Compare the Best Tumble DryersApril 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

The price range of tumble dryers is from $399 to $1,796 and in total we found prices for 22 tumble dryers. On average, a new tumbler costs $1,064 and 80% of tumble dryers are priced between $551 and $1,679. The cheapest tumbler that we found is the Samsung DVE52M7750W at only $399, and the most expensive is the LG DLEX9500K at $1,795.

Tumbler Brands - Price Range

LG tumble dryers start at $760 and their most expensive tumbler costs $1,795. The highest average tumbler price out of all brands is LG tumble dryers with an average price of $1,299.

The second highest average tumbler price out of all brands is Bosch tumble dryers with an average price of $1,121. Bosch tumble dryers range in price from $982 to $1,299.

Siemens tumble dryers range in price from $551 to $1,138, and the third highest average tumbler price out of all brands is Siemens tumble dryers with an average price of $884.

Tumbler Brands - Average Ratings

We have checked 29 expert reviews and 18,425 user reviews for tumble dryers and used this data to evaluate the average rating for each brand of tumbler. The top three tumbler brands are Samsung, Candy and Indesit. Samsung has an average rating of 94%, Candy has an average rating of 93% and Indesit has an average rating of 92%.

Biggest Tumble Dryer Retailers

We found 11 current offers for laundry dryers from Appliances Connection making it the biggest tumble dryer retailer. That is slightly bigger than the second biggest retailer, eBay for whom we found 10 current offers for laundry dryers. The third biggest retailer is Overstock with 6 current tumble dryer offers.

When Are Most New Tumble Dryers Released?

We looked at the release dates for new tumble dryers over the last 3 years, but couldn't see any prominent trend. 39 new tumble dryers were released in April 2018 making it the biggest month that year for new tumble dryer releases. In January 2017, 56 new laundry dryers were released making it the biggest month that year for new tumble dryer releases. September was the biggest month in 2016 for new laundry dryers, with 160 new laundry dryers released that month.

How Fast Do Tumbler Prices Drop After Release?

On average, in the first 6 months after release, tumble dryers drop in price by 6%. That means that on a typical tumbler costing $1,064 you could save on average $63 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 tumble dryer with the biggest drum capacity is the Samsung DVE50M7450W, which is a 20kg capacity tumbler and sells for $549.00. The tumbler with the smallest drum capacity is the LG DLGX9001V, which is a 3.6kg capacity tumbler and currently retails for $1,705.10.

Drying Systems

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

We found 397 laundry dryers that are heat pump tumble dryers, which makes heat pump the most popular drying system amongst new laundry dryers. We found 387 laundry dryers that are condenser laundry 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).

Comparing all tumble dryers, the noise levels range from 40dB to 75dB. The noise levels of the majority of tumble dryers range from 65dB to 67dB. The Siemens WT33A200, which is on sale for $551.30, has the loudest noise level and is a 65dB noise level tumble dryer. The LG DLEX9000, which can be purchased for $1,615.10, has the quietest noise level and is a 40dB noise level tumble dryer.

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. 10 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. 100% of their tumble dryer prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.