Looks nice and performs well
4/5
I wanted to change our current condenser tumble dryer to a heat pump dryer for a while, so I spent some time researching various brand reviews and customer experiences.
This product seemed to perform well against the top brands and the 10kg was a good feature too. Delivery was super fast from AO and I was initially impressed with the build of the product upon installation. It looks really nice, not too many digital features and a nice flat drum door. Doesn’t look or feel cheap.
The operation is simple and, after reading the instructions properly, it was easy to best match items of clothing to each setting. The range of settings are well thought out, and although you’ll probably use the super dry setting most often, it’s nice to have the others when needed. There is also a nice light inside the drum which you double check clothing before starting.
Some negative points are it is quite noisy when running compared to top brands I’ve seen. Although this is probably about the same level as our Hoover condenser it does also get a little louder when the pump kicks in. It’s in a utility room so closing the door helps so it’s not really an issue but if it’s in a main room this may be. Another negative is the two door filters for the lint (one fits inside the other). I’m not sure why there are two – maybe to catch extra fluff – but it does add to the cleaning process. I have yet top see how to clean the bottom filter, although I think this is self cleaning as I can’t see any buildup as yet.
Drying does take longer due to heat pumps not getting as hot, but it seems efficient enough to leave to do it’s thing in it’s own time. The room doesn’t get hot and steamy, like with our condenser, which is a big plus and avoids the need to open windows to vent the humidity. I really like this feature! I haven’t tried the quick settings yet to see how well these work (single shirt refresh etc). I have however tried a large load of towels and a king size feather duvet (not together!) and these dry quite well, albeit needing an extra run to get properly dry.
In summary, this looks great, it’s simple to use and does the job. Could be quieter and having two door filters are unnecessary I think. The lack of any humidity in the room when this is working is a nice feature, as is the A++ rating for economy. I like this temple dryer so far. I’m hoping it remains reliable during more use as I’ve yet to test the customer services!