If you’re searching for a compact and space efficient way to get your laundry dry, but you can’t spare the space for a regular sized dryer, you need to take a look at these compact electric laundry dryers. With plenty of power, and at just half the size of other dryers on the market, investing in a compact dryer will help you tackle your laundry quickly and efficiently.
Types of Compact Electric Laundry Dryer
There aren’t too many different types of compact electric laundry dryers to choose from, which does make it that little bit easier.
The most common laundry dryers voltage wise are 120V or 240V, which means you can buy one with double the power for those even quicker laundry sessions, or take the lesser powered dryer if you’re keen on keeping your energy bills as low as possible.
If you’re short on space, don’t worry. These dryers come in a variety of types, including those that can be mounted to the wall, collapsible ones and your standard floor types, so there’s definitely room for one if you’re still on the fence.
In fact, if you’re looking for something other than the original tumble dryer shape, you may wish to go with a more space friendly upright model where you can hang your clothing items from an extendable arm, or a rack unit where you can hang your clothing up to dry, which will certainly help with creases. Luckily, there are plenty of options.
Whatever you decide, remember that with an electric dryer, you’ll need somewhere to plug it in, as you’ll always find yourself faced with an electrical cord.
Finding the Right Compact Electric Laundry Dryer
There are a few things to take into consideration when deciding which dryer will be the right fit for your home.
Firstly, think about how much space you have to spare. Are you fitting this dryer in amongst other machines, or will it have its own space somewhere? Either way, always measure the space you’re thinking of filling with your dryer so you can find the perfect size. This will also help you to decide whether you want a standard floor model, one that hangs from the wall or a collapsible model.
There are so many types of compact laundry dryers that you’re bound to find one perfect for your home, no matter how small of a space you live in!
Secondly, think about which features you’d like from your dryer. Do you need separate drying cycles for hard-wearing clothing and more delicate items? Do you need a timer function for when you need to leave the house, or extra spin cycles just in case the dryer hasn’t quite got your clothes dry on its first spin?
Lastly, think about how powerful you need your compact dryer to be. As we mentioned above, most compact electric laundry dryers come as standard with 120V or 240V of power. The more washing you need to dry, the higher the power may need to be. Similarly, think about how many people you’re living with. Do you need more power because there are more sets of laundry to dry, or can you get away with the lowest voltage power?
Caution – don’t let your compact laundry dryer overheat. If it starts getting too warm, turn it off immediately and unplug it from the power socket.
Compact Electric Laundry Dryer Features
The standard size for a compact electric laundry dryer is 24”, but you can find smaller laundry dryers depending on your needs. Whilst these dryers are tiny, and can fit easily underneath cabinets and in spare corners, they have a great range of features to help you get the most out of them.
A common safety feature of regular laundry dryers is the venting system that usually comes in the form of a steel tube that exits the back or side of the dryer itself. These are important for getting rid of excess condensation and humidity inside the dryer. Compact laundry dryers don’t include this sort of venting system.
Instead, you’ll find the compact versions fitted with a condenser, which not only heats the air inside the dryer, but helps evaporate it afterwards to stop water droplets from causing damage in your home. In fact, these droplets never even leave the dryer, and are instead placed in the condenser, which is usually situated at the back of the dryer.
All you need to ensure is that you empty the condenser every once in a while to stop it from overflowing or leaking.
For your safety, always get rid of the extra lint that gets collected by the dryer over time. This lint, which is old bits of fluff and fabric picked up from your clothes during drying can be a fire hazard.
When it comes to the more expensive compact electric laundry dryers, you could even be treated to a wide range of smart features that could give you that extra piece of mind.
Laundry dryers that come with a smartphone app can be really useful, especially if you have to pop out while your dryer is mid-cycle. With features like time remaining check, or even a timer for those times you want to pop the dryer on when you’re out, a smart laundry dryer may be something to consider. You should always keep in mind that these types of machines will cost significantly more than a regular machine, so double check your budget.
Did you know that compact laundry dryers are usually super quiet thanks to their compact nature, which means it doesn’t matter where you place them in your home or apartment – they’re unlikely to distrurb you!
Compact Electric Laundry Dryer FAQs
A few frequently asked questions about compact electric laundry dryers that you may still have.
A: Strictly speaking, they both have their benefits, and they both work equally as well.
With a condenser dryer, you’ll need to empty the condenser after every few drying sessions to ensure there are no leakages or spillages, which could be damaging for the dryer. On the other hand, with a vented dryer, you’ll need to set up the vent and pop it in a well-ventilated spot to ensure no moisture gets stuck in your room.
For that reason alone, we’d suggest a condenser dryer over a vented dryer.
A: Just because a 2-in-1 washer-dryer would save you more room, doesn’t mean they’re the best fit for your home.
In fact, washer-dryers are notoriously difficult to work, and often, you won’t get a good dry on your clothing.
That’s not all though, because washer-dryers tend to break more quickly, and often have to be repaired far more frequently than a single dryer unit.
Finally, you’ll find that a washer-dryer is able to wash more clothing than it’s able to dry, which means that you could end up having to hang up half of your load whilst the other half dries. That defeats the point of the compact dryer in the first place.
A: No, unfortunately, you cannot put just anything into a dryer. Some materials aren’t great under the stresses of high heat, and will shrink if you put them into a dryer.
Always check the labels of your clothes to see if they’re suitable for the dryer. If they’re not, they need to be air dried.
If you seem to have more items of clothing that can’t be put into a dryer, you may need to reconsider whether the investment would be valuable to you.
A: for the initial buy, you’ll find that a compact electric laundry dryer is a cheaper solution to a full sized dryer. That makes sense. They’re smaller and often less powerful.
You’ll still need to keep an eye on your energy bills though, as you will see a rise in these once you start drying your clothes with your compact dryer. Of course, the less you use the dryer, the less it will cost, so consider doing larger loads of clothing if the size of the dryer’s drum permits it.
Check just how energy efficient your chosen dryer is too. For the more powerful machines, you may see a steeper rise in energy bills that you’re not prepared for.
If you have any questions or comments, please add them below in the comment section. Similarly, please let us know if you spot any mistakes or omissions. Thanks!
Last Update: 2024-04-19 | Affiliate links/Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
