Tumble dryer recommendations please. Are heat pump worth considering?

[FlippertyFloperty]

My tumble dryer has come to the end of its long life and needs replacing. I have the attention span of a bored toddler when it comes to choosing appliances so would appreciate some guidance.

Heat pump seems to be the most energy efficient. Are there any downsides? What brands are good or not?

No young children, so don't do heaps of laundry.

Looking to spent <£500

I love mine. Never had a dryer before and got a bosch heat pump almost 3 years ago. The clothes dry well on a low setting and is very energy efficient. I have two kids and it has made my life do juxh easier, especially in the winter. I'd say go for a decent brand as heard not so good about cheaper.

Heat pumps need to be inside the house not in a cold garage, as they utilise the air around them.

They are energy efficient but if you are someone who constantly opens the dryer door to see if an item is dry, then it's not the dryer for you. The dryer recirculates the heat. Opening the door lets cold air in.

They can take some getting use to. I can start a load and it will tell me it will take 3 hours. 30 minutes later it will have recalculated this and there's an awful lot less time to go.

We have solar panels and cheap electricity through the night. This means the heat pump is perfect for us.

I love my heat pump. Whilst it may take a little longer, it is great not to have any heat wasted. It doesn't lose any heat to the room and no steam in the room either.
Mine is in an unheated room, which can go as low as 8⁰ in winter. It still works well. (I know a garage can be lower than that but not frequently)

Thank you that's helpful. It won't be situated in the garage.

I bought a Bosch heat pump dryer in November. I love it! My electric bills are definitely lower and the water container is at the top!

I have a Samsung heat pump dryer and it's one of my favourite things ever.

The hotpoint dryer we had when we bought the house cost £1.15/hr to run. Samsung is 17p an hour.

I basically now tumble everything - such a joy not needing to hang stuff on an airer and only needing 1 set of bedding each.

Heat pump dryers typically use less electricity, but they also run for a lot longer, increasing wear on their components. So, in the long run, are they really cheaper to buy and run?

I have an AEG heat pump dryer and love it. It takes about 2 hours to dry and full load. It is in our upstairs airing cupboard so I can empty the water into the bath or sink next door.

Mine comes with a 5 year guarantee so it should be OK and last well.

Yes definitely, we went for an lg high up the which list. They are the way to go!

Mine's in a back porch attached to the kitchen, not heated and works absolutely fine.

I bought a Beko heat pump one about 18 months ago, it's my first heat pump as always had vented ones before. I have to say I've been really impressed with it. It does take a bit longer to dry but nothing crazy. It seems like it's better for our clothes too because it dries at cooler temperatures so nothing is shrinking or going out of shape anymore.
I have it plumbed in too so I don't even need to empty the water tank.

Got a Bosch heat pump a few months ago, love it, don’t notice it taking much longer, but it’s definitely gentler on clothes, my old extractor couldn’t be trusted not to shrink socks, heat pump is fine.

Another vote for a Bosch heat pump one. We had a condenser before and the electricity bills are noticeably less!

Also a 5 year guarantee.