Compare the Best Tumble DryersAugust 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 49 tumble dryers ranging from $97 to $3,999. On average, a new tumble dryer costs $603 and 80% of tumble dryers are priced between $212 and $1,066. The Bosch WTG86401 is the most expensive tumbler that we found at $3,999, and the White Knight C38AW is the cheapest at only $97.

Tumble Dryer Brands - Price Range

The average price of Bosch tumble dryers is $2,010 which is the highest average price of all tumbler brands. Bosch tumble dryers range in price from $966 to $3,999.

LG tumble dryers range in price from $867 to $1,523, and the average price of LG tumble dryers is $1,092 which is the second highest average price of all tumble dryer brands.

The third highest average tumbler price out of all brands is Siemens laundry dryers with an average price of $880. Siemens laundry dryers range in price from $542 to $1,119.

Tumble Dryer Brands - Average Ratings

We have evaluated 29 expert reviews and 18,491 user reviews for laundry dryers and used these reviews to evaluate the average rating for each brand of tumble dryer. The top three tumble dryer brands are Bosch, Beko and Candy. Bosch has an average rating of 87%, Beko has an average rating of 86% and Candy has an average rating of 84%.

Biggest Tumble Dryer Retailers

The biggest tumbler retailer by number of products currently for sale is eBay. We found 23 current tumbler offers from eBay.

When Are Most New Tumble Dryers Released?

We couldn't see any prominent trend in the release dates for new tumble dryers over the last 3 years. April was the biggest month last year 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. 159 new tumble dryers were released in September 2016 making it the biggest month that year for new tumbler releases.

How Fast Do Tumbler Prices Drop After Release?

In the first 6 months after release, tumble dryers drop in price by 6% on average.

That means that on a typical tumble dryer costing $603 you could save on average $36 by waiting 6 months before buying.

Drum Capacities

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

Comparing all tumble dryers, the drum capacities range from 3kg to 20kg. The drum capacities of the majority of laundry 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 is priced at $449.00. The tumbler with the smallest drum capacity is the White Knight C38AW, which is a 3kg capacity tumbler and is priced at $97.13.

Drying Systems

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

We found 419 tumble dryers that are heat pump tumble dryers, which makes heat pump the most common drying system amongst new tumble dryers. We found 398 laundry dryers that are condenser tumble dryers, making condenser the second most frequently found drying system amongst new laundry dryers.

Noise Levels

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

Across the range of laundry dryers, the noise levels range from 40dB to 75dB. The noise levels of most laundry dryers range from 65dB to 67dB. The Hotpoint AQC9BF7E1, which sells for $363.08, has the loudest noise level and is a 69dB noise level tumbler. The tumble dryer with the quietest noise level is the Samsung DVE52M7750W, which is a 40dB noise level tumble dryer and sells 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 tumble 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. 23 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 tumble 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. 100% of their tumble dryer prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.