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  • Design & Usability

  • Performance & Features

  • Before You Buy

  • By the Numbers

  • Normal & Delicate

  • Bulky & Quick

  • Design & Usability
  • Performance & Features
  • Before You Buy
  • By the Numbers
  • Normal & Delicate
  • Bulky & Quick

The trade off is that it takes a long time to complete cycles and has difficulty with large loads, which is exactly why this machine gets such a low score. Our tests are designed for how most Americans do laundry, but compact dryers aren't. Instead of a major laundry day, they're meant for multiple loads a week. On the plus side, if you do decide to dry a full load, the drum keeps reversing direction to keep laundry from bunching.

Yes, this Blomberg is currently one of the only compact vented dryers on the market, but it still does the trick if you have limited room, don't mind doing frequent small loads of laundry, and don't want snarled sheets.

To read our full review of this dryer's matching washer, the Blomberg WM 87120 NBL00, click here.

Design & Usability

ABC: Always Be Compact

Everything about the DV17542 feels squished together. There are 15 cycles crammed around a small dial. The start and stop buttons almost run into each other. However, the learning curve is pretty shallow. If you’re not a DIY kind of person, this dryer comes pre-wired with a four-prong plug.

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The single best design element on the DV17542 is that it counter-spins during drying. This means that the interior drum stops multiple times in a cycle to spin in the other direction to keep laundry from bunching. Think about it: No more standing in front of the dryer untwisting knotted sheets.

Performance & Features

DEF: Drying Equivocally on Flextime

The Cottons/Regular cycle took between 1:38 and 1:43 to complete—a significant amount of time for a standard dryer, but not unreasonable for a compact machine. By the end, our test load of laundry was in a wearable state. Delicates also took around the same time, but laundry was still damp to the touch. That’s not a bad tradeoff considering it only reached a temperature of 95.2°F, cool enough to keep your delicate laundry in good shape. For more on how heat damages your clothing click here. This washer lacked a Quick Dry cycle so we used the 30-Minute Timed Dry. Since you’d have to run this three times to get every drop of water out, you might as well stick with the sensor based cycles.

If you’re looking for features, then you're looking in the wrong place. Anything that could have been a feature has been folded in with the cycles. For instance, instead of letting you independently increase the temperature on Regular, there's separate cycles for Damp Dry, Regular Dry, Regular Dry +, and Extra Dry. It's a question of lots of options with limited control, or fewer options with more customizable settings, such as with the Frigidaire FFFW5100PW.

For in-depth performance information, please visit the Science Page.

Before You Buy

GHI: Good for Houses Internationally

Despite it's low score, we're still cautiously recommending the Blomberg DV17542. It's manufactured for a European consumer base, designed to fit into a kitchen and be used multiple times a week. Even if it doesn't dry as well as the majority of machines developed for American households, there are plenty of American consumers for whom a smaller machine is ideal.

On the whole, the Blomberg DV17542 is a competent dryer. The Cottons cycle got our full-sized load of laundry completely dry simply by taking more time, and temperatures were cool enough to be gentle on our clothes. A lengthy cycle list counters the lack of controllable customization, and adds versatility.

If you buy this with the Blomberg WM87120 (MSRP $940), you can have a stacked pair that takes up half the space as a standard, American-sized washer/dryer pair. Keep in mind that the washer uses a European style plug that's meant to go directly into the 220V outlet found on the back of the dryer, not in a traditional American outlet.

Save space, save your delicates, and save a little money.

By the Numbers

The usage of scientific testing gives our reviews the objectivity that sets us apart. Dryers are all about their drying ability. Our tests check if Normal, Delicate, Quick, and Bulky cycles—or their closest equivalent—can get the moisture out of your laundry. This is the first compact dryer we've tested that conforms to new UL fire-safety standards, so we're reserving our harshest judgement until we get a competitor in. Still, this machine isn't totally out-of-bounds for a compact machine.

Normal & Delicate

The Blomberg DV17542 had no actual Normal cycle. Instead, in consultation with its owner's manual, we decided that Cottons/Regular would cover your everyday needs. On average, it took 1 hour 41 minutes to complete—long, but acceptable for a compact dryer. We took an eight pound load of laundry and wetted it to 1.7 times its weight. In all, 98% of moisture was removed. Our sensors picked up a max temperature of 132°F, so no worries about the heat damaging your clothing.

The Delicates cycle got our test laundry 86% dry, which isn't wearable but could be perfect for garments designed to finish drying on a clothes line. It took about the same time as the Cottons/Regular, but only reached a temperature of 95.2°F.

Bulky & Quick

The Bulky test consists of a comforter being wetted to 1.5 times its weight. The DV17542 didn't have a Bulky cycle so we used the Cottons Extra Dry. The cycle ended after an hour and removed 56% of the moisture. That's acceptable since it's standard practice to flip a comforter and run a Bulky cycle again—something we don't do to maintain testing consistency. It's also not surprising since larger drums mean better performance on large items, and this is one tiny drum.

There was no Quick cycle on the DV17542. In lieu of that, we used the 30-minute timed cycle. Here, a four pound load was wetted to 1.7 times its weight. When the buzzer sounded, we were disappointed to find that only 46% of the moisture we added was removed. Since it'd take three 30-minute timed cycles to remove 100% of the moisture, you might as well stick with the Cottons/Regular.

Meet the testers

Matthew Zahnzinger

Matthew Zahnzinger

Logistics Manager & Staff Writer

@ReviewedHome

Matthew is a native of Brockton, MA and a graduate of Northeastern, where he earned a degree in English and Theatre. He has also studied at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin and spends most of his free time pursuing a performance career in the greater Boston area.

See all of Matthew Zahnzinger's reviews
Jonathan Chan

Jonathan Chan

Senior Manager of Lab Operations

@Jonfromthelab1

Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.

See all of Jonathan Chan's reviews

Checking our work.

Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.

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