Are you tired of your clothes not drying during monsoon or tired of your balcony looking like this - then you need an appliance that dries your clothes a hundred percent. You can consider either a washer dryer or a standalone dryer - so that you can just fold and keep your clothes back in the cupboard. In this video, I’ll help you decide whether to get a washer dryer or a standalone dryer and identify the best ones in each category for you. Jump to the right section based on your preference.
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Now first should you buy a washer dryer or a standalone dryer?
You can go for a standalone dryer if:
you have the space and budget for it
You already have a washing machine and want to add on an appliance for drying.
Standalone dryers give better drying performance - consuming lesser power and taking lesser time for the cycle - upto a max of 2 - 2.5 hours - compared to a washer dryer.
If neither are an option for you - then you can go for a washer dryer. I’ve personally switched to a washer dryer close to 3 years ago as I did not have the space for adding another appliance in my utility area. It does take upto 6 hours for a wash and dry cycle for mixed loads, larger sized washer-dryers take longer. You can experiment with various combinations to achieve a lower drying time too. Yes, dryers and washer-dryers can increase your electricity consumption as they use heat to dry your clothes faster. If you want to understand the electricity consumption of washer dryers, I’ve linked to a video in the description that talks about that in detail.
If you are a first time user of dryer, you must also keep these 2 things in mind as you plan to buy a dryer or a washer dryer -:
Fully cotton clothes will get creased and sometimes shrink based on the type of fabric, mixed fabrics don’t get as creased or shrunken. This is a very common challenge most users of dryers have, so you need to be aware of this before purchasing.
Unless you plan to use the capability of full drying, I don’t recommend buying an appliance with a dryer - as it does consume a lot more space and electricity.
BEST WASHER DRYERS 2023
First thing to decide is the size - when it comes to washer dryers, there are 2 sizes you should consider - the wash size and the dry size. For drying to work well, you should not load the machine to its max. Brands go to the extent of saying you can load only 1-2 kgs even if your machine has a dry size of 5-7kgs. However, I’ve experienced that you can load the machine upto 50-75% and get a good drying performance. So the size of the machine you buy should be dependent on 2 things - number of people in the house and how often you wash. The table on the screen gives you a rule of thumb.
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If you take a larger size, cycle times will be longer and electricity / water consumption will be higher. If you take a smaller size, you will need to wash more often. So try to select the one that’s the right size for your family and usage. The second key thing to keep in mind is to try to get a washer dryer which has a minimum difference between the wash and dry capacity. For example, a 7-5 or 8-6 is better than a 9-5 or 10-6. Amongst the washer-dryers compared, Samsung, Havells-Lloyd and both IFB models have the best wash to dry ratio and the LG model at 9-5 has the worst wash to dry ratio.
The next key thing to consider is the rpm - rpm determines the drying efficiency. Most machines show the max rpm they support - you can adjust the rpm to be lower esp for delicate clothes. Higher the rpm, better is the drying (but also higher the creasing). Amongst the washer dryers compared, 1400 rpm is the most common with only Hafele and Electrolux having an RPM of 1200. However, since these are washer-dryers, a lower rpm is also OK as you are going to achieve full drying anyway.
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The cycle time in washer dryers can range between 5-8 hours for cotton and mixed loads. Most machines automatically adjust the drying time to be lower, if you have a smaller load. I normally turn it on at night before I sleep and it’s ready by the time I wake up. A best practice is to remove the clothes from the machine immediately after the cycle to minimize creasing.
Number of programs should never be a deciding factor as more often than not- many of us tend to use only 3-5 programs commonly. However if that is a consideration for you, brands offer programs between 12 - 23 for your flexibility. LG also allows you to download programs to be used.
All machines have inverter motors, many of them list 5 star efficiency but many do not as well. It’s surprising that this is not mandate for washer dryers as these are power guzzlers. Most machines allow clothes to be added in the beginning of the cycle - typically before the drum is filled.
If you are keen on smart capabilities, Samsung, IFB, and LG have a mobile app using which you can view / download cycles (in some cases), start stop cycles, see some analytics of most used programs, in some cases electricity consumption, the load and so on. Not all apps have all these features. A good to have for sure, not a must have.
I keep getting asked about water and power consumption - while not all brands publish this - a good estimate is that washer-dryers use the same amount of water as a front load - approximately 60L based on the size - which is significantly lower than a top load. Electricity consumption depends on the cycle you are using. If you are using the full wash and cupboard dry cycle, then it is anywhere between 7-12 units per cycle - based on the size of the machine and type of use.
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Havells and Midea are the lowest priced washer dryers, but they also do offer the lowest warranty of only 2 years with no additional warranty on the inverter motor. IFB offers the best warranty at 4 years on the product with 10 years on the motor and 10 years on the spare part support. Otherwise it’s typically 2 years with a 10 year warranty on the motor.
Let’s get to my recommendations for the best washer dryers in India. I have different recommendations based on your usage / family size:
For a family of upto 5 people, I have 3 recommendations for you:
At a budget, I recommend the Midea washer dryer available at a price of around 39K. It has a 8kg wash and 5kg drying capacity. With a 1400 rpm inverter motor, a 5 star energy efficiency, and a 2 year warranty, it is a no-frills budget washer dryer.
My next recommendation is the Samsung washer dryer with a 8 kg - 6 kg wash to dry capacity. This gives one of the best wash to dry ratio. At a price of about 59000, it offers a 1400 rpm inverter motor with 5 star energy efficiency, 22 wash programs, adding clothes mid cycle, and has an app using which you can control your washer-dryer. I personally use a smaller size Samsung washer dryer that is not available anymore for last 3 years and my parents purchased this specific model too.
My third recommendation is the IFB washer dryer. The specs are similar to the Samsung one we discussed. This is a 8.5 - 6.5 kg washer dryer with 4 years on the product with 10 years on the motor and 10 years spare part support.
For large families - frankly if you have the space for it - I recommend you to go for a standalone dryer. If you don’t, then I recommend the LG washer dryer. It is a 10.5 kg wash and 7 kg dry capacity - not the best wash-dry ratio, but the best you can get at this size. At a price of about 69.5K, it includes a 2 yrs warranty on the product with 10 yrs on the inverter motor. It has a smart app using which you can control the washer - dryer, download wash programs, and also see the weight of the load you have added.
BEST STANDALONE DRYERS 2023
First, let’s discuss the type of standalone dryer you should consider. There are 3 main types available in the market - vented, condenser, and heat pump based dryer. And your choice will need to be based on your usage, the space you will keep the dryer, type of clothes you will dry, and ofcourse your budget.
Vented dryers have been around the longest, are the cheapest option, but also consume the maximum electricity. They need to be placed outside in an open area as they let the moisture out. If placed inside, it needs to have a vent or an exhaust to let out the emitted moisture. They use high temperatures for drying and hence are not very friendly on clothes - it could cause more shrinkage, creasing, and fading. The drying time in vented dryers is about 160 min.
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- Best Heat pump based dryer LG
- Best vented dryer at a budget IFB
The most popular type of dryers these days are condenser dryers. These can be placed indoors as the moisture from the wet clothes is collected in a container that can be emptied frequently OR you can add an outlet pipe. It also uses high temperatures for drying, can get heated up, so better to keep it in a well ventilated place. Drying time is the least in condenser dryers - about 100 - 120 min per cycle.
And the best option is a heat pump based dryer. These use lower temperatures - upto 50 degree celsius only - for drying and hence are gentler on your clothes. Since they use lower temperature, the energy consumption is also lower. They can be placed indoors and the moisture is collected in a container or can be connected to an outlet pipe. Time taken for drying is about 120 minutes.
To summarize the type of dryer best for you - 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. Amongst the standalone dryers compared, IFB and Electrolux are vented dryers, Bosch and Siemens are condenser dryers and LG and Samsung are heat pump based dryers. Voltas used to have a heat pump based dryer but it’s not available anymore.
Next to consider is the size - On the screen you can see the sizes with a direction on how many clothes you can put in the dryer.
Recommend to buy a size that is ideal 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. Of the models of standalone dryers compared, IFB, Electrolux, Bosch and Siemens are ideal for families upto 3-4 people and LG and Samsung are ideal for 4+ people.
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- Best Heat pump based dryer LG
- Best vented dryer at a budget IFB
One of the benefit of standalone dryers are they can be stacked on top of your washing machine. All models support these. You can also mount it upside down so you can access the dials and controls easily.
All standalone dryers offer a 100% cupboard dry option - which means you can fold and put it in the cupboard. Condenser dryers like Bosch and Siemens take the shortest time and the Heat pump dryers like the LG and Samsung dryers take about 120 min for cotton drying and vented dryers from IFB take the longest at about 160 min.
All standalone dryers offer an anti wrinkle option - but remember in a dryer clothes do get more wrinkled compared to air drying. It is better than the washer dryer however.
Type of programs varies between 6 and 15 and you can select the right program based on the fabric of clothes you are inserting into the dryer. If its important, Bosch and Siemens offer the maximum number of programs.
Not all standalone dryers publish the rpm - which determines the drying efficiency. 1400 rpm is the most common rpm, while IFB and Samsung offering the least rpm. However, since these machines offer full drying capability, rpm is not an important metric to consider.
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- Best Heat pump based dryer LG
- Best vented dryer at a budget IFB
From a pricing point of view, heat pump dryers are most expensive. The ones available from LG and Samsung are also the largest in size and are available at upwards of 63K. The IFB standalone dryers are vented dryers and hence least expensive at about 20K. IFB also offers the best warranty - 4 years on the product with 10 years on the motor while Bosch and Siemens only offer the 2 year warranty on the product and motor. From the condenser dryers compared, Bosch serie 4 and Siemens are pretty much the same models and are serviced by the same network of Bosch Siemens homes.
Based on all of this, I have 3 recommendations for best standalone dryers in India.
My top recommendation that meets the price to value metric is a condenser dryer - either the Bosch Serie 4 and Siemens standalone dryer - the specs for both of these are almost the same and serviced by the same network. Both are available at around 38k, offer a 2 year warranty on the product and motor. It has the least drying time at about 97 minute for cotton, synthetic will be much lower. Both are 7kg dryers with 15 programs and a 1400 rpm motor.
My next recommendation of a dryer that is gentle on clothes is the LG heat pump based dryer - at a price of about 64K, it has a 2 year warranty on the product with 10 years on the motor. It is a 9kg heat pump based dryer ideal for larger families. It comes with a 1400 rpm, a condenser tray / outlet, offers 10+ programs and additional programs can be downloaded. A normal cotton dry cycle is about 120 minutes.
At a budget, I recommend the IFB turbo dry. At a price of about 21k, it includes the best warranty of 4 years on the product with 10 years on the motor and 10 years on spare part availability. A typical cotton drying cycle is 160 minutes and a synthetic drying cycle is about 70 min. But remember, this is a vented dryer - so it needs to be placed outdoors OR it needs to be connected with the exhaust vent.
BUY BEST STANDALONE DRYERS
- Best Heat pump based dryer LG
- Best vented dryer at a budget IFB