Compare the Best Tumble DryersNovember 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 dryers range in price from $179 to $3,999 and in total we found prices for 28 laundry dryers. The average price of a new tumbler is $731 and the 80% of tumble dryers are priced between $218 and $1,081. The Bosch WTG86401 is the most expensive tumbler that we found at $3,999, and the White Knight C38AW is the cheapest at only $179.

Tumble Dryer Brands - Price Range

The highest average tumbler price out of all brands is Bosch tumble dryers with an average price of $2,483. Bosch tumble dryers range in price from $966 to $3,999.

The average price of LG laundry dryers is $1,036 which is the second highest average price of all tumble dryer brands. LG laundry dryers range in price from $339 to $1,679.

Whirlpool tumble dryers start at $793 and their most expensive tumble dryer costs $900. The third highest average tumble dryer price out of all brands is Whirlpool tumble dryers with an average price of $846.

Tumble Dryer Brands - Average Ratings

We have checked 29 expert reviews and 18,485 user reviews for laundry dryers and used this data 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 Tumble Dryer Retailers

The biggest tumbler retailer by number of products currently for sale is eBay. We found 18 current tumbler offers from eBay.

When Are Most New Tumble Dryers Released?

Over the last 3 years we couldn't see any noticeable pattern in the release month for new laundry dryers. April was the biggest month in 2018 for new laundry dryers, with 47 new laundry dryers released that month. 60 new tumble dryers were released in November 2017 making it the biggest month that year for new tumbler releases. The biggest month in 2016 for new tumble dryer releases was September, with 159 new laundry dryers released that month.

How Fast Do Tumbler Prices Drop After Release?

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

That means a saving of $43 on a typical $731 new tumbler if you wait 6 months before buying.

Drum Capacities

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

The drum capacities of laundry dryers 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 Samsung DVE52M7750W, which is a 20kg capacity tumble dryer and sells for $449.00. The tumbler with the smallest drum capacity is the White Knight C38AW, which is a 3kg capacity tumble dryer and sells for $179.48.

Drying Systems

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

The most popular drying system amongst new laundry dryers is heat pump. We found 444 laundry dryers that are heat pump laundry dryers. The second most common drying system amongst new tumble dryers is condenser. We found 413 tumble dryers that are condenser laundry 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 the majority of tumble dryers range from 65dB to 67dB. The Whirlpool 3LWED4705FW, which can be purchased for $899.95, has the loudest noise level and is a 70dB noise level tumble dryer. The tumble dryer with the quietest noise level is the Samsung DVE52M7750W, which is a 40dB noise level tumble dryer and currently retails for $449.00.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for Laundry Dryers?

The chart below helps you decide which retailer is normally cheapest for buying tumble dryers. For each retailer it shows the total number of tumble 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. 18 of their tumble dryer 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 tumble dryers 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. 100% of their tumbler prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.