The best washing machines do a lot more than cleaning your clothes. Any washing machine worth its stuff can make sure your delicates aren’t ruined, thoroughly rinse your towels and generally make laundry day easier. Washing machines can also help keep your clothes germ-free. Viruses like COVI-19 may be more likely to spread through the air, but the CDC recommends washing clothes at the warmest setting, and not shaking clothes in the air. Whatever washing machine you need, be it large or small, cheap or expensive, we’ve got you covered. These are our recommendations for the best washing machines you can buy right now.
Contents
Best Washing Machines
UltraFresh Front Load Washer with OdorBlock
One of the biggest consumer complaints about front loading washing machines is the musty smell that develops when water puddles inside. This new GE washer has a venting option that automatically dries the inside of the machine and the door seal when your laundry is done. The machine pulls in outside air to dry the interior while the drum spins intermittently. And the door gasket, dispenser drawer and other internal components are treated with Microban, an additive to help keep mold at bay.
In our tests, the drum and door seal were bone dry after a full vent cycle. We found the wash cycles speedy and very effective, impressively cleaning our cotton and polyester test stain swatches in warm and cold water. Even the quick wash removed a set-in stain in just 20 minutes.
LG WashTower WKEX200HWA 4.5-Cubic-Foot Washing Machine and 7.4-Cubic-Foot Dryer
Instead of buying your washer and dryer separately, the LG WashTower is a two for one solution that consists of a clothes dryer on top and a washing machine underneath — but all in one single unit. The WashTower is more modern and less commercial-looking than laundry centers you’ve likely seen in apartments, but it’s also 3.5 inches shorter than a typical washer-dryer stack.
Don’t let its shorter size fool you, because the appliance is still packed with spacious drums — a 4.5 cubic-foot washer and 7.4 cubic-foot dryer. That’s enough space for five pairs of jeans, two flannels, a sweatshirt, and four T-shirts … with some room to spare for your underwear and socks. You’ll be able to wash and dry your king-sized comforter, too.
Top-Load Washer with Steam and Acela Was
Kenmore washers are solid performers in GH Cleaning Lab tests and this one doesn’t sacrifice high end features for its affordable price tag, making it our best value pick. This model is an updated version of one we previously tested and offers steam for better stain removal and sanitizing, an Acela or speed wash to clean clothes in under 30 minutes, and nice extras like delay wash and presoak options, too. Here, you’ll find 14 cycles and multiple temperature, spin speed, and soil level choices for a truly custom wash experience.
This machine doesn’t have an agitator, so even at this price you’ll have no issues washing comforters, sleeping bags or any bulky item. What you won’t find is Wifi connectivity or the ability to monitor or control it via your smart phone or personal assistant, but that’s the only extra we could think of that it doesn’t have. Plus, choosing it in the white version shown here will save you $100 over the silver metallic color.
LG Electronics WM3600HWA 27 in
A stackable washing machine saves space when paired with a compatible dryer. But, the convenience of a stackable model isn’t only in its space-saving abilities. The LG WM3600HWA can handle loads of up to 20 pounds, so you can finish a larger amount of laundry at one time, and can automatically detect both the size and fabrics of your load. This ensures that every cycle is tailored, and every load comes out sparkly clean.
Now, with a 4.5-cubic-foot drum, this washer is pretty standard in size, but has a total of 10 wash cycles that you can make use of. It’s a high-efficiency model that is careful with how much water and energy it uses and has a cold wash setting—which is both helpful for color loads, and for minimizing your bills. You can install the washer and its matching dryer side-by-side in a closet, since they’re the right depth to do so, or stack the dryer on top of the washer with the help of a stacking kit. LG’s LoDecibel technology helps eliminate unnecessary noise so no room in your home will be disturbed.