Whirlpool WET3300XQ Dryer Review

Introduction

For half the cost, you could get twice the dryer if you're willing to shop for your appliances separately. This combo may be low cost, but it's also low on features, low on looks, and low on performance too.

Design & Usability

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Heavy lifting and blaring buzzers

As part of a washer/dryer combo, the WET3300XQ dryer sits on top of a washer. The controls are all at the very top of the unit, and the whole setup runs off a 240v outlet.

Get ready to lift wet blankets! Transferring damp laundry from the washer to the dryer requires a bit of muscle, given the dryer's upper location.

There are two knobs for controlling the dryer: a cycle selector, and a knob that both starts/stops the dryer and turns the end of cycle buzzer on or off. The buzzer is loud enough for the NBA. The door is easy to open and close, but it's located pretty high up.

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Performance & Features

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The {{product.model}}'s extra features do not exist

The WET3300XQ is missing both a Delicates cycle and custom features. Instead, you will find a limited and awkward number of dry cycles, including Timed Dry, Automatic High Heat and Automatic Low Heat. Though the owner's manual claims the "Fluff Air" cycle is acceptable for delicate laundry, we found it to be wholly inadequate.

There's absolutely no way to customize cycles. Temperature is selected when a cycle is chosen, and that's that. As for extra features and options—there are none.

Furthermore, the WET3300XQ took quite a while to finish drying clothes, and on many cycles, clothes emerged wet. At least the Quick cycle did a decent job.

Conclusion

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We get it, it stinks, but what about with comparison to other combo units?

If you've got a small space where only a combination washer/dryer can fit, this MSRP $1139 {{product.name}} still might not be your best choice.

This Whirlpool {{product.model}} takes a long time to get clothes dry, heats excessively, and lacks a usable Delicates cycle—but what did we expect from a dryer whose model number includes the word "WET?" For what it's worth, Maytag sells a nearly identical unit that does a much better job drying clothes—the MET3800XW.

Science Introduction

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Clearly, this {{product.name}} did not do well on tests. Results show which of the cycles were best and worst, with water retention, cycle duration, and temperature in mind.

Drying Performance: Normal & Fluff Air

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How did this machine handle the cycles you rely on the most?

After nearly an hour and a half, the WET3300XQ managed to wring all the dampness out of a standard test load of laundry. That's quite a bit longer than most dryers by a full half hour, and temperatures were far from gentle, at a sizzling 156.7ºF. This is upwards of ten degrees higher than what we like to see for a temperature high.

Perhaps high heats are why the WET3300XQ's manual claims that the "Fluff Air" cycle can be used for drying delicates, but 20 minutes of cool air does very little to dry clothes. Our test load was more than three quarters wet at the conclusion of this silly cycle. You're better off hanging your delicate items on a clothesline in the shower.

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Drying Performance: Quick & Bulky

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What about quick work and bulky laundry?

On our quick test, in 32 minutes, the WET3300XQ got up to 135ºF and brought our test load of laundry almost 90 percent of the way back to dry. Other dryers take less time, but don't dry clothes as thoroughly, so this was actually a very positive outcome.

The bulky test results were mixed. We used the Automatic Dry High Heat setting to run this test. It took 82 minutes, but on high heat, the WET3300XQ got bulky clothes entirely dry. The only trouble was that the heat was just too hot—a scorching 175.1ºF. High heat will damage soft, bright fabrics after continual exposure, so temperatures like this one just need to cool it.

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