Need to know
- Condensers and heat pump dryers store the moisture they extract from your clothes instead of emitting it, making them a good choice for poorly ventilated rooms
- Newer heat pump dryers have the same abilities as condenser models but they are more efficient and gentler on your clothes
- Condensers are therefore becoming less common, as heat pumps grow in popularity
Once upon a time, all tumble dryers were simple beasts – metal boxes with a drum, fan, heater and motor. Now, you'll find different types with names like condenser, vented and heat pump, but what sets each apart?
Essentially, the main difference is how they get the moisture out of your wet clothes and what they do with it afterwards.
Traditional vented dryers use a fan to blow moist air out of the machine, while the more expensive and sophisticated condenser and heat pump models use special technology to collect it for storage or funneling into a drain.
In this guide, we'll explain how condenser dryers work and show how they stack up against newer heat pump varieties. For information on other types of dryers, check out our dryer buying guide and heat pump dryer explainer.
On this page:
- What is a condenser dryer?
- How do condensers compare to vented and heat pump dryers?
- Condenser dryer pros and cons
- Can condenser dryers be stacked or wall mounted?
- Should you buy a condenser dryer vs a heat pump or vented dryer?
What is a condenser dryer?
Like their vented counterparts, condenser dryers rely on blowing hot air to get your clothes dry. But instead of simply releasing all this moisture into your home as exhaust, the machine uses a heat exchanger to collect the steam as water for storage or disposal, releasing only dry, warm air.
Heat pump dryers also hold onto the water they collect from clothes. But they go one step further in terms of efficiency by reusing the hot air from the drying process, meaning they don't emit exhaust at all and cost less to run.
Condenser dryers are a dying breed because heat pumps provide the same benefits, but are more efficient and cost less to run
A condenser or heat pump dryer's ability to collect moisture means that having a well-ventilated room isn't nearly as important as it would be if you were using a vented model, which can leave walls dripping wet and at risk of mould if not given proper breathing space.
Of course, condensers and heat pumps are limited in how much water they can hold onto and you'll have to empty the storage unit from time to time or connect a hose to drain the machine.
A disappearing appliance
CHOICE laundry expert Denis Gallagher says condenser dryers are a dying breed because heat pumps provide the same benefits, but are more efficient and cost less to run.
"Condenser dryers are hard to find and there are only a couple of older models still available," he explains. "Heat pump dryers are becoming the standard for quality drying and their prices have come down considerably over the last few years."
How do condensers compare to vented and heat pump dryers?
As outlined above, the main differences between vented, condenser and heat pump dryers is that each has a more sophisticated method than the last to get your clothes dry. A condenser dryer is more advanced than a vented model, but not as refined as a heat pump.
Condenser dryers have traditionally been a middle ground between vented and heat pump models.
Energy use
We've previously found condenser dryers to not be very energy efficient. Along with older vented varieties, they use around three times more energy to dry a load than their heat pump counterparts. This means vented and condenser dryers cost more to run in the long term than a heat pump.
Purchase price
A condenser dryer's ability to hold onto moisture rather than spreading it around your laundry means they usually cost more to purchase than a vented appliance.
Heat pumps are even more sophisticated machines, which is why they have traditionally been more expensive than both vented and condenser models. But we've seen these models get cheaper in recent years as they become more common.
You also get more choice when you opt for a heat pump (rather than a condenser), with several new brands arriving in the market in recent years.
Treatment of clothes
Heat pumps are usually more gentle with clothes than vented and condenser dryers, but their cycle times are often longer.
Condenser dryer pros and cons
Pros:
- Doesn't vent moist air, so less need for ventilation than with a vented dryer.
- Stores water that you can re-use, for example, to water plants.
Cons:
- Very little choice, with only a few models now available.
- Less efficient than a heat pump dryer.
- More expensive to buy than a vented dryer.
- Weight means wall mounting is not an option, although you can stack them on top of your front load washing machine (depending on the model).
- Have to empty stored water manually if the machine has no outlet hose.
Can condenser dryers be stacked or wall mounted?
Because they contain more heavy components than vented dryers, most heat pumps or condensers can't be wall mounted.
Wall-mounting a dryer also usually means inverting it in order to keep the controls within reach and this will cause issues with the onboard water storage tank included in condenser and heat pump machines.
Therefore, stacking the unit on top of something else is going to be your only option if you want to save space.
Most condenser and heat pump dryers we've seen come with advice regarding whether they can be stacked on top of a front loading washing machine and some even include a stacking kit to help you do this.
Should you buy a condenser dryer vs a heat pump or vented dryer?
If your laundry isn't well-ventilated and doesn't have a duct to remove humid air before it causes damage, a heat pump or condenser will be the best dryer for you.
But Denis notes that heat pumps are increasingly becoming the only option for people in this situation.
"Many of the traditional condenser models have been replaced with heat pump varieties," Denis explains.
If you do find a condenser for sale, it's still worth comparing it with some heat pump models and considering how often you'll use it – a heat pump's lower running costs might end up saving you in the long run even if it costs more upfront.
If ventilation isn't a problem, a traditional vented dryer could be a better option
"Heat pump dryers offer all the same benefits as condensers, plus more," Denis says. "They've also come down in price in the last few years and you'll be paying less in running costs in any case."
If ventilation isn't a problem, a traditional vented dryer could be a better option, as these are cheaper to purchase than heat pumps and condensers.
But before you buy, think about how often you'll run it – a heavily-used vented dryer will come back to bite you with its higher running costs.
"Our testers have also found that vented dryers in general are not as gentle on your clothes as heat pumps," adds Denis.
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