Verdict
Just about the most flexible tumble dryer that I’ve reviewed, the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 is high customisable, with each cycle having a choice of drying levels, heat outputs and even fan speeds. That makes this tumble better suited to a wider range of clothes, from thick fabrics to the most delicate items. This is a brilliant high-end tumble dryer with low running costs and an app that makes it easy to schedule a drying cycle for when electricity is cheap.
Pros
- Extensive drying control
- Low running costs
- Eco schedule helps ruduce running costs further
Cons
- App has confusing icon usage
-
CapacityThis tumble dryer can take 9kg of wet clothes, which is more than enough for a standard load of washing. -
Smart appControllable through the hOn app.
Introduction
Most tumble dryers are relatively basic in operation: throw wet clothes in, pick the matching cycle and dryness level and let the machine go to work. With the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1, you get a more custom experience.
Sure, it can operate just like any other tumble dryer, but the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 also has customisable fan speeds, drying temperatures and a smart app that can help you save money by scheduling drying for when it’s cheaper.
Design and Features
- Works with the hOn app
- Highly customisable cycles
- Rack adds flexibility
There’s no getting away from the fact that the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 is an expensive tumble dryer. Fortunately, it looks the part, with a rugged exterior and neat black control strip that runs across the front. It justifies its cost with the widest range of cycle options I have seen on a tumble dryer.
This is a 9kg tumble dryer, which is about as big as you can buy in the UK. At this size, the machine can easily take a standard load of washing or larger items, such as duvets. The door opens wide to give easy access to the drum, and the door is reversible should you want it to open in the opposite direction.
As with most tumble dryers, there’s a large tank that holds water that has to be emptied at the end of a cycle; alternatively, the tumble dryer can be plumbed into your standard drainage system.
Underneath the door are the filters. The main lint filter lifts out, and can be wiped down easily.
Behind this is the secondary filter, which magnetically attaches back in place. It’s easy to remove and clean, and is easier to access than the filters of most machines, which sit behind a panel at the bottom. Only the Whirlpool W6 D94WR UK is easier to deal with, as it automatically cleans its second filter.
Once powered on, the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 defaults to the Eco mode, which is likely to be the main mode that you want. However, it also offers a wide range of modes, including Cotton, Synthetics, Delicate, Wool, Duvey, Shirt and the Smart AI mode, which detects the load type and selects the best options.
In addition to the mode, the control panel has several options, with an option to select the target level for drying: extra dry, cupboard dry, ready to wear and ready to iron.
There’s then a choice of temperatures to select from: high, medium, low and cool. These affect how long it takes the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 to dry your clothes, and let me customise a cycle based on the clothes that I was drying, with lower heats suitable for more delicate items.
Haier also allows the fan speed to be adjusted via the Flexy Air feature. Again, lower speeds are designed for more delicate items, helping prevent wrinkles, and higher speeds for more items made of thicker material.
Many tumble dryers offer a refresh cycle, using warm air, but the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 has an i-Refresh Pro mode, which uses the ultrasonic atomization module to create micro vapour that removes odours and reduces wrinkles. It’s a more delicate option than using a steam cycle, and clothes come out fresh and ready-to-wear.
The required module attaches magentically to the top of the drum, and should be filled with purified water. It doesn’t use much water per cycle, so it’s not expensive to keep this topped up.
The drum, with its pillow-shaped pads, will protect your clothing. The drum changes direction every four minutes to prevent items from getting tangled. However, if you have items that shouldn’t be tumble dried, there’s also a clip-in rack, which can be used with delicate jumpers or other items, such as trainers. That’s neat, as it adds versatility.
All of these features can get complicated, but favourite cycles can be added to the control panel and quickly recalled. Perhaps even better than that, the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 is compatible with the hOn app, which is used across all Haier brands, including Hoover and Candy.
The app gives access to a wide range of drying cycles, but has additional information about what they do. That makes the app better than the manual in most cases, as you can see what a cycle or selected option is supposed to do, and then make the right choice for your clothes.
There’s one minor issue, though. The product’s main screen shows an icon for a coat hanger for the ‘Ready to wear’ target dry level; tap the option to change this, and the ‘Ready to wear’ icon is a wardrobe and the ‘Cupboard’ option is a coat hanger.
It’s a touch confusing, and Haier would have been better using the standard conventions, which the selected icons seem to allude to: hanging dry for items that will hang up and be aired, and cupboard dry for items that are ready to fold and put away.
A neat extra in the app is the Eco scheduling, which is available on all appliances that use the hOn app, including the entry-level Candy CF 57CF0W dishwasher. If you’re on a time-of-use tariff, you can tell the app when your electricity is cheapest, and then hOn will help you schedule your tumble drying for then. That can save a lot of money over using standard-priced electricity.
Performance
- Low running costs
- Dries brilliantly
- Refresh helps breath life back into clothes
I tested the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 with a variety of cycles to see how well it dried and how much it would cost to run. Overall, the machine lived up to it’s A+++ energy rating, which makes it one of the cheapest tumble dryers to run.
First, I went for the equivalent of the Cupboard dry option, with my standard load of washing fresh from a standard Eco 40-60 cleaning cycle. Here, I found that the Hisense DH5S102BW cost 26p for the cycle, and it removed 101.67% of moisture from my clothes. That means some fibres were lost to the drying process, but only a few; based on this result, I wouldn’t use the Extra dry feature, as my clothes were already completely dried at this point.
Moving to Ready to Wear, I found that the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 cost 20p for the cycle, removing 99.17% of water. That’s an excellent result, as the clothes feel touch-dry and ready to go. Again, that compares brilliantly with the competition, and I’d say that the Ready to Wear cycle compares with other machine’s Cupboard dry cost.
For example, the Whirlpool W6 D94WR UK costs 19p to run its Cupboard Dry cycle, but leaves clothes a touch wetter, removing 97.66% of moisture; and the Hisense DH5S102BW cost 22p to run and removes a similar 99.18% of water. In other words, to get your clothes dry to the same point, the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 is cheaper to run.
Using i-Refresh Pro on some musty-smelling shirts, I found that the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 cost just 8p for the cycle, and my shirts came out fresh and ready to go. In comparison, a normal tumble dryer’s refresh cycle will cost around 1p to run, but as they use a bit of warm air only, the effect isn’t as pronounced and odour removal not as accomplished.
Using the AI mode, I found similar results to the Ready to Wear Eco mode, with a cycle cost of 22p. Using the more intensive Cotton dry mode, running costs increased to 28p for the cycle, in exchange for faster drying times.
Dropping the heat and fan speed settings increased the cycle time, but running costs remained consistent.
Of course, schedule this tumble dryer for a time when electricity is cheaper, and all of these running costs will come down.
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
You want full customisation and flexibility
Low running costs combined with highly customisable drying cycles make this one of the most flexible tumble dryers.
You want something cheaper
This is one of the most expensive tumble dryers, and those with more basic needs can find cheaper options.
Final Thoughts
Efficient and powerful, the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 is capable of drying clothes with a high degree of precision. But, it’s real genius lies in how customisable its cycles are.
With a choice of fan speeds, heat options and target drying levels, this is a tumble dryer that can be tweaked to match the types of clothes you have, while the i-Refresh Pro mode adds an extra feature that I’ve not seen on tumble dryer before.
For those with expensive clothes or that just want to take better care of their garments, this is an excellent tumble dryer. If you’re on a tighter budget, you get similar running costs elsewhere only with less customisation: check out my guide to the best tumble dryers for more.
How we test
Unlike other sites, we test every tumble dryer we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
We test compatibility with the main smart systems (HomeKit, Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings, IFTTT and more) to see how easy each machine is to remote control. Smart tumble dryers only
We test with the same sets of clothes for each machine, run through a cycle on our test washing machine, so we can compare energy costs and drying performance between tumble dryers
FAQs
Yes, this tumble dryer is compatible with the hOn app, which gives remote control and additional features, such as the Eco scheduling tool.
Verdict
Just about the most flexible tumble dryer that I’ve reviewed, the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 is high customisable, with each cycle having a choice of drying levels, heat outputs and even fan speeds. That makes this tumble better suited to a wider range of clothes, from thick fabrics to the most delicate items. This is a brilliant high-end tumble dryer with low running costs and an app that makes it easy to schedule a drying cycle for when electricity is cheap.
Pros
- Extensive drying control
- Low running costs
- Eco schedule helps ruduce running costs further
Cons
- App has confusing icon usage
-
CapacityThis tumble dryer can take 9kg of wet clothes, which is more than enough for a standard load of washing. -
Smart appControllable through the hOn app.
Introduction
Most tumble dryers are relatively basic in operation: throw wet clothes in, pick the matching cycle and dryness level and let the machine go to work. With the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1, you get a more custom experience.
Sure, it can operate just like any other tumble dryer, but the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 also has customisable fan speeds, drying temperatures and a smart app that can help you save money by scheduling drying for when it’s cheaper.
Design and Features
- Works with the hOn app
- Highly customisable cycles
- Rack adds flexibility
There’s no getting away from the fact that the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 is an expensive tumble dryer. Fortunately, it looks the part, with a rugged exterior and neat black control strip that runs across the front. It justifies its cost with the widest range of cycle options I have seen on a tumble dryer.
This is a 9kg tumble dryer, which is about as big as you can buy in the UK. At this size, the machine can easily take a standard load of washing or larger items, such as duvets. The door opens wide to give easy access to the drum, and the door is reversible should you want it to open in the opposite direction.
As with most tumble dryers, there’s a large tank that holds water that has to be emptied at the end of a cycle; alternatively, the tumble dryer can be plumbed into your standard drainage system.
Underneath the door are the filters. The main lint filter lifts out, and can be wiped down easily.
Behind this is the secondary filter, which magnetically attaches back in place. It’s easy to remove and clean, and is easier to access than the filters of most machines, which sit behind a panel at the bottom. Only the Whirlpool W6 D94WR UK is easier to deal with, as it automatically cleans its second filter.
Once powered on, the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 defaults to the Eco mode, which is likely to be the main mode that you want. However, it also offers a wide range of modes, including Cotton, Synthetics, Delicate, Wool, Duvey, Shirt and the Smart AI mode, which detects the load type and selects the best options.
In addition to the mode, the control panel has several options, with an option to select the target level for drying: extra dry, cupboard dry, ready to wear and ready to iron.
There’s then a choice of temperatures to select from: high, medium, low and cool. These affect how long it takes the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 to dry your clothes, and let me customise a cycle based on the clothes that I was drying, with lower heats suitable for more delicate items.
Haier also allows the fan speed to be adjusted via the Flexy Air feature. Again, lower speeds are designed for more delicate items, helping prevent wrinkles, and higher speeds for more items made of thicker material.
Many tumble dryers offer a refresh cycle, using warm air, but the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 has an i-Refresh Pro mode, which uses the ultrasonic atomization module to create micro vapour that removes odours and reduces wrinkles. It’s a more delicate option than using a steam cycle, and clothes come out fresh and ready-to-wear.
The required module attaches magentically to the top of the drum, and should be filled with purified water. It doesn’t use much water per cycle, so it’s not expensive to keep this topped up.
The drum, with its pillow-shaped pads, will protect your clothing. The drum changes direction every four minutes to prevent items from getting tangled. However, if you have items that shouldn’t be tumble dried, there’s also a clip-in rack, which can be used with delicate jumpers or other items, such as trainers. That’s neat, as it adds versatility.
All of these features can get complicated, but favourite cycles can be added to the control panel and quickly recalled. Perhaps even better than that, the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 is compatible with the hOn app, which is used across all Haier brands, including Hoover and Candy.
The app gives access to a wide range of drying cycles, but has additional information about what they do. That makes the app better than the manual in most cases, as you can see what a cycle or selected option is supposed to do, and then make the right choice for your clothes.
There’s one minor issue, though. The product’s main screen shows an icon for a coat hanger for the ‘Ready to wear’ target dry level; tap the option to change this, and the ‘Ready to wear’ icon is a wardrobe and the ‘Cupboard’ option is a coat hanger.
It’s a touch confusing, and Haier would have been better using the standard conventions, which the selected icons seem to allude to: hanging dry for items that will hang up and be aired, and cupboard dry for items that are ready to fold and put away.
A neat extra in the app is the Eco scheduling, which is available on all appliances that use the hOn app, including the entry-level Candy CF 57CF0W dishwasher. If you’re on a time-of-use tariff, you can tell the app when your electricity is cheapest, and then hOn will help you schedule your tumble drying for then. That can save a lot of money over using standard-priced electricity.
Performance
- Low running costs
- Dries brilliantly
- Refresh helps breath life back into clothes
I tested the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 with a variety of cycles to see how well it dried and how much it would cost to run. Overall, the machine lived up to it’s A+++ energy rating, which makes it one of the cheapest tumble dryers to run.
First, I went for the equivalent of the Cupboard dry option, with my standard load of washing fresh from a standard Eco 40-60 cleaning cycle. Here, I found that the Hisense DH5S102BW cost 26p for the cycle, and it removed 101.67% of moisture from my clothes. That means some fibres were lost to the drying process, but only a few; based on this result, I wouldn’t use the Extra dry feature, as my clothes were already completely dried at this point.
Moving to Ready to Wear, I found that the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 cost 20p for the cycle, removing 99.17% of water. That’s an excellent result, as the clothes feel touch-dry and ready to go. Again, that compares brilliantly with the competition, and I’d say that the Ready to Wear cycle compares with other machine’s Cupboard dry cost.
For example, the Whirlpool W6 D94WR UK costs 19p to run its Cupboard Dry cycle, but leaves clothes a touch wetter, removing 97.66% of moisture; and the Hisense DH5S102BW cost 22p to run and removes a similar 99.18% of water. In other words, to get your clothes dry to the same point, the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 is cheaper to run.
Using i-Refresh Pro on some musty-smelling shirts, I found that the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 cost just 8p for the cycle, and my shirts came out fresh and ready to go. In comparison, a normal tumble dryer’s refresh cycle will cost around 1p to run, but as they use a bit of warm air only, the effect isn’t as pronounced and odour removal not as accomplished.
Using the AI mode, I found similar results to the Ready to Wear Eco mode, with a cycle cost of 22p. Using the more intensive Cotton dry mode, running costs increased to 28p for the cycle, in exchange for faster drying times.
Dropping the heat and fan speed settings increased the cycle time, but running costs remained consistent.
Of course, schedule this tumble dryer for a time when electricity is cheaper, and all of these running costs will come down.
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
You want full customisation and flexibility
Low running costs combined with highly customisable drying cycles make this one of the most flexible tumble dryers.
You want something cheaper
This is one of the most expensive tumble dryers, and those with more basic needs can find cheaper options.
Final Thoughts
Efficient and powerful, the Haier HD90-A3Q397U1 is capable of drying clothes with a high degree of precision. But, it’s real genius lies in how customisable its cycles are.
With a choice of fan speeds, heat options and target drying levels, this is a tumble dryer that can be tweaked to match the types of clothes you have, while the i-Refresh Pro mode adds an extra feature that I’ve not seen on tumble dryer before.
For those with expensive clothes or that just want to take better care of their garments, this is an excellent tumble dryer. If you’re on a tighter budget, you get similar running costs elsewhere only with less customisation: check out my guide to the best tumble dryers for more.
How we test
Unlike other sites, we test every tumble dryer we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
We test compatibility with the main smart systems (HomeKit, Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings, IFTTT and more) to see how easy each machine is to remote control. Smart tumble dryers only
We test with the same sets of clothes for each machine, run through a cycle on our test washing machine, so we can compare energy costs and drying performance between tumble dryers
FAQs
Yes, this tumble dryer is compatible with the hOn app, which gives remote control and additional features, such as the Eco scheduling tool.
