We’ve often wondered whether the heated air created in the clothes dryer could be recycled or captured, and now we have the high-tech answer: condensation clothes dryers.

It’s a fact: clothes dryers consume about six percent of the average household’s energy—much of which is replacing the conditioned air that’s drawn into the dryer then vented outside. It may not sound like a lot, but it can add up!

Enter the condensation dryer and its energy efficient loop system. Ambient air is drawn into the dryer’s loop where it is heated and reused before being exhausted outside. The system uses heat exchangers to extract the moisture from the clothes. The heat exchangers work to extract excess heat and moisture and continuously cycles the heated air through the dryer. The excess water is collected and pumped into a drain.

These dryers can be priced higher than a traditional dryer, but some models like the Bosch 24” Compact Condensation Dryer 800 Series consumes a mere 311 kW per year as compared to 1,000 kW per year for the average clothes dryer. LG’s 4.2 cu.ft. Compact Electric Condensing Front Load Dryer features LED “Dial a Cycle” controls. Its smart diagnostic system can diagnose any problems remotely.

Both manufacturers received a high reliability rating from Consumer Reports.