Top 5 compared
The best tumble dryers
Dry washing on a wet day, without clothes draped over every radiator in the house.
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The top 5 at a glance
A tumble dryer dries washing in a heated, turning drum, and comes in three kinds. A vented dryer sends the damp air out through a hose to a window or a wall vent. A condenser turns the moisture into water, collected in a tank or sent down a drain hose, so it can stand anywhere with a socket. A heat pump dryer does the same at lower temperatures and uses far less electricity.
In Great Britain tumble dryers still carry the older A+++ to D energy label, with a yearly kWh figure for running costs. Every dryer here has sensor drying, which judges when the load is done. Delivery, installation and taking an old dryer away depend on the seller.
What matters
- Half-load and quick programmes for a few things at a time.
- Depth and noise, if it stands in a kitchen or small utility.
- A drum size that suits your biggest wash, bedding included.
#1Hisense 1Q Series 8kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer (DH1Q802BW2)
Over £300
Heat pump drying at 235kWh a year on its A++ label, a humidity sensor that ends the cycle once the load is dry, and 16 programmes, among them Baby Care, Allergy Care and a 30-minute quick dry.
What owners say: Owners mention how quiet it is and how quickly it dries, getting through two loads in around two hours; the complaint is plastic parts breaking.
A closer look: Empty the water tank after every load, or as soon as the tank-full light comes on, and rinse the fluff filter at the same time to keep drying times short. Half load suits a few shirts, while Refresh freshens clothes that have been folded away without washing them again.
- Humidity sensor ends the cycle
- 16 programmes
- 30-minute quick dry
- 24-hour delay start
- Refresh for folded clothes
Best for: Low running costs
- Type
- Heat pump
- Capacity
- 8kg
- Energy class
- A++
- Energy a year
- 235kWh
- Noise
- 64dB
- Depth
- 55cm
- App control
- No
#2Beko 8kg Condenser Tumble Dryer (DTLCE80051B)
£200–£300
A straightforward condenser: no hose out of the window, a sensor that stops the cycle when the clothes are dry, and a drain hose in the box to save emptying the tank. Beko’s name joins the first letters of its founders’ surnames, Bejerano and Koç. It scores highest here, but a condenser uses more than twice the electricity of a heat pump (561kWh a year against the Hisense’s 235kWh), which is why the Hisense leads.
What owners say: Owners find it simple to run, and one mentions that clothes come out without shrinking.
Heads up: The standard guarantee is one year; registering the dryer with Beko within 90 days adds ten years’ cover on parts.
A closer look: With the drain hose connected to a sink waste or standpipe, the water goes straight down the drain and the tank never needs emptying. A condenser uses more electricity than the heat pump dryers here, so the sensor programmes, which stop once the load is dry, keep running costs in check.
- Drain hose in the box
- Reverse-action drum against creasing
- Sensor stops when dry
- 15 programmes
Best for: Simple condenser drying
- Type
- Condenser
- Capacity
- 8kg
- Energy class
- B
- Energy a year
- 561kWh
- Noise
- 66dB
- Depth
- 56.8cm
- App control
- No
#3Hoover H-DRY 350 9kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer (HRE H9A3TBE-80/N)
£449.00 RRP
The lowest running costs here, 194kWh a year on an A+++ label, with a 9kg drum and four dryness levels from Ready to Iron to Extra Dry. Hoover’s hOn app adds more cycles and drying tips over wifi. The 9kg drum suits a bigger household; for smaller loads the 8kg Hisense at #1 does the job and costs less.
What owners say: Owners are pleased with the drying results, and one likes that it stops by itself once everything is dry, though some find it slower than an ordinary dryer.
A closer look: The water collects in a tank in the door with a window on it, so a glance shows when it needs emptying. Most of the extra cycles live in the hOn app, while the dial covers everyday loads, and Dry Hanger leaves shirts ready to go straight onto a hanger.
- Four dryness levels
- Door tank with a window
- Programme for hanger-ready shirts
Best for: Big households and app control
- Type
- Heat pump
- Capacity
- 9kg
- Energy class
- A+++
- Energy a year
- 194kWh
- Noise
- 64dB
- Depth
- 60.4cm
- App control
- hOn app
#4Montpellier 7kg Vented Sensor Tumble Dryer (MVSD7W)
£200–£300
The simplest kind of dryer, at a lower price than the heat pumps: the damp air goes out through the hose, so there’s no tank to empty, and a sensor ends the cycle when the clothes are dry. Its 16 programmes include timed cycles and Wool.
What owners say: Owners say it dries quickly and quietly and is easy to get to grips with, though a few have doubts about the build quality.
Heads up: Plan where the hose will go before it arrives: a vented dryer needs it out of a window or through a vent in the wall, never into the room.
A closer look: Clean the fluff filter after every load, since a vented dryer pushes a lot of air through it, and keep the hose as short and straight as possible so the damp air escapes freely. Seven kilos suits a couple or a small family better than a big household’s bedding day.
- Sensor ends the cycle
- Vent hose included
- Timed cycles and wool programme
- Delay start and child lock
Best for: Venting out of a window
- Type
- Vented
- Capacity
- 7kg
- Energy class
- C
- Energy a year
- 520kWh
- Noise
- 69dB
- Depth
- 55.5cm
- App control
- No
#5AEG 7000 SensiDry 8kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer (TR718L4B)
Over £300
SensiDry dries at low temperatures to keep clothes in good condition, and ProSense+ sensors trim the time to suit each load. Bed Linen XL and Duvet programmes take care of the bulky things.
What owners say: Owners praise the sensors that judge when a load is done and the quiet running; opinions split on running costs, and some loads take far longer than the programme says.
A closer look: The door rehangs on either side, with four positions for the handle, so it can open away from a wall or a washing machine. An optional drain hose does away with emptying the water tank, handy where the dryer stands near a sink or the washer’s waste pipe.
- Low-temperature drying
- Fully reversible door
- Duvet and bed linen programmes
- Load sensors trim the time
- Optional drain hose
Best for: Gentle care for fabrics
- Type
- Heat pump
- Capacity
- 8kg
- Energy class
- A++
- Energy a year
- 235kWh
- Noise
- 66dB
- Depth
- 63.8cm
- App control
- No
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Hisense 1Q | #2Beko DTLCE80051B | #3Hoover H-DRY 350 | #4Montpellier MVSD7W | #5AEG 7000 SensiDry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best condenser | Cheapest to run | Best budget | ||
| Picked Rating | 8.6 | 9.3 | 9.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Price | Over £300 | £200–£300 | £449.00 RRP | £200–£300 | Over £300 |
| Type | Heat pump | Condenser | Heat pump | Vented | Heat pump |
| Capacity | 8kg | 8kg | 9kg | 7kg | 8kg |
| Energy class | A++ | B | A+++ | C | A++ |
| Energy a year | 235kWh | 561kWh | 194kWh | 520kWh | 235kWh |
| Noise | 64dB | 66dB | 64dB | 69dB | 66dB |
| Depth | 55cm | 56.8cm | 60.4cm | 55.5cm | 63.8cm |
| App control | No | No | hOn app | No | No |
| Best for | Low running costs | Simple condenser drying | Big households and app control | Venting out of a window | Gentle care for fabrics |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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