Top Five Cheap Tumble Dryers For 2020

Matt Stevens

In this article

We’ve selected five of the cheapest Best Buy tumble dryers, whether you’re after a spacious dryer if you do a lot of washing, one that'll get your clothes dried in good time, or just the very cheapest Best Buy tumble dryer we've tested.

Some inexpensive dryers aren’t quite the bargain they first appear, as they can be awkward to use, guzzle energy and leave your clothes damp. To help you avoid the dodgy dryers, we've also highlighted some of the worst tumble dryers you should steer clear of. Scroll down the page to see them.

Only logged-in Which? members can view our recommendations in the table below. If you’re not yet a member, you can get instant access by joining Which?.

Top five cheap tumble dryers

72%

£279.99

Reviewed Dec 2018

This condenser tumble dryer whizzes through up to 10kg loads of laundry, delivering perfectly dry items on both the cotton and synthetics programs. It's also easy to load, unload, program and maintain.

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70%

£239.00

Reviewed Mar 2020

This is an excellent tumble dryer. It dries clothes quickly and well, and it won’t leave them too creased. That’s why we’ve made it a Best Buy.

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68%

£329.00

Reviewed Sep 2018

This Best Buy Blomberg dryer excels at all its most important tasks, drying all types of laundry quickly and well. You won’t have any problems loading, programming or maintaining it either.

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68%

£309.00

Reviewed May 2018

This dryer's excellent drying sensors work well to ensure that clothes don't come out still damp at the end of programs. It does have high energy costs, but it's one of the quickest dryers we've tested so it's an ideal Best Buy for those who need their clothes dried in a hurry.

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65%

£170.00

Reviewed Oct 2018

This is one of the cheapest dryers you can buy, and with the clothes drying you get from it you can be sure you're getting bang for your buck. It's not particularly efficient when it comes to energy usage, but it gets the job done quickly and to a very high standard.

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Pricing, recommendations and test scores correct as of November 2020.

Not found the tumble dryer for you? Browse all of our tumble dryer reviews.

Three cheap tumble dryers to avoid

When tumble dryers can cost the best part of £1,000, it can be tempting to go for the cheapest deal you can find.

Watch out though, as great, inexpensive dryers are a rare breed.

Although it's perfectly possible to get excellent drying on a tight budget, some cheap dryers are poorly made, won't dry your clothes properly, and will run up your energy bills so much that you might as well have paid more up front to start with.

Worst cheap tumble dryers

44%

£150.00

Reviewed May 2017

This vented tumble dryer may get your laundry nicely dry, but it takes forever to deliver the goods. It’s also inefficient, making it expensive to run long-term. You should look elsewhere.

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39%

£349.99

Reviewed Jan 2018

This noisy heat pump dryer has several flaws that contributed to it being tagged with our Don't Buy logo. Not only is it slow, but it doesn't dry accurately or evenly, and you'll find your clothes are still damp when the buzzer sounds.

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39%

£283.97

Reviewed Jan 2018

It can hold 10kg of clothes and has a handy smartphone app, but don’t be fooled by this cheap tumble dryer. It’s inefficient, noisy and leaves your clothes full of creases. Don’t buy this disappointing dryer.

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Pricing, recommendations and test scores correct of November 2020.

How to get the best deal on a tumble dryer

Getting a cheap tumble dryer isn’t just a case of picking the right model. Use our top tips to keep costs low when you’re buying a new machine.

Wait for the sales

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 a little while, you may find a cheaper deal at another time of year. January sales and around spring are the best times to keep an eye out for a deal, as these are the times most brands discontinue older models and look to sell them through at reduced prices.

It pays to shop around

Once you’ve selected the right tumble dryer for you, search for the model number online. Retailers often have different prices for exactly the same machine, sometimes by £100 or more, so compare stores to make sure that you’re not missing a promotion or deal price.

Check for additional costs

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 when you’re shopping around, and installation fees if you’re not setting up your dryer yourself. Manufacturers may have deals with different retailers, so double check to 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 you're unfortunate enough to be landed with a faulty dryer.