Credit:
Reviewed / Tim Renzi
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Credit:
Reviewed / Tim Renzi
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
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This excellent washer tops our best list, and it should top yours. It boasts remarkable cleaning prowess, and is easy to use and see. Read More
The Maytag MHW8630HC is a powerful washer that lets you do laundry on your terms. It's 5.0-cu.-ft. drum can handle just about anything. Read More
If you need to get through tons of laundry, this is the washer for you. It also has some nice smart features, like remote start and notifications. Read More
The Samsung WF53BB8700AT looks great, washes well, has a gigantic 6.1-cubic-foot wash drum, and comes with a ton of other features. Read More
While not the gentlest washer, its Normal and Heavy cycles have very strong cleaning performances and its Quick cycle finishes in 13 minutes. Read More
While top-load washers might have a nostalgia factor for some consumers, others have embraced the "new-fangled" front-load washer. It's true that front-loaders have come a long way since their inception: Modern models run more efficiently and get clothes cleaner when compared to top-loaders. Most front-load washers embrace both form and function, and often have neat features and beautiful finishes to complement their strong cleaning performance.
Once you've decided to buy (or replace) a front-load washer, your next step is to actually pick one out. The process of selecting a front-loader can be daunting since every major appliance manufacturer makes at least one front-load washer.
This is where we come in: We've compiled a list of the best front-load washers available on the market today.
Our current favorite front-load washer is the Electrolux ELFW7637AT (available at Electrolux) because of its incredible cleaning performance and stain removal, a sprinting speed cycle, and a nifty detergent pod dispenser.
The front-loading ELFW7637AT has excellent stain removal performance, a detergent pod dispenser, and a 15-minute Fast wash.
Power Heavy Duty cycle
High number of features
Streamlined controls
Expensive
Slow cycles
Large capacity drum
Fast cycle times
Smart features
Average cleaning power
Expensive
Fast, effective wash cycles
Large wash drum
Steam, stackable, other features
On-board controls can be difficult to read
Loud chime has no volume controls, just on and off
Streamlined interface
Strong cleaning performance
Fast Quick cycle
HIgher than average wear and tear on Normal and Delicates cycles
Great cleaning performance
Intuitive controls
Adds a lot of wear and tear to clothes
Good stain removal
Venting system controls odors
Excellent sanitize feature
Poor Quick Dry and Bulky/Bedding cycle
Expensive
Very fast quick wash
Intuitive app
Cycles finish with very wet laundry
Not very gentle
Expensive
Hi there! We're Reviewed's appliance testing team. Between us, we've spent many years testing major appliances including washers, dryers, refrigerators, and dishwashers. We have plenty of experience testing these products in the lab, but we've also used them like normal people would in the course of their daily lives, which means that we have a great sense for what appliances are bargains at their price points, and which appliances have really useful extra features (as opposed to the kitchen-sink approach to features).
Unlike a top-load washer, a front-load washer does not have to fill a tub with water.
Every washing machine that comes into Reviewed’s labs gets put through the same testing regimen, which addresses both performance and user-friendliness. We test for stain removal power, wear and tear on clothes, water retention and the spin cycle, and cycle duration. The best washers have solid stain removal abilities, do not damage your clothes, retain little water, and have short cycle times.
Beyond these performance tests, we also assess the usability of each washing machine. Our main goal is to get the answer to one question: How easy is it to actually use this washing machine?
By combining the performance data with our own observations, we can make solid recommendations for someone looking for any type of washing machine at any price point.
Front-load washers are exactly what they sound like—instead of lifting up your washer’s lid and arranging your clothes in a circle around a pole agitator or impeller, the door opens from the front, and you put your laundry in from the side of the machine.
Where you put your laundry may not seem like a big deal, but it really makes a difference in terms of the appliance's engineering. Additionally, front-loaders tend to outpace top-loaders when it comes to cleaning performance and efficiency.
Some studies, including our own, indicate that front-loaders may do a better job at cleaning dirty laundry than top-load washers do. This may have to do with the dynamics of a horizontally-oriented washer drum: in a top-loader, stains are removed from clothes by being in contact with the pole agitator (the big spiral column in the middle), the outside of the washer drum, or rubbing against other nearby laundry.
In a front-loader, the stain removal happens when clothing interacts with the wash drum and when it spins to the top of the wash drum and then falls down onto the laundry at the bottom of the drum. Because each piece of laundry will go through this process multiple times, there's an increased likelihood that stains will be removed from all of your laundry.
Unlike a top-load washer, a front-load washer does not have to fill a tub with water. Because the drum is oriented horizontally, the washer relies on the fact that your load of laundry is going to be mingling with all of the other laundry a lot, whether they're spun on the drum together or whether they're squished together when wet laundry falls from the top of the wash drum.
Front-loaders use water much more efficiently than top-loaders, because all they have to do is spray water while spinning the drum. This gets all of the clothes wet in two ways: firstly, most of the clothes will get wet because of the water spray, and secondly, those that don't get hit with the initial spray will absorb water from other wet clothes during the spinning-and-falling process.
By using less water in each wash cycle, front-loaders are typically more efficient (i.e. they cost less to operate on a per cycle and per year basis) than top-load washers.
Mark Brezinski works on the Home Team, reviewing refrigerators, minifridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, and fans.
Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.
Julia is the Senior Scientist at Reviewed, which means that she oversees (and continually updates) the testing of products in Reviewed's core categories such as televisions, washing machines, refrigerators, and more. She also determines the testing methods and standards for Reviewed's "The Best Right Now" articles.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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