Living in a small space can be challenging when it comes time to do laundry. You must either pack your laundry to an on-site laundry room or to the laundromat. Neither case is ideal. A quick remedy to this regular frustration are portable washers and dryers. Here, we’re delving into the best portable dryers. These are the products that are compact, powerful, and quiet. Our overall favorite portable dryer is Panda’s Compact Laundry Dryer for its favorable size and intuitive features. Read on for a list of the best portable clothes dryers.
Our Top Picks:
  | Best Overall: Panda Compact Laundry Dryer Our overall top pick for the best portable dryer machine comes with all the features you’d expect without compromising its ability to fit well in almost every space. |
  | Best Runner-up: HomeLabs Portable Compact Dryer Reviewers have placed this portable dryer everywhere from RVs to dorm rooms and found it to work exceptionally well. It’s one of our favorite compact dryers. |
  | Best Budget: Manatee Portable Clothes Dryer Collapsible and lightweight make this wardrobe-style portable dryer perfect for some spaces that won’t work well with a box dryer. It’s also our favorite pick for those on a budget. |
  | Best Compact: Barton Digital Compact Dryer If you want a mini portable dryer, here is the one for you. Barton’s compact dryer is small enough to fit in a tiny apartment or even on a countertop. |
  | Best Splurge: Giantex Fully Automatic Washer & Dryer Combo This portable washer and dryer duo comes with multiple cycle options that make it perfect for all kinds of clothes. It’s the top pick if you’re looking to splurge on your portable dryer. |
  | Best for Apartments: Sentern Portable Electric Clothes Dryer If you live in a small apartment without hookups for a washer and dryer, this is the best portable dryer for you. It fits snuggly in small spaces and effectively dries clothes. |
  | Best Portable: Panda Portable Spin Dryer This is the best spin dryer on the list that is also the most eco-friendly portable dryer. Use this spin dryer if you want to use less energy overall when drying clothes. |
  | Best Mini Option: Ninja Portable Mini Spin Dryer Portable mini spin dryers are great for small spaces and the environment. Ninja’s is effective at removing water while saving you time and money. |
A Closer Look: Best Portable Dryers
Often, finding the best dryer can take a few cycles. Hopefully with our list, we can make the trip shorter. Keep reading below to see why these dryers outclassed the rest.
1. Panda Compact Laundry Dryer
The best portable dryer overall
Brand: Panda | Drying Capacity: 8.8 lbs | Energy: 1400 Watts | Orientations: Stackable and Mountable | Price: 💰💰💰
Our overall top pick for the best portable dryer looks, feels, and functions just like a standard dryer but without the need for a hookup. A touch screen allows you to easily control how long your clothes are drying and the dryer basin is stainless steel for guaranteed durability. One of the biggest reasons we love this dryer is its multi-installation modes. This means you can stack it, place it side by side, or mount it on the wall – whatever style of space you’re working with, this compact and portable dryer will accommodate for it.
Reviewers Like
- Very quiet while running
- Unit is lightweight and fits on top of a stand easily
- Perfect alternative to any nearby laundromats, less dog hair too
Reviewers Dislike
- Dry cycle limited to 1 hour
- Only vents from the back so it doesn’t lay flat against the wall
2. HomeLabs Portable Compact Dryer
The runner-up best portable dryer
Brand: HomeLabs | Drying Capacity: 3.2 Cubic Feet | Energy: 1300 Watts | Orientations: Stackable and Mountable | Price: 💰💰💰💰
The runner up is one of the highest-rated portable dryers you could choose. Reviewers consistently rave about its features. Because it loads from the front, this dryer can be stacked, positioned on its side, or mounted on the wall. It works well for dorm rooms, small apartments, RVs, or countless other spaces that aren’t conducive to a standard dryer machine. Many portable dryers have a relatively short time cap, but this model lets you dry clothes for up to 2.5 hours. A 3-layer filter helps prevent lint from building up and ensure quicker drying. For an efficient and reliable portable dryer, check this one out.
Reviewers Like
- Incredibly lightweight and easy to install
- Brings to life dreams of at-home laundry, even in NYC
- Powerful, thoroughly dries everything from comforters to clothes
Reviewers Dislike
- Must push timer button for dryer to get warm
- Fewer holes in barrel to prevent lint buildup, need to clean lint trap more often
3. Manatee Portable Clothes Dryer
The best budget portable dryer
Brand: Manatee | Drying Capacity: 15 KG | Energy: 1000 Watts | Orientations: Collapsible, Cannot be Stacked or Mounted | Price: 💰
Most portable dryers are at least a couple hundred dollars. This doesn’t mean you can’t purchase a portable dryer if you’re on a tight budget and interested. Manatee’s portable clothes dryer might be the perfect fit for you. It’s collapsible and stands upright with a front zipper. Hang your clothes that need to dry inside the portable dryer and use the remote or touchscreen at the base of the unit to choose settings. While this portable dryer can’t be stacked or mounted, it is collapsible. This makes it ideal for folding up to place in a closet or against a wall. There is also an eco-friendly mode that lets your dry clothes efficiently and without taking a toll on the planet.
Reviewers Like
- Some use it even as a portable heater
- Potential to save a lot of money by using this portable dryer
- Operates quietly and doesn’t use a lot of voltage for thorough dries
Reviewers Dislike
- Challenging to set up, recommended that users go slow
- Somewhat short, longer clothes might touch the bottom
4. Barton Digital Compact Dryer
The best mini portable dryer
Brand: Barton | Drying Capacity: 2.8 KG | Energy: 850 Watts | Orientations: Small: Can be Stacked, Not Mounted | Price: 💰💰
If you need a dryer that is even more compact than the standard portable dryer, this one’s for you. The entire unit weighs less than 50 pounds and can fit nicely anywhere from the countertop to that small corner in your apartment. An inner sensor recognizes when your clothes are done and shuts off automatically to conserve energy. It’s also set up for quiet drying, meaning you can run it during the night without worrying about waking the neighbors or yourself. The only downside is that you’re limited to what you can dry. Due to the size, this portable dryer will not work for most blankets or comforters. It’s limited to small loads of clothing.
Reviewers Like
- Dries clothes with minimal wrinkles
- Extremely impressive for the size and price
- Save a lot of time and money instead of going to the laundromat
Reviewers Dislike
- Somewhat expensive for the size
- Generally takes longer to dry contents than larger dryer
5. Giantex Fully Automatic Washer & Dryer Combo
The best splurge portable washer and dryer
Brand: Ginatex | Drying Capacity: 11 Pounds | Energy: 550 Watts | Orientations: Cannot be Stacked or Mounted | Price: 💰💰💰💰💰
Coming in with all the features you could need is our splurge pick for the best portable dryer. It’s a two-in-one washer and dryer combo that makes doing loads of laundry in small spaces a breeze. It comes with fully automated technology that informs the machine how much water to use when washing and how long to dry depending on how full the basin is. It comes with 8 different choices to treat your clothes and 10 water levels that can be adjusted based on the kind and quantity of clothes. Unlike other models, it’s equipped with a child lock so it’s perfect for home with small children present. Consider Giantex washer and dryer combo for a splurge pick.
Reviewers Like
- Power cord reaches up to 75 inches
- Comes with inlet hose and drain hose
- Very quiet and perfect for apartment living
Reviewers Dislike
- Too expensive for most budgets
- Large size makes it less ideal for apartments and other small spaces
6. Sentern Portable Electric Clothes Dryer
The best portable dryer for apartments without hookups
Brand: Sentern | Drying Capacity: 6.6 Pounds | Energy: 1020 Watts | Orientations: Stackable and Mountable | Price: 💰💰💰💰
Most apartments, especially those in large cities, won’t have hookups for washing machines or dryers. If this is your living situation, you will need a compact and electric dryer that plugs into the wall for easy use. Sentern’s portable dryer comes with five different modes for drying that you can select depending on what kind of clothes you’re drying. It comes with a cool down feature that helps prevent clothes from getting damaged and saves energy. You can choose between eco-friendly and normal drying modes. This portable dryer comes with more feature variety than most portable dryers.
Reviewers Like
- Extra safety and energy saving features
- Very powerful for being such a compact dryer
- Will fit just about anywhere, no matter the size available
Reviewers Dislike
- Must clean filter in the back periodically or the dryer may break
- Small size makes it challenging to wash normal loads of laundry
7. Panda Portable Spin Dryer
The best portable spin dryer
Brand: Panda | Drying Capacity: 22 Pounds | Energy: 3200 RPM | Orientations: Cannot be Stacked or Mounted | Price: 💰💰💰
Here is one of the most lightweight and affordable portable dryers on this list. It weighs only 26 pounds and is perfect if you need a fast spin dry. It’s important to note the difference between regular dryers and spin dryers. A spin dryer does not use heat to dry clothes, instead it wrings them dry through rapidly spinning the drum’s contents. Reviewers are consistently impressed how much water this dryer spins out even after months of use. It removes enough water that it makes drying faster and more energy efficient. It’s also a good option for apartments with leases that don’t allow portable washers and dryers.
Reviewers Like
- Fits a good amount of laundry despite the size
- Much better for the environment than standard dryer
- Prevents water from being heated and evaporated in dryer
Reviewers Dislike
- Machine is louder than most other dryers
- It’s very likely to break if you stuff it too full of clothes
8. Ninja Portable Mini Spin Dryer
The best mini portable clothes dryer
Brand: Ninja | Drying Capacity: 22 Pounds | Energy: 3200 RPM | Orientations: Cannot be Stacked or Mounted | Price: 💰💰💰
The mini portable spin dryer that reviewers rave about most is this one from Ninja. It’s designed to be extra quiet, 16x quieter than other spin dryers, and made with a stainless steel basin to prevent corrosion over time. Two handles and an ergonomic design make it easy to move. A high-tech suspension system periodically adjusts clothes to remove as much water as possible and allows for more stable loads. The dryer is designed with components to give it a longer lifespan, ensuring you get your money’s worth. It has a slightly larger basin which allows you to add more clothes and do fewer loads. It’s a reliable spin portable clothes dryer.
Reviewers Like
- Works great on delicates
- Even when used daily, it’s performing without issues
- Allows you to dry clothes without worrying about them shrinking
Reviewers Dislike
- Not intuitive to turn on and use
- Not possible to attach a drain hose
Whether you want to save money on trips to the laundromat or you’re trying to be more eco-friendly with how you dry clothes, a portable dryer might be the solution. They are compact and lightweight, making them great options for almost every space. Choose your next portable dryer from this list and you’ll introduce a game-changing product into your lifestyle.
Our Process
For this guide on the best portable dryers, our team spent 1.5 hours researching the most popular options from over 15 brands and manufacturers big and small. We then read about one hundred and sixty user reviews (both positive and negative) to discover what shoppers thought about each portable dryer. After comparing this data, we narrowed our list down to the top 8 portable dryers on the market. You can count on this research to guide you to a mindful purchasing decision.
If you enjoyed this read, sign up for our newsletter below and get special online shopping deals delivered straight to your inbox.
Further Reading
