9 Best Condenser Tumble Dryers UK 2023 – An Expert Buyers Guide

So you’re looking for the best condenser dryer?

Great choice!

They are super energy efficient and you don’t have to try and deal with a big ventilation pipe.

Well, once again I got my war paint on and hunted high and low for the best condenser dryers in the UK.

And I found some crackers! I’ve put them all in the table below and go into more detail later on for those who need it.

Top 5 Best Condenser Tumble Dryers UK

• Top Choice – Bosch Serie 4 ‎WTH84000GB 8Kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer
• Runner Up – SAMSUNG DV80TA020AX/EU 8 kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer
• Best budget Under £300 – BEKO DTKCE90021W 9 kg Condenser Tumble Dryer
• Best 7kg – MIELE T1 Active TCA220WP Ironing Professional
• Best On Amazon – Russell Hobbs RH8CTD701 8kg Freestanding Condenser Dryer

1. Top Choice – Bosch Serie 4 ‎WTH84000GB 8Kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer

The Bosch heat pump condenser dryer was an easy choice as one of the best. It’s energy-efficient, has the biggest load capacity on the list and it auto stops when your clothes are clean!

There’s a dryness sensor which detects when your clothes are dry. So when it’s running if your clothes are dry it will stop early saving you electricity and stopping your clothes from getting damaged.

It’s not the most energy-efficient on the list but it is in the top three of energy efficiency and the price gets a lot more as they get more efficient so this is the most cost-effective.

It’s got 14 different settings so you can keep all your clothes the size they’re meant to be and the shape they’re supposed to be. No bras will get eaten or t-shirts get shrunk. (If you put it on the wrong setting though I’m afraid I can’t help…)

Overall, hands down the best condenser dryer on the list, cost-effective, self-cleaning and doesn’t run too loud.

2. Runner Up – SAMSUNG DV80TA020AX/EU 8 kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer

Another strong contender for the top stop, slightly more efficient than the Bosch above but it doesn’t have a self-cleaning feature.

The Samsung however, I like the Anti Tangle Drum Technology (and the colour I can’t lie). The drum can spin both ways which help prevent your clothes from getting tangled together and helps the clothes dry faster.

Because wet parts can often get caught between clothes so when the drum stops and spins the other way they get separated and the moisture can be released.

Samsung also has an anti-wrinkle feature so you can dry clothes without heat which stops them getting wrinkled which is neat.

Overall, it’s a strong buy with the anti-tangle drum technology and great energy efficiency.

3. Best budget Under £300 – BEKO DTKCE90021W 9 kg Condenser Tumble Dryer

The Beko Dryer is a great budget model, not the most efficient energy consumption but it does a great job at drying clothes and expelling hot air!

What I like about this one is the final cool tumble, this tells the machine to do a periodical spin after the cycle has finished.

Which stops deep creases forming on your clothes because they’re not left in one position too long. Great if you tend to forget that you’ve put a load on in the first place.

Also, it has a sensor in it that detects when your clothes are dry and turns itself off to stop your clothes from getting over-dried. This saves money and helps your clothes last longer, a win-win!

Apart from that, there’s an adjustable dryness sensor so you can select the levels of dryness you want and it will stop accordingly through the cycle.

Overall, a great budget dryer which gives you everything you need. Easily one of the best tumble dryers

4. Best 7kg – MIELE T1 Active TCA220WP Ironing Professional

The Miele has a specially designed drum that creates pockets of air under your clothes stopping them from being pressed against the side and making them easier to iron.

The capacity is a little smaller than the others but 7 kg still allows for a decent size of washing load to be put in.

Other than that it’s all in good working order, nothing else special but it’ll certainly get your clothes dry!

Overall, a great tumble dryer if you do a lot of ironing.

5. Best On Amazon – Russell Hobbs RH8CTD701 8kg Freestanding Condenser Dryer

I’m a big fan of Russel Hobbs as a brand, I’ve used their kettles, toasters, fridges and coffee machines all of which have been great.

Which means no surprise that their condenser dryer is equally as good. Compared to the Bosch I mention further up it’s a lot less efficient in power usage but it does a great job. And it’s got a sensor inside that detects when clothes are dry and stops the cycle early to save power and your clothes.

It’s also got the excellent safety feature of letting you know if the fluff filter needs cleaned out. Because everyone knows it should be cleared out but how often do you check? Now you won’t even need to think about it, you’ll be told as and when to take care of it.

Plus it’s for sale on amazon so you get easy free delivery and check out.

Condensor Dryer vs Vented Dryer

You’ll be pleased to know that whether you go for a ventilated dryer or a condenser dryer you will get dry clothes!

But on a more practical note, there’s just a couple of differences between the two.

Ventilated dryers need their vents to go outside, so either the tube needs to get built into the wall or hung out a window which isn’t very practical, especially in winter.

Condenser dryers, on the other hand, don’t need a vent and all the water gets caught in a tray which you empty.

Ventilated dryers are usually cheaper to buy initially but generally end up using more electricity. So Condenser dryers are the most cost-effective.

Advantages of Buying A Condenser Dryer

• Can put it anywhere In the house, you don’t need a window or built-in vent
• Cheaper to run saving you money long term on your electricity bills
• More efficient drying cycles so your clothes dry faster
• More drying options

Disadvantages of Buying A Condenser Dryer

• Makes the room very hot
• You need to empty a water tray

Will A Condenser Dryer Guzzle Electricity

I used to be convinced that tumble dryers burnt through electricity like a bonfire, but on my hunt for the best condenser dryer, I found that’s not always the case.

Far from it in fact.

Heat Pump Dryers

Some Condenser Dryers come with heat pump technology which is a crazy efficient system used to take the moisture out the air inside the dryer.

The result is, you can get a tumble dryer that uses a quarter of the power of a regular model. The downside is they are more expensive but you can normally make the money back in electricity saved.

A Quick Example Of The Savings

The average price of electricity is currently about 19p per kWh.

With that in mind, a cheaper less efficient dryer will cost about £70-£90 per year in electricity for a family of four.

Meanwhile, a much more efficient model will only cost £25-£35 per year. A huge saving of £50 a year!

AND a tumble dryer can last you 10-15 years as long as you take care of it properly so that’s £500-£750 you’ll SAVE over it’s lifetime, which is often close to or more than the cost of the condenser dryer itself.

I understand that the initial payment for a higher quality dryer isn’t always possible, but if you can I recommend getting a more efficient model.

In each review further on I’ve included the approximate cost per year to run. This is trusting John Lewis’s Estimates of power usage and the average electricity price to be correct.

How To Make Sure You Get Your Monies Worth

It’s a big purchase and you want to get your monies worth when you’re buying a condenser dryer.

I’ve talked about the savings on energy but I also want to say that please please make sure you take care of your dryer properly.

Take a look at the manual when yours arrives and see what it says on cleaning.

Keep filters cleaned, keep the water tray empty and anything else that it asks you to do. Getting condenser dryers repaired is a pain in the backside and normally totally preventable.

Other Condenser Tumble Dryer Reviews UK

I first wrote this article around 4 years ago and have been keeping it updated since then as the each new year comes and new models get released. So below are some of the past models that have been highly rated here on Appliance Hunter.

Some are still for sale, others you’ll find second hand and they should serve you well provided they’ve been properly taken care of. Either way I thought I’d like them here as the legacy products or for those of you who want to get an older model from 2021, 2020, or 2019 that will still keep your clothes dry.

Bosch Classixx Vented Tumble Dryer

The Bosch Classixx is all you need in a condenser dryer. It’ll get your clothes dry and do its best to ensure they aren’t super creased when they come out.

It’s the little sibling of our top pick from further up.

But what I like about this one is that it has anti-vibration technology. So while it’s running it won’t feel like your whole house is trying to collapse itself.

It won’t start walking away of its own free will.

Overall, a great choice that’ll fill all the basic needs a condenser dryer should.

Indesit Budget Condenser Dryer

A couple of things were cool about this Indesit model (apart from the price), one being the filter indicator which tells you when to clean the filter.

You need to clean the filter regularly, but you’re only human so sometimes you forget. Luckily the indicator will tell you when you need to get the filter cleaned.

The refresh setting was also good, it’s a short 20-minute cycle to freshen up clean clothes. So if it’s been worn once or sitting in the cupboard a long time you can give it a quick spin to clean it up and make it wearable again.

Overall, a nice little tumble dryer great for occasional use.

LG Sensor Dryer

Not only do they do good washing machines, but The LG is also another great dryer this time featuring a temperature sensor and a moisture sensor.

This stops your clothes getting damaged by ensuring the temperature doesn’t get too high, which also stops the machine itself being damaged.

I also really like that the water tank has antimicrobial properties so nothing can start growing in it. Because stagnant water can be a germ haven, especially if it’s warm as it will be if it’s coming out a tumble dryer.

It also has similar technology to Samsung further up which means it prevents tangles by spinning both forwards and backward.

Again not the most efficient but not the worst either.

Overall a strong buy, it’s a great price and I like the anti-tangle and antimicrobial features.

Siemens Heat Pump Condenser Dryer

This is one for the technology nuts because you can control it from your Smartphone! The idea is that while you’re out you can set it to start.

My problem with that is if you leave wet clothes in the dryer all day they’ll start to smell even if they then get tumble dried. So not sure of the practical side of that but I still really want it anyway, is that bad?

Fortunately, whether that floats your boat or not there are loads of other great things about this washer.

It is the most efficient on the list because of a cleverly designed drum, keeping bills at their lowest possible amount. And it’s self-cleaning keeping the whole thing running smoothly.

The downside is it’s quite a bit more expensive than the two above. So it’s still a great dryer and it’s by far the most efficient but I’m not sure the extra price is worth it.

Overall, The best smart condenser dryer with its app capabilities and the right choice for the conscious energy user who wants lower energy bills.

F.A.Q On The Best Condenser Dryers

Can I put my condenser dryer in a cupboard?

As long as it runs with the door open and has plenty of space to take air in then yes. They need to be able to take in air from the surroundings to dry properly otherwise it struggles and can get damaged.

Why Does My Laundry Room Get So Warm?

Condenser dryers use a lot of heat to dry clothes and condense the water and a lot of that gets thrown out into the room causing it to get very hot.

How do condenser dryers work?

The drum spins and heats up causing the moisture to evaporate out the clothes. This then feeds into another compartment where a heat pump takes the heat out the air causing the humid air to turn back into water which gets caught in a tray. Leaving you with nice dry clothes.

What drying programs are featured?

Your best bet is to click through to Currys and see the list of programs there, there were too many to list for each model.

Conclusion

I hope this buyer’s guide was helpful, there are a lot of types of tumble dryers like heat pump models and condenser models to choose from so I hope this narrowed your selection and helped you find the one you need. Other good brands didn’t get featured like Hotpoint and Zanussi but the article was getting a bit too long so I decided to cut it off where it is.

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