Compare the Best Tumble DryersSeptember 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.

Tumble Dryer Prices

In total we found 358 laundry dryers ranging from £98 to £1,829. A new tumbler costs on average £441 and 80% of laundry dryers are priced between £170 and £803. The most expensive tumble dryer that we found is the Miele TWR860WP at £1,829, and the cheapest is the Logik LVD7W15 at only £99.

Tumble Dryer Brands - Price Range

Miele tumble dryers range in price from £590 to £1,829, and the average price of Miele tumble dryers is £1,038 which is the highest average price of all tumbler brands.

The average price of LG tumble dryers is £772 which is the second highest average price of all tumbler brands. LG tumble dryers range in price from £350 to £1,099.

Siemens tumble dryers start at £399 and their most expensive tumbler costs £1,171. The average price of Siemens tumble dryers is £698 which is the third highest average price of all tumbler brands.

Tumbler Brands - Average Ratings

We have checked 29 expert reviews and 18,481 user reviews for laundry dryers and used these reviews to determine the average rating for each brand of tumbler. Bosch is the top rated tumbler brand with an average rating of 87%. Beko is the second best brand with 86% and AEG is the third best brand with 84%.

Biggest Tumbler Retailers

The biggest tumbler retailer by number of products currently for sale is eBay. We found 262 current tumbler offers from eBay. The second biggest retailer is AO with 118 offers. That means eBay is more than twice as big as AO when it comes to laundry dryers. Appliances Direct is the third biggest retailer with 118 current offers.

When Are Most New Laundry Dryers Released?

Over the last 3 years we couldn't see any prominent trend in the release month for new tumble dryers. April was the biggest month in 2018 for new tumble dryers, with 39 new tumble dryers released that month. In 2017 most new tumble dryers were released in November, with 61 new tumble dryers released that month. The biggest month in 2016 for new tumble dryer releases was September, with 159 new tumble dryers released that month.

How Fast Do Tumble Dryer Prices Drop After Release?

New laundry dryers drop in price by an average of 4% in the first 6 months after they were first released.

That means that on a typical tumbler costing £441 you could save on average £16 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 dryers, the drum capacities range from 3kg to 20kg. The drum capacities of the majority of tumble dryers range from 8kg to 8.5kg. The tumbler with the biggest drum capacity is the Hoover DXWH11A2DCEXM, which is an 11kg capacity tumble dryer and can be purchased for £530.92. The White Knight C35AW, which can be purchased for £184.97, has the smallest drum capacity and is a 3kg capacity tumbler.

Drying Systems

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

Amongst new tumble dryers, the most frequently found drying system is heat pump. We found 428 tumble dryers that are heat pump laundry dryers. Condenser is the second most frequently found drying system amongst new tumble dryers. We found 406 tumble dryers that are condenser tumble dryers.

Noise Levels

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

The noise levels of laundry dryers range from 40dB to 75dB. The noise levels of most tumble dryers range from 65dB to 67dB. The Indesit ISDG 428, which sells for £99.00, has the loudest noise level and is a 75dB noise level tumble dryer. The Montpellier MTD25P, which is available at £139.00, has the quietest noise level and is a 57dB noise level tumble dryer.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for Tumble Dryers?

The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying laundry dryers. For each retailer it shows the total number of laundry dryers where they currently have a market leading price. The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying laundry dryers. 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. 152 of their tumbler prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.

Proportion of Tumble Dryers for Which Each Retailer is Cheapest?

Assessing how cheap each retailer is for laundry dryers by counting the number of cheapest prices for that retailer, makes the retailers that offer the greatest number of tumbler prices more likely to offer the greatest number of cheapest prices. The chart below considers the proportion of each retailer's tumbler prices that are the cheapest compared to other retailers. The cheapest retailer that we found using this approach was eBay. 58% of their tumble dryer prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.