6 Best Steam Dryers of 2023

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This mid-range dryer from Maytag offers a host of convenient features, straightforward controls, and good, reliable drying performance. Read More

The Maytag MED6630HC features an Extra Power button located in the center of the cycle dial that increases the performance of every drying cycle. Read More

This Whirlpool dryer features a touchscreen panel with an intuitive app that helps you monitor your laundry as well as set your perfect preferences. Read More

The Maytag MEDB955FC boasts a huge 9.2 cu. ft. drum and has a speedy Rapid Dry cycle that gets laundry dry in just 14 minutes. Read More

The LG DLEX7900BE offers plenty of features and has multiple steam cycles, including an Antibacterial cycle. The door is adjustable to make loading wet laundry a breeze. Read More

Updated April 13, 2023

In our humble opinion, steam is one of the best features to have in a dryer.

A dryer with steam cycles can help you to refresh your summer wardrobe at the end of winter, get the wrinkles out of your premium tops and pants for a special dinner, or smooth away creases in a load of freshly washed clothes that sat in the dryer for too long.

Finding a dryer that meets all of your needs and has a steam cycle can be a little challenging, but we’re here to help. Based on research and our in-house lab testing, these are some of the best steam dryers you can get online right now. Our best overall winner is the Maytag MED7230HW, because it offers excellent performance for its price and had no real shortcomings.

If you’re looking for a steam dryer, the Maytag MED7230HW is one of the best options currently available.

This appropriately-priced, mid-range dryer has all the features you want and some you didn't know you needed—like notifying you when it senses its drum needs balancing. It boasts solid drying performance, intuitive controls, and some decent smart features.

Of course, this large capacity dryer also features the standard array of steam options. Users can sanitize their laundry without using temperature settings that would otherwise dry out fabrics, as well as several cycles to remove wrinkles or prevent them from forming after a cycle.

Where the MED7230HW really shines is in its value: It provides significantly better performance and useful features for its purchase price. While there are other steam dryers out there with better raw performance, you’ll have to pay a significant premium for the upgrade.

If you’re looking to buy your first steam dryer, the Maytag MED7230HW is an excellent place to start.

Read our review of the Maytag MED7230HW steam dryer.

Solid drying

Good smart features

Hamper door for easier loading

None that we could find

If you’re searching for a dryer that looks great and does its job well, the Maytag MED6630HC steam dryer should be on your list.

This easy-to-use dryer gets laundry dry relatively quickly. For more stubborn cycles full of bulky items, you can also leverage this dryer's Extra Power option. This feature does increase cycle time by 10 minutes, but also makes sure to get everything completely dry.

This machine includes steam and leverages it in the typical ways—sanitizing and removing wrinkles. But, it also helps reduce static buildup on your newly-dried items. No more shocks after unloading.

Read our review of the Maytag MED6630HC steam dryer.

Features the Extra Power button

Comes in a Metallic Slate finish

Lint trap is not well-aligned

The Whirlpool WED9620HC achieved some impressive test results. Just about every cycle is able to deliver 100% dry laundry, and it does so faster than most other dryers.

Not only does this dryer have the usual array of excellent steam options, like sanitize and wrinkle prevention, it also has a huge drum that can accommodate larger loadsIt also features Whirlpool's intuitive What to Dry / How to Dry system that may be easier to understand than traditional laundry cycles.

While this unit's touchscreen controls may not be for everyone, its smart features and app support are top-notch, allowing users to easily input cycle settings.

Read our review of the Whirlpool WED9620HC steam dryer.

Most cycles are fast and get laundry 100% dry

Door-mounted touchscreen controls

Intuitive App

Need to bend over to read control panel

The Maytag MEDB955FC is an absolutely massive dryer. Providing 9.2 cubic feet of space, this is one of the larger steam dryers we’ve reviewed to date, making it an excellent choice for households looking to wash large loads of laundry.

Its steam options are a bit basic compared to other models we’ve tested, but you can still use it to refresh clothes and rid wrinkles.

When it comes to performance, we were happy overall with the MEDB955FC. Its Rapid Dry cycle finished in just 15 minutes and removed a lot of water in that short time. Other cycles took longer but delivered dry laundry.

Read our review of the Maytag MEDB955FC steam dryer.

Huge 9.2 cu. ft. drum can fit large laundry loads

Metallic slate finish looks high end

Rapid Dry cycle is really speedy—14 minutes

Normal cycle takes an hour and a half

Sensor inaccurate

The LG DLEX7900BE is another steam dryer that's a bit pricy but also delivers the goods in an attractive, sleek package.

For the most part, the DLEX7900BE's drying cycles finished relatively quickly and were more effective than the average dryer. Its steam options are its star feature. However, it also offers an effective sanitize cycle as well as the regular array of anti-wrinkle settings.

The only minor quirk we saw was that some cycles do get hotter than the 150°F threshold that we call the danger zone. Typically dryers shouldn't get hotter than this because it can dry out fabrics, causing preemptive wear and tear damage.

On most cycles, the DLEX7900BE only tip-toed over this line, but prospective buyers should be aware its Normal cycle reached 172°F.

If you have a robust wardrobe and/or clothing allowance, this shouldn't affect you much, but if you want to get the longest lifespan for your laundry, the other dryers on this list may make for a better pick.

Read our review of the LG DLEX7900BE steam dryer.

Adjustable door

Has steam cycles

Normal cycle runs long

Maytag's new Pet Pro laundry washer and dryer, as a pair, are an absolute boon to pet-lovers.

The Maytag Pet Pro MED6500MBK steam dryer outperforms the average dryer both in terms of how dry laundry is after a cycle and how short its cycles are.

In addition to its solid core performance, the MED6500MBK is notable for its Pet Pro features that help remove pesky pet hair from any fabric that's machine washable. This system requires both the washer and dryer to work best: Neither one alone was able to out-perform other washers or dryers when it came to pet hair removal, but working in tandem the results were impressive.

And, of course, its steam features play an important role. As any pet-owner knows, pet bedding has a tendency to pick up smells easily; steam-sanitizing your pet's bedding every so often can help neutralize those unwanted odors.

In all, we like the Pet Pro pair. If you’re looking for both a new washer and steam dryer and have pets of your own, you should definitely consider the Maytag MED6500MBK and MVW6500MBK.

Read our review of the Maytag Pet Pro MED6500MBK steam dryer.

Fast, effective cycles

High capacity

Steam features

The lint trap is so large it's unwieldy

Pet Pro features only shine with paired washer

Steam dryers are just like normal dryers, and they still use hot air to dry clothes. They just also have some additional features that utilize steam and, therefore, require a water hookup.

Steam lets dryers sanitize clothes without drying them out, reduces wrinkles, and can help get rid of particularly stubborn stains.

While steam dryers can function like a normal dryer without a water hookup, you won't be able to use their steam features without one.

Since you're paying extra for its steam features, we wouldn't recommend buying a steam dryer if you're not planning to hook it up to a water source—you can find a normal gas or electric dryer with equivalent performance at a lower price.

Once your steam dryer is hooked up to a water source in your laundry room, you can use all its steam features.

The sanitize cycle utilizes steam to reach temperatures high enough to eliminate most bacteria and viruses. Non-steam clothes dryers typically lack sanitize modes because it requires hitting temperatures near 150°F, which is hot enough to dry out fabric fibers, making it more prone to wear and tear damage. By introducing some moisture via the steam, the dryer is able to hit those temperatures without desiccating your laundry.

The fine mist of steam reduces wrinkles, making your clothes look more fresh and pressed after you wash and dry them.

Yes! Steam options refers to the general suite of steam features on the dryer, while the sanitize cycle is just one of those potential features.

Other potential features include a dedicated steam cycle (where the steam is used to permeate and treat difficult stains), a sanitize cycle (where the steam kills germs), and wrinkle removal and prevention.

Steam dryers don't shrink clothes any more than a normal dryer would. Most dryers get up to around 150°F on non-delicates cycles, and steam dryers are no exception. If you're worried about something shrinking, we advise using the machine's delicates cycle or its built-in temperature settings to ensure temperatures stay low.

We would also recommend avoiding the sanitize cycle on any garment you're worried may shrink, since that feature's sole purpose is hitting temperatures hot enough to kill germs.

While every steam dryer is different, in general they all connect to a water source the same way as a washer might. They have an intake on their back that has threading for a water supply line.

Hi there—we're Reviewed's appliance testing team. We've spent many years testing major appliances, including washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, and robot vacuum cleaners.

We have plenty of experience testing these products in the lab, but we've also used them like normal people would in the course of their daily lives, which means that we have a great sense for what appliances are bargains at their price points, and which appliances have genuinely useful extra features (as opposed to the kitchen-sink approach to features).

With all this in mind, you can feel confident that when we recommend a product, we're giving it our Reviewed stamp of approval, which means two things: firstly, this appliance performs well, and secondly, this appliance is easy to use. We're always reviewing new products, so stay tuned for our reviews and roundups of the latest products in laundry, refrigerators, dishwashers, and vacuum cleaners.

Every dryer that comes into Reviewed's labs gets put through the same testing regime, which addresses both performance and user-friendliness.

Performance tests include:

Drying performance – How much water does each major dryer cycle actually remove from your clothes, and how quickly can it achieve that level of dryness?

Maximum temperature – We record the maximum temperature in each dryer cycle. Some like it hot, but if dryer temperatures get too hot, it could damage your clothes.

Most dryers have capacities ranging from 7.3 to 7.5 cubic feet, enough to deal with the laundry that can fit in most washing machines.

The best dryers completely dry your clothes at a temperature that is hot (140°F-150°F), but not too hot (lest your clothes be scorched or damaged), and have short cycle times.

Beyond these performance tests, we also assess the usability of each dryer, based on our experience, both during testing and during more casual use (one perk of working at Reviewed is that there are plenty of laundry machines on premises!). Our main goal is to discern: How easy is it to actually use this dryer? This involves cumulatively assessing the control panel, the door, the vent, and any smart features.

By combining the performance data with our own observations, we can make solid recommendations for any type of dryer at any price point.

Lily Hartman

Staff Writer, Search

Lily Hartman is a Staff Writer who also enjoys writing magazine articles about health and outdoor recreation. In her free time, she likes to hike, camp, run, and lift weights.

Julia MacDougall

Senior Scientist

Julia is the Senior Scientist at Reviewed, which means that she oversees (and continually updates) the testing of products in Reviewed's core categories such as televisions, washing machines, refrigerators, and more. She also determines the testing methods and standards for Reviewed's "The Best Right Now" articles.

Jonathan Chan

Senior Manager of Lab Operations

Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.

Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.