If you only have room for one appliance and want to wash and dry your laundry in one go, choose a washer-dryer with a drying capacity that suits your usual loads. Its drying capacity is lower than its washing capacity. If you can install two appliances in a configuration permitted by the manufacturers, a heat-pump tumble dryer lets you dry a separate load, but it takes up space and its cycles can be long. An airer means you won’t need an extra drying appliance, provided you have a sufficiently well-ventilated room or one with extractor ventilation.
If you can’t install two machines at home, a washer-dryer combines both functions. To run a wash and dry cycle without removing any laundry, though, size your load according to its drying capacity, not its washing capacity, as UFC-Que Choisir points out.
If you regularly wash large loads, compare the amount of laundry you need to dry with the actual capacity of each option. You may need to remove some laundry from a washer-dryer before drying a full wash load. Check the cycle times too.
If water and electricity use, or drying laundry indoors, are important factors in your choice, check the figures for the cycle you’ll use and consider the room’s ventilation. For indoor airer drying, ADEME recommends using a large, well-ventilated room or one with extractor ventilation.
Consider it: when you only have room for one appliance and can limit each wash to a load that can be dried in one go.
The trade-off: you may need to remove some laundry from a full wash load or dry it in more than one go.
Consider it: if you have room for two appliances, side by side or stacked in line with their installation instructions, and often dry large loads.
The trade-off: you’ll need space for a second appliance. UFC-Que Choisir notes that heat-pump cycles can take longer than those of conventional appliances.
Consider it: if you can temporarily use a suitable room for drying and want to avoid a second appliance.
The trade-off: laundry takes up space while it dries and releases moisture into the room. ADEME recommends good ventilation or extractor ventilation.
To choose between these options, first check what will actually fit in your home, then consider how much laundry you need to dry and the conditions required by the cycle or room.
| Criteria | What to check | Relevant considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Space | Measure the space, the appliance depth and the clearance needed to open its door. If stacking two machines, check their installation instructions. | I only have room for one appliance, where I need to wash and dry without blocking the way. Around 36% of consumers would prioritise a minimal footprint. |
| Drying capacity | Compare the drying capacity in kg with your usual load, rather than looking only at the washing capacity. Check the cycle time too. | When I wash sheets or towels, I don’t want to remove some of the laundry before drying it. Around 29% of consumers would prioritise drying a full load. |
| Energy and water use | For a washer-dryer, distinguish the figures for washing alone from those for a full wash-and-dry cycle. For a separate tumble dryer, check the energy use and duration of the stated programme. | If I often use machine drying, I want to know how much electricity is used and, for a washer-dryer, how much water the cycle uses. Around 21% of consumers would put energy and water use first. |
| Indoor humidity | Before choosing an airer, make sure you have a large, well-ventilated room or one with extractor ventilation, in line with ADEME’s advice. | In my home, drying laundry indoors shouldn’t allow moisture to build up in the room. Around 14% of consumers would put controlling humidity ahead of other criteria. |
On a washer-dryer, these figures refer to washing and drying capacity respectively. So you can’t dry an 11 kg wash load in one go in an appliance with a drying capacity of just 6 kg.
Choose based on how much laundry you want to dry. If it exceeds the second figure, plan to split the drying into separate loads or use an airer.
Extra cycles keep the machine busy for longer and extend the time it takes to finish your laundry.
Washing alone and a full wash-and-dry cycle on a washer-dryer have different energy-use figures and cycle times. The washing rating alone doesn’t tell you what to expect when you use the drying function.
Check the label or EPREL information for the wash-and-dry cycle separately, and compare programmes that match how you plan to use the appliance.
Drying laundry indoors adds moisture to the room. ADEME recommends using a large, well-ventilated room or one with an extractor vent.
Decide where your laundry can dry before making an airer your main solution. If the space isn’t suitable, reconsider which appliances will fit where you plan to put them.
The word “condenser” doesn’t tell you which drying technology an appliance uses. According to the European Commission, new domestic tumble dryers placed on the EU market from 1 July 2025 must use heat-pump technology; older appliances are a separate matter.
When buying new, check the model’s technology explicitly. For a second-hand or previously owned appliance, check its technology before comparing cycle times and energy use.
These examples of product ranges can help you interpret stated capacities; always check the specifications of the model you choose.
In France, Bosch offers washer-dryers with separate washing and drying capacities.
LG’s washer-dryers in France include models rated for 11 kg of washing and 6 kg of drying.
In France, Samsung lists washer-dryers in capacities such as 9/6 kg and 11/6 kg.
In France, Miele offers separate heat-pump tumble dryers with capacities of 7, 8 and 9 kg.
These appliances combine washing and drying in a single machine. Compare their drying capacity with your usual loads first, then check the dimensions and full-cycle figures before choosing.
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Combines both functions in one space, with wash loads for drying limited to 6 kg.
Stated capacities: 10 kg for washing and 6 kg for drying. Check the model’s label for the full-cycle figures that match your usage.
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Worth considering if you want to wash up to 11 kg in a washer-dryer, while keeping the load you plan to dry in one go to 6 kg.
Stated capacities: 11 kg for washing and 6 kg for drying. Confirm the exact model reference, dimensions and full-cycle figures on the product information and label for this appliance.
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For washing and drying in one appliance when your loads for drying are no more than 6 kg.
Stated capacities: 10 kg for washing and 6 kg for drying. The product information also lists Zeo-Cycle, LintClear and app control. Check the dimensions and cycle figures before buying.
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For using a single space while planning for drying loads of no more than 6 kg, even though the stated washing capacity is up to 10 kg.
The product information lists Zeo-Cycle, LintClear and automatic dosing. Check the dimensions, as well as the energy use and cycle times for this model.
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For very small loads only: its stated drying capacity of 0.5 kg won’t dry a typical household load in a single cycle.
Stated capacities: 1 kg for washing and 0.5 kg for drying. Check the dimensions, cycle figures and which cycle the energy rating shown applies to for this model.
Because 11 kg is its washing capacity and 6 kg is its drying capacity. To run both functions one after the other without removing any laundry, keep the load within the drying capacity. Otherwise, dry some of it separately.
Start with a wash load that doesn’t exceed its drying capacity. If you regularly need to wash larger loads, compare the space needed for a separate tumble dryer or plan another way to dry the extra laundry.
For a washer-dryer, distinguish the washing capacity and figures for washing alone from those for a full cycle. For a separate tumble dryer, compare the stated capacity, energy use, programme duration and noise levels of models that will fit in your home.
No. The term “condenser” alone doesn’t tell you which heating technology the appliance uses. According to the European Commission, new domestic tumble dryers placed on the EU market from 1 July 2025 must use heat-pump technology. So check the exact technology listed, especially if the appliance is second-hand or older.
ADEME doesn’t recommend this set-up for indoor drying, as it adds moisture to the room. Choose a large, well-ventilated room or one with an extractor vent, preferably humidity-controlled.