The best washers for $800 or less
How much should you spend on a washer? You don’t have to pay $1,500 to get a washer that cleans well. Expensive washers offer a jumbo capacity and extra features, but if you don’t need to wash 26 pounds of laundry in one load and using your phone to check your laundry’s progress from Starbucks isn’t a priority, then take a look at these washers from Consumer Reports’ tests. They get the job done and cost $800 or less.
Agitator top-loaders
They’re cheaper, have faster wash times, and are still the big sellers. But they use a lot more water and extract less of it than high-efficiency (HE) top-loaders and front-loaders, extending dryer time. The center post agitator takes up space so these machines hold less laundry than HE washers—typically 12 to 16 pounds. And most are relatively noisy and not so gentle on fabrics.
Consider: Whirlpool WTW4850BW, $580, and the GE GTWN5650FWS, $650. These top picks delivered impressive cleaning in our tests and the normal wash time using the heavy-soil setting is 50 to 55 minutes. You’ll save 5 to 10 minutes by using the normal wash on normal-soil setting.
Tip: Some washers aren’t so gentle on fabrics so use the normal wash on light-soil setting when possible and the delicate cycle when necessary.
High-efficiency top-loaders
HE top-loaders hold 17 to 28 pounds of laundry. Compared to agitator washers they typically clean better, use less water, and spin at higher speeds so more water is extracted and dryer time is shortened. But the high-speed spin can tangle and wrinkle clothing and normal wash time using the heavy-soil setting is usually 65 to 80 minutes. Shave about 15 to 20 minutes off by using the normal wash on normal-soil setting. It’s also known as the medium-soil or mid-soil setting.
Consider: Kenmore 28132, $800, Samsung WA45H7000AW, $500, Kenmore 26132, $600, Kenmore 27132, $700, and the Samsung WA48H7400AW, $720. They have large capacities—the Kenmore 28132 is jumbo—were impressive at cleaning, and are relatively quiet as you’ll see in our washing machine Ratings. But like most top-loaders most weren't so gentle on fabrics.
Tip: Your laundry will tangle less if you wash similar items together and rather than dump everything into the machine at once, add a few items at a time and unbunch sleeves, pant legs, and socks. Before you put them in the dryer shake them out.
Front-loaders
The best we tested typically clean better than the best HE top-loaders and use less water. Most can hold about 17 to 28 pounds of laundry and spin even faster than HE top-loaders, usually extracting more water and reducing dryer time. Wash times range from 65 to 100 minutes using heavy-soil setting, so use the normal-soil setting and save about 15 to 20 minutes.
Consider: LG WM3570HVA, $800; be sure to try to TurboWash option as it will trim about 15 minutes off the wash time of full loads and in our tests cleaning was just as good. Also look at the Samsung WF42H5000AW, $720. Both washers were excellent at cleaning.The LG WM4270HWA, $800, was impressive at cleaning and worth a look.
Tip: A front-loader's high spin speeds might vibrate too much for the machine to be placed near a bedroom or family room, but keep in mind that concrete floors can absorb vibrations well, unlike wood-framed floors.
More choices
Our washing machine Ratings give you all the details. We rate wash performance, energy- and water efficiency, capacity, gentleness, noise, vibration, and cycle time (normal wash on heavy-soil setting) and let you know if there's a matching dryer. Use our buying guide to compare washer types and features and if you have questions, email me at kjaneway@consumer.org.
—Kimberly Janeway
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5 terrific side by side refrigerators
Best places to buy large and small appliances
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