Compare the Best Tumble DryersJune 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

In total we found 33 tumble dryers ranging from $152 to $1,796. A new tumbler costs on average $802 and 80% of tumble dryers are priced between $235 and $1,378. The White Knight 28009W is the cheapest tumble dryer at only $152, and LG DLEX9500K is the most expensive at $1,795.

Tumble Dryer Brands - Price Range

The highest average tumbler price out of all brands is LG laundry dryers with an average price of $1,187. LG laundry dryers range in price from $499 to $1,795.

Bosch laundry dryers range in price from $717 to $1,299, and the average price of Bosch laundry dryers is $1,042 which is the second highest average price of all tumble dryer brands.

The third highest average tumble dryer price out of all brands is Siemens tumble dryers with an average price of $977. Siemens tumble dryers start at $876 and their most expensive tumble dryer costs $1,132.

Tumbler Brands - Average Ratings

We have evaluated 31 expert reviews and 18,475 user reviews for laundry dryers and used this data to calculate the average rating for each brand of tumble dryer. The top rated tumble dryer brand is Bosch with an average rating of 87%. The second best brand is Beko with 86% and the third best brand is AEG with 84%.

Biggest Tumble Dryer Retailers

The biggest tumble dryer retailer by number of products currently for sale is Appliances Connection. We found 11 current tumble dryer offers from Appliances Connection. The second biggest retailer is eBay with 10 offers. That means Appliances Connection is slightly bigger than eBay when it comes to tumble dryers. Overstock is the third biggest retailer with 6 current offers.

When Are Most New Tumble Dryers Released?

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

How Fast Do Tumble Dryer Prices Drop After Release?

On average laundry dryers drop in price by 6% in the first 6 months after release. If you are prepared to wait then you could save an average of $47 on a typical $802 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 tumble dryers, the drum capacities range from 3kg to 20kg. The drum capacities of most tumble dryers range from 8kg to 8.5kg. The Samsung DVE50M7450W, which currently retails for $549.00, has the biggest drum capacity and is a 20kg capacity tumble dryer. The tumbler with the smallest drum capacity is the White Knight C39AW, which is a 3.5kg capacity tumble dryer and can be purchased for $175.25.

Drying Systems

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

Heat pump is the most common drying system amongst new laundry dryers. We found 409 laundry dryers that are heat pump tumble dryers. The second most frequently found drying system amongst new laundry dryers is condenser. We found 389 laundry 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 tumble dryers range from 40dB to 75dB. The noise levels of the majority of tumble dryers range from 65dB to 67dB. The tumbler with the loudest noise level is the Hoover C8DCG, which is a 68dB noise level tumbler and is priced at $279.40. The LG DLEX9000, which is priced at $1,615.10, 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 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. 10 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 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. 100% of their tumbler prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.