With the exception of homemade chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven, there’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly dried clothing. It just gives you that warm feeling as soon as you hold a toasty warm sweater up to your face that has just come out of the dryer and sniff the fresh, warm scent of fabric softener and cleanliness. The Insignia 4.4 cubic foot electric dryer is a great and affordable option if you’re looking to upgrade that can work equally well for both small and large families, as well as individuals.
Design of the Insignia electric dryer
The Insignia electric dryer, as noted, features a 4.4 cubic-foot capacity, which is big enough to accommodate a few full loads of clothing or even a large comforter or duvet. Ideally paired with a washing machine that’s about half the capacity (Insignia offers a matching option in the NS-FWM27W1, which you can learn more about in my earlier article) it comes with a stacking kit if you wish to grab both and position them stacked to save space.
Finished in traditional white, it has an LCD conveniently positioned at the top that displays the remaining time for the wash, the selected cycle, and other pertinent information while a knob to its right is surrounded by the 16 different dry cycles from which you can choose. (More on those later).
The drum is made of aluminum and the door can only be positioned one way, opening to the right. This is the typical set-up most people would have anyway, even if the dryer was placed side-by-side with a washer versus stacked.
With 240V and 10 amps, the dryer measures 58.93 cm wide by 84.58 cm high by 64 cm deep (23.2 x 33.3 x 25.2 inches) and weighs about 121 lbs. Along with the stacking kit, it comes with a drain hose and user guide.
Employing a ventless design, this dryer works using a heat pump. It constantly recirculates air through the drum in order to grab moisture from the clothes, then condenses that moisture using a heat exchange. Keep in mind that, because it is ventless, you will have to manually empty the water reservoir along with typical dryer maintenance, like emptying the lint trap.
There is a vent kit you can buy separately, and you will also need to buy an electric cord. The exhaust vent is at the rear of the machine.
A cycle for drying just about anything
I love that this dryer has a cycle for drying just about everything. The selector knob is surrounded by the 16 aforementioned dry cycles, including 12 sensor dry functions and four manual. The dozen sensor dry options include normal, delicates, heavy duty, bulky, quick dry, my cycle, sanitize, jeans, permanent press, mixed load, active wear, and towels while the four manual ones are wool, air fresh, time dry, and refresh. The jeans option is a great one for those who wear a lot of jeans and don’t like to leave them hanging to dry, especially if you live in Canada where the winter months making hang-drying outdoors on a line virtually impossible for much of the year. This prevents you from spending a fortune on a designer pair only to have them shrink in the dryer. The refresh cycle is also great if you just need a quick refresh of an item you need in a pinch (e.g. a kid’s uniform) and quick dry is a time-saver when you need to get going quickly to make that meeting at the office or a workout class at the gym.
The dryer also features five temperature levels so you can not only select the cycle you want but also adjust the temperature based on whether you want the clothing to come out steamy hot or prefer them to still be a bit wet so you can air dry for the last bit.
A neat feature is the Damp Alert, which will let you know if the clothes aren’t quite ready yet, as well as a damp dry signal that will advise if the clothes are the perfect condition for ironing. Indeed, this dryer does not have a steam cycle like some of the more premium, and much more expensive, models.
There’s also a delay start feature, which is handy if you’re looking to either reduce electricity costs based on time-of-use discounts from your local provider. Or, you might use it to have the dry cycle commence only once your kids are asleep to avoid waking them, which is particularly useful if the laundry area is on the upper level of the home close to the bedrooms. Speaking of kids, there’s also a child lock to prevent a toddler or curious child from opening the door.
Those who are conscious about the environment will also appreciate that this dryer is Energy Star certified, which means it consumes less energy than models that don’t meet certification requirements. This not only helps save the environment but can also contribute to a reduction in electricity bills since it runs more efficiently.
Other features worth noting about the Insignia electric dryer
One thing worth noting about this dryer, and all major appliances from Best Buy, is that you get a delivery and a concierge call from an Appliance Delivery Specialist within 24 hours of your purchase. The purpose is to help you through the process and determining if there are other accessories you might need to get set up. They will also confirm or help you change your delivery appointment. At this point, you can also discuss options for installation and/or recycling of your old appliance if you wish for this to be handled as well.
Should you get the Insignia electric dryer?
Best Buy shoppers who have already purchased this electric dryer give it a solid 4.8-star rating, ranking it “excellent” on quality, value, and ease of use. One customer even says it’s a “joy” to use, noting that needing to empty the collection of water is only a minor maintenance step. Another says it dries clothes quickly and efficiently, while another, still, confirms that it’s quiet while running. While one owner recommends this dryer for smaller families or couples, check the size for your space and consider your family’s needs to decide if it’s best for you.
The fact that this dryer comes with a stacking kit and has a perfect matching partner in the Insignia 2.7 cubic-foot high efficiency compact front load washer means it’s perfect to get as a set. But if you’re just looking to replace an old dryer with a new model that will work well and is affordable, this is a great option. It runs efficiently, has tons of modes to suit any type of drying need, and, if you want to use a vent kit, you can purchase one separately, too.
Check out the Insignia 4.4-cubic-foot electric dryer at Best Buy Online. Â
