Samsung Series 8 DV90BB7445GES1 Heat Pump Tumble Dryer review: our verdict on this clever AI-powered dryer

Price on writing: £499 | Buy now from Amazon

How we tested

The Samsung Series 8 DV90BB7445GES1 Heat Pump Tumble Dryer has been put through its paces in my family home for a period of 3 months, to keep on top of my family's washing during the colder (and wetter) months.

To paint an accurate picture of how the tumble dryer performs in a family home, I looked at a number of different factors including overall cleaning, stain removal, rinse and spin effectiveness, ease of use, programme length, noisiness and energy consumption. 

Read next: Best tumble dryers

What were your first impressions of the tumble dryer? 

This is the first time I’ve used a separate tumble dryer in my home. I have, however, used a Samsung washer dryer before (used for three years) and now currently own the Samsung Series 5+ WW90T554DAN/S1 AddWash™ 9kg washing machine which I rate highly. I have missed being able to tumble dry bedding and towels and not leave them to air dry around my home.  

The tumble dryer is minimalist in design, which I appreciate, and is similar in aesthetic to the Samsung Series 9 washing machines. I like that it can also hold a maximum of 9kg-worth of laundry, depending on the cycle. 

It has a white body with a black drum, a tempered glass door, and black control panel with a dial and touchscreen LED screen and buttons, which works well. The control panel is similar in design to my Samsung washing machine. 

Read next: Best heat pump tumble dryers

How easy was it to set up and start using? 

As this model is a heat pump tumble dryer, installation was super quick and took less than one minute - I just plugged the tumble dryer into the wall socket in my garage and turned it on. You can connect the included drain hose if you won’t to, but I don’t have a drainage system in the garage so opted to use the integrated water tank instead. 

If no drain hose is used, the water tank needs to be emptied to avoid leaks. I have run multiple cycles so far and still haven’t needed to empty it.

I needed to check the tumble dryer was level on the ground before use. It was, but I could have adjusted the feet if I needed to. 

It took me about 10 minutes to connect the tumble dryer to the Samsung SmartThings app after a couple of false starts, however I had already installed the app after I purchased my Samsung washing machine, which saved time. 

The dryer has to be turned on manually before it can be connected to the app, and then remain on for the tumble dryer to be controlled remotely. You have to click the smart control icon on the machine itself to connect it to the app the first time. 

The tumble dryer has 19 drying cycles so the included single-sheet dryer operation guide sheet was very helpful in laying out the different functions and how to run a cycle, and there is a second booklet that goes into more detail to explain what’s included, the installation process and the maintenance needed to make sure your tumble dryer runs optimally.

There are a few regular maintenance steps to be aware of, such as cleaning the lint filter and water tank, and cleaning the heat exchanger with the provided cleaning brush. Samsung recommends that the lint filter and water tank are emptied after each load (I don’t do this, primarily because I don’t have the time), and the heat exchanger cleaned at least once a month (I haven’t had to do this yet).

The machine also comes with a warranty card (warranty is 24 months from the date of purchase) a Statement of Compliance and an energy rating certificate - this machine has an energy rating of A+++.

Read next: Best energy-efficient tumble dryers

Which drying cycle do you use most regularly? How pleased are you with how it dries your clothes?

I mostly used the Towel cycle as I needed to dry towels the most. Washing five towels (a mix of large and small) in a cycle takes around 1 hour 40 minutes and all towels were completely dry once the cycle had ended. 

The tumble dryer’s QuickDrive inverter compressor technology, which means the tumble dryer automatically adjusts its speed based on temperature, which shortens drying time. This doesn't work on all cycles, including the Towel and Bedding cycles, but can be used on other popular cycles including cotton and delicates.

Related: Best washing machines

Which other cycles or features did you use? 

I also frequently used the Bedding cycle to wash large sets of bedding, including a super king duvet cover, however I found I needed to reduce the amount of sheets washed at any given time (the maximum amount you should dry on this cycle is 2kg) to ensure they dried effectively. It took time for me to get this right so, in the beginning, I often had to run a second Super Speed cycle to make sure everything was completely dry.

Is it noisy? 

At 63db, this isn’t the quietest tumble dryer on the market, but this isn’t an issue for me as it’s installed in my garage. A quiet tumble dryer is considered to be 60db or lower. In comparison, my Samsung washing machine has a wash noise level of just 53db. 

Related: Best quiet washing machines

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

I also tested the AI Dry cycle, which is designed for a mix of cotton and synthetics, and reduces energy use by up to 10% according to Samsung. It detects the load size and then decides on a time for you, using multi-sensing technology to monitor humidity in real time to then produce the optimum amount of heat. While this is very clever, I found this suggested time to be shorter than needed. It took about one minute for the tumble dryer to sense the load.

To give an example of the cycle length, I washed three towels and two duvet covers and the tumble dryer set the time at 1 hour and 44 minutes. In this instance, I found the cycle to be too short to dry the items completely, so I had to run a second Super Speed cycle for an additional one hour and 20 minutes. Had I selected an alternative cycle, such as the Bedding or Towels Cycles, and separated the load, this would have dried it more efficiently. 

What’s the best thing about this tumble dryer? 

As my garage is a separate building to my house, the dryer’s wifi and app capabilities were a game-changer for me, saving me from traipsing back and forth through my garden to the garage in order to start or lengthen a drying cycle. It works well to have both my washing machine and tumble dryer connected to the same app, and I was already used to the app from using my washing machine for over two years. 

I loved being able to start and pause a cycle, set a timer, set my chosen cycle and set the Wrinkle Prevent setting, which Samsung says reduces wrinkles by tumbling clothes intermittently after the drying cycle ends. There’s also a Damp Alert function that tells you when items that need ironing are dry enough. Both the Wrinkle Prevent and Damp Alert settings can be turned on and off as required.

I appreciated being able to set a dry level to ensure large bedding sets dried more effectively. Level 1 gently dries items to protect the fabric (suitable for delicate items), level 2 partially dries items, level 3 is the standard dryer level (which I tended to use), and level 4 is designed for larger and thicker items - I used this when I needed to dry my super king bedding set, for example. 

One of my favourite things about this tumble dryer though is its A+++ energy rating, which helps to keep energy use at a minimum (for both my wallet and the environment). So far this month, I have used 10.30kWh of energy across both my Samsung tumble dryer and washing machine, which equates to just £2.79 (estimated £5.76 for the whole month). Daily energy usage is currently 0.50kWh. 

I also like the large number of dryer cycles this tumble dryer has. While I’ve yet to try them all (and anticipate I won’t use all of them regularly), being able to tailor a cycle to specific types of laundry gives me peace of mind that my clothing, bedding and towels will stay in good condition. There is also a removable drying rack for smaller, more delicate items.

What’s one thing you’d change? 

One of the things I would have liked to see is an indication of when the maximum drying load (9kg) has been reached. This is also something lacking on my Samsung washing machine. 

While the drum is big enough for a large load of laundry, I find it to be a bit of a guessing game as to whether the machine is too full. The fuller the load, the harder it is for the tumble dryer to dry everything well.  

Anything else you’d like to add? 

This tumble dryer is designed for indoor use and must be installed in a space where the temperature doesn’t drop below five degrees otherwise the machine won’t work as it should. While Samsung advised that it was suitable for use in my garage, the walls are single brick so I have to monitor the temperature to ensure it doesn't get too cold.  

Overall, I really like this tumble dryer and, while I think there are a few things to iron out (pardon the pun), which is mostly due to me still getting used to the tumble dryer, its versatility, app capabilities and energy efficiency make it a worthy buy in my opinion.

About the author

Laura Westerman is an editor, writer and Deputy Head of Editorial Content at Mumsnet, overseeing the website's baby and pregnancy content and specialising in product reviews and round-ups.

With over eight years' experience as a full-time editor and a passion for SEO, Laura has written extensively on everything from parenting to travel, but likes nothing more than scouting out the latest baby products to make parents' lives that little bit easier.

Now mum to a two-year-old, Laura has read more infant sleep advice than she cares to admit and can usually be found at a local playgroup or swimming class.

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