LG DLE7400VE Review
A large tumble dryer with a very clever door
Verdict
A good all-rounder, the LG DLE7400VE’s EasyLoad door is a stand-out feature, folding down to make loading easier, opening like normal for unloading. The 7.3 cu. ft. capacity is good, and drying quality is high, although I did knock down the sensor drying level to save on running costs a little. With LG ThinQ integration, this is a great tumble dryer that will fit into most laundry rooms.
Pros
- EasyLoad door is very clever
- Good running costs with sensor modes
- LG ThinQ compatible
Cons
- Can’t be stacked
- Expensive Normal mode
Availability
- UKunavailable
- USARRP: $1147
- Europeunavailable
- Canadaunavailable
- Australiaunavailable
Key Features
- CapacityThis vented tumble dryer has a 7.3 cu. ft. capacity.
- Smart featuresConnects to LG ThinQ for diagnostic and remote programming.
Introduction
Most front-loading tumble dryers have pretty much the same design, so it’s good to see the LG DLE7400VE do something different, with a clever door that can open in two ways, making it easier to load and unload.
Smart control via LG ThinQ and a clever control panel, make this a solid choice for those that want a front-loader.
Design and features
- Large 7.3 cu. ft. capacity
- Connects to LG ThinQ
- Very clever door
With this tumble dryer, LG has done something different with its clever EasyLoad door. It swings open, as normal, to provide access to the drum for unloading.
However, it also folds down, hamper style. With the door opened down, I found the LG DLE7400VE easier to load than other models, as I could direct clothes straight into the drum without dropping them on the floor. Opening as normal made unloading easier, too.
There’s a large filter that sits in the front of the door. This should be cleaned after every drying cycle.
There’s a large 7.3 cu. ft. drum on this tumble dryer, which is about as big as you’ll get in a 27-inch-wide tumble dryer. If you want to go a lot bigger, you’re looking at the LG DLEX8900B, which has a wider 29-inch body.
LG has placed the controls on the top panel of this tumble dryer. It’s a good place to put them, as I didn’t have to bend down to select the drying cycle that I wanted. All of the basic cycles are covered, with sensor drying modes including Normal, Heavy Duty, Bedding and Delicates. There are some manual drying options, too, although these tend to be less efficient, as the tumble dryer won’t stop when it detects that clothes are sufficiently dry.
For each mode, it’s possible to override the default temperature and dry temperature, with the estimated cycle time shown on the LCD.
While the control panel is easy to reach, it does make the LG DLE7400VE a little taller than some models, and there’s no stacking kit or pedestal available for it. There is an optional drying rack, which sits inside the drum and lets you dry items that must be kept flat.
As a vented dryer, the LG DLE7400VE needs a vent hose connected at the rear, as well as wiring the drying into your electricity supply.
This tumble dryer connects to Wi-Fi and can be controlled via the LG ThinQ app. As well as providing diagnostic information, ThinQ also provides additional cycles that can be downloaded to the machine. Remote control is available, although this has to be physically enabled on the dryer for safety reasons, and it’s disabled if the door is opened at any point.
With a compatible ThinQ washing machine, the LG DLE7400VE can be paired and a drying cycle automatically set based on the cycle used on the washing machine.
Performance
- Quite expensive for Normal dry
- Lowering the drying level reduces cost
I started off with my 20lb (dry) washing, and ran it through a washing cycle to get it wet. I then loaded up the LG DLE7400VE and ran it on the Normal dry setting, with the defaults. Here, the tumble dryer used 7.56kWh of power, for a running cost of $1.74 (assuming an electricity price of $0.23 per kWh). That is a little higher than I saw on the LG DLEX8900B.
On this cycle, I found that 100.32% of moisture was removed, which means that the clothes came out lighter than before they hit the washing machine. Some fibres were lost during the drying process.
I re-ran the test but dropped the drying level down a notch. This resulted in the LG DLE7400VE using 5.5kWh of power, dropping the cycle cost down to $1.27. Here, the dryer removed 95.88% of the water, which is a good result. It shows that the sensor inside stopped the dryer early. While my clothes had some moisture left in them, they’d be fine at this level to hang up or fold and put away.
To save some money, I’d experiment with the drying settings and take a small amount of water retention.
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Should you buy it?
You want a regular tumble dryer with some smart features: EasyLoad makes it simple to load and unload, while LG ThinQ expands what the machine is capable of.
You need more capacity or more drying cycles: A larger machine may suit you better if you get through a lot of washing; those with different needs may prefer a few more drying options.
Final Thoughts
Upgrade to a larger model, such as the LG DLEX8900B, and you not only get more capacity but more drying cycles and the choice of steam refresh.
You do pay a fair amount more for the privilege. What the LG DLE7400VE gives you is a more straightforward approach, covering all of the basics.
I found it a touch expensive on the Normal setting, but the sensor dry options make it easy to lower running costs without dramatically affecting performance. LG ThinQ compatibility adds extra features, and the EasyLoad door is simply brilliant.
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
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FAQs
This tumble dryer has a drum capacity of 7.3 cu. ft.
Yes, it connects to Wi-Fi and can be controlled by the LG ThinQ app.
No, this model has to sit on the floor.
Full specs
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
