Best Gas Clothes Dryers of 2025 - Consumer Reports (2025)

If your home has a gas clothes dryer, you’re in the minority. Electric models dominate the category, with an 81 percent market share, according to OpenBrand, a market research conglomerate that tracks appliance sales and trends.

But despite their small share of the market, gas dryers fill a regional and economic niche that can’t be blown off like lint. They’re still in demand, and major appliance brands are unlikely to abandon them anytime soon, despite zero-emissions policies proposed in California and elsewhere that would ban the installation of gas-fueled appliances like ranges, furnaces, water heaters, and clothes dryers, usually in new construction.

In this article

  • The Lowdown on Gas Dryers
  • How Much Do Gas Dryers Cost?
  • Are Gas Clothes Dryers Better Than Electric?
  • How CR Tests Clothes Dryers
  • Best Gas Clothes Dryers

Gas dryers represent 21 percent of the dryer market in the Northeast, 25 percent in the Midwest, 21 percent in the South, and 33 percent in the West, according to OpenBrand’s consumer-reported survey. Gas dryer demand on coasts is typically higher, considering states like Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, and Rhode Island pay some of the highest rates for electricity in the U.S. Depending on where you live, a gas dryer may be a more economical choice.

"Gas remains a cost-effective heating source in regions where rates for electricity are higher," says Jordan Carter, home appliance analyst at OpenBrand. "For that reason, it’s not surprising to see gas dryers gaining traction in the West and parts of the Northeast and Midwest. However, in the South, where the climate is warmer and natural gas infrastructure is less prevalent, the appeal of gas dryers remains limited."

Whether gas or electric, dryer efficiency will improve overall in 2028, when new Department of Energy standards are scheduled to take effect.

The Lowdown on Gas Dryers

Unlike electric dryers, which use electricity to produce the heat that dries clothes, gas dryers burn natural gas or propane to produce heat, and use electricity only to power the drum, fan, lights, and controls. Because they require less electrical power, they can be plugged into a 120-volt outlet, rather than the 240-volt outlet that most electric dryers require. But gas dryers do require a gas supply line as well as a vent to exhaust combustion gases outside the home.

Major brands like GE, LG, Maytag, Samsung, and Whirlpool offer both gas and electric dryers. LG and Samsung are market leaders for gas dryers, according to OpenBrand. Before you choose a gas dryer, make sure your laundry area has both a working gas line and a 120-volt outlet available. If not, you will need to have these installed. As always, measure the space you have for your new dryer and your doorways to ensure easy delivery and installation. Perhaps for obvious reasons, most people keep their current hookup—be it gas or electric—when purchasing a new dryer.

How Much Do Gas Dryers Cost?

On average, gas dryers cost $50 to $150 more than electric dryers. But because they cost less to operate (gas is typically less expensive than electricity), a gas dryer will save enough money long-term to easily make up for the initial cost.

“When you look at the national averages for electricity and natural gas, electricity is over three times more expensive,” says Frank Spinelli, associate director of appliance testing at Consumer Reports. “It really matters what the prices are for each fuel, and then you can evaluate which is best for you,” depending on where you live, Spinelli says.

In our ratings, gas dryers range from about $500 to $2,300, with plenty of high-performing models at less than $1,000. For example, you can find an excellent LG gas dryer for $600, and a very good Samsung for $650 with slightly larger capacity than a $2,300 Speed Queen. You can save even more buying a decent Insignia for $550 or an Element gas dryer priced as low as $520.

Are Gas Clothes Dryers Better Than Electric?

Our tests show that gas dryers and electric dryers are comparable in performance, reliability, size, noise, convenience, and design. Nearly 85 percent of the gas dryers in our ratings have an excellent or very good Overall Score, just like electric models.

Which one is best for your home—and budget—comes down to the cost of electricity vs. the cost of gas in your area, and which type your laundry room is equipped to accommodate.

How CR Tests Clothes Dryers

Previously, CR had considered the gas version of dryer models we tested to be similar to the electric versions. But as our testing and ratings methods have evolved, we found that the differences in operation between the gas and electric versions of the same model were significant enough to warrant testing both.As a result, you’ll now find more than 50 gas dryers in our ratings, each assessed for drying performance, noise, and convenience, just like their electric counterparts.

We test both gas and electric dryers by running loads of laundry of varied weights and fabrics. To help you choose the best dryer for your home and budget, we incorporate lab test results, predicted reliability, and owner satisfaction into one Overall Score for each dryer. Our rigorous lab tests include the following steps:

  • We time how long it takes to dry each load using the most appropriate setting—the minimum setting to see whether clothes come out damp and the maximum setting to see whether the dryer can dry laundry in the shortest possible time without overdrying it. If the dryer has a moisture sensor, we assess its effectiveness—whether it stops within 5 minutes of a fully dry load or keeps running up to 40 minutes.
  • We assess how convenient each machine is to operate, evaluating the controls and ergonomics when loading and unloading laundry. Our panelists also judge the dryer’s noise level as it dries an average-sized load.

Best Gas Clothes Dryers From CR’s Tests

LG dominates the top 13 slots of our gas dryer ratings. That’s primarily because of the brand’s reliability, energy efficiency, and performance in our comprehensive tests. The brand also offers a variety of machines, price ranges, and features, which give consumers many choices. But dryers from other brands can get the job done, too. Below are some of the top gas dryers from our ratings.

Keith Flamer

Keith Flamer has been a multimedia content creator at Consumer Reports since 2021, covering laundry, cleaning, small appliances, and home trends. Fascinated by interior design, architecture, technology, and all things mechanical, he translates CR’s testing engineers’ work into content that helps readers live better, smarter lives. Prior to CR, Keith covered luxury accessories and real estate, most recently at Forbes, with a focus on residential homes, interior design, home security, and pop culture trends.

Best Gas Clothes Dryers of 2025 - Consumer Reports (2025)
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