An effective laundry dryer must be able to dry clothes within a single cycle. However, there are lots of factors that can affect the drying performance of a laundry dryer. These factors revolve around the attributes and special features of the dryer unit you are about to choose, especially with its quality. High-end laundry dryers are your safest bet for that but let’s admit that not everyone has the money to burn. With this, our SolidSmack Household Appliance and Tool Research Team rounded up the best 5 laundry dryers for your budget. In this review, we will give you a better idea of what to have.
Topping our list is the Kenmore 65132 which is the biggest of all the models we tested. It has a 7 cubic feet capacity which can hold a substantial amount of clothing in just one cycle. With the capacious room inside, there is less chance of cramping up the loads which translate to a faster and more efficient drying process. We also love the generous number of controls it offers from manual and automatic cycles to deactivating the beeping sound and the Wrinkle Guard.
There are also other worthy choices to have, so we reviewed 4 other top laundry dryers from our shortlist. By testing them with multiple batches of shirts, jeans, towels, and more, we assessed how efficient their overall drying systems are. We also tested their manual and automatic modes and took note of the drying time in each cycle. That being said, we highlighted their best strengths in this review, and so as their limitations. We also considered their ease of use by analyzing the intuitive layout of their control panels and setting up each one.
With all those things said, here are the top 5 laundry dryers this 2021, together with our informative Buyer’s Guide and FAQ sections.
Best Laundry Dryers Comparison & Rating
Laundry Dryers | Features |
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1. Kenmore 65132
Brand | Kenmore |
Capacity | 7 cu. ft. |
Timer Max Mins | 70 minutes |
Sensor Modes | Less, Normal, and More |
Kenmore 65132 might not be the most physically attractive unit on this list, but nothing can beat it when it comes to performance.
It has a huge body that measures 29" x 28" x 43" with a total capacity of 7 cu. ft. This is double the capacity load the other units can handle. Nonetheless, besides the fact that you can put more clothes in it in just a single cycle, the one that makes your task easier and faster is its heating system.
The Kenmore 65132 offers a dial for the Dry Temperature, giving you the options for Low, Medium, and High heat settings. On the other hand, apart from the timers for the Timed Dry (70 minutes) and Air Only (30 minutes) drying, there is a choice for the Auto Moisture Sensing which works like magic. Just like in others, it uses the brand’s SmartDry Plus technology to determine the right moisture left in the clothing and adjust the time. In our test, this feature was very consistent that each time it stopped, all the shirts and pants in the cycles came out completely dry and warm. For the Normal Auto cycle, it only took around 45 minutes to dry clothes. Yet, if you are looking for a faster drying process, it allows a quick cycle that will only take 30 minutes and will give you decently dry fabrics.
There is also the Wrinkle Guard which is very helpful in preventing wrinkles in clothes. Compared to the tossing of Panda PAN875W that automatically happens every minute during the process, this feature of Kenmore 65132 can be turned off and on and it can run up to 40 minutes after the clothes have dried. There is also a dial for the Cycle Signal which allows you to deactivate the buzzing alert sound at the end of the cycle.
2. Panda PAN875W
Brand | Panda |
Capacity | 3.75 cu. ft. |
Timer Max Mins | 200 minutes |
Sensor Modes | Auto, Eco, Heavy Duty, Delicate, and Normal |
With a 3.75 cu. ft. capacity, the Panda PAN875W is just a bit bigger than its sibling, the Panda PAN725SF. Yet, it is also a space-saving laundry dryer that can be stacked and wall-mounted.
Besides the additional load capacity, it has many impressive controls. Compared to the dial control panel of PAN725SF, PAN875W flaunts a touch-screen control panel with a slide function. It is also illuminated to alert you that the unit itself is working.
Its system is divided into two modes: Sensor Dry and Manual Dry. The former offers the options for Auto, Eco, Heavy Duty, Delicate, and Normal. All employ an intelligent humidity sensor that adjusts the time and stops once the clothes have dried completely. The Manual Dry, on the other hand, comes with Hot, Warm, and Air Dry options. The abundance of its options, however, isn’t the only thing that makes its drying system effective.
You’ll also love its reversing drum rotation every other minute to assure that the clothes do not bunch up and to optimize uniform drying. In our test, though there is an option for a 200-minute Manual Hot cycle, we found its Auto option just enough to completely dry clothes within 45 minutes. It also worked great for towels and pairs of jeans, too! Overall, it worked like a normal-sized dryer for us.
3. VIVOHOME VH708
Brand | VIVOHOME |
Capacity | 3.5 cu. ft |
Timer Max Mins | 90 minutes |
Sensor Modes | Fast Dry, Delicate, and Air Dry |
VIVOHOME VH708 laundry dryer has almost the same capacity as the Panda PAN875W. It comes with a total capacity of 3.5 cu. ft. or a 13-pound load. But what really separates it from others is its extra silent performance while delivering works that can be compared to a full-sized unit. Of all the units we tested, it is the quietest. Delivering only a maximum of 40 dB.
It also has a compact body measuring 23.6" x 18.9" x 26.8". With this, it can still fit any size of home from RV to small houses. It can be mounted on the wall, stacked, or just be positioned as a freestanding unit.
On the other hand, although there is guesswork due to the unlabeled icons in its control panel, it won’t take anyone that long to master it as there are only limited controls to learn. There is just one dial that you can turn into any of the 4 modes of your choice. You can choose from the Fast Dry, Delicate, Air Dry, and Timer modes. The first three apply sensors to detect the moisture in the clothes and will stop once everything is decently dry. The Fast Dry option is one of the best performers in our test. Within a short span, it dried up 6 shirts with no visible damp spots after just a single cycle.
At the left section of the dial are the 3 options for timer: 30, 60, and 90 minutes. It doesn’t have the option for low and hot modes, but the temperature can reach fairly high levels to dry clothes fast, given if the load is not cramped. The constant changes in the rotation direction of the tub also help to uniformly dry each part of the clothing and prevent wrinkles.
4. Panda PAN725SF
Brand | Panda |
Capacity | 1.5 cu. ft. |
Timer Max Mins | 200 minutes |
Modes | Cool, Warm, Hot, and Air Dry |
Panda PAN725SF is a small and portable laundry dryer with a maximum capacity of 1.5 cu. ft. Ideal for a single individual or a childless couple, it can only handle a small amount of laundry that is no more than 5.5 pounds. However, this is the beauty of it. While it is not your typical heavy-duty dryer, it can dry small batches of clothes perfectly even with non-stop use.
It has a timer that lets you set the time from 20 to 200 minutes and the temperature (High and Low Heat) you prefer for the drying process. Also, you have the options for different 2 cycles: heated and air dry. Under the former, you can set the timer up to 200 minutes which will give the clothes a hot burst, then it will turn into Warm mode, and then into Cool mode before automatically shutting down. Nonetheless, we discovered that there is no need to always max up the timer at all times. Given that you would follow the ideal capacity and wouldn’t stuff it tightly with clothes, it can dry clothes as fast as 18 minutes. In our test, it dried 4 shirts and 2 pairs of pants with ease and with no damp spots at all. At a full 200-minute cycle, our second and third loads came out bone-dry. Most of all, we love how the clothes came out free from wrinkles!
Besides the intuitive controls, setting up the unit itself was almost effortless when we opened the package itself. It was just a matter of putting the vent and directing it to the window and plugging it. Most of all, it was extremely quiet that you wouldn’t notice it working from a 10-foot distance.
5. CTT GYJ60-68E
Brand | CTT |
Capacity | 3.5 cu. ft. |
Timer Max Mins | 150 minutes |
Sensor Modes | Fast Dry, Delicate Dry, and Air Dry |
CTT GYJ60-68E is another compact laundry dryer with a 13-pound capacity. Unlike others, however, it employs a fully digital control panel. The layout of the controls is not the best as it has unlabeled icons, but there are just a few buttons to learn so it isn’t a big issue at all. The panel is illuminated with blue lights, allowing you to work even in low-light conditions. Unfortunately, it is rather too bright and there is no way to deactivate it.
The controls are divided into Timer and Auto modes. The former offers manual control over the length of a cycle starting from 30 minutes up to 150 minutes. The latter, on the other hand, comes with 3 options for Fast Dry, Delicate Dry, and Air Dry cycles. All three rely on an intelligent humidity sensor and each one works the way they are supposed to.
Furthermore, CTT GYJ60-68E also sports a reverse tumble action in a more different way. Unlike others, it rotates clockwise for 6 minutes and only spends 10 seconds rotating counterclockwise. Despite this, it is very efficient as we saw not a single wrinkle in the clothes we tested for the entirety of the test.
Best Laundry Dryers - Buyer's Guide
The size and the capacity of the laundry dryer are directly related to each other. If you are living in a house with very limited space, you might want to stick with a smaller unit. However, it means you have to dry clothes in smaller batches. If you have the space to spare, a bigger model like the Kenmore 65132 will be better.
Though it might seem intimidating, more controls are better sometimes. Besides the automatic and manual modes, it is great to have a unit like the Kenmore 65132 that has the option of tumbling the clothes even after drying and deactivating the beeping sound.
Not all laundry dryers have the same timer in their manual cycles. We would recommend to those who are often drying thick fabrics to have a model with a longer timer range like the Panda dryers. Nonetheless, this is just optional as almost all laundry dryers now have auto features that can sense the humidity inside and will automatically adjust the time for you.
All laundry dryers produce sound, though all of them differ in noise levels. Normally, bigger units are much noisier due to the powerful motor. If you are renting an apartment with strict rules to follow, they might not work for you. With this, it is better to use smaller units like the VIVOHOME VH708 which is the quietest of all the models we tested.
Best Laundry Dryers - FAQs
Laundry dryers have tubs that spin, though in lower RPM. The main thing that makes them effective for drying clothes is the use of high temperatures and air inside the machine. On the other hand, laundry spinners simply remove the excess water in the clothes by spinning them at high RPM.
It is suggested to clean the filter after every batch to assure that the machine will work in the best way possible at all times.
It depends on a lot of factors such as the setting, the number of clothes you put in it, and the thickness of the fabric. Nonetheless, an average laundry dryer can dry regular shirts in 20 to 45 minutes.
