Compare the Best Tumble DryersOctober 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

Tumble dryers range in price from $171 to $3,999 and in total we found prices for 39 tumble dryers. The average price of a new tumble dryer is $666 and the 80% of tumble dryers are priced between $215 and $1,093. The White Knight C38AW is the cheapest tumble dryer at only $172, and Bosch WTG86401 is the most expensive at $3,999.

Tumbler Brands - Price Range

The average price of Bosch laundry dryers is $3,999 which is the highest average price of all tumble dryer brands. Bosch laundry dryers start at $3,999 and their most expensive tumble dryer costs $3,999.

The second highest average tumble dryer price out of all brands is LG laundry dryers with an average price of $1,161. LG laundry dryers start at $339 and their most expensive tumble dryer costs $1,985.

Whirlpool tumble dryers start at $760 and their most expensive tumble dryer costs $760. The average price of Whirlpool tumble dryers is $760 which is the third highest average price of all tumble dryer brands.

Tumble Dryer Brands - Average Ratings

We have evaluated 29 expert reviews and 18,478 user reviews for laundry dryers and used these reviews to determine the average rating for each brand of tumble dryer. 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

We found 29 current offers for tumble dryers from eBay making it the biggest tumbler retailer. That is over 5 times bigger than the second biggest retailer, Overstock for whom we found 5 current offers for tumble dryers.

When Are Most New Laundry Dryers Released?

We couldn't see any obvious pattern in the release dates for new laundry 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. In September 2016, 159 new laundry dryers were released making it the biggest month that year for new tumble dryer releases.

How Fast Do Tumble Dryer Prices Drop After Release?

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

That means a saving of $39 on a typical $666 new tumble dryer 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 tumble dryers range from 3kg to 20kg. The drum capacities of the majority of tumble dryers range from 8kg to 8.5kg. The tumble dryer with the biggest drum capacity is the Samsung DVE52M7750V, which is a 20kg capacity tumble dryer and is available at $449.00. The White Knight C38AW, which sells for $171.94, has the smallest drum capacity and is a 3kg capacity tumble dryer.

Drying Systems

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

The most common drying system amongst new tumble dryers is heat pump. We found 436 tumble dryers that are heat pump laundry dryers. We found 407 laundry dryers that are condenser laundry dryers, making this 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).

Comparing all laundry dryers, the noise levels range from 40dB to 75dB. The noise levels of the majority of tumble dryers range from 65dB to 67dB. The Hotpoint SUTCD97B6PM, which is on sale for $403.13, has the loudest noise level and is a 69dB noise level tumbler. The LG DLEX9000V, which is on sale for $1,092.50, has the quietest noise level and is a 40dB noise level tumbler.

Which Are the Cheapest Retailers for Laundry 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. 28 of their tumble dryer prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.

Proportion of Laundry 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 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. 96.6% of their tumble dryer prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.