The overall Which? test score is made up of the following star ratings, all determined by our rigorous lab tests.
How we test drying time
We record how quickly all of the tumble dryers we test dry clothes. We start counting from the moment the dryer starts and we stop when the end of programme buzzer sounds. And we do this for all four of the drying loads used in our tests. These star ratings show how quickly the dryer thinks it can dry clothes. To find out how well the clothes have been actually been dried, check out our quality of drying star ratings.
How we test dryness of clothes
We weigh clothes before and after drying to see how much water is retained following the drying programme.
How we test drying evenness
We check how evenly the clothes have been dried by measuring the difference between the wettest and driest clothes in the load. We do this by weighing the clothes before and after drying.
How we test creasing
We check how creased clothes are at the end of the programme, and rate them from 1-5 stars with 1 being very creased and 5 being practically ironed. Very few tumble dryers are able to leave clothes completely crease-free, so when looking for a dryer that dries well, don’t be put off by dryers with three stars for creasing.
How we test condensation unit efficiency
For condenser and heat pump tumble dryers, we record how much water from the drying clothes is captured in the water tank. The more water captured, the better the dryer will be at drying your clothes without allowing warm and damp air to escape into your home. Dryers that are ineffective at capturing water will leave you with damp clothes and steamy windows.
How we test ease of use
A panel of experts assesses each tumble dryer to decide how easy they are to use. The dozens of assessments carried out on each machine take into account the instructions, control panel, setting, loading, unloading, cleaning lint from the filter and removing the water tank and heat exchanger.
How we test quietness
A panel of lab experts listens to each machine as it dries clothes in our tests. They listen for how loud the machine is in normal operation and they also listen for annoying noises and vibration.
How we test energy efficiency
We record how much energy each dryer uses when drying a 70% full load of cottons. Our running costs figures are based on using a dryer three times per week.
