If you’re struggling to juggle your laundry from washing machine to drying rack every week, then you might benefit from a shiny new tumble dryer! These handy appliances can wick the water right out of your clothes, leaving them fresh, soft, and ready to wear.
But how do you ensure you get the right one? After all, buying a new tumble dryer is quite a big deal! In this guide, we’re going to take you through all of the most important considerations that can point you directly to the tumble dryer of your dreams!
What Should You Consider When Buying A Tumble Dryer?
Size
Before excitedly scrolling through tumble dryer options on the Reliant website, or getting up close and personal with the machines in store, you should make sure to carefully measure the space you want the machine to occupy. This will help you to focus on tumble dryers that will suit your space and also help you to stay on top of your budget.
One of the biggest blessings of tumble dryers is that they can be placed in just about any room, and they don’t necessarily need to be placed squarely beside the washing machine in your kitchen. Just make sure that you find a well-ventilated spot! Once you’ve found the perfect spot, you’ll want to note the height, depth, and width of the chosen spot. Be sure to leave a little bit of extra wiggle room. You don’t want the dryer to sit completely flush against the wall.
You’ll want to grab a tumble dryer that fits comfortably into your chosen spot. While it’s always great to grab a larger appliance, you want to ensure that your new tumble dryer isn’t too big. A large and unwieldy tumble dryer runs the risk of rattling against your walls, and creating an annoying obstacle to squeeze past!
As you consider the size of your new tumble dryer, be sure to also spare a thought to how you want the appliance to be displayed. Planning on placing your tumble dryer next to the washing machine, underneath your counter? Then you’ll want a freestanding version. If you want to hide it behind a cabinet door, to create a more uniform kitchen space, then you’ll want to consider an integrated version!
Capacity
As you’re browsing through the many size options, be sure to also take a good look at the capacity of each unit. Size and capacity go hand in hand. So you’ll want to consider the two closely. The more laundry you need to stuff into the machine, the larger the unit will need to be.
To help narrow down your choices, make sure to think about how many people need to use the tumble dryer. Tumble dryers are usually categorised based on the total capacity of the drum. Each of these capacities is best for a specific size of household. Let’s say you have a small family of 4 or 3. A 7 kg tumble dryer would offer more than enough space. A 7 kg tumble dryer can easily accommodate 35 T-shirts or 20 small hand towels.
It’s always best to get a tumble dryer that can keep up with the demands of your household. Overloading your tumble dryer can lead to costly repair services that aren’t covered by warranty!
If you need a heavy-duty tumble dryer that will keep up with a much larger family, then a 10 kg tumble dryer would be the better option. These jumbo dryers can easily handle countless school uniforms, sports kits, and bundles of bath towels without trouble!
Energy Usage
Tumble dryers are ravenous energy consumers. There’s no getting around the fact that tumble dryers use up more electricity than any other appliance in the home. It might seem like an impossible task, but it’s still worth looking out for the most efficient tumble dryer you can find. The more efficient the dryer is, the lower your energy bills will be, and the happier you (and the planet) will be!
To help with your search for the mythical “Energy-efficient tumble dryer”, you should look out for the handy energy rating label for each model. Ordered from “A” to “G”, these rainbow labels give you an easy look into the efficiency of a given tumble dryer. A tumble dryer ranked “A”, with a green ribbon, uses less electricity. On the other end of the spectrum, a “G”-ranked tumble dryer with a dark red ribbon uses far more electricity!
Smart Features
Much like many other popular home appliances, tumble dryers are getting smarter and smarter. While you’ll still want to grab a unit with intuitive controls and buttons built into the interface, we strongly recommend picking up a smart tumble dryer! Let’s take a look at some great modern features.
Remote Control
One of the strongest benefits that smart tumble dryers have going for them is smartphone connectivity. Modern models from numerous major manufacturers, such as Bosch, Hotpoint, and LG provide easy access to mobile pairing so that you can control your tumble dryer from anywhere. If you’re out of the house, but you want to set a drying cycle off at a specific time, you can do just that with a quick tap of your phone.
Downloadable Spin Cycles
Smartphone connectivity also helps you to become a total master of your tumble dryer. Many modern tumble dryers actually allow you to download highly specific customised spin cycles, so you can safely wash specific fabrics or products. Want to ensure that your favourite fluffy coat stays just as soft and luxurious as when you bought it? Download an extra cycle!
Efficient Reminders
Your tumble dryer will also be able to send special notifications to your phone. When a drying cycle finishes, for instance, your phone will receive a quick ping to empty the unit! And don’t worry, if you’re prone to forgetfulness, your tumble dryer will be able to send you periodic reminders to empty the drum and free your freshly-dried outfits.
Quick Problem Solving
A smart tumble dryer will also be able to diagnose specific issues as they occur and send a warning notification to your phone. Central drum unable to spin as it should? Is a specific component just not playing along? Your tumble dryer will be able to quickly identify the issue and let you know the prognosis!
This will help to save you a lot of money in the long run. No longer will you have to sit around and guess what’s going wrong. So you can pay a fair price for an accurate repair service that gives your unit a totally new lease of life.
Crease Prevention
While modern tumble dryers can’t also iron your clothes after drying, they can help to make the task a lot easier. Many modern smart tumble dryers come with crease-prevention technology and even special spin cycles that prevent the development of creases on the surface of a piece of fabric.
If you’re totally tired of all of the many chores that come with doing the laundry, then we recommend paying a little more for a tumble dryer with crease-prevention technology!
Many tumble dryers help to reduce creases by performing a short post-dry gentle spin. This gentle spinning helps to keep the fabric moving about. This slightly stretches the fabric and keeps it from folding.
Noise Level
Many of us dread doing our laundry just because of how much noise our washing machines and tumble dryers make! If you want to create a peaceful and noise-free home, we recommend consulting the decibel level of any tumble dryer you consider purchasing.
Most tumble dryers have a decibel level of around 70. While this is quite loud, it becomes more of a quiet hum when the door to the laundry room is closed. Luckily, there are a number of tumble dryers that focus on offering a quieter user experience. Make sure to check out the decibel level of each tumble dryer, usually listed amongst the specs of the unit!
Warranty
If you’re going to spend money on a tumble dryer, you’ll want to be sure it’s here to stay. Luckily, there’s a great way to tell just how long a tumble dryer will last with plenty of frequent use. Look out for healthy warranties!
Most major manufacturers will offer sizable warranties to help draw customers in. Warranties are great for giving you peace of mind, knowing that any breakdowns or errors will be covered without denting your wallet. However, they also have the added benefit of letting you know how long a unit will last. If a company is willing to offer an 8-year warranty, for instance, you can be sure the tumble dryer is bound to last.
Price
Throughout all of this searching, you likely will have noticed prices fluctuating massively. This is why it is key to keep a strong sense of your budget as you hunt.
If you only need a simple washing machine, or your budget is a little tight, then look for more affordable units! If you want access to modern features that bring your tumble dryer into the future, then prepare to spend a little more!
Things To Consider When Buying A Condenser Tumble Dryer?
Drainage
Condenser tumble dryers work by actively condensing the steam that builds up in the drum, and then collecting it, as water, in a reservoir.
As such, you’ll want to consider the drainage solution of your chosen tumble dryer. Some require that you empty out the reservoir when it becomes full, while others may be hooked up to your home drainage system.
Price
Condenser tumble dryers are a relatively modern innovation. As such, you should expect to spend a little more. Expect the cost to rise even more if you are planning to hook your condenser dryer up to your drainage system.
Things To Consider When Buying A Heat Pump Tumble Dryer?
Energy Usage
If you are conscious of your energy usage, then you’ll definitely want to consider a heat pump tumble dryer. Though no two versions of these devices are built equally, they are some of the most energy-efficient tumble dryers on the market.
These dryers operate by pumping hot air into the drum, which causes the water to evaporate and be sent to a separate tank.
When looking through these dryers, we always recommend looking out for the best energy efficiency ranking that you can find!
Price
Again, heat pump dryers are incredibly costly, especially in comparison to more ordinary dryers. They are still a very new technology, so you should expect a slightly higher barrier to entry.
Thankfully, heat pump dryers can actually help to save you a lot of money in the long run, thanks to their lower energy consumption. Within just a few months, the money saved on your bills will easily cover the cost of the unit itself!
Frequently Asked Questions
Things To Consider When Buying A Tumble Dryer?
There are a number of things to consider when buying a tumble dryer, and they can all have a significant impact on the price of the unit. If you want a larger washing machine with modern smart features, you might need to pay more. If you just need a basic tumble dryer with ordinary functions and enough space for a small family, then by all means opt for a more affordable model!
Do I Need An 8kg Or 9kg Tumble Dryer?
If you need to dry up laundry for a family of 4, then an 8 kg tumble dryer would easily be more than enough. If you need to dry laundry for a family of 5 or 6, then a 9 kg tumble dryer would be a little better. Your choice of capacity simply comes down to how many people need to make use of the tumble dryer!
Why Buy An Expensive Dryer?
A tumble dryer might be expensive because it is of a much larger size, or because it boasts a number of extra features to take advantage of. If you want a tumble dryer that will help you to tackle tons of laundry, and connect to your smartphone, then it’s worth spending more.
Is A 4.5 kg Dryer Big Enough?
The answer to this depends on how much laundry you need to dry. 4.5 kg should be more than enough for a single person, or perhaps a couple that lives together. Trying to stuff a family’s worth of laundry into a 4.5 kg tumble dryer would be a recipe for disaster.
