Heat pump dryer or condenser dryer: what is the difference?

How a condenser dryer works

A condenser dryer heats air with an electric heating element and blows it through the drum. The warm air takes up the moisture from the laundry and then passes a condenser, which is cooled with air from the room. There the moisture turns into water. Most of the heat left in the air goes into the room, and the element keeps having to make new heat. That costs electricity.

How a heat pump dryer works

A heat pump dryer works in a closed loop, like a fridge in reverse. The heat pump warms the air before the drum and cools it again afterwards, so the moisture condenses. The heat is used again and again instead of being blown away.

That has three results:

• the dryer uses far less electricity per cycle;
• it dries at a lower temperature, which is gentler on the laundry;
• a cycle takes longer than in a condenser dryer with an element.

Among the dryers we compare, the product name nearly always says "heat pump". Miele adds "WP", as on the Miele TEL 695 WP.

Electricity and the energy label

The energy label shows how much electricity a dryer uses. Mind that there have been two labels. Since 1 July 2025 shops show a new label with classes from A to G; the old label ran from A+++ to D. Product names still show both: the LG RH9X76WH says "B label (2025)", the Hisense DH5I104BBAB "energy class A", while the Bosch WQG235DINL still has "A+++". An A on the new label is not the same as an A+++ on the old one. According to the European Commission, since 1 July 2025 only efficient heat pump dryers may newly enter the EU market.

So compare the consumption in kWh on the label rather than just the letter, and compare dryers that carry the same label. The new label also gives the capacity, the length of the eco programme, how well the dryer condenses and how much noise it makes. With What does an appliance really cost, electricity included? you can work out what that use costs you over the years.

The faster your washing machine spins, the less water is left in the laundry when it goes into the dryer. That saves drying time and electricity too; see our guide Choosing a washing machine.

Where does the water go?

Both kinds of dryer collect the water in a container that you empty after each cycle. On most models you can also connect a drain hose to the washing machine's drain, so there is nothing to empty. The manual explains how; the hose is often supplied.

Placement, space and stacking

A heat pump dryer needs a room that is not too cold and not too warm. Manufacturers give the room temperature range in the manual; an unheated shed or attic can fall outside it in winter. A condenser dryer gives off more heat into the room; a heat pump dryer much less.

To put the dryer on top of the washing machine, use the manufacturer's stacking kit. It holds the dryer in place; some have a pull-out shelf for the laundry basket. The dryer goes on top. A stacking kit is made for appliances of the same width; whether your pair may be stacked is in the manuals of both.

Lint and the condenser

After every cycle you clean the lint filter in the door. A heat pump dryer often has a second filter in front of the heat exchanger; rinse it as the manual describes. Bosch names a self-cleaning condenser on part of its range, such as the Bosch Serie 6 WQN246D0NL. Siemens puts "smartFinish", a steam function against creases, in the name of the WQ46H2CLNL. On the TQ 1000 WP Miele combines steam with Wash2Dry: according to Miele the dryer then matches its programme to the Miele washing machine.

Or a washer-dryer after all?

If you have no room for two appliances, a washer-dryer washes and dries in one drum. It dries fewer kilos than it washes, though: the Hisense WD5I8043BWF gives 8 kg washing and 5 kg drying. So you often dry in two goes. More models are under washing machines; separate dryers under dryers.