain during a hike, snow from a shoveling session, or simply sweat after a hot day, there’s a special kind of relief that comes with getting sloshy shoes off your feet. But if you need to wear them again before they’ve had enough time to air-dry, you’re bound to be uncomfortable again.  

Rather than moving your boots from one sunny spot to another and hoping for the best, pumping warm, dry air into them can take them from swampy to comfy in a matter of hours. After researching dozens of popular boot dryers and spending a week testing five of the most popular options, we chose the Peet Dryer Original Electric Shoe and Boot Dryer as our favorite for its reliable performance and compatibility with a range of footwear materials. This and the rest of the models we highlighted for our list represent our favorite options in a range of categories. Some units can even accommodate gloves, helmets, and other clothing and gear. 

Once you’ve read through the details on each of the best boot dryers, be sure to review which features matter most before choosing the right one for your needs.

1. BEST OVERALL: Peet Dryer Original Electric Shoe and Boot Dryer
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2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: JobSite Silent Boot Dryer
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3. BEST NON-ELECTRIC: GreenGloveDryer The Eco Dryer
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4. BEST FOR TALL BOOTS: DryGuy Force Dry DX Boot Dryer
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5. BEST PORTABLE: Kooder Boot and Shoe Dryer
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Boot Dryers Comparison

Our Top Picks

The following appliances can dry out damp boots before the next storm hits so that you can keep checking tasks off your list of winter home updates. We recommend comparing each option’s features and test results to find the dryer that best fits your needs.

Our Ratings

If you’re shopping for a good boot dryer that both dries and operates efficiently, we think you’ll love the Peet Original boot and shoe dryer. This convection-style electric boot dryer gently warms the air from the room, allowing it to rise through the unit’s dual extension tubes and into footwear, gloves, and other gear made from leather, rubber, vinyl, neoprene, canvas, synthetics, fleece, felt, or microfiber materials. The energy-efficient unit operates silently and is safe to keep plugged in 24/7. 

Though Peet only lists the time needed to dry boots as “overnight,” we found that slightly damp tennis shoes took a little more than an hour, while completely saturated hiking boots took closer to a full evening (about 8 hours). While that’s not as fast as the model we tested that combines convection with forced hot air, we appreciated not having to worry about leaving delicate materials on the dryer too long. Plus, it doesn’t make any noise, it has the longest ports of all the models we tested, and it showed no signs of wear after a full week of testing (other than some dried drips of salt and mud). Its only downside is that there’s no on/off switch, so it stays on as long as it’s plugged in. 

What our tester says: “My husband hikes with our dogs every day, and in the winter in Colorado, that used to mean a rotating set of wet shoes and boots. Now he just slips them over the Peet dryer at night and wakes up to warm, completely dry footwear.”—Michelle Larson, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Peet Dryer Original boot dryer at Amazon or Peet Dryer.

Our Ratings

Like our pick for best overall, JobSite’s boot and glove dryer operates via efficient, convection-style electric heating. It offers silent operation for drying one pair of boots at a time, and it can also be used for hats, skates, cleats, socks, and all types of gloves. Keeping these items dry helps prevent mold, fungus, and bacteria from growing and causing off-putting odors. 

In our tests, the JobSite fanless boot dryer and warmer performed nearly identically to the Peet. It only took about an hour to dry damp tennis shoes, 8 hours to dry wet hiking boots, and about 12 hours to dry completely soaked snowboard boots. Like the Peet, it’s safe to leave on as long as you like, but we really liked that it also has an on/off switch that lets you turn it off without having to unplug it. It also has an LED light that indicates whether it’s on or off, which can be helpful since it takes 15 to 30 minutes to start producing heat. Be sure you have a towel under it while you wait, as it doesn’t come with a drip tray (none of the dryers we tested do), so wet boots tend to make a mess at first. 

Get the JobSite boot dryer at Amazon, Wayfair, or JobSite.

Our Ratings

Families who need to dry boots, shoes, hats, and mittens for several people will love this multi-boot dryer. To use it, simply place it on a forced-air vent in your entryway or mudroom and let the warm air from your home’s heating system circulate through to dry everything efficiently—no electricity required. The Eco Dryer can hold three pairs of shoes or boots at a time and also accommodates hats, mittens, gloves, and socks. 

During testing, we found the 6-inch ports best suited for smaller, lighter footwear and accessories, such as kids’ shoes and gloves. Saturated leather hiking boots took almost as long to dry on the Eco Dryer (9 hours) as they did to air-dry (12 hours)—probably because they were simply too big to fit completely over our vent. Also, since the unit needs to remain open on the underside, there’s no easy way to protect the surrounding flooring from dripping items. But on the plus side, it’s very easy to disassemble and slip inside its travel bag, which would have been perfect for our daughter’s travel soccer tournaments when she was younger. It’s also made with a trademarked antibacterial additive, Sanafor, which the company claims inhibits 99 percent of the growth that causes odor and mold.  

Get the GreenGloveDryer boot dryer at Amazon or GreenGloveDryer.

Our Ratings

If you’re searching for a dryer that works quickly and efficiently for heavy-duty work boots, be sure to take a look at the DryGuy Force Dry DX. As a forced-air boot dryer, the DryGuy uses a center-mounted fan and heating coil to generate air temperatures of around 105 degrees Fahrenheit, quickly and efficiently removing moisture from most items. Its warm air also helps eliminate odors and reduce bacterial growth, keeping shoes fresher between wears.

This double boot dryer can hold two pairs of shoes at a time, and it comes with a set of 18-inch extension tubes that fit easily over two of the 8-inch ports for tall boots if needed. In our tests, it didn’t even take soaked tennis shoes an hour to dry, and snowboard boots we’d completely submerged in water only took about 4 hours. And when we wanted to dry a pair of wet leather boots without risking them cracking or shrinking, we simply turned the heat setting off. The only downside to this pick is that the fan produces about 46 decibels of sound during use, which, while noticeable, isn’t enough to disrupt normal conversation. 

What our tester says: “This is definitely among the best boot dryers for ski boots. It can dry your boots and gloves at the same time, and when we got snowboard boots wetter than they’d ever get under most real-life conditions, it dried them faster than any other option we tested.”—Michelle Larson, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the DryGuy boot dryer at Amazon, Ace Hardware, Walmart, or Northern Tool + Equipment.

Our Ratings

If you prefer a more direct heat source for drying damp footwear, the Kooder boot and shoe dryer might be ideal. This electric positive temperature coefficient (PTC) dryer slips inside footwear to deliver 360 degrees of gentle, even heat that dries both the upper and lower parts of shoes. Because it’s designed to fit directly against the footbed, it also helps wet boots or shoes retain their shape as they dry. 

During testing, the self-regulating PTC heating element got warm quickly but never felt hot to the touch. It worked especially well in wet sneakers and ankle boots, but to fully dry submerged snowboard boots, we needed to reposition it from horizontal to vertical after about 4 hours of initial drying. After about 8 hours, our tall snowboard boots were totally dry. That was way faster than air-drying (which took a full day), and it was nice that we didn’t end up with dried drips across the surface since they weren’t upside down during drying. Also, at only 8 inches long (you can extend them to 9 inches) and weighing less than a pound, they make a perfect set of ski boot warmers and an excellent portable boot dryer. Just be sure to unplug them when you’re done, as there’s no on/off switch or timer, and they make basically no noise.

Get the Kooder boot dryer at Amazon.

Jump to Our Top Picks 

How We Tested the Best Boot Dryers

To determine which boot dryers truly deserved a spot on our list, we tested five of the most sought-after models for a week each. After selecting three pairs of shoes—leather boots, synthetic hiking shoes, and snowboard boots—plus a pair of leather mittens and synthetic mittens, we rotated each item through a series of tests. 

First, we got each shoe or mitten either uncomfortably damp or totally soaked and timed how long it took to air-dry. Then we got each one wet again and timed how long it took the dryers to fully dry it. As we rotated items and degrees of wetness, we evaluated how evenly the boot dryers distributed heat, how much noise they produced (all but one were near or completely silent), and how well they supported gear of different sizes. Once those tests were complete, we looked for signs of overheating and repeated our mitten tests in a cold garage to see if ambient temperature affected performance. Finally, we considered whether the time savings and convenience offered by each model justified its price.

What to Consider When Choosing a Boot Dryer

Before you choose one of the best boot dryers to help you stay on top of your winter preparation checklist, there are a few things you should know. The following section outlines the finer points to consider as you shop.

Dryer Type

Boot dryers come in various forms. Some work more quickly than others, while the slower options offer more energy efficiency. 

• Convection dryers have vertical tubes to hold and dry your boots. Convection dryers take air from the room, heat it, remove its moisture, and then allow it to rise passively into the boots.
• Forced hot air dryers work in much the same way as convection dryers, with the addition of a fan that blows the warmed air through the boots to speed up the drying process. 
• Positive temperature coefficient (PTC) dryers fit inside your boots and heat them from the inside out. Some models have temperature controls that allow for more precise control, while others have only two settings: off or on. Generally speaking, PTC dryers are faster than convection boot dryers and slower than forced-air models.
• UV-based dryers use ultraviolet light to dry boots and kill bacteria, preventing nasty odors.
• Silica gel-based products and propane-operated dryers are slow but easy to move and use, making them attractive for camping and adventuring.

Capacity

If you’re like many adventurers, you like to share the experience with a companion. That means you’re probably not the only one with soggy shoes. For that reason, you might want to purchase a boot dryer that has more than two ports to accommodate more than one pair of hiking or work boots. Even if you’re flying solo, you can always use the other ports to dry items like hats and gloves. 

Heat Settings

If you have a pair of expensive leather boots, pumping a bunch of hot air into them can strip them of their oils, causing the leather to shrink and crack. While you can re-oil and clean them to mitigate some of the damage, the better option is to avoid using a heated boot dryer for leather boots in the first place.

Some boot dryers let you choose between drying with or without heat. With a flip of a switch, you can go from drying heavy-duty winter boots with heat to allowing your expensive dress boots to dry more naturally, retaining their oils and shape. If you know you’ll always be drying less sensitive materials, you’ll probably be quite happy with a permanently heating boot dryer.

Drying Time

One of the most important considerations when shopping for the best boot air dryers is how long a particular model takes to dry your boots. While boot-drying time often has more to do with how wet the boot is, having a general idea of how long it could take will help you decide on the right model.

Silica gel and positive temperature coefficient models are slow. They can often take 8 to 12 hours to dry out wet footwear. Alternatively, some forced hot air dryers can have you back out on the trail or lacing up your work boots for concrete in just a few hours. The dryer’s power output and efficiency have a lot to do with how long they’ll have to run to get your footwear dry.

Port Height

If you haven’t considered the height of the ports when shopping for the best boot dryer, you should give it some thought. Yes, most boots will fit on any standard tube, but high rubber hunting boots or rain boots might require a taller port to allow the dryer to work as efficiently as possible. A few models on our list have especially tall ports or come with tube extensions, so if you tend toward tasks that require tall boots, you probably want to choose between those.  

Articulating Tubes

Packing two pairs of heavy boots onto a boot dryer can affect how they sit on the tubes, meaning they could block the intake fan and reduce the efficiency of the dryer. If you’re able to find a model with articulating tubes, you can place your boots on the dryer sideways to keep the fan clear and allow all items to dry as efficiently as possible. 

Drip Tray

Drip trays make a big difference in protecting floors and minimizing wet, muddy messes as your boots dry. If you’ll be using your boot dryer in a room with carpet or hardwood flooring, a drip tray is a must. If the model you’re considering doesn’t come with drip trays (not many units do, unfortunately), you might want to purchase one separately. 

Extra Features

There are a few extra features you might want to consider when shopping for the best boot dryer. Models with auto-shutoff timers are particularly helpful if you’re drying overnight or swapping boots and leaving for the day. Units with special attachments for winter work gloves and mittens can help dry air reach the extremities of these hard-to-dry items while also helping them retain their shape.

FAQs 

Although you now know boot dryers offer more than just the heat output of the best laundry dryer, you might still have some questions before you’re ready to invest. Below are some answers to the most common questions about these products.

Q. How do you use a shoe and boot dryer?

Most boot dryers use electricity to warm the air inside the boot—you simply plug the dryer in and insert the boot over the tubes. If it’s a positive temperature coefficient model, you plug it in and slip the heaters into your boots.

Q. How long do boot dryers take to dry boots?

Drying time depends on many factors, including how wet the boot is and the type of dryer you purchase. In general, boot dryers are designed to dry soaking wet boots in as little as a few hours or as long as overnight. 

Q. Can a boot dryer catch on fire?

Any electrical appliance can catch fire, but the best boot dryers have built-in temperature controls that will not allow the dryer to exceed a specific temperature (usually around 105 degrees Fahrenheit).

Q. Do boot dryers kill bacteria?

Yes, by creating a warm, dry environment, boot dryers help reduce the amount of bacteria inside a boot. This aspect of their functionality can also help them eliminate odors. 

Q. Can a boot dryer catch on fire?

Any electrical appliance can catch fire, but most boot dryers are designed to stay safely plugged in 24/7. Some also have built-in temperature controls that prevent them from exceeding a specific temperature (usually around 105 degrees Fahrenheit), while others have on/off switches so you can flip them off instead of unplugging.

Q. How do you maintain a boot dryer?

Boot dryers don’t require much maintenance. Simply wipe the surfaces down with a household cleaning wipe, and if your machine has a fan or air intake, vacuum it out to ensure it’s running as efficiently as possible.

Q. Are boot dryers worth it?

Yes, if you live in a precipitation-heavy area or otherwise regularly deal with wet footwear, boot dryers are definitely worth it. And if you tend to run cold head to toe, this list of products for surviving winter has 50 other great ideas to help you stay warm. 

Q. Do boot dryers use a lot of electricity?

Most boot dryers use convection heat and, therefore, require a minimal amount of electricity—about as much as a light bulb. More high-powered models that offer especially quick drying times will use more electricity, whereas our non-electric pick, GreenGloveDryer’s The Eco Dryer, relies exclusively on the heat that comes from your home’s registers. 

Meet the Tester

Michelle Larson has been a writer and editor for more than 10 years in the fields of health, business, and the home. As an avid hiker and snowboarder, she loves spending time outdoors in all types of weather. She relies on research and hands-on testing for finding quality gear that’s made to last. 

Additional research provided by Tom Scalisi. 

 

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