Yearly review, first published 01/01/2022
Last updated 15/05/2024
What are the best hand dryers in 2024?
The "best" depends on the requirements of your facilities. But we have a ‘best’ hand dryer for every need at HDUK.
What's your main focus?
- Energy efficiency or speed of dry?
- Low noise?
- Fast drying that stands up to the rigors of an Airport?
- A low cost, fast drying hand dryer that will give years of service in a low traffic small office?
We’ll be discussing the "best" hand dryer in a number of these categories.
We’d love to help you pick the right product.
We’ve been the experts on hand dryers for over 20 years. Give us a call on 0114 322 3663, contact us here or speak to us live using the chat box at the bottom of the screen.
Related article:
The best hand dryers to buy in 2024 include:
1. Dryflow Bulletdri
The best all-rounder, it really does have everything you need
Dry time: 10 - 15 seconds
Price: from £174 ex VAT
Everything you need from a hand dryer, it ticks every box.
Fast drying ✔ Up to 7 years guarantee ✔ Slim ✔ Long-life ✔ Vandal proof ✔ Eco ✔ Carbon Neutral ✔ Warm air setting ✔ Low noise ✔ Stainless Steel cover ✔ Suitable for schools ✔ Black finish option ✔ HEPA Filter ✔
2500 - 2727 dries possible per £1 spent on electricity^ (motor type dependent) compared to 143 dries per £1 spent on paper towels^^
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2. Dyson 9kJ HU03
The best for contemporary hand dryer design
Dry time: 10 - 15 seconds
Price: £999 ex VAT (currently on sale for £799 ex VAT)
Product summary
Best for.... Speed of dry; Energy efficiency (click to view more)
- Exceptional dry times
- Low energy
- Low noise - Quiet Mark Approved
- Stainless Steel cover
- 10cm depth
- 2307 dries possible per £1 spent on electricity^ compared to 143 dries per £1 spent on paper towels^^
- Guarantee: 5 years
- Suitable for heavy use
The best if you want the most popular model
Dry time: 10 - 15 seconds
Price: £769.99 ex VAT (currently on sale for £599 ex VAT)
Product summary
Best for.... Speed of dry with low noise; Energy efficiency; Enhanced hygiene (click to view more)
- Very popular model
- Rapid drying
- Low noise - Quiet Mark approved
- Compact with 10cm depth
- Easy to install plug-in system
- HEPA Filter & NSF approved
- 1500 dries possible per £1 spent on electricity^ compared to 143 dries per £1 spent on paper towels^^
- Guarantee: 5 years
- Suitable for heavy use
The best if you want a competitively priced alternative to the most popular model with 10 years guarantee
Dry time: 10 - 15 seconds
Price: £449.90 ex VAT (currently on sale for £339.90 ex VAT)
Product summary
Best for.... Speed of dry with low noise; Energy efficiency; Enhanced hygiene (click to view more)
- Beautifully designed with world class specification
- Rapid drying
- Low noise
- Compact with 10cm depth
- Hot air on/off switch
- Easy to install plug-in system
- HEPA Filter
- 2571 dries possible per £1 spent on electricity^ compared to 143 dries per £1 spent on paper towels^^
- Guarantee: 10 years
- Suitable for heavy use
The best for low noise fast drying
Dry time: 10 - 15 seconds
Price: £449 ex VAT (currently on sale from £323 ex VAT)
Product summary
Best for.... Speed of dry with low noise; Reliability; Energy efficiency; Enhanced hygiene (click to view more)
- Mitsubishi quality & efficiency throughout
- Exceptional drying speed
- Very quiet
- Long life motor
- Antibacterial resin injected & NSF approved
- 2739 dries possible per £1 spent on electricity^ compared to 143 dries per £1 spent on paper towels^^
- Guarantee: 8 years
- Suitable for heavy use
The best if you want a simple, very quick install from a low cost, high performing dryer
Dry time: 10 - 15 seconds
Price: £114.90 ex VAT
Product summary
Best for.... Being an installers hand dryer of choice (click to view more)
- Very quick to install
- Super energy efficent
- Fast drying
- Compact with 10cm depth
- Low noise
- Low running cost
- Filtered air
- 3750 dries possible per £1 spent on electricity^ compared to 143 dries per £1 spent on paper towels^^
- Guarantee: 3 years
The best for low noise at low price
Dry time: 10 - 15 seconds
Price: £189.90 ex VAT
Product summary
Best for.... Low noise at low price; Energy efficiency (click to view more)
- Fast drying
- One of the quietest hand dryers in its class
- Provides extra freshness to the washroom with a built-in ioniser
- Eco
- 3000 dries possible per £1 spent on electricity^ compared to 143 dries per £1 spent on paper towels^^
- Guarantee: 5 years
The best for low noise drying with extremely long life
Dry time: 16 - 20 seconds
Price: £399.90 ex VAT (currently on sale from £343.90 ex VAT)
Product summary
Best for.... Low Noise but good performing; Longest life; Compact / Small size (click to view more)
- Lower energy use than the original Elite
- Low noise
- Motor life 10-20 times longer than other high traffic units
- Slimline
- 1058 dries possible per £1 spent on electricity^ compared to 143 dries per £1 spent on paper towels^^
- Guarantee: 7 years
- Suitable for extreme heavy use
The best for fast drying at low price
Dry time: 10 - 15 seconds
Price: £167.90 ex VAT (currently on sale from £109.90 ex VAT)
Product summary
Best for.... Speed of dry (click to view more)
- Fast drying
- Powerful airflow
- Low yearly running cost
- Robust & vandal resistant
- Stainless Steel cover
- Guarantee: 5 years
The best for no-frills fast drying
Dry time: 10 - 15 seconds
Price: £399.90 ex VAT (currently on sale from £282.55 ex VAT)
Product summary
Best for.... Speed of dry (click to view more)
- No frills, just exceptionally quick drying
- Popular throughout the UK
- Suitable for major daily use
- Stainless Steel cover
- Outstanding motor life
- Guarantee: 7 years
11. Warner Howard Airstream Pure
The best for fast drying through filtered air
Dry time: 10 - 15 seconds
Price: from £685.00 ex VAT (currently on sale from £447 ex VAT)
Product summary
Best for.... Speed of dry; Enhanced hygiene (click to view more)
- Fast drying
- Low energy
- 2 x HEPA 13 filters
- NSF accreditation
- 1435 dries possible per £1 spent on electricity^ compared to 143 dries per £1 spent on paper towels^^
- Guarantee: 3 years
- Suitable for heavy use
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The best for long guarantee, fast drying & plug-in install
Dry time: 10 - 15 seconds
Price: From £489 ex VAT
Product summary
Best for.... Speed of dry; Energy efficiency; Long guarantee (click to view more)
- Fastest drying
- Exceptional guarantee length
- Robust & made for high use
- Advanced technology
- Plug in system for easy install
- 4800 dries possible per £1 spent on electricity^ compared to 143 dries per £1 spent on paper towels^^
- Guarantee: 20 years
- Suitable for heavy use
The best for when size and value matter
Dry time: 10 - 15 seconds
Price: £99.90 ex VAT (currently on sale for £89.90 ex VAT)
Product summary
Best for.... Compact / Small size; Entry level (click to view more)
- Fast drying
- Small
- Slim (ADA compliant)
- Robust
- Low yearly running cost
- Stainless Steel cover
- 2500 dries possible per £1 spent on electricity^ compared to 143 dries per £1 spent on paper towels^^
- Guarantee: 3 years
The best blade style hand drying at low price
Dry time: 10 - 15 seconds
Price: £299.90 ex VAT (currently on sale from £269.90 ex VAT)
Product summary
Best for.... Speed of dry; Enhanced hygiene (click to view more)
- Fast drying
- Advanced hygiene technology
- Low running costs
- Low noise
- Eco friendly
- Superb value
- 1090 dries possible per £1 spent on electricity^ compared to 143 dries per £1 spent on paper towels^^
- Guarantee: 3 years
The best blade style alternative to the Dyson AB14
Dry time: 10 - 15 seconds
Price: £699 ex VAT (currently on sale from £498 ex VAT)
Product summary
Best for.... Speed of dry with low noise; Reliability; Energy efficiency; Enhanced hygiene (click to view more)
- Mitsubishi quality & efficiency throughout
- Exceptional drying speed
- Super reliable
- Very quiet
- Long life brushless motor
- Antibacterial resin injected & NSF approved
- 2272 dries possible per £1 spent on electricity^ compared to 143 dries per £1 spent on paper towels^^
- Guarantee: 8 years
- Suitable for heavy use
The best stainless steel blade style alternative to the Dyson AB14
Dry time: 10 - 15 seconds
Price: £579 ex VAT (currently on sale from £499 ex VAT)
Product summary
Best for.... Speed of dry; Energy efficiency; Enhanced hygiene (click to view more)
- Very fast drying
- Stylish; Modern stainless steel exterior
- Cost saving technology
- Long life motor
- Eco
- Advanced hygiene
- 1875 dries possible per £1 spent on electricity^ compared to 143 dries per £1 spent on paper towels^^
- Guarantee: 7 years
- Suitable for heavy use
The best "all in one" hand washing and drying solution
Dry time: 10 - 15 seconds
Price: from £1,254 ex VAT (currently on sale from £999 ex VAT)
Product summary
Best for.... Speed of dry; All-in-one automatic soap, water and hand dryer solution (click to view more)
- Also available in a wall mounted option
- Cutting edge "over the sink" technology
- Work together as one highly efficient system or can be bought separately
- Engineered with aesthetics and performance in mind
- Fast drying hand dryer
- Easily refillable automatic soap dispenser
- High quality water sensor tap
- 2857 dries possible per £1 spent on electricity^ compared to 143 dries per £1 spent on paper towels^^
- Guarantee: 3 years
- Suitable for heavy use
(*all prices are ex VAT and correct at time and date of post but are subject to change)
^Based on £0.20 per kWh. ^^Based on average 143 paper towels per £1 spent, using 1 paper towel per dry.
Further information and Alternative Hand Dryer Options
Speed of dry
In our experience, there are only a few hand dryers on the market that truly come under the label of high speed hand dryer.
The new Dyson Airblade 9kj has taken over the crown from the now discontinued Dyson Airblade AB14, with a 10 second dry time.
You’ve also got the Mitsubishi Jet Towel Wave i01 in the blade "hands in" category that are very close behind with an impressive 11-second dry time. These units are also some of the quietest hand dryers available and have an easily serviceable water collection system, which means no pesky water marks on walls or spillages on floors.
The Jet Towel Slim along with the Mitsubishi Jet Towel Smart, the "Hands under" Mitsubishi offering which also boasts an 11 seconds dry time has tremendous reliability, which is shown in the fact we’ve had a 0% return rate in 7 years
Three others in this category to look at are certainly the Turboforce, Mediclinics Machflow Plus and Dyson Airblade V HU02 which produce a dry time of 12 seconds. We’ll talk about the Dyson Airblade V HU02 more in the sections below as it has other equally as impressive features.
If you have a low use washroom (less than 100 uses a day) in places like Offices (Small to Medium Sized), Schools (Primary and Secondary), Pubs / Bars, Hotels, Restaurants and Factories you’ll also want to have a look at the JetDri MKII and Jet Force Junior. Both of these have a drying time of around 14 seconds.
Energy usage and efficiency
All modern hand dryers are low energy, but some take it to the next level.
The Dryflow Ecoslim has a 180W rated power on its lowest setting and gives a satisfactory dry time. The speed of the dryer can be amped up and still only has an 850W rated power. 4347 dries are possible per £1 spent on electricity, compared to 143 dries per £1 spent on paper towels.
If you have the budget, the Machflow with brushless motor gives 4800 dries per £1 spent, whilst being one of the quickest to dry and a 20-year warranty!
And as we mentioned above, the Dyson Airblade HU02 has really improved its energy efficiency. It’s reduced its rated power from 1.6kW down to 1kW, whilst still keeping its very speedy dry time.
We all know that the Mitsubishi name is known for its high quality, but its dryers are great for the environment and the money in your pocket. Both the hands in (Wave i01) and hands under (Wave u02) versions are extremely energy efficient.
Quite a few hand dryers now have intelligent heating systems incorporated into their makeup. These systems only add heat if the temperature of the location is cold, so it will always be working at the most energy-efficient levels.
Examples of these units include:
- Turboforce Junior PLUS (500W)
- SteelForce (800W)
- Jet Force (750W)
Hygiene
Hand dryers have been at the centre of lively debate around hygiene, especially from the paper towel industry. So, just to reiterate once again that hand dryers are a completely hygienic form of drying.
If hygiene is what you’re looking for in a dryer, then we would recommend the following units:
- Dyson V HU02
- Mitsubishi Jet Towel Wave i01
- Mitsubishi Jet Towel Wave u02
- Warner Howard Airstream Pure
What these units have in common is their high-speed drying times, around 12 seconds and under, and this speed is key to making sure users have clean and dry hands. Damp hands is known for being a breeding ground for germs, and these germs would be carried out of the washroom if hands weren’t properly dry. These units have been certified by NSF International.
On top of this, the Dyson and Warner Howard units include HEPA filters that have been tested and proven to trap 99.95% of bacteria. So, you know that the air blown out onto hands is clean and hygienic.
Other units which include a HEPA filter include:
- Dryflow BulletDri
- Machflow Plus
- Jet Force Junior
- Dryflow EcoSlim
- Jet Force
- SteelForce
All hand dryers with a HEPA filter can be found here
Quiet noise levels
The hand dryer market has some excellent quiet hand dryers, but that still perform really well.
These dryers are usually approved by Quiet Mark – an independent body that tests products for low noise levels, but still maintaining effective performance levels.
The Mitsubishi Jet Towel (Wave i02 and u02) is one of the fastest drying and low-energy consuming dryers, and is also one of the quietest. Definitely worth checking out!
The Dyson V HU02 also stands out in this category. It’s one of the quieter units, whilst also maintaining its dry time of just 12 seconds.
There are of course quieter dryers than the HU02 which still have good dry times such as:
- Dryflow Ecoslim
- Turboforce Junior PLUS
- Dryflow Elite MK2
- Dryflow Connect
- Jet Force
Compactness / size
The space you have in your location or facility is another factor to consider when looking to purchase a new hand dryer. We offer a number of dryers which are ADA compliant. This means that they have a 10cm depth, so very little projection off the wall.
Good examples of our small hand dryers are the Dryflow Slimforce, Dryflow Vistosa, Dryflow Elite MK2 and the Dryflow Ecoslim.
Over the sink units
We also tap style have dryers that can be installed over the sink too. This can save on space in a washroom, but also means that a user has all the facilities they need all in one place. No more water spillages!
The unit we have that can be installed over the sink is the Mediclinics All-in-one Deck Mounted - UCM092A.
So, there we have it! These are the best hand dryers of 2024 - broken down by differing priorities, so that you can find the best hand dryer for YOU.
