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We can help you find a tumble dryer that's right for your home – and does a great job of drying clothes.
Our guide is here to help you to decide whether to buy a heat pump, vented or condenser dryer – and to compare prices. We also run through drum capacities, smart tumble dryers and the features you get when you pay more. We look at how much they cost to run over time in terms of energy use – and how quickly they dry clothes.
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We put more than 120 tumble dryers through our rigourous tests each year - these are the best tumble dryers right now. Only members can view our expert review and test score.
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You'll find more 100+ tumble dryer reviews on our site for machines we've put through our rigourous lab tests - here's our up to date pick of the best cheap tumble dryers we've tested.
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Discover more Great Value tumble dryers.tumble dryer reviews
There are more than 100 reviews for heat pump tumble dryers on our site - these are the best we've tested that you can buy right now.
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Looking for something else? Browse our 100+ heat pump tumble dryer reviews.
Here are the three best condenser tumble dryers from the 20+ we've tested.
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Browse all of our condenser tumble dryer reviews.
Here are the best three best vented tumble dryers that you can buy today.
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Need more choice? Head over to our vented tumble dryer reviews.
All prices, recommendations and test scores correct as of March 2024.
Watch our video to help you decide which type is right for you.
There are a few different types of tumble dryers – heat pump, condenser and vented, which vary in terms of upfront costs and energy use.
The stand-out feature of a heat pump tumble dryer is how little energy it uses to dry clothes. Typically, this is less than half the amount of energy needed to run a vented or a condenser machine. Heat pump tumble dryers work by heating air efficiently and reusing warm air as it leaves the drum. They tend to cost more to buy and they operate at cooler temperatures than other types of tumble dryer, so they can take longer to dry clothes.
They have much lower running costs than vented or condenser dryers, but cost significantly more to buy, reducing the potential savings. We have seen a good heat pump dryer that costs around £350, but they're more likely to cost around £500+. That said, prices are coming down, and the huge energy savings will pay for the increased purchase price in just a few years in most cases.
Heat pump dryers tend to do well in our tests: not because of speedy drying, but because of how well they dry clothes and the very low annual running costs, typically around £51.
Find out our top picks of the best heat pump tumble dryers plus expert buying advice.
Condenser dryers collect moisture from wet clothes into a water reservoir, which you must empty when it's full. They're usually seen as more convenient, as you don't have to place them near a wall vent or hang a hose out of a window. However, they are more expensive to buy than a vented dryer, and use more electricity.
Check out the condensation efficiency rating in the test results section of our reviews to avoid a model that will steam up your home.
Prices start at around £220, but you'll need to pay slightly more for a good model. Average yearly energy running costs are around £127.
Find our top picks of the best condenser tumble dryers plus expert buying advice, or go straight to our condenser tumble dryer reviews.
You can identify a vented dryer by its hose, which it uses to expel the damp air created in the drying process. The hose must be vented outside your property.
They can cost as little as £240, but you'll need to spend double that to get a decent dryer – and even more to get one of the best.
Typically, this kind of dryer will add around £139 to your annual electricity bills, but that figure will vary with the size of the drum.
Read our vented tumble dryer reviews to compare models.
Read our guide to buying the best integrated tumble dryer or see all our integrated tumble dryer reviews.
You’ll need to download an app to take advantage of smart tumble dryer functions. Each manufacturer has its own one, and each has a variety of features depending on the product.
You’ll likely be able to choose programs, keep tabs on running times and monitor energy usage.
A smart tumble dryer costs around £100 more, on average, compared with a standard non-smart dryer.
Take a look at our smart tumble dryer reviews to see how they fare in our tests.
Gas dryers were a cheaper alternative to electric ones and did well in our tests. But the last UK manufacturer has stopped making them, so if you're looking for one you'll need to buy a second-hand model.
If you buy a gas tumble dryer second-hand, remember that you’ll need to have it installed by a Gas Safe-registered engineer. Find one using Which? Trusted Traders. Gas tumble dryers should also be serviced regularly.
The most energy-hungry vented and condenser tumble dryers can cost more than £179 per year to run if you dry roughly three loads of washing a week. Choosing an energy-efficient heat pump model could bring the cost way down, closer to £51.
Heat pump tumble dryers tend to be both more energy-efficient and pricier than condenser and vented models. But heat pump models can pay for themselves in energy savings in the space of a few years. In fact, choosing an inefficient dryer could actually end up costing hundreds, if not thousands, more over its lifetime.
Use our running cost tool below to find the tumble dryer that will cost the most and least over its life, and use the search bar to find a specific model or brand. We now give information about running costs in our tumble dryer reviews, too.
10 ways to cut the cost of tumble drying to get more for less from your tumble dryer.
The most sustainable way of drying your clothes is to hang them on a washing line or on a static airer. But some tumble dryers are more sustainable than others so you can choose a model that makes less impact on the environment.
To help you find the most sustainable model, we’ve started recommending Eco Buys.
To be an Eco Buy, a tumble dryer must be among the most energy efficient we’ve tested, do a good job of drying clothes and be long-lasting. All Eco Buy dryers are heat pump machines, the most energy-efficient type.
Discover all our Eco Buy tumble dryer reviews, or reviews see our round-up of the best energy efficient tumble dryers.
Vented dryers tend to be the cheapest type. On average, they cost considerably less than a condenser or heat pump tumble dryer.
However, vented dryers can be tricky to install, as they need a window or wall vent nearby for the hose to dispose of hot air.
There are a few condenser tumble dryers available for less than £250, although they will likely be lacking some of the programs and functionality you’ll find in pricier models.
Spending a little more is likely to get you sensors in the drum, which automatically adjust program times depending on the size and dampness of the load, and a display that tells you how long your program has left to run.
Spending at least £500 will give you the best chance of buying a good condenser tumble dryer. More than two thirds of the tumble dryers we’ve reviewed that cost more than £500 score well on their clothes-drying ability and how well their condenser unit works.
Vented and condenser dryers use so much energy to get the job done that they rarely earn Best Buys.
If you have the money to spend, heat pump tumble dryers are much cheaper to run than typical vented or condenser tumble dryers.
The most expensive tumble dryers all use heat pump technology, which makes them more energy efficient. Paying a little more upfront for a heat pump dryer will save you around £51 a year, on average, on energy costs.
Our testing shows that, in general, the more you spend on a tumble dryer, the more likely it is to be a top performer. However, that doesn't mean you can't pick up a bargain Best Buy – we've found Best Buy heat pump dryers for around £495.
Vented tumble dryer | Condenser tumble dryer | Heat pump tumble dryer | |
---|---|---|---|
Lowest price | £200 | £239 | £349 |
Average price | £276 | £333 | £730 |
Highest price | £395 | £713 | £1,499 |
Consider a heated clothes airer if you're looking for a cheaper way to dry your clothes.
Sensor tumble dryers, also known as automatic dryers, use humidity sensors inside the drum to detect when your laundry is dry and stop the machine accordingly.
This means you don’t need to set the program time on your tumble dryer – you just pop your clothes in and let it run for however long it needs.
A good sensor reduces the risk of opening the drum to find your clothes still wet; it should also prevent your tumble dryer from running for longer than necessary, which is good news for your energy bills.
However, our tests have found several sensor dryers that stop programs too early, leaving clothes wet. Manual tumble dryers don't have sensors and rely on you to set the time.
Less than 20% of the dryers we’ve tested are manual, as sensor drying is quickly becoming the norm. Guide times on manual dryers are often found on the control panel, but there is still some guesswork involved in programming the time.
You can help your sensor to work better by separating your washing, so you're drying similar fabrics together. Mixed loads – for example thick denim jeans with thin cotton pillowcases – can confuse the sensor.
Tumble dryers come with different capacities, ranging from compact models that can dry 3kg of laundry up to very large 11kg capacity.
Usually, 4kg capacity can dry up to 10 shirts and 9kg capacity can dry up to 26 shirts.
However, when shopping for a tumble dryer, it's worth keeping in mind that capacities differ for different programs.
Our examples in the image above of how much you can fit in each capacity of machine are based on using the cottons program.
They're also based on filling the machine to 70% capacity, allowing air to circulate around the clothes and making drying more efficient.
As capacity goes up, generally so will the costs to buy and run, although this also depends on the model.
Pros of large tumble dryers
Cons of large tumble dryers
Just because a small tumble dryer is usually cheaper to buy doesn't mean it will cost less to run.
We look at mini tumble dryer running costs in more detail further below.
Pros of compact or mini tumble dryers
Cons of compact or mini tumble dryers
Our tumble dryer tests have uncovered massive differences between the fastest and the slowest machines.
The slowest tumble dryers take nearly 35 minutes per kilo of clothes – that’s more than twice as long as the quickest tumble dryers, which can take as little as 14 minutes per kilo.
A tumble dryer that's complicated and fiddly to use is a headache. Our checklist can help you consider everything that's necessary before you buy.
The standard dimensions of a tumble dryer are 85cm x 60cm x 60cm (height x width x depth). Make sure you compare how much space you have to the dimensions of the dryer, as depths can vary. If you choose a vented dryer, allow extra space for the vent hose.
Smart tumble dryers connect to wi-fi or Bluetooth, allowing you to operate some of the functions from your smartphone or other device via an app. As with any internet-connected device, it’s important that these apps receive regular security updates, to guard against security and privacy threats.
We asked the biggest brands about their support policies and, as you can see, some are far better than others.
Other big brands, including AEG, Hoover and Candy, did not specify a minimum update period.
You may not be at immediate risk if you're using a smart product that's unsupported, but if you’re buying a new one, look for a model that will receive update support for as long as possible. For more information, read our guide to smart devices and security.
Make sure you're buying from a reputable seller – check the returns policy, and pay attention to customer feedback and reviews. For more information, see our advice on shopping online.
AO, Argos, Currys and John Lewis are some of the most searched-for tumble dryer retailers at the time of writing. We’ve included links to these retailers, hand-picked because of their stock availability, best value price or warranty options.
Getting a cheap tumble dryer isn’t just a case of picking the right model. Use our top tips to keep costs down.
Most of us buy a tumble dryer in a rush to replace a broken machine or to kit out a new home. If, however, you want to upgrade and can afford to wait, you may find a cheaper deal at another time of year. The January sales and around spring are the best times to keep an eye out for a deal, when brands often discount older models that are being discontinued.
Once you’ve selected one, search for the model number online. Retailers often have different prices for exactly the same machine, so compare stores to make sure that you’re not missing out on a promotion or deal price.
Your new bargain tumble dryer might come with some nasty surprises on the bottom of the receipt if you’re not careful. You should consider delivery charges and installation fees if you’re not setting up the dryer yourself. Manufacturers may have deals with different retailers, so make sure that everything you expect is included in the price. It's a good idea to check the warranty and the returns policy, too, in case of a fault.
If yours stops working, this shouldn’t automatically mean you rush out to buy a new one. Repairing it yourself can save you money and reduce the environmental impact of both recycling the old one and the effect buying a new machine would have.
Tumble dryers are simple machines, especially vented and condenser models, and problems can often be fixed quickly and cheaply without the need to call in a professional.
Head over to our tumble dryer tips and maintenance guide to find out why your tumble dryer might not be working and how to fix it.
If, after troubleshooting, you realise your tumble dryer needs to be taken apart to fix it, make sure the work is carried out by a professional.
Choose a Which? Trusted Trader to find a local appliance engineer you can trust.
If you’re replacing your old dryer, you’ll need to decide how to get rid of it. The good news is that every product with a plug, charger, batteries or carrying the crossed-out wheelie bin logo can be recycled.
If your tumble dryer is still in good working order, selling it second-hand is an environmentally friendly option.
Electrical retailers such as AO, Currys, John Lewis and independents will offer to remove your tumble dryer when you buy a new one from them. There will be a fee for this – expect to pay around £20.
But you can avoid this charge if you’re able to take your dryer to your local recycling centre.
Tumble dryers are lighter than washing machines as they’re not weighed down by concrete, or in some cases iron, to keep them stable when spinning. This means that, while they’re still bulky and will take up just as much room, a dryer will be easier to load into the back of a car.
Councils across the UK can also collect them and other appliances from outside your home. The cost of collections will vary based on where in the UK you live – sometimes it will be free.
For example, Westminster council in London charges £31 to collect up to six items, Belfast City Council and Cardiff council will collect white goods free of charge and Edinburgh council charges £5 to pick up a tumble dryer.
Find your closest recycling centre using the Recycle Now electrical recycling locator
It’s useful to know the difference between the terms used to describe second-hand tumble dryers.
We recommend buying new rather than second-hand, as this is likely to give you fewer safety concerns. But if you do buy second-hand, ask whether a portable appliance test (PAT) has been carried out to make sure it’s safe.
If you’re buying through an online marketplace, such as Amazon or eBay, ask whether the seller offers a guarantee should the product become faulty or unsafe.
Be careful when buying second-hand dryers from certain brands.
If the second-hand model you’re interested in is from Hotpoint, Indesit, Creda, Swan or Proline (brands owned by Whirlpool), check our list of recalled fire-risk dryers.
If it is, you’ll need to check whether it was made before October 2015. You can do this by using the recall section of the Hotpoint website.
A number of Beko models have also been recalled in recent years. Go to the Beko site to find out which are the dangerous dryers to avoid.
The Electrical Safety First website also has more information about recalled tumble dryers and other unsafe appliances.
If you need to have your tumble dryer in a garage or another outbuilding where the temperature isn't controlled, bear in mind that some dryers don't work as efficiently and can develop faults in extreme conditions due to the cold. Condenser and heat pump dryers are usually more susceptible to issues as they need the right temperature of air around them to extract water from the air leaving the drum.
But, condenser and heat pump dryers are the easiest to install in a garage, as they recycle the heat and steam within the machine, so you won’t need a hose for the water to escape through.
You'll need to ensure there's space around the machine and that the room is well ventilated. And if you go for a vented machine, you'll need to vent the warm and damp air away through a vent in the wall or through a window.
Make sure you read the manual for the manufacturer's advice on installing in a garage.
It’s best to have a vented dryer installed professionally, so check with your retailer to see if they offer the service or call in an engineer.
For those more at home with DIY, it’s possible to install it yourself with a tumble dryer vent kit.
If you don’t have a utility room to hide your appliances away, an integrated tumble dryer that sits behind a kitchen counter could be the answer.
You might need to pay more for this aesthetic, but cheaper brands such as Baumatic, Hoover, Montpellier and White Knight all have an integrated tumble dryer in their line-up.
The models we've tested start from around £500. Read our guide to integrated tumble dryers to see if they're the best option for your home.
Black and silver vented models are rare – we haven't tested one for a while and there are currently no reviews on our site for them.
There's more colour choice if you go for a heat pump tumble dryer. Head over to our reviews to find the best black, grey and silver heat pump tumble dryers we've tested.
Anti-crease, heat exchanger, lint filter, micro filters, sensor drying... Find out what key tumble dryer terms like these actually mean.
Can you ever tumble dry woollen jumpers without shrinking them? Find out what happened when we tested a Woolmark-approved, no-shrinkage guarantee tumble dryer (spoiler alert – it wasn't good)