Frigidaire FFRE4120SW Dryer Review

The Frigidaire FFRE4120SW really doesn't hold any surprises. It features a traditional build, simple white design, and a standard black control panel on top that has a large cycle selection knob with a touchpad for options off to the right.

About the Frigidaire FFRE4120SW dryer

Dimensions: 42.88" x 27" x 30" (H x W x D) Capacity: 6.7 cubic feet Finishes: White Cycles: Normal, Heavy Duty, Delicates, Bulky, Active Wear, Quick Dry, Towels, Time Dry, Sanitize, and Air Fluff Cycle options: Wrinkle Release, 5 dryness levels, 5 temperature levels Matching washer: Frigidaire FFTW4120SW User manual: Frigidaire FFRE4120SW dryer user manual

What we like

Offers decent, no-frills drying

The FFRE4120SW is a basic dryer. Virtually every test result was within 5% of dead average—and that's not a bad thing.

In general, its cycles are 5–10 minutes slower than average, they are able to remove an average amount of water, and, during testing, they never got hotter than the 150°F threshold. Any time your dryer spends above 150°F is time your clothes are subjected to increased wear and tear. This last point is especially important, as many budget dryers fail this test in an effort to bring down their cycle times.

Again, the FFRE4120SW's performance is about what we would expect from a dryer priced at around $600 to $700, although we still think it could behoove any would-be buyers to look for an additional price drop before buying.

The Bulky cycle has promise

In our tests, the FFRE4120SW's Bulky cycle was able to finish an impressive 26 minutes faster than the average dryer. The drawback? It'll only get your heavier items about 69% dry after a single cycle, compared to the average 81%.

The thing is, if you calculate the rate the Bulky cycle removes water per minute, you'll find this cycle is much more efficient than the average dryer—even though it delivers damp laundry initially. If you string together two Bulky cycles, it takes about 20 minutes longer than average, but will also get your laundry much dryer.

Whether or not this is a positive or negative depends on the user. If you currently need to run two or more cycles to dry bulkier items, then the FFRE4120SW is likely a step up. If not, it may be a pain to have to remember to restart your dryer after 40 minutes, and unfortunately, this Frigidaire model does not have smart capabilities.

Wrinkle Release is a must-have for anyone who's forgotten they were doing laundry

If you tend to get distracted and forget you were even doing laundry in the first place, you will love Wrinkle Release. This setting is available on many dryers, by many different brands, but they all function the same: Wrinkle Release keeps tossing your warm laundry around after a cycle finishes, to help prevent wrinkles from setting in.

If you're also someone who is very easily distracted, you've probably left a few loads of laundry to languish after a cycle, meaning your laundry gets colder, less fluffy, and more wrinkled as time passes. This feature can be a real time saver, as it means forgetting about your dry laundry doesn't necessarily mean you've just added ironing to your to-do list.

What we don’t like

The Quick Dry cycle isn't particularly quick

When we test a dryer's quickest cycle, the main quality we look at is how much water is removed per minute. Quick cycles, on average, remove about 82% of our test load's water weight, usually in 15-30 minutes.

The FFRE4120SW's Quick Dry cycle does remove about that much water, but it also takes 46 minutes to finish. That's almost 15 minutes slower than what we typically see, which results in a very poor water removal rate. This wouldn't be as big of a deal on other cycles, which can last an hour or two, but with a quick cycle it means 50% longer cycle times.

If you've never had to rely on your current dryer's quick cycle, it's possible you won't mind that the FFRE4120SW is a bit slow. For anyone who's ever had to do any last-minute laundry, however, you know just how long an extra 15 minutes can be—and know another dryer would make a much better fit.

What owners are saying

Owners generally like their FFRE4120SW, awarding it an average 4.3 stars out of 5 across major retailers. Most positive reviews are vague, with many owners simply saying they think it looks nice and are not disappointed with the purchase. A few users mention it is easy to use and like the ability to customize temperature settings.

Those who are unhappy with the device cite poor drying and that their laundry comes out wrinkled, even when using the Wrinkle Release feature.

Warranty

Frigidaire offers an industry-standard warranty: one year for parts and labor. While common for an appliance in this price range, companies like LG, Samsung, and Speed Queen will offer longer or even lifetime guarantees.

Should you buy the Frigidaire FFRE4120SW?

Maybe

While its paired washer left us feeling a little cold, we've warmed up to the FFRE4120SW dryer after using it. In most regards, it's a perfectly average dryer that is generally discounted to a relatively low price. We love a good Wrinkle Release setting, and we believe its odd Bulky cycle is more of a positive than a negative. In all, there's very little here that will catch anyone's attention and swing it positively or negatively. As such, if you can pick up this machine when it's closer to the $600 mark, it'll make a decent and affordable dryer.

If you're in the market for a dryer at a similar price point, we'd recommend checking out the Samsung DVE45R6100C, which has a Normal cycle so good you might never touch its cycle-selection dial again.

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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.