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CR Tech testing a clothes dryer
Photo: Scott Meadows/Consumer Reports
Laundry Lab

We test thousands of products in 63 labs at our headquarters.

Data is the basis for almost all the work that Consumer Reports does—ensuring that our state-of-the-art tests and reliability surveys reflect how consumers actually use products.

Inside the labs

CR's lab technicians test every model by drying multiple loads at different settings.

CR's Richard Handel and Mike Sedlak demonstrate how CR tests dryers to see how well they handle clothes without damaging them.

Did you know?

CR staff shoppers buy every product we use as a test sample from retail stores, helping maintain our objectivity and independence.

Meet the Laundry Team

Consumer Reports Senior Test Project Leader, Richard Handel

Richard Handel

Senior Test Project Leader, Laundry & Cleaning

Consumer Reports Assistant Test Project Leader, Michael Sedlak

Mike Sedlak

Assistant Test Project Leader, Lab Operations

Consumer Reports Assistant Test Project Leader, Patrick Severin

Patrick Severin

Assistant Test Project Leader, Lab Operations

Consumer Reports Multimedia Content Creator - Home, Keith Flamer

Keith Flamer

Multimedia Content Creator, Home

Clothes Dryer Testing

We test how well each dryer handles laundry as well as its ease of use

A good dryer dries clothes without damaging them, is easy to use, and is quiet.

Convenience

Convenience

We base a dryer's convenience score on its controls and ergonomics, including how easy it is to load and unload, whether the door clears a typical laundry basket, and how simple it is to access and clean the lint filter.
Noise

Noise

Our panelists judge both the quality and level of noise each dryer makes while drying an average load of laundry.
We test how well each dryer handles laundry as well as its ease of use
Performance

Performance

We time how long it takes to dry each load of laundry using the most appropriate setting. Our lab technicians then set each dryer to a minimum dryness level to find out if clothes come out damp (ideal for ironing) and a maximum level to see if clothes are completely dry in the shortest possible time without being exposed to high temps that can fry fabric.