Tired of your clothes not drying in the cold and damp weather? Then a clothes dryer is ideal for you. If you have the budget and sufficient space to either keep a separate dryer beside your washing machine or mount it above your washing machine - then a separate dryer is the best option. If not - a washer dryer would be ideal for you - which I have covered in a separate video linked in the description.
WATCH INSTEAD OF READ?
I’m going to compare 8 different dryers that are available in the market across IFB, Bosch, Siemens and Voltas Beko to give my recommendations in the end on my top recommendations for clothes dryers for your use. First let’s talk about what you need to look for to determine which dryer to buy:
Size - I’ve covered this earlier and will cover it again. You need to buy a size that is right for your use - else you will spend more in upfront costs and running costs of the machine. Buy a size too small - while your upfront cost will be lower, you may need to run it more often. Buy a size too large - your upfront cost and running cost per run will be higher. On the screen you can see the sizes with a direction on how many clothes you can put in the dryer.
Amongst the models compared - the IFB models are ideal for small families of 1-3 people. Bosch, Siemens and Voltas have models that is ideal for 3-5 people.
Vented vs Condenser dryer vs heat pump dryer -
This is a crucial distinction that will determine which dryer you will buy.
The vented option is the one that has been in the market for the longest and is probably the cheapest option available. This uses an air conditioner like outlet to let out the moisture collected from clothes. If you keep it outside like in a balcony, it may not require an additional vent as the moisture will be let out into the air. The next option - and perhaps the most popular in India - is the condenser dryer. In this case the moisture extracted is collected in a container or can be output from an exit pipe - similar to a washing machine. It can get heated up and let moisture into the air - so you may need to keep this in a well vnetilated space. The last option is the most expensive but is the softest on the clothes is the heat pump option. This recirculates hot air throughout the drying process and hence energy usage is the lowest in this option. It also has an exit pipe or a container that needs to be emptied after use.
From a drying time point of view - the heat pump dryer takes the longest as it uses lower temperature for drying and the condenser takes the shortest.
From a clothes friendliness point of view - the heat pump is the best as it uses a lower temperature.
From an energy efficiency point of view - the heat pump dryer is the best again as it uses a lower temperature. The amount of power consumed varies based on models and can be checked in the manual that you shortlist. In general dryers are definitely energy guzzlers as they use heat for the drying process.
All of these can be stacked on top of your dryer if you are short on space.
Summary
So with all this in mind - the heat pump dryers are the best option being softer on the clothes and energy efficient - but are more expensive purchase. The next best option is the condenser dryer. Vented options are cheaper but inconvenient as it requires a vent and does consume more energy than the other two options.
If you are running the dryer a lot - for example multiple cycles a day - then it may be worth investing in a heat pump dryer. Else a condenser dryer may be sufficient. If you are keeping it indoors with limited ventilation, then a heat pump dryer is ideal. A condenser dryer can be used but it will heat up and leave moisture in the room as well.
Best clothes dryers in India
I'm comparing the following models:
So with this background in mind - let’s see what type of models are available for use in India. The two IFB models compared are vented models - so need a vent option or needs to be placed somewhere with good ventilation. Bosch and Siemens are condenser based and only Voltas has a heat pump option
All of these models are stackable.
From a drying time point of view - all of them offer 100% cupboard dry option - which means you can fold and put it in the cupboard. Condenser options in Bosch and Siemens take the shortest time and the Heat pump dryer in Voltas Beko takes the longest as it uses lesser temperature
Voltas is best from a safety and gentleness on clothes point of view - as it uses lesser temperature
All models compared have anti wrinkle capability - but remember in a dryer clothes do get more wrinkled compared to air drying. It is better than washer dryer however.
Bosch, Siemens and Voltas have over 15 tpes of programs based on the type of clothes, IFB has about 5.
IFB offers the best warranty of 4 years on machine and 10 years on motor while Bosch and Siemens offer the least warranty - 2 years on machine and 2 years on motor
From a pricing point of view, like mentioned earlier - the vented dryers are the cheapest - so IFB is lowest cost at around 20K. There is really no difference between the models - except the color. The Bosch Serie 4 and Siemens 7 and 8kg models are exactly the same - Siemens is cheaper and is serviced by the same network - Bosch Siemens Homes. Voltas Beko is one of the cheaper models for an 8kg size.
Reviews I’m not covering as some of them are not sold online - only in their exclusive stores
Based on all of this - here are my recommendations purely from a spec point of view:
The heat pump dryer - being softest on the clothes and most energy efficient - my top recommendation is the Voltas Beko WDR80S 8kgs . It does take quite a bit of time for cotton clothes - over 3 hours. With a 3 year warranty on the machine and a 9 year warranty on the motor - this is a great option for someone looking at a standalone dryer, who may run multiple cycles in a day and wants it to be gentle on the clothes.
The next option I recommend are the Siemens iQ300 7kgs or Siemens iQ300 8kgs. Now remember these are the same appliance as the Bosch model - but is available at a lower price than Bosch but is serviced by Bosch Siemens homes itself. So a good deal. It takes about 2 hours to dry cotton clothes and has over 15 wash programs. If you have a preference for Bosch as a brand, you can go the same product in Serie 4 in 7 or 8 kg. I have seen it is bit more expensive though.
Comments