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  • Introduction

  • Design & Usability

  • Performance & Features

  • Conclusion

  • Science Introduction

  • Normal & Delicate

  • Quick Dry & Bedding

  • Other Tests

  • Introduction
  • Design & Usability
  • Performance & Features
  • Conclusion
  • Science Introduction
  • Normal & Delicate
  • Quick Dry & Bedding
  • Other Tests

Introduction

Design & Usability

Goes very well with its matching washer

Side-by-side with its matching washer, the FAHE4044MW, this is quite a handsome dryer. The upper part of the door serves as the handle which allows for easy access. In fact, easy is an ideal word to describe the entire of this Frigidaire. Once you're done loading laundry, just turn the knob and push the button. There aren't a lot of features on the FAHE4044MW so it keeps its operation clean and simple. The only notable one is Wrinkle Release, which tumbles your laundry at the end of a cycle without heat to prevent laundry from settling and wrinkles from forming.

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Performance & Features

Mediocre, but persistent.

There's no way around it: the Frigidaire FAHE4044MW underperformed. None of the core cycles that we tested managed to completely dry our test loads, and those that got close were too hot. Under the Normal cycle, clothes got an average of 97% dry. Although that may sound adequate, test loads were still damp to the touch, i.e not ready to wear, and the dryer's peak temperature was too high.

At least it didn't overdry like the Delicates cycle oddly did, reaching temperatures north of 143 degrees. That's not good for fragile fabrics, which do best around the same temperature as a summer's day in Phoenix. The Bulky and Quick cycles were utter failures, leaving laundry sopping.

On the plus side, the FARE4044MW is very quiet. If you have small children or share your living space with your laundry set, this machine might suit you.

Conclusion

Frigidaire's FARE4044MW is a competent machine, but barely so. None of its core cycles managed to get our test loads completely dry, and its Delicates cycle got too toasty for adequate fabric protection. Yet it while running, it stayed quiet enough that we all could've taken a midday nap in the lab. The dryer also makes a handsome pair with its matching washer, the FAHE4044MW. Good looks and quiet operation don't make this a great dryer, though, and its $799 MSRP is an even bigger turnoff.

Science Introduction

Every dryer that passes through our doors undergoes rigorous, scientific tests. The FARE4044MW is no different.

Normal & Delicate

We ran the Normal cycle twice with standard eight-pound loads wet to 170 percent of their original weights, and both times it took about an hour even though the listed time was 44 minutes. Such optimistic LCDs are, unfortunately, not uncommon with sensor-based dryers. What is uncommon is that the cycle reached a maximum temperature of 152 degrees. That's a tad too hot. Hot enough to potentially prematurely wear some fabrics. The Delicates cycle was listed as a 24 minute affair. However, our test cycles ran between 48 minutes and an hour. Clothes came out 99% dry, but it was still far too hot.

Quick Dry & Bedding

The Quick cycle lasted the prescribed 25 minutes. Clothing came out very wet even though we placed in a half-sized load. It only managed to get our test load 84 percent dry. For the Bedding cycle, we placed in a wet comforter. At its end, only 72 percent of the moisture we added was removed.

Other Tests

Meet the tester

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

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