Condenser or Heat Pump Dryer? Help!

[PinkSundae]

I'm ordering a new dryer today and can't make my mind up which to get. On one hand it'd be so handy to throw the entire wash load in to the dryer and not worry about shrinking but do they take an age to dry? It's going in a utility cupboard but door will be open when on so not too worried about heat.

Would you recommend your dryer and how long roughly does it take for a medium load? Also are the heat pumps much more energy efficient?

Thanks!

I have a heat pump. Was expensive and takes a while to dry clothes. I wouldnt buy another one again. I dont use it more than 1-2 a week but I dont see any cost saving.

I tend to use a clothes airer in the spare bedroom and keep the window open slightly. WIll be OK I guess until it gets really cold. I also have a Lakeland heated dryer. Again some people rave about them but I havent found them great. I have the cover too and its a faff to get it on!

Roll on next spring when you can put washing outside!

Thanks that's really helpful. Think I'll go for the condenser dryer, definitely starting to need it now!

If I have a 7kg washer would a 10kg dryer get them dry a little faster or would the extra room be a waste?

No you'll want a bigger dryer than washer as the clothes are heavier when they are wet

Fab thanks! They should be teaching this at school

I would get the bigger one. My dryer engineer told me to always have a bigger dryer as the 10kg is the weight of the washing wet whereas the kg for the washer is the weight you put in dry.

I have a great condenser (9kg Beko) that lives in our garage. Most loads take about an hour to dry...unless it's a heavy load of towels or something.

We have a condenser and it’s fab. Just a standard cheapest one. We spent £800 on a Samsung heat pump one a few years ago and it took nearly half a day to dry anything and kept breaking. Would never have one again. To be honest whether you have a heat pump or a condenser there are always clothes you can’t dry in them and end up hanging up to dry, I don’t think it makes any difference which you choose from that point of view.

We got a new dryer at the start of the year and my husband did an in depth comparison and we went for a Bosch condenser , it’s excellent and dries very quickly .

Thanks for the replies, gone for a beko 10kg, I'm so excited to not have to plan washing days in advance. Didn't go for the installation so I'm hoping it's plug in!

I have a heat pump one, it uses around half the electricity of a condenser one but takes longer, maybe 30% longer to dry and cost more

Just got a brand new Samsung heat pump dryer to replace ancient Creda condenser dryer.

I was worried it would take longer to dry things but it really doesn't. It's so much more controllable than the old one which really just did super hot or off and has programmes for specific things - the fluffy towels programme is a revelation! It's also wifi enable so it tells me when things are ready to come out of the dryer!

I'm really pleased with it - wish I had changed ages ago now.