Home & Garden Home The 6 Best Energy-Efficient Clothing Dryers Our top pick is the LG Dryer with FlowSense. By Starre Vartan Starre Vartan Writer Columbia University Syracuse University Starre Vartan is an environmental and science journalist. She holds an MFA degree from Columbia University and Geology and English degrees from Syracuse University. Learn about our editorial process Updated November 30, 2022 Home Green Living Pest Control Natural Cleaning DIY Family Thrift & Minimalism Sustainable Eating We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Getty Dryers use the most energy of all home appliances (only air-conditioning or electric heat and your water heater uses more), so it’s worth finding an efficient model and using it judiciously. For this reason, even if you have a dryer, it’s worth air drying when you can. At 40 to 50 cents a load, depending on your electricity rates, you’ll save money, and your clothes will last longer too, because dryers are hard on fabrics. You can calculate exactly how much your current model, or one you are interested in buying, costs you by using this calculator. There’s nothing more energy-efficient than air-drying, of course. Especially if you live in a place with abundant sunshine and warm temperatures, it can definitely be worth the financial savings, both in purchase and use costs, to avoid buying a dryer and to air dry clothes on a line or rack. However, not everyone has the space or the weather for air-drying. We researched the market to find the most energy-efficient electric dryers: The Rundown Best Overall: LG 7.4 Cu. Ft. 8-Cycle Electric Dryer with FlowSense™ at Walmart ($901) Jump to Review Best Washer/Dryer Combo: LG Electronics Washer and Dryer Combo at Amazon ($2,135) Jump to Review Best Stackable: GE Front Load Smart Electric Dryer at Wayfair ($901) Jump to Review Best Portable: Panda Electric Portable Compact Dryer at Walmart ($208) Jump to Review Best Compact: Samsung Ventless Heat Pump Electric Dryer at Best Buy ($800) Jump to Review Best for Travel: KASYDoFF Foldable Clothes Drying Rack at Amazon ($89) Jump to Review Best Overall LG 7.4 Cu. Ft. 8-Cycle Electric Dryer with FlowSense™ Courtesy of Amazon View On Walmart $901 View On Amazon View On Wayfair $648 This dryer gets high marks for durability, efficiency, and quietness—and it’s almost half the price of other similar LG dryers with more features. However, it doesn’t feel like a budget option, since it’s got everything you need from a dryer, including a moisture sensor which will prevent overdrying, and an extended tumble dry to minimize wrinkles. It can handle bigger loads with a special cycle selection, so it will give you more flexibility than you might expect from a machine with a large-but-not-huge drum. That smaller size means it will fit into more spaces (like an upstairs closet or a smaller utility room). It's vented and stackable, but not WiFi compatible.Related: The Best High-Efficiency Washing Machines Best Washer/Dryer Combo LG Electronics Washer and Dryer Combo Amazon View On Amazon $2,135 Washer/dryer combos aren’t for everyone—you're asking a lot from one device. Because washing and drying happens in one unit, it’s a pretty long process (how long depends on the items being washed and the cycles chosen). However if you're determined to have just one machine that can wash and dry laundry from start to finish, this LG model offers the convenience of one machine. This unit has an average-sized drum for wash sizes equivalent to non-combo units, and it can be set up to dry without a vent. That means renters and people in apartments can use this dryer without altering a wall. Because it’s a combo unit, this isn’t Energy Star rated, but it is CEE Tier 1 rated, which is the same standard as Energy Star. Best Stackable GE Front Load Smart Electric Dryer View On Wayfair $901 View On Ajmadison.com $1,029 View On Best Buy $945 There are many matching or paired washing machines and dryers available—but be careful, some are designed only to be placed side-by-side. If you want to stack these units, they need to be designed for stacking. This dryer is Energy Star certified and will sit on top of another GE washer (check sizing before purchase). You'll need to order a separate stacking kit as well. This dryer has a moisture sensor and 10 settings (including steam settings to kill bacteria or de-wrinkle clothes), as well as a roomy drum that will fit the contents of the washer. The door is reversible (left to right) for even more flexibility in a tight space, and there are several venting configurations. It's also compatible with smart devices, like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Best Portable Panda Electric Portable Compact Dryer Amazon View On Walmart $208 View On Amazon $204 View On Wayfair $283 This is a small dryer that can be put away when not in use, and it will dry a couple pairs of jeans, five t-shirts, or a queen-size sheet in about an hour. If you have a small portable washing machine, this could be a good partner for it. It weighs just over 40 pounds. It plugs into a regular 110-volt wall outlet, and you can vent it outside via a window if you want to get a vent kit. It does kick off some heat, so that's a consideration, especially in the summer. You also can buy a separate lint catcher. It can be stacked on a Panda portable washing machine or mounted on a wall. It works well for campers or small apartments. Best Compact Samsung Ventless Heat Pump Electric Dryer Courtesy of Best Buy View On Best Buy $800 View On Sears.com $1,170 View On Samsung $1,169 This dryer made the Energy Star Most Efficient List for 2020, due to its super-efficient heat-pump and air recycling. It’s small and ventless, so it's a great pick for tight spaces like closets and apartments. The machine's compact size of only 24 inches wide means the drum is only 4.2 cubic meters, which is about half the size of a large-capacity dryer. However, it includes all the functions of a larger machine, with a moisture sensor and 12 preset cycles. This dryer also features an interior light inside the drum, a reversible door option, and an app to help you troubleshoot if any issues arise. It's not WiFi compatible, but you can program custom drying cycles to maximize your drying efficiency. Best for Travel KASYDoFF Foldable Clothes Drying Rack Amazon View On Amazon $89 If you are living on the road, have an RV, or vacation space that won’t accommodate even a portable unit, a travel drying closet or rack is one way to dry clothes. It could also be used to dry lighter items or a lot of delicates in lieu of a full-size machine, if you only have a couple of loads of laundry a week. There are a few available in different sizes and configurations, but this one is able to accommodate a regular load of laundry and dry it in a few hours. You may be surprised at how well it works, and since it doesn’t tumble clothes, it’s easy on fabrics. This kind of a portable dryer can be pulled out from a closet or the trunk of a car, used, and then put away again, or left standing. This device is not Energy Star rated because it’s not really an appliance, but it uses very little electricity. The 6 Best Solar Lanterns What to Look For in an Electric Dryer Energy-Saving Indicators Look for dryers that have an Energy Star certification and that have moisture sensors, which should cut down on excess drying time by shutting off the machine automatically when closes are dry. Size Be sure to measure the space where you'll locate your dryer, including the space for the machine's door to open. You should also measure any narrow hallways or doorways that might impede delivery. If you wash and dry a lot, and need to dry larger items, look for a larger-capacity drum—the size will ensure that even in larger loads, clothes have enough room to tumble around, and smaller loads will dry very quickly. But if you only do a couple smaller loads a week, consider if a compact or even portable machine could meet your needs. Vents and Plugs If you have a vent already in place for your dryer, you will have more options if you keep it vented. If you don’t, there are ventless dryer options, which condense the moisture and then require that water to be removed, which is a simple process or can be sent to a drain. You may need a special plug for electric dryers, but if there is a dryer in your laundry room or basement already, it's likely that you can use the same plug that’s already there. Frequently Asked Questions Which is greener–gas dryers or electric dryers? Natural gas is a nice-sounding name for methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas, which is one significant reason to pick an electric dryer over a gas-burning one. We’ve only included electric dryers on this list because those are the majority of dryers sold. No major companies make a compact gas dryer; they are available in full-size only. Gas dryers do dry faster, but with new features and sensors on the latest generation of electric dryers, that gap is narrowing. A new compact, ventless electric dryer can now dry a load of towels in about 90 minutes. How can I make my dryer more efficient? You can always up your efficiency by choosing the right setting and heat level for the clothing you’re drying. Make sure your washer’s spin cycle is effective, too—the more water in your clothes, the longer they will take to dry in the dryer. If you use a delicate cycle or hand wash, it may be worth it to do an extra spin cycle on your clothes (as long as they aren’t too fragile) to get more water out of them, or for very delicate pieces, roll them into a towel and squeeze to remove water. You can cut electricity costs and resource use by pulling lightweight cottons and especially polyester clothes like leggings or other sport clothes out and hanging on a drying rack or wherever you have space. If you pull a third to half of your load for air drying while tumbling the rest of your thicker clothes, it will take them less time to dry, using less energy. Plus, you may be able to combine two washes into one load of drying if you remove some items to hang dry. Lastly, if a few items in a dryer load are a bit damp when you take them out of the dryer, hang them up in your closet to dry rather than drying the whole load again; those couple of towels or sweatshirts are nearly there; they don’t need a full dry cycle to get finished. If you don’t want to take the time to hang them or if you need them right away, program your dryer for a short cycle and take the rest of the dry clothes out. This will help your clothes last longer, too. Tumble drying is hard on clothes (all that lint is from your clothes and linens slowly degrading). Are dryer sheets safe to use in an electric clothes dryer? If you use a vented machine, keep in mind that everything you use in your dryer (like scented dryer sheets) will affect the outside air quality, whether that’s your own backyard or your shared neighborhood air.Dryer sheets also may contain volatile organic compounds, acetone, and artificial fragrances which are known to cause respiratory concerns and exacerbate asthma. The coating that dryer sheets leave behind can clog your dryer, especially the moisture sensors, making it less efficient. And the polyester sheets left behind when you have used a dryer sheet aren’t recyclable.Consider using reusable lavender sachets or a few drops of essential oil on a reusable piece of fabric for a lower-waste option. Why Trust Treehugger? We researched many dryers to identify the most efficient options on the market. All the tumble dryers on this list are electric, have moisture sensors which should cut down on excess drying time, and are Energy Star certified, except where indicated (the portable and travel machines). Author Starre Vartan has been an environmental and science journalist for more than 15 years. She founded an award-winning eco-website and has written a book on living green.