How to choose the best washing machine for you: what to check before you buy

Why the adverts and the shop are not enough

Washing machine adverts show the best result a machine can reach. The detailed specifications often say something different. For example:

• The energy and water figures on a label are measured on a test programme set by your country's label rules (in the EU and UK, the "eco 40-60" programme), which can take several hours.
• A machine may not fit through your door or into the gap you have, once pipes and the door opening are counted.
• A part that commonly wears out may only be repairable by the maker, at a high price.

So check the same things for every machine, using the maker's own specifications and installation guide, and check the exact model number you would buy.

Before you look at any machine

Write down your answers to these four points. They decide which checks in the list matter most to you.

• Your space. The width, depth and height of the gap, the doorways on the way in, and whether the door can open fully, or, for a top-loader, whether there is room above for the lid.
• Your connections. Your water supply (cold only, or hot and cold), the drain, the power socket, and whether the floor is solid or wooden.
• How you wash. How many people, how many loads a week, bulky items such as duvets (comforters), and whether you need to dry clothes too.
• Where you live. A flat (apartment) with neighbours, hard or soft water, and the price of electricity and water where you are.

The checklist

The checks are in three groups. Must have means a problem here can make it hard to use or costly to fix. Nice to have means it makes a real difference for many people. Optional means it only matters to some people. When you open the checklist in NeutralPick, you can move any check to a different group to match your answers above.

• Must have
• Fits your space and gets through the doorWhat are its exact width, depth and height, including the door and pipes, and will it fit through my doorways?Depth figures sometimes leave out the door and hoses. A top-loader needs room above to open the lid. The installation guide lists the space needed.
• Works with your water, drain and powerDoes it work with my water supply, drain and power socket, and does it need any special installation?Some need a hot and cold water supply, others cold only. Some need a socket of their own, not an extension lead. Check the installation guide.
• The right capacity for your loadsWhat is its capacity (in kg, or drum size in cubic feet in the US and Canada), and is it enough for my usual loads and largest items, such as a duvet?In kg, capacity is measured with cotton at full load, and many programmes take less. Check the largest duvet (comforter) size the maker says it can take.
• Energy and water use you can affordHow much energy and water does it use per year or per cycle, on the programme I would use most?Label figures come from one test programme (in the EU and UK, "eco 40-60"). Quick and hot washes usually use more energy. Check the programme table in the manual.
• A warranty that applies where you liveHow long is the warranty in my country, does it cover parts and labour, and how quickly does a repair person come?Some warranties cover parts but not the repair person's time. Your country's consumer law may give you more than the maker's warranty.
• Nice to have
• Programme times that suit youHow long do the programmes I would use take, including the eco programme and a quick wash?Eco programmes can take three hours or more. A quick wash is useful but usually only for small, lightly dirty loads.
• Quiet enough for your homeHow loud is it when washing and spinning, in decibels (dB), and is there a quiet or night programme?Matters in flats and open-plan homes. A lower decibel number is quieter.
• Spare parts and repairs for yearsFor how many years will spare parts be available, and can independent repair people get them?In many machines the drum bearings are sealed inside a tub, so fixing them means replacing the tub. In the EU and UK, makers must sell many parts to repairers for 7-10 years.
• Spin speed that suits how you dryWhat is the top spin speed, and how dry are clothes after a normal cotton wash?A faster spin leaves clothes drier, which helps if you dry indoors or use a dryer. The EU and UK label shows a spin-drying class (A is driest). Not every fabric can take it.
• Optional
• Drying, if you want a washer-dryerIf it also dries, how much can it dry at once, how long does drying take, and how much energy does it use?Only matters for a washer-dryer. It usually dries a smaller load than it washes.
• Works without the appDoes every programme work from the machine itself, without the app or an account?Some features are only in an app. Check what still works without it.

Claims to look at carefully

Adverts and product pages often describe the points below in vague terms. When you see one, look for the specific information shown here. If you cannot find it, assume the answer is "no" or "only partly".

• "Energy-saving". Look for the energy figure on the label used where you live, and check which programme it was measured on.
• A large capacity in kilograms. Look for the capacity on the programmes you will use, and the largest duvet it can take.
• A "15-minute wash". Look for the load size it allows; quick washes are usually for small, lightly dirty loads.
• The price. Add delivery, installation, removal of your old machine, and running costs over several years.

What to do with what you found

1. Put all the machines side by side.
2. Look at the Must have checks first. If a machine gets a No on one of your must-haves, remove it, however good the rest looks. Look closely at any Partial.
3. If two machines are close, read reviews from owners who have used them for a year or more, especially about reliability and repairs.
4. Before you buy, measure your space and doorways again, and check the shop's delivery and return terms.

Why use NeutralPick to compare washing machines

• The same checks for every washing machine. You fill in the same checklist for each washing machine you are considering, so you compare them in the same way.
• Everything in one table. You see every washing machine side by side, check by check, instead of switching between shop pages and notes.
• Nobody can pay to influence it. There are no adverts, no paid placements and no "featured" products. No maker or shop can pay to be shown to you or placed higher.
• Free, with no account. You don't need to sign up or pay anything.

Start with this checklist See an example comparison