Hoover H-Dry 500 11kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer review: "a great choice for larger families"

Price on writing: £479 | Buy now from Amazon

How we tested

Our reviewer Tina, head of editorial content at Mumsnet, put the Hoover H Dry 500 tumble dryer to the test in her home over the course of 120 cycles. Drying clothes for herself, her husband and her newborn baby, she took detailed notes on user-friendliness, efficiency, effectiveness and noise levels, testing the dryer against a range of fabrics and load sizes.

Read next: The best tumble dryers, tried and tested

Our verdict

Performance: 9/15

Quality and durability: 12/15

Ease of use: 15/15

Value for money: 10/15

Range of cycles: 7/10

Ease of maintenance: 7/10

Energy efficiency: 7/10

Noise levels: 2/10

Total: 69/100

What were your first impressions of the tumble dryer?

The Hoover H-Dry is a large tumble dryer that offers plenty of capacity for busy families. It’s got a humongous 11kg tank, making it a great choice for larger families or houses that don’t have any space to hang washing. 

It’s a heat pump tumble dryer which means that it operates at lower temperature compared to vented or condenser dryers by recycling some of the heat that would otherwise be lost. This efficiency can reduce running costs by at least 50%.

The dial and touch screen are fairly intuitive, they don’t feel as well made as my Bosch Series 6 washing machine, but work very well. 

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How easy was it to set up and start using?

It’s really easy to set this machine up. You can plug it in and use it straight away. The programs are easy to understand, I had it up and running without needing to consult the manual. 

The H-Dry comes with a hose so that the water drains away automatically or you can use the water tank that’s fitted behind the door. We plumbed the hose in, so we didn’t need to empty the tank, and it’s definitely worth doing that if you can. Life is busy enough without having to add in another job.  

Other reviewers have reported that the water tank is easy to use but it gets quite hot at the end of the cycle so you’ll need to wait for it to cool down before emptying it.

Related: The best dehumidifiers for drying clothes

What's the Hoover H Dry 500 like to use day-to-day?

In testing I was impressed at how even drying is even in large loads, the humidity sensors precisely detect when clothes have reached the desired dryness—whether they're ready to go straight into the wardrobe or slightly damp for easier ironing.

Cotton loads do take much longer - roughly three and a half hours, but the drum is spacious enough to handle a large load at once, so you won’t have damp laundry sitting around waiting to be dried.

I don’t really like the design of the lint catcher, it comes in two parts; The first section pulls out and opens up, the catch is quite stiff but once it’s open it’s very easy to remove the lint. The second section is narrow and doesn’t open making it much harder to clear. It’s a small bug bear but when you have to clear the lint after every load, it becomes a bit annoying. 

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Which drying cycle do you use most regularly?

I use the auto function most often, it runs for around 2-3 hours depending on the size of the load. 90% of the time clothes come out dry after one cycle. 

Which other cycles or features did you use? 

There are 14 pre-set programs with the functionality to customise the level of dryness (cupboard, iron dry etc) You can also download additional programs using the hOn app. This lets you start the program remotely and monitor its progress from anywhere, plus you’ll receive an alert when it’s time to unload. Unfortunately the app doesn’t load and unload the dryer - perhaps the 2025 model will?

Is the Hoover H Dry 500 noisy?

Yes, it’s a loud machine and that’s what really brings the score down. If you’re planning to put a tumble dryer in an open plan space, I'd really consider a quieter alternative, because this tumble dryer really rumbles. 

What do you think of the length of the drying cycles?

It takes a fairly long time to dry a full load of laundry, approximately 2-2.5 hours. Smaller loads don’t seem to affect drying time, it’s more efficient to run a full load then a cycle with a few items.

Related: The best steam generator irons

How pleased are you with how it dries your clothes?

Yes - the humidity sensors are really accurate meaning that clothes almost always come out dry and the end of the cycle.

Read next: The best steam irons

What’s the best thing about this tumble dryer? 

It’s got a really large drum and is very energy efficient, making it an economical choice for large families.

What’s one thing you’d change?

The H-Dry 500 is a noisy machine and doesn’t really suit open plan living. While it effectively dries clothes and is reasonably efficient if you don’t have a utility room, it’s worth looking at quieter models.

About the reviewer

Tina Williams joined Mumsnet as a fresh-faced grad way back in 2013. Little did she know that this fiery bunch of campaigners and entrepreneurs would become her colleagues for the next decade.

After cutting her teeth in digital content with Mumsnet Books, Tina stepped into the role of Head of Reviews in 2017, where she worked with parents and journalists to develop a comprehensive testing system that rigorously reviewed baby essentials. From tried and tested Mumsnet favourites to new product innovations (self-driving pushchair anyone?) Mumsnet Reviews dedicated itself to finding and recommending genuinely good products to parents.

Now as Head of Editorial Content, she’s leading a team of expert writers and editors to develop Mumsnet Swears By, the new home for product reviews and buying advice, where parents test and recommend the products they love.

While she’ll never make the cut for the Mumsnet football team (turns out football is more than enthusiastically running around a field), she is always up for a summertime dip in the local ponds. And if anyone wants to talk to her about the benefits of a dehumidifier and heated drying rack combo for drying laundry, she’s there for it.

About the editor

Poppy O'Neill is a Content Editor at Mumsnet and a mother of two. She researches and reviews the products Mumsnetters swear by, with a particular focus on home essentials, laundry and fans. From a highly-recommended retractable washing line to the best quiet fans money can buy, and Mumsnet's favourite dehumidifier to the steam generator iron that'll cut your ironing time in half, she loves to deep-dive into research and find the very best products on the market.

With an MA in Creative Writing and a PGCert in Lifestyle Journalism, Poppy's written about parenting topics for The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Mirror and The Sun. She's a best-selling, award-winning author, and her books for children and parents have been translated into 12 languages.

About Mumsnet reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.