Fold Down
Rotary Hoist
Retractable
Portable
Ceiling Airer
Covers
Bunnings Clothesline vs Lifestyle Clotheslines
We get lots of questions regarding Bunnings Clothesline vs Lifestyle Clotheslines and we completely understand the curiosity of customers behind this.
Buying Bunnings clothesline options or choosing Lifestyle Clotheslines can be a rather loaded topic in many ways.
That’s why we took the liberty of creating an article about Bunnings vs Lifestyle Clotheslines so you’ll be able to decide which retailer suits your requirements the most.
Introduction
Bunnings and Lifestyle Clotheslines are household names that have withstood the test of time.
Unrelentingly evolving with technology and the people to fulfil the needs of Aussie homes.
Bunnings is the “Jack of All Trades” which has a very rich history that can be traced as far back as the late 1800.
Lifestyle Clotheslines entered the game in the early 2000s.
This was during the internet and social media boom when everything suddenly started to take place online.
The former is a giant that pretty much has everything you ask for while the latter is a quiet, yet, dynamic online clothes line powerhouse with a laser-focused approach on products for clothes drying.
It’s interesting to see how both of these clothes line retailers changed over the years.
With that being said, let’s not waste your time any further, read on to find out which of these two deserves to be at the top of your list for your next clothesline hunting.
Hills Clothesline: Bunnings vs Lifestyle Clotheslines
To Strut or Not?
Many are unaware of this but Hills actually makes different versions of clothesline models specifically for Bunnings and Lifestyle Clotheslines.
These differences can have a significant impact on your buying decision so, it is something to keep in mind.
Beyond the amount of plastic components found in Hills clotheslines sold by Bunnings (more on that later), the absence of struts or support arms is very much worth mentioning.
This is a vital load-bearing component that helps prolong the life of a clothesline as well as improve the actual weight capacity for drying larger, heavier items like duvets and denim.
To get straight to the point, Hills clotheslines sold by Lifestyle Clotheslines have struts which can help distribute the weight more evenly towards the brackets and the walls.
This means less force is transferred to the hinge/locking mechanism and prevents the arms of the frame from sagging in the long run.
The absence of struts do have some advantages like freeing some space underneath the clothesline, gives the clothes line a much cleaner look, and less complexity.
At the end of the day, the price difference is often minimal and a version of Hills clothesline with struts is what we’d prefer if we’re talking about the longevity of the product.
Metal vs Plastic Components
We briefly mentioned earlier that Hills Clotheslines sold by Bunnings have more plastic components vs Lifestyle Clotheslines’ that are almost entirely built out of galvanised steel.
Case in point, have a look at the images of the Hills Double bracket assembly below:
The image at the top is the bracket assembly of a Hills Double being sold by Bunnings, the Hills Double sold by Lifestyle Clotheslines is the one at the bottom.
While Hills has always been known for making great quality products, even those who have decades of experience with Hills clotheslines can attest to the fact that these plastic components eventually fall apart.
Remember, the bracket is basically the heart of a fold down clothesline.
A broken plastic component elsewhere can be replaced in a jiffy and may not have a significant impact on clothesline’s functionality.
The image on the left is the bracket assembly of a Hills Double being sold by Bunnings, the Hills Double offered by Lifestyle Clotheslines is the one on the right.
While Hills has always been known for making great quality products, even those who have decades of experience with Hills clotheslines can attest to the fact that these plastic components eventually fall apart.
Remember, the bracket is basically the heart of a fold down clothes line.
A broken plastic component elsewhere can be replaced in a jiffy and may not have a significant impact on clothesline’s functionality.
When even just one plastic bracket breaks, your clothesline is pretty much done for.
It'll require removal of the bolts and reinstallation of a new bracket in place for your clothesline to return to full working order.
Add to that the need for hiring a clothesline professional if you are not a DIY savvy person, you’ll realise that the costs can add up.
Even with recent advancements in plastics manufacturing, the UV-resistant plastic brackets of Hills models sold by Bunnings are simply inferior against the strength of full metal ones.
This is one of the many testaments to Lifestyle Clotheslines’ commitment to the quality of the products in its portfolio: Durability and longevity.
Metal can rust leading to its eventual demise but powder-coated, galvanised steel brackets are still superior to plastic ones and boast improved tensile strength for tough clothes drying tasks.
With very minimal price difference, we can honestly say that you’re better off choosing the better-built Hills models being sold by Lifestyle Clotheslines.
Hills Clothesline: Other Key Differences
Bunnings Hills Hoist or Rotary Clothes Hoist are usually slightly smaller than Lifestyle Clotheslines.
The Bunnings version of the Hills 8 Line Rotary for example has 55 metres of total drying space.
The Lifestyle Clothesline version of the Hills 8 Line on the other hand boasts 58 metres of total drying space thanks to its slightly larger head diameter.
That extra 3 metres of drying space is enough for a couple of towels, shirts, or jeans which is a great thing if you household has big demands when it comes to clothes drying.
Both retailers also have slight differences in terms of colour options, but it’s worth noting that Lifestyle Clotheslines often has the most updated product line compared to Bunnings.
As stated in this article, Lifestyle Clotheslines was one of the first (if not the first) online clothesline retailers to introduce the revamped Hills clotheslines back in 2022.
The refreshed Hills rotary hoists, retractable clotheslines, portable clotheslines, and fold down clotheslines came with sleeker, more updated aesthetics and upgraded internals for reliability.
An upgraded lifetime warranty coverage for the revamped product lines was a surprise as well which goes to show that the upgrades to these clothesline models aren’t just on the outside.
Bunnings took a while to include new Hills clotheslines on their storefront, Lifestyle Clotheslines has already sold a handful of these to happy customers by then.
This is an important thing to keep in mind.
This is no different from missing out on the latest smartphone because you’re unaware of the newly launched version — ending up with an older generation of hardware for the same amount of money.
Clotheslines Made in Australia vs Made in China
You may or may not be aware of this but Hills has been outsourcing the production of its clotheslines to China for a long time now.
Thanks to Hills’ strict manufacturing guidelines, the quality of their products hasn’t changed much.
The cheaper cost of labor in China means that more people have access to better quality clotheslines without breaking the bank.
For those who cannot afford Hills clotheslines, mid-tier brands such as Sunfresh and Daytek are offered by Bunnings.
While the calibre of these brands aren’t anywhere near those of Hills, Austral, and ECO the price tags are more palpable to a lot which is completely understandable.
We do have to take into consideration that cost is usually directly proportional to the quality of the product itself.
That is not always the case but when it comes to clotheslines, it is and people often find out the hard way.
We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again: only Aussies know Aussies best, there’s a big difference between engineering a clothesline for use in Australia vs acquiring clotheslines designed for other countries.
The extreme climate we have here can be very unforgiving towards lesser quality clotheslines.
Torrential rain and salty coastal air causing rust, extreme cold and heat that laugh at plastics and cheap coatings, strong winds and hail that can wreak havoc on frame — you name it.
Bunnings does sell a boatload of clothesline brands in multiple categories such as Hills and Austral for the premium segment, the aforementioned Daytek and Sunfresh for the mid to lower tiers.
Then there are several others to cover the lower end of the scale for the penny pinchers out there but don’t expect these to last a long time nor hope that there are replacement parts available should something break.
Lifestyle Clotheslines does have more proudly Australian-made clothesline brands such as ECO, Austral, Skydry, and Ecodry — these are the reputable brands that are 100% made locally.
If you want the absolute best, the full 316 stainless steel ECO and Evolution clothesline series exist, these might even outlast your home.
Noteworthy European brands such as Artweger, Foxydry, and Kitchen Maid are in tow as well for those with more sophisticated requirements.
At the end of the day, it’s all about how much you are willing to pay versus how long you want your clothes line to last.
Cheaper clotheslines often means lesser quality and are usually disposable.
More premium clotheslines are of course, more reliable and have replacement parts that are available online. Choose wisely.
There’s nothing worse than hoping to dry laundry smoothly only to end up with a clothesline that snapped in half with all your freshly washed clothes ending up on the ground.
Does Bunnings Sell Clothesline Covers?
A lot of people ask if Bunnings Clotheslines sell clotheslines covers, sadly, they don’t.
Honestly, we wish they did for the benefit of many.
This is a bane to those who seek immediate accessibility given Bunnings’ network of physical stores everywhere.
Luckily, Lifestyle Clotheslines offers high-quality clotheslines covers that come in multiple sizes for different types of clotheslines.
It’s made of breathable yet waterproof, UV-resistant fabric and comes with everything that’s needed to perfectly fit your clothesline.
If the set up process seems overwhelming for you they also have a wide network of clothesline installation experts throughout Australia. (more on that below)
Clothesline Installation
Bunnings technically does clothesline installs but they outsource it to third party clothesline installers.
This is a great thing if you want things done right away and nothing beats Bunnings when it comes to accessibility.
The only thing is, you’ll never know who’s going to end up knocking at your door.
It’s a completely transactional affair.
Lifestyle Clotheslines, on the other hand, has a very tightly-knit structure of operations given its family-oriented business model.
What that means is its association with network of clothesline installation partners goes beyond transactional — everyone cares about everyone.
A designated installer is assigned to your address and the whole interaction is what makes it a very human process with compassion and concern towards its customers being the highlight.
Lifestyle Clotheslines only chooses clothesline experts that have years of experience in the industry and maintains relationship with clothesline installation experts that share the same goal.
No wonder Lifestyle Clotheslines has almost a thousand verified reviews with an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars on Productreview, customer satisfaction is the priority and it shows.
Bunnings vs Lifestyle Clotheslines: Final Words
Both companies are successful in their own rights but one offers great mainstream service while the other chooses to stick to a focused and proven formula that has worked for years.
Bunnings has an impressively wide spectrum of products, “Jack of All Trades”, people often say that a man like that is a “master of none” but that’s not true in this case.
They’re masters of sales and growth, they’ve got everything you need and all it takes is just a few minutes of minutes of driving to get it.
It’s no different from going to the supermarket: You get your stuff, pay for it, then off you go. Convenient but that's it.
Lifestyle Clotheslines has a very focused range of products and services when compared to Bunnings and that’s for a good reason.
Since the product knowledge and experience is restricted to just clothes lines, Lifestyle can dedicate more of its resources into the machinery that makes its business run so smoothly and efficiently.
It’s not just a business transaction, it’s the overall experience that makes the Lifestyle team different. It is the expertise that makes them a cut above the rest.
Lifestyle Clotheslines is a one-stop shop for all of your clothesline needs and can take care of you starting from making the right choice and installation — all the way to after sales support.
The culture, passion, and pride in what they do — the perfect formula for a company that cares for and cultivates a network of loyal customers that lasts for generations.
Disclaimer:
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Lifestyle Clotheslines.
The author has been given full freedom to express their personal ideas and opinions, and Lifestyle Clotheslines does not endorse or take responsibility for any of the opinions or content expressed in this article.
