"Heat Pump Dryers" which you describe have come way down in price in the last few years. Under $1000 AUD / $715 USD now.

Note for the other commentators that there are also "Condenser" dryers that pump the water into a hose or water tub instead of into the air - that are still otherwise resistive and not "Heat Pump" dryers though "Heat Pump" dryers are always "Condenser" dryers.

> They just need to use reverse-cycle airconditioners to efficiently heat the air and dehumidify it instead of simply using a resistive heater. These are much more complex to make and are expensive.

I've seen these in apartments in Europe; I presume this is because it's a PITA to route a dryer exhaust vent to the outside in a 400-year-old building with 2-foot thick stone walls. Such dryers work well; you just have to dump the accumulated water out of them every so often. But I've never seen one for sale in the US.

Even more impressive are the combination washing machine and drier machines that dry and then drain the accumulated water via the washing machine plumbing without you having to ever empty it.

At least that's what I think my Hotpoint does.... it does get mighty hot and release a rubbery sort of smell when it's drying; my wife can't smell it but to me it stinks.

Clever equipment though.

There are "Condenser" dryers that pump the water into a drain hose or water tub (that you need to empty) instead of into the air - that are still otherwise resistive.

Then there are "Heat Pump" dryers that operate with a compressor the same as a reverse-cycle air conditioner. "Heat Pump" dryers are always "Condenser" dryers.

I have a set in my California home made by Miele. I think they're becoming more common. Bosch also makes them, but I found the Miele's to be more efficient - so much so that they run on a standard 110v outlet instead of 220. Highly recommended.

Search on “condensing” or “ventless” dryers.

https://www.abt.com/product/140010/Bosch-24-800-Series-White...

Do you have a source for tumble drying damaging clothes?

I've read the opposite, that heat can damage clothes.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/08/990831080157.h...

Tumble drying, just like any normal use, contributes to wear and tear on fabrics and seams. If it takes 45 minutes to get a load of laundry dry with heat, but three hours to get it dry without heat, the wear from tumbling would occur four times as quickly.

Heat may confound this, suggesting an equilibrium that minimizes both wear from excessive heat and from excessive tumbling.

That could be tested rather simple, I think. Clean every (fluff) filter until it shines like new. Then wash 10 brand new t-shirts and dry them, repeat a few times. Check the filters, the more fluff, less shirt. Change procedure according to your needs/results.

I have overhead fans which I use with the reverse cycle AC on heat in winter to dry my clothes (heating is for the occupant's not the clothes).

So I use the heat I warm my room with the extra airflow of the fans works well with my apartment

> When the measure becomes the goal, it ceases to be a good measure.

Unless the measure is page-load time, in which case it's a damn good measure.

As we joked about in my previous job, error pages are very quick to render!