Buying a tumble dryer comes down to three decisions: the type, the capacity and the running cost. Get those right and the brand barely matters. This guide walks through what actually counts, in plain terms, so you buy once and buy well.
| Model | Price | Type | Capacity | Energy rating | Rating | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ★ Top pick Bosch Series 6 WTH85223GB 8kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer | £549.00 | Heat pump condenser | 8 kg | A++ | ★ 4.6 | View → |
 | Samsung Series 5 DV80TA020AE 8kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer | £349.03 | Heat pump condenser | 8 kg | A++ | ★ 4.5 | View → |
 | Hoover H-DRY 300 9kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer | £389.00 | Heat pump condenser | 9 kg | A++ | ★ 4.3 | View → |
 | Beko DTLCE70051W 7kg Condenser Tumble Dryer | £259.00 | Condenser (standard) | 7 kg | B | ★ 4.2 | View → |
 | Hisense DHGE901 9kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer | £424.00 | Heat pump condenser | 9 kg | A++ | ★ 4.2 | View → |
 | AEG 7000 Series TR7T75680 8kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer | £469.00 | Heat pump condenser | 8 kg | A+++ | ★ 4.5 | View → |
£549.00
Heat pump condenser · 8 kg · A++
£349.03
Heat pump condenser · 8 kg · A++
£389.00
Heat pump condenser · 9 kg · A++
£259.00
Condenser (standard) · 7 kg · B
£424.00
Heat pump condenser · 9 kg · A++
£469.00
Heat pump condenser · 8 kg · A+++
This is the decision that affects your bills more than any badge. There are three types of dryer. Vented dryers blow warm, damp air out through a hose to the outside; they are cheap but inefficient and need a vent, so we don't recommend them. Condenser dryers collect the moisture in a tank instead of venting, so they can go anywhere with a socket. Heat pump dryers are a more efficient kind of condenser dryer that recycles its own warm air rather than heating fresh air from cold.
For most homes, the real choice is between a standard condenser dryer and a heat pump dryer. A heat pump dryer uses roughly half the electricity and dries at a lower, gentler temperature, but costs more to buy and dries a little more slowly. A condenser dryer is cheaper upfront and a touch faster, but more expensive to run. As a rule of thumb, the more loads you dry, the more a heat pump dryer makes sense, because the running-cost saving steadily pays back the higher price. Our dedicated heat pump vs condenser guide works through the maths in full.
Capacity is the second big decision, and the trick is to match the drum to your washing machine and your real loads rather than buying the biggest you can find. Wet clothes take up more room than dry ones and need to tumble freely to dry evenly, so a dryer that is the same size as your washer, or slightly larger, handles a full wash comfortably. A 7 kg dryer suits one or two people, an 8 kg dryer is the family sweet spot for three or four, and 9 kg or larger suits a big household or anyone who dries bedding regularly.
Bigger is not automatically better. A drum much larger than your usual loads wastes energy on part loads and takes up more room, so there is no point buying 9 kg if you mostly dry small loads. Equally, an undersized dryer means cramming clothes in, which dries them unevenly and forces you to run two cycles. The aim is a dryer that swallows your normal wash in one go, with room to spare. Our capacity guide helps you size it to your laundry.
The cheapest dryer to buy is rarely the cheapest dryer to own, and running cost is driven almost entirely by the energy rating. A modern A++ or A+++ heat pump dryer uses roughly half the electricity of an older B or C-rated condenser dryer for the same load. Over a year of regular use that difference adds up to a meaningful saving, which is exactly how a heat pump model earns back part of its higher purchase price. So when you compare two dryers, weigh the upfront price against the likely running cost over the years you will keep it.
Your habits matter too. Spinning your washing at a high speed first removes more water, so the dryer has less to do; drying full loads rather than small ones, cleaning the lint filter regularly and using sensor programmes instead of long timers all cut the energy each cycle uses. We pull this together in our guide to the cheapest tumble dryer to run.
A few features genuinely matter. Sensor drying is the one to insist on: it measures the moisture in the load and stops at the chosen dryness instead of running a fixed timer, which prevents over-drying and saves electricity. Every dryer we recommend has it. A good lint filter and easy-empty water tank make the regular maintenance that keeps a dryer efficient far less of a chore. Gentle fabric programmes, such as AEG's AbsoluteCare on the 7000 Series, are worth paying for if you dry wool or delicates.
Other features are nice-to-have rather than deciding factors. Wi-Fi and app control, as on the Hoover H-DRY 300, let you start or check a cycle from your phone, but the on-machine controls are usually more reliable, so don't let an app pull you away from type, capacity and efficiency. Brand buys you build quality, support and resale confidence, which is worth paying for if you value longevity, but it is never a substitute for choosing the right type and size.
The dryer type and energy rating, because together they decide what the machine costs you over its whole life. A heat pump dryer with an A++ or A+++ rating costs more upfront but far less to run; a condenser or vented dryer is cheaper to buy but more expensive to use. After that, match the drum size to your household and check it has sensor drying.
For most homes, yes. A heat pump dryer uses roughly half the electricity of an older condenser dryer and dries at a lower, gentler temperature. The higher purchase price is offset by lower running costs over the years, so the more often you use a dryer, the more sense a heat pump model makes.
Yes, it is one of the most useful features. Sensor drying measures the moisture in the load and stops when the clothes reach the chosen dryness, instead of running a fixed timer. That prevents over-drying, which both protects your clothes and saves electricity, especially on smaller loads.
Decide on the type first: for most homes that do regular washing, a heat pump dryer is the better long-term buy thanks to its low running costs, while a condenser dryer suits occasional use or a tight budget. Then match the capacity to your loads, and insist on sensor drying. For a standard family our best overall pick is the Bosch Series 6, with the Samsung Series 5 for value and the Beko DTLCE70051W on a budget. For big loads choose the Hoover H-DRY 300, and for the gentlest, most efficient drying the premium AEG 7000 Series. See exactly how we reach these conclusions in our how we test page.