8 kg, 9 kg
or 10 kg Dryer:Choosing Capacity for Your Laundry Routine
Choose a dryer around the loads you regularly dry together. Programme limits reveal whether moving from 8 kg to 9 kg or 10 kg will save you another cycle.
A larger dryer earns its place when it takes a regular load that would otherwise need splitting.
Check the programme you would use before paying for that extra capacity.
Two Australian Bosch models show why the number on the appliance needs a closer look. The 8 kg WTH83002AU and 9 kg WQG24203AU have different cotton capacities, but both manuals limit Mixed to 3 kg and Towels to 6 kg.12 If either of those programmes is your bottleneck, moving between these two sizes does not increase its permitted load.
Start with the laundry you actually dry
Before matching a dryer to your washing machine, work out what leaves the washer and goes into the dryer. A household that air-dries most clothing and machine-dries towels has a different capacity problem from one that dries almost everything.
Write down the groups you dry on a typical laundry day, occasional larger loads and how many cycles you are willing to run. Include the washing you save for the weekend if that is when queues form. Household size alone cannot describe those habits.
Then separate pieces that need different treatment. Fisher & Paykel's guide for its DH9060D5 and DH1060D5 families advises sorting by fibre, durability and item type, and drying items of similar thickness together.3 Filling spare space with a delicate garment does not make it compatible with a heavier load.
For a model whose instructions define capacity as dry weight, weigh a representative group before washing, without the basket. Exclude pieces you would hang out or dry separately, and record each remaining drying group. Fisher & Paykel uses this definition in the D5 guide.3 Check the weight definition for your chosen model; retained wash water should not be counted against a dry-weight limit.
Read the programme limit before the capacity label
An advertised maximum does not describe every cycle. The following limits come from the manuals for the two named Australian Bosch models.12
| Programme | 8 kgWTH83002AU | 9 kgWQG24203AU |
|---|---|---|
| Cottons | 8 kg | 9 kg |
| Easy Care | 3.5 kg | 3.5 kg |
| Mixed | 3 kg | 3 kg |
| Towels | 6 kg | 6 kg |
| Delicates | 2 kg | 2 kg |
| Super 40' | 1 kg | 1 kg |
The extra kilogram is available for Cottons.
Several other limits remain unchanged. These are model-specific instructions, so check the next model's manual even if its controls or advertised capacity look similar.
A 40-minute programme with a 1 kg limit tells you little about a full laundry day's throughput. Capacity and cycle time need separate evidence.
Fisher & Paykel uses a different loading guide. The D5 manual sets different load sizes for everyday clothing and categories such as sheets and towels. It also requires room for items to tumble freely.3 A large item can create a space problem before your laundry reaches a weight limit. Buying a larger nominal capacity does not establish that a quilt will move properly or emerge evenly dry.
Count the drying runs your routine requires
For each group that can be dried together, divide its weight by the allowed load for the suitable programme and round up to a whole number. Do this separately for groups that need different treatment, then add the cycles.
| Weight of one suitable drying group | Programme allows 8 kg | Programme allows 9 kg | Programme allows 10 kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 kg | 1 run | 1 run | 1 run |
| 8.5 kg | 2 runs | 1 run | 1 run |
| 9.5 kg | 2 runs | 2 runs | 1 run |
These hypothetical examples assume compatible textiles, the correct weight definition and a suitable programme allowing the stated capacity. They are arithmetic, not measured drying results or recommendations for the models above.
One compatible drying group: 8.5 kg
Hypothetical example. Use the weight definition in the model's instructions.
One possible equal split; each run stays within the limit.
Subject to suitable textiles and room for items to move.
Boxes group weights. They do not show drum sizes or cycle durations. Generic arithmetic, not tested performance or a model recommendation.
At 7 kg, each permitted capacity accommodates the group. At 8.5 kg, a suitable 9 kg programme can remove one split. At 9.5 kg, that benefit requires a programme genuinely allowing 10 kg.
Now apply the method to the programme table. A 5 kg group suitable for Mixed needs at least two runs in either of the two Bosch examples because both allow 3 kg. Choosing the 9 kg machine does not change that calculation.
This gives you a minimum number of runs imposed by the load limit. It does not predict the hours needed. Two smaller cycles need not take twice as long as one larger cycle, and a permissible load still needs the right preparation, settings and room to move.
Decide whether an extra kilogram changes your week
An 8 kg dryer can be sufficient when your usual compatible drying groups fit its suitable programmes and you accept an occasional split. A 10 kg washer does not automatically create a requirement for a 10 kg dryer: the amount you wash, hang out and sort into different groups may be well below the washer's maximum.
A 9 kg model becomes useful when it accommodates a group that repeatedly exceeds the smaller model's programme limit. The 8.5 kg example illustrates that threshold. If you still need the same number of runs, assess the larger model's other features on their own merits.
A 10 kg machine deserves consideration when larger suitable groups recur and avoiding another load matters to your schedule. Check its loading instructions closely before counting on the full advertised figure.
Compare the complete purchase cost
Capacity prices are not a fixed ladder. The following white Australian heat-pump models provide price anchors, rather than a ranked shortlist.
| Model | Advertised capacity | Manufacturer's displayed price |
|---|---|---|
Bosch Series 4WTH83002AU | 8 kg | AUD1,099 |
Bosch Series 6WQG24203AU | 9 kg | AUD1,399 |
Fisher & Paykel Series 7 ContemporaryDH1060D5 | 10 kg | AUD1,665 |
Prices were checked on 12 October 2026, before postcode-specific availability and any additional installation costs. Bosch displays GST-inclusive prices. These are displayed offers, not verified lowest prices.567
The Fisher & Paykel DH9060D5, a 9 kg model in the same Series 7 Contemporary family, was displayed at AUD 2,099.8 A larger capacity can therefore cost less in a particular offer. Compare the exact model and total delivered price rather than assuming a price per kilogram tells you which machine is better.
Add any required stacking kit, delivery and installation to the quote. Check that you can unload the drum and reach the filters comfortably in the proposed position.
Check the fit, then confirm the load
Different capacity labels do not necessarily mean different external dimensions. Both Bosch examples list a body size of 842 mm high, 598 mm wide and 613 mm deep.56 The WTH83002AU specification sheet gives 654 mm including the door handle.10 Check what each published depth includes, then allow for the door opening, hoses and the installation instructions.
Stacking compatibility is a separate check from capacity. Confirm the exact washer, dryer and approved kit together. Matching widths or the same brand name alone is not enough to establish an approved combination.
Before ordering, write down the drying group that determines your choice and the suitable programme's permitted load. If every candidate requires the same runs, compare its other features, fit and complete price. Ask the supplier to confirm any missing programme limit before paying for capacity your routine may not be able to use.
Research checked 12 October 2026. Product examples are based on published Australian specifications and manufacturer guidance. Meleus & Mosman has not tested these dryers.
Sources & references10 sources
- Bosch, WTH83002AU user manual, programme limits, printed pages 18â19.â Return to article
- Bosch, WQG24203AU user manual, programme limits, printed pages 18â19.â Return to article
- Fisher & Paykel, D5 heat-pump dryer user guide, AU/NZ, printed pages 6 and 12â15.â Return to article
- Fisher & Paykel, Heat Pump Dryer Performance Guide, 433723A, May 2026, printed pages 4â5.â Return to article
- Bosch Australia, WTH83002AU product information and displayed price.â Return to article
- Bosch Australia, WQG24203AU product information and displayed price.â Return to article
- Fisher & Paykel Australia, DH1060D5 product information and displayed price.â Return to article
- Fisher & Paykel Australia, DH9060D5 product information and displayed price.â Return to article
- Energy Rating, Understand the Energy Rating Label.â Return to article
- Bosch, WTH83002AU Australian specification sheet.â Return to article