Every Major Laundry Dryer Brand Ranked Worst To Best
Laundry — the word alone can sometimes evoke feelings of stress and dread. It's another chore on the ever-growing to-do list. The mere thought of having to separate out darks from whites, load up the washing machine, use the right detergent, and then unload into the dryer makes you tired.
You're almost to the finish line. All that's left is taking out your perfectly, evenly dry clothes. That feeling of opening the dryer door and getting hit in the face with that sweet bathing, distinct brand of laundry warmth. The satisfaction of throwing your clothes into a pile on your bed to jump on, absorbing that cozy, warm embrace.
You think about laying there longer, maybe even just putting off folding each item and doing it later. But no, today, you're going to be productive. You start to fold... only to find a damp shirt or wet sock! The feeling of having a defective or unreliable laundry dryer is annoying. These appliances don't come cheap, either.
To help mitigate this headache, this article will cover every major dryer brand. Unless you're looking for major washing machine brands ranked worst to best. We put them through the spin cycle to weigh up factors like efficiency, capacity, performance, reliability, features, price, noise level, aesthetics, warranty, and customer reviews to bring you every major laundry dryer brand ranked worst to best.
9. Amana
Amana is an American brand named after the city in Iowa where the company was founded. The brand has a rich history of creating budget-friendly and reliable appliances. It was in 1992 that the company first introduced its stainless steel drum clothes dryer. From then on, Amana has stuck to the hassle-free, customer-satisfaction brand philosophy.
These dryers are the cheapest on this list at around $500. But as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. You shouldn't expect high-tech features like Wi-Fi connectivity. If you're concerned about the environment, Amana dryers are typically not Energy Star certified, either. They do, however, excel at the essential functions and have a modest 6.5 cubic-foot capacity that utilizes sensor drying that manages cycle lengths–a nice feature to have on a dryer to prevent fabric wear.
Amana dryers are noted for their quiet operation, sleek design, and simple settings, such as automatic dryness control and wrinkle prevention options. If you need a dryer that's on the lower end but reliable enough to get the job done, Amana could be an option. The dryers also come with a one-year limited warranty.
8. General Electric
General Electric (GE) is an iconic American brand with a rich history of innovation and reliable, durable appliances for every household. So, it's no surprise that GE makes some decent laundry appliances. There are even things you probably didn't realize were made by GE.
GE dryers offer decent features like steam cleaning and sensor drying technology, which adjusts the drying duration based on moisture levels to make sure your clothes are drying at an efficient energy level (Energy Star certified). These days, everything has an app, and GE offers smart technology so owners can connect devices to their dryers.
GE dryers are competitively priced and can range from $700 to $1500 or more. The loading capacity ranges from 4.1 to 7.8 cubic feet, so you can dry a sizeable load of clothes. Its dryers are modern, have a sleek design, and come with a one-year limited warranty. Overall GE dryers are recognized as one of the more reliable brands that has a low record of repairs required.
7. Maytag
Maytag is dependable, known particularly for its laundry machines, and is another appliance brand made in the U.S. It even manufactures coin-operated commercial laundry equipment, so one would expect a dryer that packs an oomph for your home.
Like many dryers on this list, Maytag dryers are Energy Star certified and equipped with sensor drying technology that adjusts the dry time based on moisture levels. Capacity ranges from 7.0 cubic feet to around 9.0 cubic feet, so they are slightly larger compared to dryers from some other brands. Some drawbacks include the lint trap not being well aligned, no drum light (where did that sock go!?), being noisy, and the normal cycle being subpar.
Maytag has a reputation for dependability, so much so that even its logo, the "lonely repairman," epitomizes the lack of repairs needed for its dryers. But let's say, on the rare off chance you do need to fix your Maytag dryer, it's easy to access replacement parts for maintenance and repair. The brand's commitment is unparalleled and evident with its 10-year limited parts warranty on all its dryer models.
6. Whirlpool
Whirlpool is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of home appliances and known for its dryers. The company is known for efficient technology, so it should be no surprise that its dryers are Energy Star certified.
Whirlpool sits in the middle of the pack and offers a capacity ranging from 7.0 to 7.4 cubic feet. Its reliable dryers don't usually require repairs, but if they do, it's simple enough to get replacement parts. Plus, extended warranty plans are also available. These dryers are competitively priced and range from $580 to $1,850.
What's really smart about the tech baked into Whirlpool appliances is the ability to connect and control your appliances from Wear OS. You can control and detect if a cycle has started in the dryer and see how much time remains before the cycle is complete. If you don't feel like syncing up your life to your appliances, the dryers themselves have a streamlined and new touchscreen control scheme. Although you don't get the tactile controls, you get a "What to Dry" and a "How to Dry" panel that is intuitive and straightforward enough to choose the ideal cycle.
5. Bosch
Bosch is a German brand with a history in the laundry appliance arena dating back to 1972, when it sold its first combined washer-dryer, which was revolutionary for the time. Since then, Bosch has introduced Home Connect, giving you the ability to control your home appliances, even when you aren't home.
If you're busy but still want to get your laundry knocked out, Bosch offers Connected Dry, which lets your washing machine talk to your dryer so it knows the ideal drying program based on the load size and moisture of your clothes. Talk about futuristic!
Bosch tumble dryers can hold between 15.4 to 19.8 pounds of laundry and offer features like time delay, eco-mode, and anti-crease technology. Some models will also come with SelfCleaning Condenser, Quick Dry, and an EcoSilence Drive motor. For all these perks, the price ranks on the higher end with models in the $1500 range, with even the smaller capacity 4 cubic feet dryers over $1000. At that price, you can also expect a one-year warranty that covers parts and labor.
4. Samsung
The South Korean brand has produced reliable home appliances since the 70s and has become a force in combining technology and laundry. Samsung home appliances are manufactured in multiple locations, primarily in China, Mexico, and the United States with the brand offering budget-friendly options for dryer models that offer a good balance of features and performance.
Capacity ranges from 4.0 cubic feet to 7.8 cubic feet, models come with sensor drying technology, steam cycles for wrinkle reduction, and some are equipped with smart technology for app connectivity.
Samsung takes it further and has even launched its own Bespoke AI Combo, an all-in-one washer-dryer product that reduces the hassle of moving laundry from washer to dryer and saves around 40 percent of space.
For the standalone dryers, you can expect competitive prices at around $800. And if you're looking for more than a dryer, these major washing machine brands make the cut.
3. LG
Another reliable South Korean brand, LG Electronics, is known for its range of high-quality laundry dryer models. Keeping up with the tech trend, most models will come with features like sensor dry technology, which can automatically detect when clothes are dry and turn off to prevent overheating. Life's good when you have clothes that are dry, not damaged.
You can expect a range of 7.4 cubic feet to 9.0 cubic feet capacity for most models and a price range of around $900 to $1,800. LG dryers are known to dry clothes well and evenly with minimal cases of repairs or recalls. It's quiet, sleek, and modern, with standard features like steam cycles and wrinkle reduction. LG offers top-notch customer support with 24/7 live chat and a good warranty on its dryers, as well.
Purchasing an LG dryer or home appliance is seen as an investment as the company is working on upgradable appliances, challenging the notion of planned obsolescence.
2. Electrolux
Electrolux is a Swedish multinational company that has been around for over a century. The brand manufactures home appliances worldwide, and its dryer models are highly rated for their performance, features, and design. Electrolux ranks high based on it's past reputation of being a reliable and solid brand in the home appliance world.
There have been common issues with some models, like the dryer not drying effective. But this has been chalked up to potential limescale or detergent residue affecting the moisture sensor.
Many feel you can't go wrong when buying Swedish, and the rare occurrence that you may need to repair the thing is simple enough, given the wide range of replacement parts available. Electrolux also offers a one-year warranty covering parts and labor for its dryers.
Electrolux dryers are moderately priced at around $800 to $1100. The dryers are simple enough to use and have dials with labels for around nine cycle options with their own LED indicator. You can dry a wide range of laundry like thick comforters, blankets, towels, and delicates.
1. Miele
Miele is renowned for its high-end models, highly rated for their performance, compact design, and energy efficiency — its tumble dryers even won the award for being the Most Efficient Energy Star certified products in 2022. It's a maintenance-free dryer that comes with a ProfiEco inverter drive designed to be wear-free, quiet, and energy-saving.
Buying a Miele is an investment, with models ranging from $1000 to over $2500. Owning a Miele almost guarantees that your clothes will be perfectly dry and smell great (the dryer has an auto fragrance system built in).
Drying clothes is an energy-intensive process, but Miele dryers let you monitor consumption by showing precise estimates and reports of how much energy is being consumed. On top of that, Miele dryers have options for drying high-tech materials and synthetic fibers, drying in the shortest time, and optimally drying clothes that have water-repellent properties. The list goes on with what Miele brand dryers can do. It is the crème de la crème of dryers and takes the top spot.
How these dryers were selected
These major laundry brand dryers were selected based on factors such as efficiency, capacity, performance, reliability, features, price, noise level, aesthetics, warranty, and customer reviews. Each factor was weighed to carefully consider each brand's ranking on this list. Verifying efficiency involved cross-checking with EnergyStar.gov. Performance, reliability, features, warranty, and price involved reviewing what customers had to say on sites like BestBuy, ConsumerReports, and the brands' official websites.