Technology within the appliance world is forever changing, updating and moving along at lightning speed.
Take your TV, for instance. If it is a few years old, it’ll already be behind the times. Your washing machine can’t be controlled by your phone? Well, it is soon going to be dated.
Of course, not everyone is bothered about this. Having the latest models doesn’t always mean you have the best models out there. Yet, when it comes to tumble dryers, we’d actually have to say they are one of the few appliances where modernity really does have a massive impact. Here is why a brand new tumble dryer could change your life:
Sensor Technology
We all love an easy life when it comes to chores. Thankfully, most modern tumble dryers are now automatic (for the most part).
Sensor technology can detect how wet your clothes still are and adjust temperature and timings to suit. No more fine-tuning dials or having to pick a setting which will ‘just do’. You just end up bringing out a mixture of too-dry and too-wet clothes after an hour. They can even sense how heavy the load is, altering the way the drum moves in response.
Modern Appliances = No Money Wasted
Tumbling Costs
Pun intended. It seems bizarre that appliances which are much more technologically advanced nowadays are cheaper than those on sale even as little as five years ago, but it is true.
Appliances are getting more affordable, mostly due to the improvement in production costs. You may see it as a sign of our current throwaway attitudes. Your parents will have likely said something along the lines of “they don’t make ovens/washing machines/vacuum cleaners to last as they used to in my day”). But actually, if you look after your appliances properly, there is no reason why they shouldn’t. They will work out as value for money at the very least.
Energy Rating Boosts
If you have a tumble dryer which was A rated back when you bought it almost ten years ago, chances are that it is actually sapping more energy than those currently rated C on the market.
We all want to save the planet. We also want to keep our own energy bills down. The higher the energy rating, the better your machine is at doing just this – without any loss of performance.
In fact, an A+++ rated dryer could save you £750 over its lifetime compared to those rated at A, based on 160 uses per year. Time to treat yourself to the swankiest model, then.
So Many Settings
There could be up to 20 settings on your tumble dryer. This can cater to different materials, clothing, and needs. Need to give your towels a quick dry after you’re out of the shower? Drying a load of work shirts and need to keep creases minimal? Do your bedsheets need to get to that ‘ready to iron’ stage but your jeans need to be ready to fold away? Just select the right programme.
No need to pop your jumpers in and hope they don’t come out small enough to fit a doll or in a generally horrible state as they’ve been in there for hours.
Better Drums
They can change the direction they turn to ensure the clothes are evenly distributed and receive equal attention. They can be coated in all sorts of fancy materials to reduce the likelihood of snagging clothes. Drums can even have anti-vibration technology and use magnets rather than brushes to turn so they are as silent as can be. If your current tumble dryer sounds like a jet engine taking off, then the difference will be undeniable.
An improvement in drum movement can also mean less time spent hunched over the ironing board as it reduces crumpling and creases. As if you needed any more persuading.
Smartphone Operation
We know smart-controlled white goods aren’t the be all and end all. But it is actually incredibly handy to be able to start, pause and check in on your cycle from anywhere.
Say you’re at work and want to time the drying to be done just when you walk through the door. Yeah, there are appliances out there with built-in timers, but you could well still be sat in the office thinking “I wonder if it has actually turned on”. And if you’re fed up of nagging the other half/the kids/your housemates to get their chores done to come home and find they *forgot*, you can set them to another task instead.
Easier Unloading
If you have previous use of a tumble dryer, you will have experience of getting hotter and hotter as you approach the appliance to take the clothes out. You open the door and are met with a faceful of hot air. You go to reach for the clothes and are defeated. There is no way you can get them out without scalding your hands for the next half an hour.
Well, many modern versions now give your clothes a blast of cold air just before the cycle finishes, cooling them down. Which not only helps your poor face and hands but also lets you take them out ASAP and can improve the condition of the material by getting it back to its normal conditions.
We have persuaded you, haven’t we? Whether yours is on its last legs or you simply know it is time for a laundry revival, our review of the best rated tumble dryers has something for everyone.
