Our laundry experts have tested more than 40 currently available top loaders and front loaders in our accredited labs to find the best and worst washers
CHOICE experts evaluate key factors like how well they rinse and remove dirt, how gentle they are and how noisy they are. Plus, we calculate running costs, including energy and water use
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Laundry is one of those never ending tasks that’s the bane of most adults’ existences. So why make it any harder than it needs to be?
Life’s too short for a crummy washing machine and, unfortunately, our experts have seen plenty in our lab tests.
A mediocre machine isn’t just bad for your washing; it’s also bad for your wallet
“It’ll do a lousy job of your laundry, and will often use more electricity and power than better washers, so you’ll pay more for a worse wash.”
Attention to detail is key in our laundry testing. Pictured: CHOICE expert tester Sean Lim.
To help you avoid this lose-lose situation, our experienced team of laundry experts meticulously tests machines from popular brands including Fisher & Paykel, LG, Bosch, Miele, Samsung, Simpson and plenty more.
For every washing machine we test, our expert testers run cycles using identically stained fabric swatches and special swatches that fray in the wash.
They assess them after the wash to evaluate key criteria such as dirt removal, gentleness, rinsing, water and spin efficiency.
“Don’t assume that spending more will bag you a better machine,” Denis says.
“The washing machines in our review range in price from $400 to more than $2500, but we find that the price tag doesn’t always correlate to the performance.”
This Westinghouse washer may look stylish in your laundry with its modern, sleek black lid and control panel, but unfortunately its good looks don’t match its performance.
Our experts gave it a dismal dirt removal score of 44%, which is the lowest of any machine in our current review.
Our experts gave it a dismal dirt removal score of 44%, which is the lowest of any machine in our current review
The sole purpose of a washing machine is to get your clothes clean, but this one will not only give you a woeful wash, it’s also at the more expensive end of the spectrum for a top loader.
That’s doubly disappointing, especially considering that it’s outperformed by cheaper machines.
Low price, low performance: that’s the best way to sum up this Haier.
It’s one of the cheapest top loaders in our test, but a bargain it isn’t.
It was outclassed by similarly priced machines for dirt removal, and really only had the edge over the other washers in this list in terms of water efficiency and spin efficiency. (But was still mediocre for both of these.)
Low price, low performance: that’s the best way to sum up this Haier
It’s also relatively expensive to run, with our experts calculating it’ll cost you $1241 over 10 years. If you’re short on cash, this machine isn’t a terrible option, but don’t expect to be wowed.
With CHOICE Expert Ratings of 63%, these three washers scored equal-third of all the top loaders in our test .
The Samsungs are among the most expensive top loaders we tested, which means they’re far from good value. And on top of that, all three models have some of the highest running costs of the top loaders we tested, so not only will you pay more upfront, you’ll also get stung when your electricity bill arrives.
Your water bill will also go up: the two Samsungs received water efficiency scores of 37% and 38%. But the Haier was the worst of them all with a score of just 19% – the worst of all top loaders in our tests. It uses a huge 167L of water for a normal cold wash cycle.
Whether your budget is around $700 or up to $1600, you’re better off spending your money elsewhere.
First things first: front loaders perform a lot better than top loaders, particularly for gentleness, which you’ll see reflected in the higher scores below.
To be fair, these models all rated well enough.
That said, our experts found better-performing front loaders for a similar price or cheaper so doing some research before you buy will get you better value for your money.
It’s not the most expensive front loader in our review, but this Beko is definitely overpriced for its performance.
It’s very good at getting the dirt out of your clothes, but it drops the ball after that.
It scored just 36% in our rinse performance test, which is a measure of how much dirt and detergent the washing machine deposits back on your laundry after washing it out. (Our experts rate 36% as “poor”.)
It’s not particularly gentle on your clothes and it’s let down by its spin efficiency, which measures how wet the laundry is at the end of the cycle.
A low spin score means you’ll be left with soggy clothes that’ll take more time to dry on the line. And if you’re using a dryer you’ll have to run it for longer, which will cost you more in power.
These shortcomings could mean that you end up with laundry that’s not as clean as it could be, not as dry as it could be, and that wears out faster – all for the low, low price of $1299.
It does have the cheapest running costs of all the front loaders in our review, but between the upfront cost and the disappointing performance, it’s actually a washout.
First up, the Solt’s good points: it’s one of the cheapest front loaders in our review, so if you’re on a tight budget, it’s an appealing option.
It’s also pretty decent at getting your clothes clean efficiently: our experts rated it as “very good” for dirt removal, rinse performance and water efficiency.
But it failed to impress in terms of its gentleness and spin efficiency, both of which dragged down its overall score, despite the Solt delivering good performance otherwise.
It has a frustratingly long cycle time of 226 minutes
It also has a frustratingly long cycle time of 226 minutes. If you’re short on cash but have plenty of time on your hands, the cycle time may not be an issue for you – it might be a compromise you’re willing to make for the price.
Only one of the other front loaders in our review can compete with the Solt on price, but if you keep an eye out in the sales, you may be able to pick up a better machine for similar money.
All the gear, no idea: this Electrolux looks the part, but doesn’t deliver.
Don’t be swayed by the Electrolux’s schmick exterior: its beauty is only skin deep.
There are plenty of other options that’ll give you far better value for money: 10 of the 11 front loaders that are recommended by our experts cost the same or less than this disappointment.
And it’s not the only black machine on the block, so if you have your heart set on a chic-looking front loader, you can find better elsewhere.
There are plenty of other options that’ll give you far better value for money
It actually scored very well for dirt removal and rinse performance, but it was penalised for its excessively long cycle time (more than three hours!) and for being very rough on clothes.
“If you were to select a faster wash setting it would save you some time, but you may not get the same performance as far as dirt removal or rinsing,” says Denis.
Front loaders are generally more water- and energy-efficient than top loaders, but this one’s running costs are about the same as the top-loading Haier above, so you’ll lose out twice over if you buy it.
Our expert’s main piece of advice? Take your time making a decision on which model to buy.
Denis says you should avoid making impulse buys on an important appliance such as a washing machine, no matter how charming a salesperson is or how tempting an advertised price may seem.
“A heavily discounted washing machine with loads of features may seem like a great deal, but if you’re unlikely to use all those features, it’s not a great buy,” he says.
He also advises looking for deals with free delivery (or asking the salesperson if they will throw in free delivery) and avoiding poor-quality extended warranties.
“Extended warranties don’t offer much beyond what you’re already entitled to under the Australian Consumer Law, plus if you’re paying extra for them it negates some of the savings you’re making.”
Pru Engel is the Audience and Engagement editor at CHOICE. Her job is to ensure as many Australians as possible know about the great work we do at CHOICE.
She works closely with our testers and experts to find the gems of information in our data and research that will resonate with Australian consumers and help them make the best decisions, whether they're purchasing an air fryer, looking for a new mattress or trying to find the cheapest car insurance. She also helps to drive meaningful change for consumers by collaborating with our Campaigns team on content covering issues such as grocery pricing, product safety and scams.
Prior to CHOICE, Pru worked as an editor at many of Australia's leading food and lifestyle titles.
Pru has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) from the University of Technology, Sydney.
LinkedIn
Pru Engel is the Audience and Engagement editor at CHOICE. Her job is to ensure as many Australians as possible know about the great work we do at CHOICE.
She works closely with our testers and experts to find the gems of information in our data and research that will resonate with Australian consumers and help them make the best decisions, whether they're purchasing an air fryer, looking for a new mattress or trying to find the cheapest car insurance. She also helps to drive meaningful change for consumers by collaborating with our Campaigns team on content covering issues such as grocery pricing, product safety and scams.
Prior to CHOICE, Pru worked as an editor at many of Australia's leading food and lifestyle titles.
Pru has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) from the University of Technology, Sydney.
LinkedIn
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