We also talked with industry experts from GE and LG to get their insight on the factors that shoppers might not think of as they search for a new washer. First, to learn more about your options, see our washing machine buying guide. CR members can check our washer ratings to see how more than models perform in our laundry lab tests. And once you get your new machine home, rely on our washing machine maintenance advice to make sure the appliance lasts. Your instinct may be to shop only the latest models.
After all, they have the newest technology for getting your clothes clean, right? Not necessarily, Allwood says. Models are typically sold for three to five years, and as the years pass, prices drop. But slightly older models often have the same features as newer models and meet the same federal standards for water and energy efficiency.
You may have to do some digging, though, to find older models in stores. It can be even more difficult to find older models online. Therefore, going to stores—while taking proper safety precautions , including wearing a mask and practicing social distancing—is your best bet. Millions of Samsung washers were recalled due to a safety issue.
Read about the related class-action lawsuit to see if you can file a settlement claim. Agitator top-loaders are typically the least expensive type of washing machine.
You can get a front-loader that delivers top-notch cleaning. But in the past several years manufacturers have introduced models that are priced to compete with top-loaders. Manufacturers continue to add colors to their washer lineups.
Every manufacturer makes pedestals for front-load washers and dryers, though they cost hundreds extra. The door locks to prevent leaks, so forget about tossing in a stray sock like you could with most top-loaders. Most people just get used to this limitation. But you actually can add items mid-wash if your front-loader has a pause button many models, including our top pick, do , which aborts and restarts the wash cycle. Top-loaders, on the other hand, rarely end up reeking like mildew, because moisture can easily evaporate out of the unsealed top door.
Wipe out the door and gasket between every use. Once a month, run an empty self-cleaning cycle with chlorine bleach or a specialty drum-cleaner like Affresh. That fixed a persistent problem for a Wirecutter editor who owns an older version of our pick. Overloading a front-loader can be risky. And washers keep getting bigger, which could be putting the bearings under yet even more weight. This is an easy-enough problem to avoid: Wash more small loads, instead of fewer big ones.
You can get away with washing some lazy mega-loads here and there, just try to avoid making it a habit. Or, use a top-loader. We have a lot more to say on how to deal with some of the problems that front-loaders may present in our guide on How to Care for Your Washer and Dryer. If you have your heart set on a top-loader, go ahead and get one.
Newer top-loaders are totally adequate machines and lack some of the potential maintenance pitfalls of a front-loader. Think about your laundry habits and the layout of your home.
If you find top-loaders more comfortable to load and unload, go for it. For some floor plans, a top-opening washer just fits better. The majority of front loaders only have a cold water intake, and have an internal heater instead of a hot water inlet.
This gives you more precise temperature control and location options as you only need a cold tap. It also means you can't hook up your new front loader to a solar hot water service if you have one. There are still quite a few front loaders with both hot and cold water intakes available though, so if you have solar hot water and regularly wash in warm water then one of these may be more cost effective, as your hot water is essentially free.
Front loaders take longer than top loaders to complete a full wash cycle — a bit over two hours on average from our washing machine tests , which is twice as long as the average top loader. Some even take up to three hours. Our tests show longer wash times don't necessarily correlate to cleaner clothes though, and you should consider how the length of a wash cycle will impact your lifestyle before you buy. Many front loaders do have a fast wash program, which is great for day-to-day washing, but it may not be suitable for large or heavily soiled loads.
What does it mean in real terms? Table notes: So for both our testing 3. However you'll also notice that for a cold wash a top loader uses less energy than a front loader, whereas for a warm wash the opposite is true. The reason is, for the warm wash most of the energy used is for heating the water, and as top loaders use more water, there's more heating required.
For a cold wash, where no water heating takes place, the greater energy consumption is due to the longer cycle time, though you'll note for both front and top loaders, a cold wash uses significantly less energy than warm wash.
Front loaders are a little noisier than top loaders, averaging around 61dBA, or about as loud as a normal conversation, and higher spin speeds also mean they tend to have a higher pitch. In comparison, top loaders average 58dBA, which isn't a huge difference, but one that's noticeable to the human ear.
These are hardly rock concert volumes, but if your laundry is close to living areas then you may want to opt for a washer with a diminutive decibel output. Front loaders have higher spin speeds than top loaders, with 1, rpm spin cycles increasingly common. This is good because the higher the spin speed, the more water extracted from your clothes, reducing drying time and energy if you use a clothes dryer.
The flipside is increased creasing, and it can crush the pile on your towels, making them scratchy. Most washers offer a range of speeds to suit different laundry types, so you can easily adjust this for the load you're doing at the time.
A high maximum speed gives you the most options. Aside from differences in performance and capacity, higher prices translate to more features, ranging from a wider range of programs, time delay and sensor wash, through to full home network integration.
Because front loaders use less water and a tumbling action they don't need as many suds as a top loader. As a result, front loader detergents contain a suds inhibitor so your machine doesn't overflow and flood your laundry.
So don't use a laundry detergent designed for a top loader in your front loader or you may be left with a foamy mess to clean up and possibly even a damaged appliance. Though you can use a front loading detergent in a top loader because they don't generate as many suds though you may need to add a little more detergent than you normally would.
These days there's a growing number of laundry detergents that have been developed for use in both front and top loaders. This is good news if you're on tank water, because front loaders don't need clothes to float around for effective washing — instead your clothes are washed by repeatedly picking them up and dropping them into the wash water. Many modern washing machines are also able to vary their water consumption based on the size of your laundry load, so look for a machine with a sensor if water wastage worries you.
This also explains why our test results and the figures quoted on the water label are different — our tests use a 3. It's also worth remembering that many machines try to compensate for unbalanced loads by adding additional water, so it's doubly important to load your washing machine carefully.
Front-loaders are more energy efficient than top loaders, in part because front loaders take advantage of gravity for their wash action, rather than using an agitator or impeller.
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