It’s not just washing machines that can be prone to causing a racket, tumble dryers can be just as noisy, depending on the model you choose.
On this page, we’ve collected the quietest tumble dryers we could find on the market.
Quiet tumble dryers are the perfect option for an open plan living space, as you don’t want to be watching your favourite series and not be able to hear it due to a noisy appliance. A quiet dryer is also great for anyone living in flats that have little to no sound insulation.
If a quiet tumble dryer is something you think you might need, then read on, as we take a look at some of the quietest tumble dryers in the UK.
Quietest Tumble Dryers in the UK
1. Samsung Series 9 DV90T8240SX/S1 9 kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer
Noise level: 62 dB
Type: Heat pump
Capacity: 9 kg
Energy rating: A+++
This futuristic-looking heat pump dryer from Samsung is one of the quietest on the market with a noise rating of just 62 dB.
To give you some context, this is about the volume of a normal conversation, so it’s not completely silent, but shouldn’t disturb you too much while it’s running.
This dryer is manufactured with sound-absorbent materials to keep it as quiet as possible.
The Samsung Series 9 DV90T8240SX/S1 is expensive to buy but cheap to run since it’s so energy efficient. Because it uses heat pump technology which recirculates hot air in the drum, it’s very energy efficient and will save you money on your bills in the long run.
It also uses sensors to measure the moisture level and automatically stops the cycle when your clothes are dry. These features help give it an energy efficiency rating of A+++, the highest possible for a tumble dryer.
One of the best features is the Quick Dry 35 programme which can dry 1 kg of laundry in 35 minutes—very convenient when you need to dry a few clothes in a hurry before going out.
2. LG V9 FDV909W Wifi Connected 9Kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer
Noise level: 62 dB
Type: Heat pump
Capacity: 9 kg
Energy rating: A+++
This LG tumble dryer has a ton of tech inside to make drying clothes quicker, easier and much more energy efficient.
There’s a lot to get through, so let’s look at the dual inverter heat pump first, as this is the heart of the operation.
This recycles the warm air produced during the drying cycle and pumps it back into the machine. This helps to reduce drying time without costing you a penny!
In fact, the heat pump and several other features on this tumble dryer are actually designed to save you money during the drying cycle without compromising anything.
As a result, you can enjoy faster drying times in every mode compared to your old tumble dryer and see savings on your energy bills over the year.
The technology inside this tumble dryer is fantastically easy to use. Even the condenser uses recycled water from your clothes to clean itself, so you really don’t have to do too much maintenance.
The fact that this tumble dryer happens to be one of the quietest on the market is really just the tip of an incredibly impressive iceberg!
3. Beko B5T4824RW 8Kg Heat Pump Tumble Dryer
Noise level: 63 dB
Type: Heat pump
Capacity: 8 kg
Energy rating: A+++
The 8 kg drum on this tumble dryer has enough space for about four people’s clothes, making it ideal for a family home.
It is one of the quietest tumble dryers on the market right now too. Coming in at just 63 dB, you can comfortably have a conversation in front of it.
There are loads of functions on this dryer that are really handy, but the one that caught our eye was the Freshen Up cycle. This is designed for those clothes you haven’t worn in a while that need a bit of TLC before you put them on. It works great and produces lovely-smelling clothes ready to wear.
Now, as this tumble dryer is geared towards being extremely energy efficient, the programmes on this tumble dryer may take a bit longer than your current tumble dryer.
Of course, for those that live a fast-paced life, this may not be too convenient, but the savings made on energy bills make this dryer very appealing to most!
4. AEG 9000 Series T9DEB969C Heat Pump Tumble Dryer
Noise level: 63 dB
Type: Heat pump
Capacity: 9 kg
Energy rating: A+++
This tumble dryer from AEG is making drying your clothes easier than ever before. Now, we’ve researched lots of tumble dryers in our time, but even we were very surprised with how much technology this dryer has.
Firstly it has sensors that detect humidity on both the surface of clothing and on the lining of it. This allows the machine to dry almost everything very precisely, including delicate items like down jackets, for example.
These sensors give you an accurate time frame of when your load of wet washing will be dry, and you can connect the tumble dryer to an app for even more info.
The app also allows you to create pre-set programmes for the machine and set up the perfect drying cycle for whatever you are drying.
We haven’t even mentioned the whisper-quiet operation or the 9 kg load capacity. This tumble dryer is ideal for a family home that wants the smartest drying tech available that is as easy to use as pressing start.
5. Beko B3T4911DG 9Kg Condenser Tumble Dryer
Noise level: 64 dB
Type: Condenser
Capacity: 9 kg
Energy rating: B
The Beko B3T4911DG is the quietest condenser tumble dryer we could find in the UK, with a noise level of 64 dB.
This dryer has a capacity of 9 kg, so it’s a good choice for families who need to dry a lot of clothes at once.
This tumble dryer is much cheaper than the heat pump dryers reviewed above, so it’s a good choice if you want something affordable and quiet. It’s not the cheapest dryer on the market by a long way, but it’s about half the price of many heat pump dryers.
Since the Beko B3T4911DG is condenser dryer it’s easy to install and can be placed anywhere as you don’t need to worry about venting moisture outside.
The black design looks modern and would look great in most kitchens.
How Loud Are Tumble Dryers?
Appliance noise is usually referred to in dB (decibels) but it can sometimes be a bit difficult to get your head around these numbers.
A decibel is a unit which is used to measure how loud something is—the intensity of a sound. Quieter sounds have a lower dB number and loud sounds have high dB numbers – for example, a whisper might fall between 15 dB and 30 dB whereas a lawnmower might hit 90 dB. A typical sound level for conversation is around 60 dB (depending on who’s talking).
When researching this article, we looked at 100 of the most popular dryers in the UK and found that the average tumble dryer has a noise level of 66 dB. This means that any dryer that has a noise level of 65 dB or less is relatively quiet.
What dB level should I look for in a tumble dryer?
There are a huge variety of tumble dryers on the market, all with their own noise levels, ranging from a super quiet 62 dB right up to 71 dB (and sometimes beyond). 66 dB is about average, and anything less than that is relatively quiet.
The decibel rating of a dryer isn’t the only thing that affects how loud it will be, however. Within your home, the sound could be amplified by the room’s acoustics and the frequency of the sounds coming from your tumble dryer could cause them to sound louder.
Nearby resonant objects like furniture, cupboards and work surfaces can vibrate while the dryer runs, making it seem louder. On the other hand, things like carpets can absorb the sound of the dryer, making it seem quieter.
Decibel chart of common sounds
FAQs on the Quietest Tumble Dryers
What’s the quietest condenser tumble dryer?
The quietest condenser tumble dryer we could find in the UK is the Beko B3T4911DG, which has a noise level of 64 dB.
What’s the quietest heat pump tumble dryer?
The quietest heat pump tumble dryer we could find in the UK is the Samsung Series 9 DV90T8240SX/S1, which has a noise level of 62 dB.
How many dB is a quiet tumble dryer?
A quiet tumble dryer will have a noise level of 65 dB or below. The quietest dryers have noise levels of just 62 or 63 dB.
Is 65 dB loud for a tumble dryer?
No, 65 dB is slightly quieter than average for a tumble dryer.
What’s the average noise level for a tumble dryer?
When researching this article, we looked at 100 of the top-selling tumble dryers in the UK and calculated the average noise level to be 66 dB. This means that anything less than 66 dB can be considered relatively ‘quiet’.
Can you get a silent tumble dryer?
No, none of the tumble dryers on the market at the moment come anywhere close to being silent. The quietest one we could find has a noise level of 62 decibels, which is roughly the volume of a normal conversation.
The only way to really make your tumble dryer ‘silent’ would be to put it in a sound-proofed room, or perhaps put it in a shed or other location where you won’t be able to hear it.
How can you make a tumble dryer quieter?
Here are a few tips for making your tumble dryer quieter:
- Make sure there’s space between the dryer and furniture or other nearby items. If the dryer is in contact with something else, it could make it rattle or vibrate as it runs, adding extra noise to the noise of the dryer itself.
- Turn clothes inside out. This will prevent things like metal buttons from hitting the sides of the drum and creating noise.
- Put rubber pads under the dryer. This will absorb some of the vibrations and reduce the noise your dryer makes.
- Make sure it’s level on the floor. If the floor is uneven or one of the dryer’s legs is off the floor, it will create more noise.
- Move the dryer to another room. If everything else fails, move the dryer to another room where the noise won’t bother you so much.
Conclusion
If we had to pick just one quiet tumble dryer to recommend it would be the Samsung Series 9 DV90T8240SX/S1. Not only is it the joint quietest dryer we could find at 62 dB, it’s also very highly rated by users and is exceptionally energy efficient.
However, the Samsung Series 9 DV90T8240SX/S1 is quite expensive, so if you are looking for something cheaper, we would recommend either the Beko B3T4911DG condenser dryer, which has a noise level of 64 dB.
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