Washing machines have stopped competing on cleaning and started competing on everything around it: how much power and water a cycle costs, how wet the laundry is when it comes out, how loud the spin gets, and whether the machine will slide under a worktop. This comparison covers seven machines across the range, from a compact value pick to a 10.5-kilogram model built for a large household.
One thing to be clear about before the numbers: the figures below are each machine's declared European energy-label data, taken from the manufacturers' product data sheets rather than from anyone's stopwatch. They are directly comparable with one another, because the label prescribes exactly how they are measured, but they describe a standard test cycle rather than your laundry.
How to Read the Figures
The energy class runs from A to G. The old A+, A++ and A+++ tiers were withdrawn, and the rescaled A is deliberately hard to reach, so a genuinely efficient machine may still be rated B or C — D can be acceptable, and it is worth being careful below that. A handful of machines carry an "A −10%" or "A −20%" marking, showing how far under the A threshold they fall.
The consumption figure is quoted in kilowatt-hours per 100 wash cycles on the Eco 40–60 programme, and the label's calculation assumes 220 washes a year. Water is quoted the same way, per cycle and across those 220 cycles.
Residual moisture is the share of water left in the laundry after the final spin. A lower figure means less time on the line or less work for a tumble dryer, and it is the number most people never look at.
Spin noise is given in dB(A) with its own class. Around 70 dB(A) is the useful benchmark — roughly what you hear standing a metre from a vacuum cleaner.
Best Value Overall: Gorenje W5G484A3P1
A freestanding 8-kilogram machine with the best efficiency figures in this group. On the Eco 40–60 programme it declares 33 kWh per 100 cycles, which earns the top class A, and it uses 41 litres per eco cycle. The spin measures 72 dB(A), also rated A. The weak spot is extraction: 53% residual moisture on average, so the laundry takes a little longer to dry.
There are 15 programmes, including one for trainers, and they can be driven from a smartphone app. Maximum spin is 1,400 rpm. The machine senses how full the drum is and adjusts duration and consumption to suit, and there is an add-laundry function, a drum-cleaning programme and a self-cleaning detergent drawer. What it lacks is imbalance control — the system that watches how the load is distributed during the spin to prevent damage — and it cannot be fitted under a worktop. Search Amazon UK · Amazon US
More Capacity, Strong Features: Siemens iQ300 WM14N22A
Nine kilograms of capacity with a broad feature set. It is rated class A, declaring 49 kWh per 100 cycles on Eco 40–60 and 46 litres per cycle, both good figures for the size. Laundry comes out at 53.6% residual moisture, so it is not the quickest to dry, and the spin measures a moderate 72 dB(A).
There is no app control — operation is by sensor buttons on the machine itself — and there are 15 programmes, including one for cleaning the drum. Top spin speed is 1,400 rpm. Imbalance control keeps an eye on load distribution, the automatic load sensing matches water volume and cycle length to what is actually in the drum, and a forgotten item can be added after the start. This one can be fitted under a worktop. Search Amazon UK · Amazon US
Quietest Spin: Haier HW80-BP14637T
The quiet one, and not by a small margin: 69 dB(A) on the spin, which earns airborne-noise class A. Consumption is low across the board — 38 kWh per 100 cycles on Eco 40–60 for an efficiency rating of A, and 40 litres per cycle. Capacity is 8 kilograms, and residual moisture is 53.7%, so as with the Gorenje the laundry could come out drier.
It offers 11 programmes, among them a steam programme for freshening clothes, and the start can be delayed by up to 24 hours. Spin tops out at 1,400 rpm. Control is through a touch panel on the machine; there is no app. Automatic load sensing adjusts water and duration, and imbalance control protects the drum. Two limitations: laundry cannot be added once the cycle has started, and the machine is not designed to fit under a worktop. Search Amazon UK · Amazon US
For Large Households: Hisense WF5S1045BW
At 10.5 kilograms this is the machine for households that wash in bulk, and the efficiency holds up well at that size. It declares 52 kWh per 100 cycles on Eco 40–60 — appropriate for the capacity, and still the top class A — with a modest 41 litres per cycle. Residual moisture is 52%, the best of this group, and the spin sits at 72 dB(A).
There are 19 programmes, many with a steam option, and app control is available. Maximum spin is 1,400 rpm, and laundry can be added after the start. It doses the detergent automatically according to the load and matches the water volume to it as well. There is no imbalance control for unevenly distributed loads, and it is not designed for fitting under a worktop. Search Amazon UK · Amazon US
The Strongest All-Rounder: Bosch WGB244071
A 9-kilogram front loader with a maximum spin of 1,400 rpm, and the most complete specification here. Class A, with 49 kWh per 100 cycles on the eco programme and 46 litres per cycle, and it is notably quiet on the spin at 69 dB(A). Residual moisture is reasonable.
Its 18 programmes can be driven from a smartphone app, the drum is lit inside, and automatic load sensing sets the water volume and programme length. Forgotten items can be added after the start, and imbalance control is fitted. It measures 60 × 85 × 66 cm, and it is not designed to go under a worktop.
Worth knowing: the Siemens WG44B2071 is the identical machine under a different badge. If you are comparing the two, you are comparing the same appliance. Search Amazon UK · Amazon US
The Under-Counter Option: Siemens WU14UT71
The machine to look at if it has to slide under a worktop. It carries less equipment than the pricier models in the range — 12 programmes, no app control and no drum light — but it is built to fit, measuring 60 × 85 × 63 cm. The add-laundry function, automatic load sensing and imbalance control are all present.
Consumption is the trade-off: 54 kWh per 100 cycles on the eco programme puts it in class B rather than A, with 46 litres per cycle. The spin is quiet at 69 dB(A) and reaches 1,400 rpm, capacity is 8 kilograms, and residual moisture is 53%, which could be better.
As above, the Bosch WUU28T71 is the identical machine. Search Amazon UK · Amazon US
The Value Nine Kilogram: Samsung WW9ECGC04AAEEG
One of the cheaper machines to buy in this group, and it still returns good efficiency for a 9-kilogram drum: class A, 44 kWh per 100 cycles on the eco programme, and 50 litres per cycle. The spin reaches 1,400 rpm at 72 dB(A), well within normal, and residual moisture is a slightly high 53.9%.
Its 15 programmes can be set through an app or on the machine's touch controls. Automatic load sensing sets consumption to suit the load, imbalance control watches for unevenly distributed laundry, and there is an add-laundry function. It measures 60 × 85 × 63 cm and is not designed to fit under a worktop. Search Amazon UK · Amazon US
Front Loader, Top Loader or Washer-Dryer?
Front loaders are the standard: you load through the porthole door, the detergent drawer pulls out at the front and the controls sit on the front panel, which means they can be stacked or built into a kitchen run. Capacities go up to about 12 kilograms, though 6 to 8 is normal. If the machine is to be fitted under a worktop, it needs to be an under-counter model specifically, and it will want space in front of it.
Top loaders open and fill from above, with the controls on the top of the machine. They are much narrower than front loaders, which makes them the answer in a genuinely tight room, and they are kinder on your back to load. The catch is choice: the selection is considerably smaller.
There is also a third shape worth knowing about — the reduced-depth front loader, at roughly 44 centimetres deep rather than 60. These space-savers usually cost a little more than standard machines but have their own advantages.
Washer-dryers combine both jobs in one cabinet, which is genuinely useful if you have no room for two machines or nowhere to dry. The limitation is real, though: drying needs more drum volume than washing, so a combined machine will usually only dry about half a drum load at a time. Fill the drum for the wash and you will need two drying runs, and a full cycle takes somewhere between five and seven-plus hours. It makes sense if you wash relatively little or have no drying space, and much less sense otherwise.
What Capacity Do You Actually Need?
Bigger is not automatically better, particularly if you like to wash in smaller, sorted loads. As a rough guide: 3 kilograms covers someone living alone, 5 kilograms suits a two- or three-person household, and the common 6-to-8-kilogram drum handles four to five people. Eight kilograms and above is really only necessary from about six people up. If a smaller size will do, the narrow front loader becomes practical, since it typically carries a five-kilo drum.
Spin Speed
The higher the spin speed, the drier the laundry — and the more creased. 800 rpm is enough for delicate textiles. Towels want at least 1,200 rpm. If the laundry goes into a tumble dryer afterwards, look for 1,400 rpm, because spinning water out costs the washing machine far less energy than heating it out costs the dryer. The practical minimum is a machine with at least two spin settings that reaches 1,200 rpm.
Water Use
For a drum up to five kilograms, around 40 litres per normal wash at a normal fill is the figure to expect; at eight kilograms, 60 litres is a fair average. The useful comparison is litres per wash per kilogram of capacity rather than the headline number. Most machines have an eco programme, which saves water at the cost of a longer cycle, and load sensors that weigh the drum contents and set the water intake accordingly are genuinely worth having if you often wash half loads.
Noise
If the machine will live in a flat or share a wall with a bedroom, treat about 70 dB(A) on the spin as the target. Some machines also offer a night programme, which runs more quietly in exchange for a longer cycle.
The Functions That Matter — and the Ones That Do Not
Beyond programme selection by temperature and fabric, a good machine should have a water-protection system, a short programme, a pause button and an eco setting. The eco programme saves real money: it soaks the laundry for longer and heats less, and heating is by far the largest energy cost in a wash. Other saving programmes halve the water volume, which suits a half-filled drum. A rinse hold is useful if you cannot hang the washing out immediately — the load sits in the final rinse water until you press on.
Pleasant but not essential: a remaining-time display, which is often inaccurate; an end-of-cycle tone; and a delay timer, which is worth having if you want the wash to finish as you get home. A load sensor with a dosing recommendation on the display helps you use the right amount of detergent, and a few machines will dose automatically.
Be more sceptical about the long tail of special programmes — lingerie, outdoor, jeans, blouses — because they usually carry a price premium and the standard delicate cycle covers most of what they do. Interior drum lighting is a nice touch in a dark utility room and a frill in a bright one.
Smart Features
Some machines are wi-fi capable, sending fault messages to your phone and letting you choose programmes, set the timer or start a wash remotely. None of that is necessary, but it is genuinely handy if you run a smart-home setup or want the machine to tell you when something has gone wrong.
Before You Buy: The Usability Check
The best specification is wasted if the machine is awkward to live with. Worth checking in person: how the buttons feel; whether the control panel makes sense without the manual, especially for functions you will rarely use; whether the lint filter is easy to reach, open, clean and close; and whether the door aperture is big enough to post bulky items such as curtains or a duvet cover through comfortably. Some machines have deliberately large openings for exactly that. Where no independent test of a particular model exists, customer reviews in online shops are worth reading — handling problems tend to surface there.
A Word on Brands
There is no blanket verdict to give here, but a few things are worth knowing. With little-known brands sold mainly through online retail, the caution is not usually the washing but the aftermath: support and spare parts. That said, an attractive offer from an unfamiliar name should not be dismissed out of hand, because there is sometimes a well-established manufacturer behind it. Several traditional brand names no longer have a manufacturer of their own at all, and some machines are sold under more than one name — identical hardware, different badge, different price. Two pairs in this very comparison are exactly that.
How a Washing Machine Works
The basic architecture has changed remarkably little since fully automatic machines went into mass production in the middle of the twentieth century. The machine draws mains power, takes in fresh water through one connection and discharges waste water through another. Laundry goes into a perforated drum; powder detergent goes in the drawer, liquid detergent usually straight in with the washing. The cycle then runs in phases: the main wash cleans, the rinse clears the detergent solution out of the fabric, and the spin drives the water out at the end.
