Higher end Beko or basic Bosch/Siemens tumble dryer?

[BertieBotts]

I'm in the market for a tumble dryer. I spent a few days reading about them and have decided I need one that's got

Heat pump condenser
Humidity sensor for clothes
Decent drying performance (cupboard dry, don't care about iron dry)
Indicator to remind you to clean the filter
Don't want a whirlpool brand due to fire risk

Nice to have would be a quiet mode, eco mode, anti crease and DH is really keen on an app enabled one but I think that's out of our price range (and unnecessary).

I'd narrowed it down to a few specific Beko models for about €400-420 and then just missed out on getting one in the black Friday sale. I then found a fantastic deal on a Siemens one for €450 on Amazon, but it turned out to be a mistake or a scam or something and got cancelled before delivery.

Anyway they have all gone back up now, but it seems that I can get one of the higher end models that Beko do for about €400, or I can get a lower end Bosch or Siemens for about €450.

Is it worth spending the extra €50? What's your experience with either brand?

I'm in Germany and I paid for the German equivalent of the which review, and the Beko dryers in my budget range got really good reviews on the drying portion of the test but the Bosch and Siemens ones at this price point didn't. So it makes me wonder whether they aren't putting as good technology in their lower end or cheaper machines. But I'm a bit stuck now anyway.

Also found a Zanussi which I thought was meant to be fairly good, but the panel looks like designs from about 5 years ago, so I'm not sure it's as up to date as the others and plus I read they are under Electrolux. We do have an AEG washing machine (also Electrolux) that I'm really happy with, but not sure whether it's the same. I heard something about the AEG appliances made in Germany are great but the ones made in Italy not so much.

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MNHQ

I have a very basic Beko dryer and it's done the job well for about 10 years now. I don't use it for all (or even most) washes but I'm definitely happy with it.

I want a miele as I love my miele washing machine but the tumbledriers are £900. I might go for a beko

No particular experience of dryers but I'm on my second beko washing machine and it's fab. Really excellent for it's price. DM bought one on my recommendation. The first one was pretty old when it died (can't remember exactly sorry)

You're in Germany and not planning on getting a German brand of household appliance. That's treachery! .
We only ever get Bosch or Siemens for washing machines / dishwashers, but it's less to do with fancy features and more to do with longevity - I can be pretty sure a Bosch/Siemens will carry on for at least 10-15 years, and that wouldn't be the case for the Beko (on average of course, there are bound to be some Bekos that manage more than 5 years, but it's less likely).
If you're talking about Stiftung Warentest, they're as bad as any other review organization for assessing long-term reliability (how would you do that for new products?) So cheap brands often seem to perform well by comparison. And if you just plan on getting a machine for a few years and then moving, the Beko might be worth the risk.

We have a beko washing machine and heat pump dryer and absolutely love both. The only thing I would change about the dryer is that it would be better for creases if it spun both ways. But it performs brilliantly and is super energy efficient

I've had a bosch series 4 condensor tumble dryer for the last 5 years no problems. Has dry sensors and alerts for the tank being full, door not being shut. I don't know if it had a lint catch sensor but i empty it after every couple of loads

We got a Zanussi last year this one which replaced a 20 year old Zanussi. We like it (obviously much better than the one it replaced) and it's very quiet, it's got the quiet mark which is something we always look for now (because we have a tiny house and noise travels) It's worth checking out for the other models you're looking at: Quiet Mark

P.S. having looked, I clearly lied and it doesn't have the quiet mark (but our washing machine does!) it is very quiet though

I have had my miele all of 4h and im already in love... i didn't know dryers could be this good! On my second load of washing in 2h, so far its been worth it, looks so cozy in there i want to get in myself!

Our Beko is an absolute workhorse. I assume it would be crap cos it was cheap but it has proved me wrong. The rest of our stuff is Bosch but I took a punt on Beko for the tumble dryer and it's absolutely brilliant. Clothes completely dry and uncreased, big drum you can actually fill. It's not got any app or wifi stuff or anything fancy but it dries clothes and has never broken. Had it five years now and it's still going strong with heavy use.

Miele is way out of price range.

Good point about shifting Warentest.

Thanks for the plus points about Beko. I would like it to last as long as possible, I don't know when we're moving back if at all so that's not a question really. I would expect a washing machine to last about 8-10 years and anything longer is a bonus really.

I have a high end heat pump tumble dryer and I hate it with a passion. It takes minimum 2:30 to produce hot wet crumpled laundry. I have to do each load twice. 5 hours, honestly the radiator would be quicker. I can only do 2 loads max a night now.

Save your money and get a normal condenser drier.

And no machine needs WiFi - never used it and never will. Unless it is suddenly able to set itself off twice without my intervention.

I can not wait until it breaks and I can get a new (old style) machine

My previous dryer was a Bosch sensor condenser, it was faultless, but unfortunately damaged in a house move. I intended replacing it with another Bosch, but the reviews at the time said it tangled everything badly as the drum only went in one direction? So I opted for a Beko - big mistake. The sensor is so unreliable, I often have to put extra minutes on to dry things, which is a pain if it has already cooled down. None of the synthetics or settings other than cotton work effectively, so I end up just using cotton, but it's too hot for some things. It's also difficult to clean well.

That said I recently had to replace my washer and dishwasher, the previous versions were Siemens, the new versions are Siemens and Bosch. The dishwasher is awesome, the Siemens washer is awful, I really hate it. So I'm not sure if buying better brands is actually better🤷

We've got a mid-range Beko condenser dryer and its brilliant- its got drying sensors and a large-ish drum and was less that £350. I read some mixed reviews about the heat pump versions (not to mention the increased cost) but a lot of Beko's condenser dryers have rave reviews, which was what persuaded me.

I don't care about it taking longer. It already takes 2-3 days to dry on the airer in winter so 3 hours sounds like an improvement TBH :o I like the idea of heat pump because it re-uses the air so it's more energy efficient, doesn't let as much condensation into the room and also because it dries clothes at a lower heat which is supposed to mean it's less of a fire hazard and kinder to your fabrics.

Reversing feature noted, thank you.

The time is a big issue for me - I used to be able to do 2/3 loads a night at a push. Now it's 1 max because it has to go through twice (5 hrs drying).

The crumpling is also a massive issue for me. My previous dryer I could just shake and fold the clothes. Now everything needs to be ironed (taking hours).

Won't be the same as putting on a rack because that leaves clothing relatively crease free.

I have just replaced my tumble dryer and spoke to the engineer who tried to fix the old one about his recommendations. He suggested Bosch and said not to buy a heat pump one as they are very difficult to repair, more expensive to buy and take a long time to dry clothes.