Best vented tumble dryers for families

If the high price of heat pump and condenser tumble dryers has been enough to put you off, or you want an affordable tumble dryer for occasional use in your garage, a vented tumble dryer may be worth considering. 

While they cost significantly more to run than the more modern alternatives, vented tumble dryers are much cheaper to buy initially. The cycles also tend to be shorter than those on more energy-efficient heat pump tumble dryers, meaning you won’t have to wait as long for your clothes to dry. 

It’s also worth noting that there is no water tank to empty as you’ll find on condenser appliances. You will therefore need to install vented tumble dryers near an external wall or window so that the warm air created during the cycle can be expelled via the hose. 

Are vented tumble dryers being banned?

• European Union: From 1 July 2025, new vented, gas-fired and standard condenser tumble dryers can no longer be placed on the EU market. Only heat pump dryers meet the updated efficiency standards. Shops can still sell through existing stock placed on the market before this date.

• Northern Ireland: The same rules apply under the Windsor Framework, so NI retailers cannot place new non-heat-pump dryers on the market from 1 July 2025.

• Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales): Not yet banned. The UK government consulted in 2025 on raising standards to match the EU, but no date has been confirmed. If enacted, the phase-out would happen six months after the legislation is laid in Parliament.

Stock availability: Because most major appliance brands sell across both the UK and EU, manufacturers are already switching production towards heat pump dryers only. Even in Great Britain, where non-heat-pump dryers are still legal for now, shoppers may notice fewer vented and condenser models available as retailers run down existing stock and manufacturers stop producing new ones.

To help you find the best tumble dryer for you and your family, we've spent hours consulting our vast network of Mumsnet users (that's 8 million unique users each month), researching expert recommendations, product accolades and consumer reviews. While vented designs are likely to be phased out and stock is already dwindling, we've made every effort to keep this guide up-to-date, cost-effective and honest, reflecting current availability.

Still undecided? Check out our guides to the best condenser tumble dryers, the best budget tumble dryers and best heat pump tumble dryers to help you select the best tumble dryer for your family.

What is a vented tumble dryer?

Less commonly sold these days due to their less energy-efficient designs, vented tumble dryers use a connected hose to ‘vent’ the moisture and steam out of the drum during the cycle. The venting hose needs to be installed against an outside wall or vented through a window to the outdoors, which limits installation to certain rooms in your home. 

Related: Best energy efficient tumble dryers

Why would you choose a vented tumble dryer over a condenser or heat pump model?

Whilst they cost considerably more to run and result in higher energy bills, vented tumble dryers are simple to use, drying evenly and quickly with much faster cycles than condenser or heat pump tumble dryers - a big bonus if you’re short on time. 

They are also much more affordable to buy, generally retailing at under £300. 

Read next: The best integrated washer dryers and the best integrated tumble dryers for families

What’s the best vented tumble dryer to buy?

The Hoover H-DRY 300 LITE HLEV9DG 9kg Vented Tumble Dryer is our pick of the best vented tumble dryer you can buy today. It has an impressive drying sensor, app connectivity and a good range of programmes - all at an amazing price.

If you're looking for a simple vented tumble dryer without a sensor, the Bush DHB7VTDW 7KG Vented Tumble Dryer is a great choice, with simple controls and timer only drying.

How we chose our recommendations 

Recommendations from real Mumsnet users 

To begin our search for the best condenser tumble dryer, we turned to the Mumsnet forums to draw on the wealth of experience from our 10 million Mumsnetters. We know that laundry is a popular topic, so we sought out recommendations for vented tumble dryers that Mumsnet users rated highly and would happily recommend to others. We also looked for any negative reviews, where Mumsnet users highlighted products that they felt were poor quality, overpriced, took an eternity to dry or dried unevenly. That way, we could exclude these from our list.

Expert opinions

Next up, we considered reviews and feedback from trusted industry experts. We always want to be confident that the products we recommend are fit for purpose, so we looked out for award-winning or well-regarded products, including any recommended by consumer champions such as Which?.

Verified customer reviews

Finally, we thoroughly investigated genuine customer reviews on retailer sites such as Amazon, AO.com and Currys to get a comprehensive picture of consumer experiences regarding the products on our shortlist.

Celebrated Tumble Dryers

Using our triple-check vetting process has allowed us to guarantee that every vented tumble dryer on this list has earned its right to be there, creating a guide to the best tumble dryers that is honest, balanced and up-to-date.

About the author 

Lucy Cotterill is a mum of two and a Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in baby/child and lifestyle product reviews and round-ups. Having written product reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of products, scrutinising reviews and consumer feedback to help people make confident purchases.  

Why you should trust us

We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust and we spend hours scouring the Mumsnet forums and online bestseller lists to find products that real parents rate.

Transparency is really important to us and that's why we're always upfront about where we find our recommendations. We write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones that our users would recommend to their own friends and family.