Compare the Best Tumble DryersJanuary 2019

Tumble dryers take damp, clean clothes and rotate them in a heated drum, removing the moisture from the clothes to dry them quickly and effectively. There are two main types of dryers - condenser and vented. Here are the main advantages and differences between them:

Condenser Tumble Dryers

These dryers work by taking the moisture from the damp clothes and storing it in a water trap, which must be emptied after every couple of cycles. These dryers have no need for hoses or vents to remove the moisture, and so are more suitable for smaller apartments, or places where setting up an outside vent would be troublesome. However the tradeoff is a need to empty the water trap frequently, otherwise you may find the dryer not working as effectively.

Vented Tumble Dryers

These tumble dryers work by separating the moisture from the damp clothes, then venting the damp air outside via a hose. The venting means that there is no need to empty water traps after every cycle, making it simpler to use. However the dryer may require specialist installation, especially if the vent needs to be placed through an exterior wall.

Sensor Drying

Some more advanced models of tumble dryer will have a moisture sensor installed. This sensor detects the dampness of the clothes, and automatically adjusts the cycle to give just enough time for the clothes to be completely dried. This saves both time and money, since the dryer will automatically stop once the clothes are dry.

Capacity

The capacity of the drum in your tumble dryer will determine how many clothes you can fit in a single cycle. Drum capacity is measured in Kg, with a single Kg being equivalent to a single outfit. Bigger dryers have bigger capacities, which may be necessary for families - single people and couples may find it far cheaper and more energy efficient to buy a smaller dryer.

Programs

Most models of tumble dryer contain several different programs for clothing of different material, as well as different temperatures and spin levels for more delicate pieces of clothing. While not all of these programs may be necessary, more programs is generally a good sign of a higher-end and more capable tumble dryer.

Many dryers also contain an anti-crease setting - this causes the the drum to rotate unheated at the end of cycles, in order to minimise wrinkling on laundry. This setting is extremely helpful if you plan on leaving laundry tumbling while you go out, or overnight. If left unmoved, your cleaned laundry will develop unsightly creases, as the clothing is all jumbled up and folded at strange angles from the spin drying. However periodically rotating the drum causes the laundry to shift anew, stopping creases developing.

Tumbler Prices

Laundry dryer range in price from £59 to £1,841 and in total we found prices for 360 laundry dryer. On average, a new tumble dryer costs £442 and 80% of tumble dryers are priced between £170 and £819. The cheapest tumbler that we found is the White Knight 28009 at only £60, and the most expensive is the Miele TMV840 at £1,840.

Tumbler Brands - Price Range

The highest average tumbler price out of all brands is Miele tumble dryers with an average price of £1,005. Miele tumble dryers start at £629 and their most expensive tumbler costs £1,840.

The second highest average tumbler price out of all brands is Siemens tumble dryers with an average price of £727. Siemens tumble dryers start at £419 and their most expensive tumbler costs £1,149.

The third highest average tumbler price out of all brands is Samsung laundry dryer with an average price of £699. Samsung laundry dryer range in price from £500 to £999.

Tumble Dryer Brands - Average Ratings

We have evaluated 19 expert reviews and 15,821 user reviews for tumble dryers and used this data to evaluate the average rating for each brand of tumble dryer. Beko is the top rated tumbler brand with an average rating of 89%. Indesit is the second best brand with 86% and Hotpoint is the third best brand with 83%.

Biggest Tumbler Retailers

We found 250 current offers for tumble dryers from eBay making it the biggest tumble dryer retailer. That is more than twice as big as the second biggest retailer, Appliances Direct for whom we found 112 current offers for tumble dryers. The third biggest retailer is Currys with 108 current tumble dryer offers.

When Are Most New Laundry Dryer Released?

We looked at the release dates for new tumble dryers over the last 3 years, but couldn't see any obvious trend. In April 2018, 39 new tumble dryers were released making it the biggest month that year for new tumbler releases. 60 new laundry dryer were released in November 2017 making it the biggest month that year for new tumbler releases. September was the biggest month in 2016 for new tumble dryers, with 162 new tumble dryers released that month.

How Fast Do Tumble Dryer Prices Drop After Release?

In the first 6 months after release, tumble dryers drop in price by 3% on average. If you are prepared to wait then you could save an average of £13 on a typical £443 new tumbler by waiting 6 months before buying.

Drum Capacities

The drum volume denotes the capacity of the dryer, measures in kilograms.

Across the range of laundry dryer, the drum capacities range from 3kg to 20kg. The drum capacities of the majority of tumble dryers range from 8kg to 8.5kg. The Hoover DXWH11A2DCEXM, which currently retails for £499.00, has the biggest drum capacity and is an 11kg capacity tumble dryer. The tumbler with the smallest drum capacity is the White Knight C36AW, which is a 3kg capacity tumbler and currently retails for £144.99.

Drying Systems

The drying system shows the technology used by the tumbler to dry clothes. Different systems have both positives and negatives.

Condenser is the most frequently found drying system amongst new laundry dryer. We found 373 laundry dryer that are condenser laundry dryer. Heat pump is the second most frequently found drying system amongst new laundry dryer. We found 371 laundry dryer that are heat pump laundry dryer.

Noise Levels

'Noise Level' denotes how much noise the dryer makes when it's running, measures in decibels (dB).

The noise levels of laundry dryer range from 40dB to 75dB. The noise levels of most laundry dryer range from 65dB to 67dB. The Indesit ISDG 428, which can be purchased for £149.99, has the loudest noise level and is a 75dB noise level tumble dryer. The Montpellier MTD25P, which is priced at £124.00, has the quietest noise level and is a 57dB noise level tumble dryer.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for Laundry Dryer?

The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying laundry dryer. For each retailer it shows the total number of laundry dryer where they currently have a market leading price. The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying laundry dryer. For each retailer we took all of their prices and looked at what proportion of those prices where the cheapest on the market. The cheapest retailer that we found was eBay. 137 of their tumbler prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.

Proportion of Laundry Dryer for Which Each Retailer is Cheapest?

Assessing how cheap each retailer is for laundry dryer by counting the number of cheapest prices for that retailer, makes the retailers that offer the greatest number of tumble dryer prices more likely to offer the greatest number of cheapest prices. The chart below considers the proportion of each retailer's tumble dryer prices that are the cheapest compared to other retailers. The cheapest retailer that we found using this approach was eBay. 54.8% of their tumbler prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.