How we test tumble dryers

We dry more than 1,200kg of clothes every year to find models that excel at quick, quiet and energy-efficient tumble drying. Testing a batch of tumble dryers almost every month, we carry out over 400 individual tests and observations on every single machine.

We buy our tumble dryers direct from retailers, just as you would. Not only does this mean that manufacturers are unable to influence our reviews, it also ensures we don't end up with an 'enhanced' version of a product designed purely to impress us.

Our testing is 100% unbiased and our scores and verdicts are never up for sale. If a machine really misses the mark, we won't hesitate to label it with our Don't Buy warning.

Reviews you read elsewhere can be swayed by one person's initial impressions of a machine, rather than the in-depth, independent laboratory tests and assessments conducted by Which?.

Discover the best tumble dryers according to our rigorous lab tests.

Dryness of clothes: How well does it get things dry?

We dry almost 250 loads of laundry every year, assessing the dryness of each individual item on both the main cottons and synthetics programs.

Our lab technicians load each tumble dryer to 70% of its total stated capacity of the cottons program, as most manufacturers advise leaving some space at the top of the drum to allow air to circulate freely. Dryers are loaded to their full capacity for the synthetics program, as they're generally designed to handle half the cottons capacity load. We test on these specific programs (or their closest equivalents) because Which? members told us they're the ones they use most.

Test laundry loads consist of a mix of the kinds of clothes you'd dry at home, such as jeans and towels. Each test item is 'wetted' to the exact same level, in accordance with international testing standards, to represent clothing that's just been removed from a washing machine. The same load type is used in each tumble dryer to ensure our results remain comparable between models.

Our lab technicians weigh the contents of each load before and after drying to see how much water they contain – this tells us precisely how much each dryer removes. They also measure the humidity of each item before and after drying, and compare it with the humidity levels of the full load. This helps them assess whether a machine can dry every item of clothing evenly. 

We run each drying test three times on both the cottons and synthetics programs so we can be certain our results are as accurate as possible. If any of the drying or energy use results are wildly different between the three tests – or if one test run is much quicker or slower than the others – we carry out two further drying tests to double-check the results.

What separates a good result from a poor one?

Tumble dryers receive two separate star ratings (on a scale from one to five stars) for dryness of clothes and drying evenness. The best machines will dry the full load evenly, so everything is ready to go straight in the cupboard at the end of the cycle. A three-star dryer might leave you with the odd damp t-shirt or sock tucked inside the rest of the load, and a one-star model could result in half the load being perfectly dry while the other half is still noticeably wet. 

Energy efficiency: Will the tumble dryer use more energy than necessary?

Our tests have uncovered inefficient tumble dryers that could cost you almost £1,000 in energy bills over a seven-year lifespan, whereas the most efficient would cost you less than £400.

We've discovered that energy ratings aren't always representative of exactly how efficient a tumble dryer is – that's why we run our own energy use tests to give you the most accurate information possible.

Our lab technicians record exactly how much energy each tumble dryer uses during both the cottons and synthetics programs. They then divide this by the program capacity to reveal its efficiency in the most comparable way.

A model that can dry 12kg of clothes and one that can dry 7kg of clothes are tested in exactly the same way. We know that the bigger machine is likely to use more energy than the smaller one during the drying process, which is why our technicians work out the energy use per kilogram of laundry for each model – that way everything is evaluated fairly.

We've tested tumble dryers that use over three times as much energy to dry a single kilogram of clothes compared to their more efficient counterparts. You can use our tumble dryers running costs tool to check exactly how much each model might cost you to run each year.

It's worth noting that we don't test eco programs or any other additional 'eco' features that claim to save you energy. The only exception is if the dryer doesn't have a cottons cycle, in which case we occasionally use the eco program. But this happens very rarely, and we'll flag it in the online review if it does.

What separates a good efficiency result from a poor one?

A tumble dryer that's rated one star for efficiency uses more energy than necessary, whereas a score of three stars is about what we'd expect compared to other models of a similar size. If a model is awarded five stars, that means it's incredibly efficient and won't unduly inflate your household bills.

The most efficient tumble dryers that also excel at drying your clothes quickly and evenly get our Eco Buy recommendation. These are the most sustainable models we've tested that will have a minimal impact on the environment and your pocket.

Rebecca Jakeman, Which? tumble dryers expert, says:

'We don't think you should always have to use a tumble dryer's 'eco' program to cut down on energy use, which is why we only test them on the two main programs. This also helps us ensure our results are as comparable as possible. A truly efficient model will be able to dry your clothes thoroughly and evenly without blasting through tons of energy in the process.'

Ease of use: Is it intuitive and user-friendly to operate?

A team of three lab technicians rates how easy each tumble dryer is to use and clean, so you know laundry day won't be any harder than it needs to be.

We assess over 60 individual ease-of-use characteristics on each tumble dryer we test. These include reading and understanding the instruction manual, loading and emptying clothes, ease of navigating the control panel, plus how simple it is to select your chosen program (and any extras) and start the machine. 

The experts at the lab also assess how easy you'll find it to keep on top of maintenance, from emptying the water tank to clearing out the condenser or heat exchanger. Each one of them assesses the machines in a different order to avoid any bias.

Although we are seeing more and more smart models, we find that most of you would rather use the controls on the dryer itself. This means we don't currently test how easy it is to operate a machine from your smartphone (if applicable – not all of the machines we test are smart). We'll be keeping an eye on this, though, so we can update our test protocols if anything changes.

What separates a good result from a poor one?

A five-star tumble dryer will be intuitive and straightforward to use, often with a wide-opening door, uncluttered control panel and easy-to-access serviceable parts. Three-star models are easy enough to use overall, but might come with a few 'quirks' like small text or a noisy door. If a dryer receives a one-star rating, it might feel like you require a degree in mechanical engineering to use it.

Drying time: How long will it take to dry my clothes?

We measure how long the cottons and synthetics programs take to run so you know exactly how long you'll be waiting for a full load to finish.

Our lab technicians time, to the minute, how long the cottons and synthetics programs take to run on each tumble dryer. We then give them a star rating out of five, relative to the total capacity of the machine.

We expect larger-capacity dryers to take longer to dry a full load of laundry, so we share a per-kilogram drying time as well as the overall drying time. You might need to run a 12kg dryer twice a week, but a 7kg model three to four times to tackle the same amount of laundry.

The quickest tumble dryer we've tested finished an 8kg cottons load in just over an hour and a half, whereas the slowest took just over six hours to dry the same amount.

Getting your hands on a speedy machine doesn't necessarily make it a good choice though. In fact, the quickest dryers (usually condenser models) are often the hungriest for energy and can result in your household bills climbing much higher than you'd like. Plus, analysis of drying results shows they're usually less effective at getting everything in the drum dry evenly.

Our main test doesn't currently include quick-dry programs or smaller-load cycles, as these offerings are inconsistent between models, so it's difficult to get a comparable result between machines. We do sporadically carry out additional tests on quick programs though, and generally we find they're nowhere near as effective (or efficient) as the main programs. 

What separates a good result from a poor one?

Choosing a dryer with a one-star program length rating means you'll be waiting an age for your clothes to dry – we've tested models that took 45 minutes to dry a single kilogram. Tumble dryers scoring five stars are lightning-fast, with the quickest we've seen taking less than 12 minutes per kilogram. We give each of the main programs its own star rating, as sometimes a dryer is speedy on synthetics but slow on cottons (or vice versa). 

Condensation unit efficiency: Will it leak moisture into my home?

A poor condenser unit will let moisture leak into your home. We keep our test lab at a set temperature and humidity level to ensure we can accurately measure the efficiency of each dryer's condenser unit.

Condenser and heat pump tumble dryers should trap and condense all the moisture from your laundry in a water reservoir or tank. If they leak moisture into your home, it could increase the risk of damp and mould developing, and potentially aggravate respiratory diseases.

Our lab technicians compare the amount of water in the water tank or reservoir after the program has finished to the amount they measured in the test load before drying. Any discrepancies will tell us how much water has leaked out into the air as steam. 

This test is conducted three times on both the cottons and synthetics programs to ensure the highest possible levels of rigour, and if any of the results look unusual, then our experts will repeat the test a further two times to double-check the results.

What separates a good result from a poor one?

Five-star rated tumble dryers trap and condense up to 95% of the moisture from your clothes. Dryers achieving one star – the worst we've seen – will only hold on to 45%, leaving most of the moisture to leak out into your home.

Creasing: How wrinkled will my clothes be at the end of the cycle?

Our lab technicians assess the crease levels in 200 tumble-dried shirts so we know which models really do shake out the wrinkles.

If items begin to get overdried and 'crispy' in your tumble dryer, you might find they come out of the drum covered in creases and take an age to iron.

We run this test on men's shirts because they create an ideal benchmark for everyday wrinkling. They're usually made of a cotton-synthetic blend, so we use the synthetics program (often labelled 'easy care') because this is the recommended cycle for these fabrics.

To assess just how good a tumble dryer is at smoothing out wrinkles, three lab technicians study the state of five men's shirts after they've been dried in the synthetics test load. They use a grading system from one to five, noting the level of creasing on the back of the shirts, and the button edge at the front. If scores between assessors deviate significantly, they must reconsider each rating in consultation to ensure a fair grade is given.

We use the lab technicians' scores to generate our own star rating for each tumble dryer, so you can find out whether a machine is going to halve the amount of clothes in your ironing basket or lead to it being fuller than ever.

What separates a good result from a poor one?

If a machine gets four stars from us for crease removal, it leaves about the same amount of creases as if you'd just taken a garment out of the drum and left it to dry naturally. Five-star models will leave you with clothes that only require very light ironing, while clothes dried in one-star dryers will be really tough to smooth out.

Quietness: How much noise does it make?

A panel of three assessors rate just how noisy each machine is at the loudest point of the drying cycle, so you can avoid the models that will drown out your breakfast chat.

There's no denying that tumble dryers can be a noisy appliance, but some are much louder than others, to the point where you might not be able to hear your radio or have a phone conversation over the din.

Our expert panel assess the noise of each dryer at the noisiest part of the program, considering how loud the sound of the motor is and also the noise made by tumbling laundry in the drum. Every dryer is then given a rating from one to five, with assessors noting if there are any particularly unusual or irritating sounds.

They also use a sonometer to measure the noise emitted by the tumble dryer in dBA (weighted decibels). This is a measure of sound pressure level adjusted to filter out extreme low or high frequencies the human ear can't detect. 

Some dryers may include accessibility features like a jingle that plays to let you know a cycle has finished, or a series of beeps to help you know which program you're selecting. While these aren't currently assessed under our main test program, we do plan on increasing our coverage of accessibility features in the near future.

What separates a good result from a poor one?

If a machine gets three stars, you should be able to hold a conversation near the dryer with raised voices. A one-star dryer will make enough noise that you might struggle to concentrate on anything else in the same room, while a five-star model will be as quiet as a dryer can possibly be. 

How we calculate the scores

Olivia Pratt, Which? scientific advisor, says:

'We regularly get in touch with Which? members so we know exactly what matters most to them when choosing a new tumble dryer. The information we gather feeds into the development of both the test programme and data evaluation process. Since members told us energy efficiency and user-friendliness really matter to them, they're weighted more heavily than other testing elements like creasing or quietness when it comes to calculating the overall score.'

Here are the weightings for each element of the test:

• 35% drying evenness and exactness
• 20% energy consumption
• 15% ease of use
• 10% condensation efficiency
• 10% program time
• 5% creasing
• 5% noise

How we choose the products

We never accept free product samples from tumble dryer brands or manufacturers. Instead, we invest over £20,000 every year buying tumble dryers direct from retailers to ensure our reviews are 100% independent and unbiased.

We test around 40 new tumble dryers a year, and there's always space for more if we come across products that are too good to ignore. And we carry out testing throughout the year, so we can turn around our verdicts as speedily as possible.

We try and cater to a wide range of budgets, featuring tumble dryers costing less than £300 as well as some that will set you back over £1,000. Whether you're looking for a basic model that does the bare minimum or a wi-fi compatible machine with all of the trimmings, we've seen it all at our test lab. This allows us to showcase top-of-the-range Best Buy models as well as Great Value options offering great performance without the huge price.

Adishree Sharma, Which? Market Analyst, says:

'To ensure we cover as many models as possible, we select tumble dryers from popular brands like AEG, Beko, Miele and Samsung, and try to find all of the key products you'd see from major retailers like AO, Currys and John Lewis. This doesn't mean we only test new or flagship models manufacturers want to promote – we keep a close eye on new launches, changes to market trends and data on what people are actually buying to help us choose the machines best suited to you.'

Is it a Best Buy tumble dryer? What our verdicts mean

The badges products receive may help you to narrow down your shortlist, but we'd always advise reading reviews in full before you make your final purchasing decision.

Best Buy-recommended tumble dryers

Best Buys are awarded to tumble dryers that really excel in our tests. A dryer must score 76% or more to be a Best Buy.

Not only are they brilliant at drying your clothes quickly and evenly, they're also easier to use and energy efficient.

Eco Buy-recommended tumble dryers

When you next need to buy a dryer, the most sustainable option will be an Eco Buy, which will have a lower all-round environmental impact than other tumble dryers. 

To become an Eco Buy, a tumble dryer must have:

• a total test score of at least 74%
• five stars for energy efficiency on both cottons and synthetics washes
• five stars for clothes drying on both cottons and synthetics washes
• a good longevity rating in our annual appliance reliability survey (discover which tumble dryer brand is the most reliable). 

Only around one in four tumble dryers are sustainable enough to be Eco Buys and all are energy-efficient heat pump machines. 

Great Value-recommended tumble dryers

To become a Great Value tumble dryer, a model must score at least 70% in our tests. We only award our Great Value recommendation to heat pump dryers, as vented and condenser models will usually cost you significantly more over time.

They must also be markedly cheaper than the average price of other heat pump dryers we've tested, whether freestanding or integrated, helping you get your clothes dry without costing a fortune.

Don't Buy tumble dryers

Tumble dryers that score 46% or below in our testing are marked as Don't Buy models that we think you should avoid. 

Don't Buy tumble dryers tend to fall down in the key areas of our testing, leaving your clothes wet and often costing you a fortune in energy in the process.

Any model that is recalled for safety reasons will also automatically be made a Don't Buy, and given a score of 0% until the issue is resolved. 

To find out which qualify for our recommendations, head to our tumble dryer reviews and use the Best Buy, Eco Buy or Great Value filter

Our tumble dryer experts

It takes a team effort to run our test projects. 

Every year, we examine the way we test products to ensure our results are as useful and relevant as possible. We also ask the Which? community to let us know what they consider to be most important when buying a new tumble dryer.

Here's the team behind the reviews, advice, news and everything in between:

• Senior researcher & writer, Rebecca Jakeman: Rebecca converts technical laboratory data into detailed, unbiased product reviews and advice to separate the top-performing tumble dryers from the duds. She cuts through the marketing waffle and confusing jargon to ensure you invest in a machine that actually delivers on its promises.
• Home editor, Victoria Purcell: From product reviews to maintenance advice and news, Victoria makes sure what you're reading is clear, helpful, timely and informative. This means keeping an eye on what's trending in laundry, seeking out the answers to key consumer questions to help you buy and use your tumble dryer with confidence.
• Scientific advisor, Olivia Pratt: Olivia helps to shape our test programme, and meticulously converts hundreds of data points for each tumble dryer into digestible product scores and star ratings. Her in-depth analysis ensures that only the cream of the crop are awarded our Best Buy recommendation.
• Market analyst, Adishree Sharma: Adishree keeps her finger on the pulse of what's happening in the world of tumble dryers to curate our testing line-up, ensuring we only review what’s relevant to you. From machines by major household names to rising stars, we look beyond the marketing hype to test what you want to buy next.