Do you remember the old days when clotheslines swayed in front of windows like ghosts in the air? That practice fell into disuse, as did the old laundry sinks. Today, a reliable dryer can do a good job, without your underwear accidentally flying into your neighbor’s garden.
If you are looking for a new dryer, it is worth choosing a model that has less likely to have problems. That’s where Consumer Reports’ annual fall survey comes in.
Which brands of clothes dryers are the most and least trusted? The latest CR poll reveals the answers, so you don’t get hung up drying yourself. CR’s predicted reliability index calculates the probability that newly purchased dryers of a given brand will have problems or break down in the first five years.
Our user satisfaction index reflects the number of CR members who will most likely recommend the dryer they purchased. To make your choice easier, we include these unique ratings in each model’s overall score in our Clothes Dryer Ratings .
CR surveyed 95, 727 members for a period of three years from 2018 until 2020. Survey results are based on CR members’ experiences with 105, 995 new dryers purchased between 2010 Y 2020.
If you are looking for a new dryer, start with our dryer buying guide . Then check out our comprehensive list of dryer ratings and use the filters to narrow your choices to more than 200 models of regular size electric and gas dryers and the compact electric dryers.
Readers with a membership of digital access to CR can continue reading our survey results for Amana, Bosch, Electrolux, Fisher & Paykel, Frigidaire, GE, Hotpoint, Kenmore, LG, Maytag, Miele, Samsung, Speed Queen and Whirlpool. See our Clothes Dryer Ratings for more details.
Electric Dryers
Electric dryers are incredibly popular with Consumer Reports members and represent the 72% of our sample of ratings over the past decade. Gas dryers make up 26% of the sample, while compact models account for only 2%.
LG and Speed Queen consistently stand out as the most reliable and popular regular-size electric dryers among the brands included in our survey. LG and Speed Queen earn Excellent ratings for both expected reliability and user satisfaction.
Among the most and least reliable are six brands that earn Very Good ratings for reliability: Amana, Crosley, Kenmore, Maytag, Roper and Whirlpool. But of these brands, only Maytag scores Very Good for user satisfaction. The others receive an average rating of Good.
Electrolux, GE and Samsung obtain intermediate ratings for reliability and user satisfaction. Frigidaire and Hotpoint electric dryers are rated Good for reliability, but both brands bottom out in our satisfaction ratings, each with a rating of Poor.
Which brand is the least reliable ? Despite the Good rating for user satisfaction, CR cannot recommend Fisher & Paykel electric dryers at this time, at least in part due to their Fair rating for reliability.
LG’s excellent rating for reliability and satisfaction places its dryers, such as the LG DLE 7100 W , at the top of our ratings. This model earns an Excellent rating for drying and is relatively quiet, you can hear it, but it shouldn’t disturb you with constant loud noises. And it costs half what other high-rated dryers we’ve tested cost, making it CR’s Best Buy.
Gas Dryers
LG and Speed Queen also stand out as the most reliable and popular gas dryers among the 12 brands included in the CR survey, obtaining an Excellent rating in both expected reliability and user satisfaction. Maytag scores Good for Medium Reliability, but is the only other gas dryer brand with favorable ratings for user satisfaction, ensuring one of Very Good.
Most others Gas dryer brands, Amana, Electrolux, GE, Kenmore, Maytag, Samsung and Whirlpool, stand firm with an acceptable rating of Good for reliability and satisfaction.
The three brands with the lower grades are exceptions. CR cannot recommend Fisher & Paykel and Hotpoint, whose reliability ratings are Fair and Poor, respectively. And while Frigidaire gets a Good rating for reliability, it is the only gas dryer brand rated Poor for user satisfaction.
Why take a chance on an undersized gas dryer? quality? If you’re looking for a top-notch gas dryer that is relatively quiet and has a superior rating on drying performance, the DLG
W by LG
Compact dryers
Compact dryers have only 12 inches wide and can be stacked on top of your washer if space is tight . In compact models, manufacturers only make electric models.
Among the brands included in our survey, Miele is the only brand that scored Excellent for expected reliability and user satisfaction.
LG earns a Very Good rating for reliability and satisfaction, making it the only brand to rank highly in the electric, gas, and compact dryer types. Electrolux and Kenmore are rated Very Good for reliability, but only Electrolux’s satisfaction is Good, while Kenmore’s is Poor. GE and Whirlpool also scored Poor for user satisfaction, but reliability on both is rated Good.
And the least reliable? Asko and Blomberg compact dryers get an Acceptable rating for reliability. However, users of both brands are moderately satisfied. Each brand gets a rating of Good. CR cannot recommend these two brands at this time.
But we do recommend the dryer Miele TWF 160 WP without ventilation, thanks in part to Miele’s excellent ratings for to reliability and satisfaction. This dryer is similar to the highest rated dryer we tested, Miele TWI 180 WP , so we expect its performance to be similar. The only differences? The Miele TWF 160 WP does not have a steam function or a door with window, so it sells for $ 400 less.
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2021, Consumer Reports, Inc.
Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with the advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports is an independent nonprofit organization that works with consumers to create a just, safe, and healthy world. CR does not endorse products or services and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2021, Consumer Reports, Inc.