What is “tumble dry?”

If you are tired of waiting for a long period of time to dry your clothes naturally, a dryer may be the home appliance you need. In about an hour you can wear the clothes that have just been washed and the materials remain soft and odor-free.

Clothes are quickly dried, have a pleasant smell, and are hygienized. This is why the tumble dryer is a household appliance that is necessary for any family.

There are also hybrid models (washing machine with dryer) for those who have no room to fit both appliances, but the drying results and efficiency decrease greatly especially if we are a large family.

Functions and energy efficiency  are the main differences between dryers on the market.

How tumble dryers work?

Inside the dryer, air is blown to a process heating element controlled by a thermostat to avoid overheating. The hot air is distributed to the clothes and the dryer drum rotates, smoothing the process.

The hot air passed through a heat exchanger will lead to the evaporation of water from the clothes which is then captured by condensation in an exhaust tank.

At the same time, the circulating hot air passes through a filter that captures the lint and leaves the clothes cleaner and softer. The tank is emptied manually when it is full of water resulting from condensation.

The best condenser, vented and heat pump tumble dryers - How to choose?

Drying method- Condenser dryers

Most models in the market dry the laundry by condensation, the water in the clothes is turned into steam after being heated by the electric resistance.

The steam is collected and converted again into water in a special container placed on the drier. It is called condenser dryer. There no need for drain hose, just plug the dryer and that's it.

For  combos(washing machines with dryer), the collected water will be drained in the same way as when washing the laundry.

Drying capacity

We already known from washing machines that the amount of laundry that can be cleaned in a single wash differs from model to model.

The same applies for dryers (there are 7, 8, 9 or even more kilos of dry laundry) which are designed to be complementary to washing machines.

Fortunately, most dryers are large enough to dry out the contents of a full laundry machine in one go.

An 8 Kg condenser dryer is very good for a family of 4 people. If you have a budget, you can also opt for a 9-10 kg or more.

If you do not have space, choose a 7 kg slim tumble dryer. With the lesser depth comes the disadvantage that you will dry up fewer clothes at once.

Drying programs

Most tumble dryers have a sufficient number of drying programs.

Programs are divided into categories according to the degree of drying and the type of fabric.

They have programs with intense drying, partial drying for storage and half drying (for clothes that needs to be ironed).

Also, a good tumble dryer should have: a variable drying program where we can choose the operating time, dry program for delicate items and a clothes refresh program.

The most popular drying cycles are: drying jeans, cotton drying, synthetic drying, drying baby clothes and drying sports clothes.

Each drying cycle works at different parameters, so do not mix clothes, and if you do the mixed drying program (most of the dryers have it).

Read the user manual carefully to protect your clothes. Use full drying programs - they dry 100% of your clothes. Partial drying programs retain a certain percentage of moisture to make it easy to iron or store.

Of course, the number of programs varies from model to model. Some have special programs- for example for sensitive materials.

Protection of clothes in the laundry dryer

To begin with, it is absolutely essential to have a moisture sensor.

The moisture sensor not only senses  when the clothes are dry enough, but their stopping the drying process at the right time - that is also beneficial for lower energy consumption.

Another immediate advantage is the fact that clothes  are better protected and not exposed to high temperatures.

Thus, the possibility of them being shrinked or deteriorated decreases a lot. Not all laundry dryers can protect fabrics so choose one that comes with humidity sensors.

How to Prevent Clothes from Shrinking and Stretching

Certain materials are more sensitive. For example, jeans can shrink if they are dry at an inadequate program. Synthetic leather can break if it is dry for too long or too high.

How should you dry the jeans so they do not shrink?

It is important to dry them incompletely (so-called Cupboard Dry) or delicate program. Thus, the jeans will be partially dried and will remain slightly wet but not stretched. You should also let them dry for a few hours on a stand, and you will avoid them getting smaller.

Pay great attention also to wool articles that shrink very quickly. Use the drying program for delicate clothes or use the drying at the lowest possible temperature.

Energy consumption

Tumble  dryers have a higher energy consumption than a washing machine.

In general , cheap dryers have a B or C energy efficiency rating. The best tumble dryers are A+ rated.Of course, the price of the tumble dryer increases if we opt for a model with A or A +, but we will have lower energy bills and we will recover the costs.

Heat Pump Tumble Dryer - worth buying?

The condenser dryer that comes with a heat pump is a great choice. The heat pump collects heat that otherwise will be lost, then it reintroduces that heat into the drying circuit. Therefore, energy consumption is much lower when compared to a standard condenser dryer.

Noise level

Choosing a "very good" or "excellent" noise level is the only one that guarantees peace in the house especially if the dryer is located near the bedrooms where we sleep.

When choosing between tumble dryers, check the product sheet for what level of noise it has.

The noise level is measured in decibels and the lower the value of the laundry so quieter.

Best features of the best tumble dryers

Moisture sensor

We have already outlined the benefits of this component, stating that their existence guarantees lower energy consumption and more protection for clothing.

Superior lint filter

As with the washing machine, lint accumulation is a danger because a clogged filter can even cause a fire. So, an easy-to-clean filter is required (some models even have a light indicator for that) and one mounted on the outside requires less work than one mounted inside the drum.

Remote control and smartphone app 

Some  expensive dryers  allow remote monitoring of their activity via iOS/Android app. You can stop a cycle or start a new one also.

Steam drying

For less creases and odor free clothes, laundry dryers also use steam drying.

Control settings

For those who want to change settings in the smallest detail, a touch control can be the ideal solution.

Advantages: Save your favorite drying options and more advanced controls when drying specific clothes.

Extended spin cycle

After the laundry has dried, the heating system stops but the drum continues to rotate. This reduces the bruising of clothes that are not immediately removed from the laundry dryer.

Conclusion: Which laundry tumble dryer is better?

The most important thing - choose the best laundry dryer for your needs.

You should look for - drying capacity,consumption and noise level.

Then see if it has the drying programs you need depending on the materials of your clothes.

Last but not least, see to be easy to maintain and easy to use.