Compare the Best Tumble DryersFebruary 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 laundry dryers is from $399 to $1,796 and in total we found prices for 19 laundry dryers. A new tumbler costs on average $1,122 and 80% of tumble dryers are priced between $549 and $1,679. The LG DLEX9500K is the most expensive tumble dryer that we found at $1,795, and the Samsung DVE52M7750 is the cheapest at only $399.

Tumbler Brands - Price Range

LG laundry dryers start at $499 and their most expensive tumbler costs $1,795. The average price of LG laundry dryers is $1,286 which is the highest average price of all tumbler brands.

The second highest average tumbler price out of all brands is Bosch laundry dryers with an average price of $1,121. Bosch laundry dryers start at $983 and their most expensive tumbler costs $1,299.

The average price of Siemens tumble dryers is $1,074 which is the third highest average price of all tumbler brands. Siemens tumble dryers start at $1,009 and their most expensive tumbler costs $1,138.

Tumbler Brands - Average Ratings

We have checked 23 expert reviews and 16,280 user reviews for tumble dryers and used these reviews to calculate the average rating for each brand of tumbler. The top three tumbler brands are Samsung, White Knight and Candy. Samsung has an average rating of 93%, White Knight has an average rating of 91% and Candy has an average rating of 91%.

Biggest Tumbler Retailers

We found 13 current offers for laundry dryers from Appliances Connection making it the biggest tumbler retailer. That is significantly bigger than the second biggest retailer, eBay for whom we found 9 current offers for laundry dryers. The third biggest retailer is A J Madison with 8 current tumbler offers.

When Are Most New Tumble Dryers Released?

Over the last 3 years we couldn't see any clear pattern in the release month for new laundry dryers. The biggest month last year for new tumble dryer releases was April, with 39 new tumble dryers released that month. In November 2017, 56 new laundry dryers were released making it the biggest month that year for new tumble dryer releases. 161 new tumble dryers were released in September 2016 making it the biggest month that year for new tumbler releases.

How Fast Do Tumble Dryer Prices Drop After Release?

New laundry dryers drop in price by an average of 6% in the first 6 months after they wer first released. That means a saving of $66 on a typical $1,122 new tumble dryer if you wait 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 tumble dryer with the biggest drum capacity is the Samsung DVE52M7750, which is a 20kg capacity tumbler and is priced at $399.00. The LG DLEX9000, which is priced at $1,615.10, has the smallest drum capacity and is a 3.6kg 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.

Condenser is the most popular drying system amongst new tumble dryers. We found 378 tumble dryers that are condenser laundry dryers. We found 378 laundry dryers that are heat pump tumble dryers, making heat pump the second most common 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 tumbler with the loudest noise level is the Bosch WTG86401, which is a 65dB noise level tumbler and sells for $1,119.10. 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 Tumble 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 Appliances Connection. 9 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 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 Appliances Connection. 69.2% of their tumbler prices were the cheapest that could be found anywhere.