Best Gas Clothes Dryers of 2026, Tested by Experts

Unlike electric dryers, which use electricity to generate heat for drying 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 also require a gas supply line and a vent to exhaust combustion gases outside the home. 

Major brands, including 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 choosing a gas dryer, make sure your laundry area has a working gas line and a 120-volt outlet. If not, you will need to install those. 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—gas or electric—when purchasing a new dryer.

On average, gas dryers cost $50 to $150 more than electric dryers. But because gas dryers cost less to operate (gas is usually less expensive than electricity), they will save enough money in the long term to easily recoup that initial premium. 

“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.

In our ratings, gas dryers range from about $530 to $2,300, with many high-performing models available for under $1,000. For example, you can find a very good GE Profile gas dryer for less than $900 that gets the same Overall Score as a $2,300 Speed Queen.

Our tests show that gas dryers and electric dryers are comparable in performance, reliability, size, noise, convenience, and design. Eighty-seven percent of the gas dryers in our ratings have an excellent or very good Overall Score compared with 81 percent for 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.

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 operational differences between the gas and electric versions of the same model were significant enough to warrant testing both. As a result, you’ll now find nearly 40 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 combine our test results with data on predicted reliability and owner satisfaction from our member surveys into a single 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. Additionally, we measure the energy a dryer uses to calculate its annual operating cost.
• We assess the convenience of each machine by evaluating its controls and ergonomics during the loading and unloading of laundry. Our panelists also rate the dryer’s noise level during the drying of an average-sized load.

LG dominates the top nine 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, providing consumers with several choices. But dryers from other brands can also do the job. Below are some of the top gas dryers from our ratings.