As if there was any doubt, like the polar bear of arctic anguish, winter is upon us.
A brief sojourn outside the house and into the seeming perma-dark and consta-cold that awaits to envelope you in its unwelcoming inky embrace confirms that the bitterest time of the year has made itself at home.
Which is bad enough, but another ugly issue to raise its hideous head amongst all of this hibernal horror is laundry. Specifically, the drying it bit. While the outside world lashes at us wet and savage, it’s never been more important to keep clothes clean and dry - something rendered almost impossible by the colossal lack of natural clothes drying conditions outside. So, what is one to do? Spend the entire of wintermas sat sad, soggy and smelling like a saturated Shih Tzu? No, you take a well-reasoned leap into a laundry bag of technology and invest (wisely) in a saturation-solving tumble dryer.
Stats and spin
Yes, a tumble dryer. A miracle machine that most of us alive today have never had to exist without access to, either in the home or, more commonly, at the local laundrette. And whilst (according to GOV.UK) 97 per cent of households in the UK own a washing machine and yet only 58 per cent possess a tumble dryer, popularity is growing strongly, perhaps because Nick Kamen no longer strips off down the laundromat (a 1985 Levi’s launderette advert reference for our more mature readers). Or simply because nobody should ever wash and dry their dirty laundry in public.
Whatever the reason, having access to quickly dried clothes (and more besides) during this no-doubt elongated interval betwixt summer and spring makes a tumble dryer an essential.
How we tested
With that and your general well-being in mind, I’ve selected a spin-tastic quintet of tumble dryers with energy efficiency, ease of use and, of course, program functionality all to the fore. And that means an energy rating no lower than a ‘B’ (ratings run from ‘A’ to ‘G’, with A being the best).
For the sake of ease of installation, I’ve focused solely on freestanding, vented (no need for an external hose) models. Other than that, all you really need to know is that heat pump-driven dryers are more efficient to run than their condenser counterparts, but equally more expensive initially, then it’s all down to your budget, personal drying demands and the drum capacity required to keep your whole household lovingly laundered.
Let’s take a tumble…
Best tumble dryers at a glance:
- Best for top-end tumbling: Miele TEF765WP - £1,179, DB
- Best for tumble dryer X appeal: Haier X Series 11 - £1,299, Currys
- Best for condensing to what matters: Hotpoint H2 D71 W - £314, Amazon
- Best for drying back in black: Samsung Series 5 OptimalDry DV80CGC0B0AB - £399, Amazon
- Best for medium-sized households: Bosch Series 4 WTN83202GB 8Kg Condenser Tumble Dryer - £449, Amazon
- Best for hot performance, cool results: Beko B3T4911DG 9kg - £449, Amazon
Find out more below
Miele TEF765WP
Best for: Top-end tumbling
One of the biggest names in premium appliances, Miele kit comes at a price, but then you’re paying for both a top-of-the-range tumbler and all the epic longevity that Miele machines manage above and beyond most other manufacturers.
This, the TEF765, is a freestanding heat pump model, meaning that you can pop it wherever you like, plug it in, link it to the Miele@home app, and pick and choose from 11 programs designed to delicately dry any and all cloth-like materials you can think of, all at a hyper energy level efficient A+++ and with a relatively low operational volume of 66dB.
With a drum capacity of 8kg, the Miele will more than happily serve a medium-sized family, with special programmes such as DryCare 40, EcoSpeed, FragranceDos, and EcoDry, getting clothes rapidly dry in the most eco-friendly manner beyond the washing line and keeping them smelling fresh as the proverbial at the same time.
Tech-heads will love the smart home app, too, granting them complete control over the tumble dryer and, indeed, any other compatible appliances using their smartphone or, if even that is too much effort, using just their voice via Google Home or Alexa.
Smart, not uneasy on the eye and a – albeit pricey – portal to drying perfection, the Miele TEF765WP is a lean, mean tumbling machine.
Buy now £1179.00, DB
Haier X Series 11
Best for: Tumble dryer X appeal
I recently ran a full review of this most excellent model from Haier, here in the very virtual pages of this highly esteemed online organ but, charged with rounding up the best models to hit the laundry beat in the last year, it would be beyond remiss not to float this one back up to the top again.
With a colossal drum capacity of 11kg, a top spin speed of 1400rpm and an energy efficiency of an unbeatable A+++, the Haier X Series 11 comes packing a colossal 17 programmes that cover any drying scenario you could possibly conceive, including a smart AI cycle that tailors the cycle to suit the specifics of the load, a refresh programme, anti-bacterial treatment, and a staggering 12 stain options.
Like the Miele it also comes smart-enabled, linking onto your household Wi-Fi and combining with the Haier hOn app to allow unfettered access to all settings while, also like the Miele, letting you command control via your vocal cords over Alexa and Google Home devices.
Only 4dB louder than the Miele in operation, it’s quiet too, and its glorious freestanding form means you can fit it anywhere that has a main socket, the water removed collecting in a drawer which can then simply be removed to pour said water down the nearest drain.
Coming complete with a removable shelf for trainers, a large LED display and a sizable porthole through which you can watch your laundry dance themselves dry under the internal light, the Haier has it all.
Buy now £1299.00, Currys
Hotpoint H2 D71 W
Best for: Condensing to what matters
A name as synonymous with looking after UK laundry as Mrs Miggins the Washerwoman of Old London Lane, Hotpoint has been producing electric clothes dryers since 1950, focusing its attention on being the affordable yet reliable option amongst all others in, what has become, a decidedly crowded market. And here to support those words is one of its latest laundry unmoistening models, the H2 D71 W freestanding condenser dryer.
Yes, condenser, which means that, unlike the pricier heat pumps I’ve covered here, the Hotpoint uses a heating element to warm things up, as opposed to recycling hot air, so it is less energy efficient and can cost more to run, but as this is still rated ‘B’, you’ll hardly be comparable with industrial China when it comes to power consumption and bills will remain the right side.
Spinning at a maximum velocity of 1200rpm, okay, at a tenner over £300 there, as is to be expected, fewer programmes to play around with, but with all the basics of temperature, timer and a nice Refresh setting all available, you’ll still get toasty dry laundry in next to no time, while the reverse tumble anti-rub drum will keep your kit in perfect condition.
Akin to the other dryers I’ve covered here, the Hotpoint can be installed anywhere you have a spare plug socket, and wastewater is collected in a removable reservoir ready to be thrown away or used to flush the toilet, depending on how eco-friendly you really are.
Featuring a simple programme selector dial and on/off button and a 7kg drum capacity that’s good for a small- to medium-sized household’s needs, an easy-to-remove filter keeps the Hotpoint in tip-top clean condition, and while it may not link up to a smartphone app for automated control from anywhere in the world, ask yourself… just how often would you be likely to use that anyway?
Buy now £314.00, Amazon
Samsung Series 5 OptimalDry DV80CGC0B0AB
Best for: Drying back in black
Tumble dryers tend to be white. There’s a reason for this, and that’s that this is the finish that’s most likely to blend in with the décor of the average kitchen or utility room. However, if you’re in the market for a heat pump dryer that blends bill-saving eco-credentials, full functionality and an aesthetic that makes it stand out from the appliance pack in no uncertain terms, then behold my fifth and final recommendation in this round-up, the Samsung Series 5 OptimalDry.
An 8kg capacity, 14000rpm max. spin speed beast in black, the Samsung is as slick-, sleek- and sexy-looking as tumble dryers come – and that’s not a statement I make often. But beyond the matt black façade, it’s also a performance powerhouse, thanks to an epic 18 programmes at hand to render your sodden stuff impeccably arid, all at an efficient A++ rating and a low-low operational volume of just 62dB.
With OptimalDry’s temperature sensors adjusting the drying time to help protect your clothes, SmartThings displaying notifications, energy monitoring and remote engineer assistance, and Quick Dry being capable of transforming 1kg of clothes from dripping to dry in just 35 minutes, this freestanding heat pump hero has all the tools and the talent to handle everything from towels to bedding and clothes to soft toys, notifying you via the SmartThings app when the job is done.
The dream tumble dryer of the likes of Batman, Wednesday Addams and possibly even Beetlejuice, and priced at a very reasonable £600, the Samsung Series 5 OptimalDry is nothing if not a glorious monolith of obsidian tumbler intelligence.
Buy now £399.00, Amazon
Bosch Series 4 WTN83202GB 8Kg Condenser Tumble Dryer - White - B Rated
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Best for: Medium-sized households
The Bosch Series 4 WTN83202GB is an excellent choice for medium-sized households in search of efficiency and convenience. Its 8kg capacity is ideal for families of three to four members, accommodating daily laundry needs with ease. The appliance boasts a B energy rating, ensuring a balance between performance and energy consumption.
Equipped with Sensor Dry technology, it detects when clothes are dry and automatically stops the cycle, preventing over-drying and saving energy. The hOn app compatibility allows users to control the machine remotely via their smartphones, adding a layer of modern convenience. As a freestanding condenser dryer, it offers flexibility in placement without the need for external venting. The appliance's dimensions are H85 x W59.6 x D60 cm, making it a suitable fit for most utility spaces.
Buy now £449.00, Amazon
Beko B3T4911DG 9kg
Best for: Hot performance, cool results
Despite being one of Britain’s most favoured home appliance brands, Beko may not be the first name that leaps to mind when considering where to fling your condenser cash, but only a feckless fool would not add the B3T4911DG to their list of ventless water-wringers.
For a start, it has a 9kg capacity, which is yawning enough to swallow the average load of a 3-4-person household. It also has an average annual energy consumption of 615.7kWh, which sits squarely with the Hotpoint H3D91WBUK in terms of running costs. There are 15 programs to play with in order to get your odd and sods impeccably unirrigated, including an Eco Mode and an Auto Cool-Down phase that renders your recently dried stuff ready to handle without the worry of scorching your fingertips on a superheated T-shirt.
Also boasting an in-drum light that means you’ll see clearly enough to never leave a single sock (and it always is just the one) behind, the Beko B3T4911DG offers some bigger-name-beating performance at a properly affordable price.
Buy now £449.00, Amazon
Verdict
So, there we have it. When it comes to combatting the oncoming winter storm and getting clothes and other assorted laundry crisp and dry while the outside world is too wet and wild to wander into, here are some excellent tumbler choices that will take your togs and render them ready to wear whatever the weather.
As all five are freestanding and don’t require plumbing in, which you choose is now a simple matter of balancing budget and requirements and, of course, whether you want standard white… or a dark Gothic dryer that sits brooding in a moonbeam. Yeah, tempting, isn’t it?
