The best washer dryers clean and care for your clothes, save you a great deal of time and money, and can keep damp at bay. What more could you want, really?!
Choosing the best washer dryer is partly about price but there are some other important considerations too. There's the drum capacity and the drying capacity, which are rarely the same: most models can wash bigger loads than they can dry, because the drying function needs to leave room for hot air to circulate or you end up with damp laundry even after hours of drying.
Spin speed is something that needs to be considered too, because the faster the spin the more water is removed before the drying process begins. Another factor is noise: you don't want a washer/dryer that rattles the plates and sounds like a jet taking off in your open-plan kitchen. We've also taken cycle duration into account, because you don't want to wait all day to wash and dry a little load.
In addition to our guide to the best washer dryers, we've also curated expert guides on how to buy a washer dryer and the classic washer dryer mistakes to avoid so you can get the best from your new machine. Those with more room might like to head straight to our lists for the best tumble dryers and the best washing machines in your kitchen or utility room, a do-everything appliance is the ideal solution.
Without further ado, here are the best washer dryers you can buy, from AEG, Bosch, Samsung and more.
Best washer dryers ranking 2023
Why you can trust T3 Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
For big families often knee-deep in laundry, they will certainly benefit from the generous 10kg drum and 6kg drying capacity of the Bosch WDU28561GB. In fact, there are plenty of impressive features on the washing front.
It’s actually got no less than 23 different pre-set washing and drying programs, which is very convenient. In particular, we’re keen on the delicate and hand wash cycles, Eco Wash but there’s a handy Auto Dry option that ensures your clothes will never get over-dried. No more shrunken jumpers! Another area where this machine excels is when it’s spinning your laundry; it does a grand job right up to its maximum of 1,400rpm.
Other highlights? Well, the child lock is a boon if you’ve got a family and your white goods tend to attract unwanted interest from the little ones. The display is easy to use by simply following the instructions, and it’s incredibly quiet. That said, the touch menu can be a bit fiddly as if you hold the start button down for too long the machine won’t start. It only needs to be held down for two seconds. Nevertheless, this is a minor issue.
The Bosch WDU28560GB washer dryer does come at a premium price tag, but you do get a lot for your money.
If you’re lacking in space, this stylish machine will wash and dry up to a decent 6kg of laundry in one go or 9kg worth if only using the wash sequence.
Tech-wise, it has a fair amount of stand-out features. The main one being the ProSense technology that automatically weighs the amount of laundry in the drum and adjusts the cycle time accordingly for both washing and drying (it even tells you how much detergent to use) and DualSense customises drum motion and internal temperature to ensure both delicates and non-delicates can be washed and dried at the same time. Impressive!
All of this and the AEG 7000 Series comes with the usual gamut of programs – cotton, synthetic, delicates, easy iron – plus an excellent wool wash cycle that performs a gentle cool-down process at the end of the sequence, ensuring that your favourite cashmere sweater doesn’t shrink to the size of your child’s teddy bear.
What’s more, if you’re running a tight ship, the NonStop 60-minute wash and dry program is handy, and the steam programme is a major plus if you just want to freshen up a shirt before going out. It’s also incredibly quiet throughout the entire process (your neighbours will be happy!), and has a higher-than-average 1,600rpm spin speed that ensures laundry is just the right side of damp for the tumble sequence.
If you’re after a more affordable washer dryer, this John Lewis & Partners model is a great buy. The mid-priced model has garnered a range of positive reviews from customers who have praised its superior cleaning and drying performance. It’s no surprises then that AEG is the manufacturer, which means you can expect top-notch quality.
While it may not have the biggest drum capacity, it does come equipped with a solid 8kg drum for washing and 4kg for drying. This is more than sufficient for a couple or family of three or four. It has a decent range of 17 different wash and dry programmes, including woollens, cold wash, a quick 20-minute wash, a steam cycle for mixed wools/synthetics and a faster-than-normal 1,600rpm spin speed.
Overall, this is a great, mid-price washer dryer that gets the job done well. Check our John Lewis discount codes to bag a saving on your purchase.
If you’re after a great mid-sized washer dryer on a fairly small budget, the ZWD76SB4PW is ideal. Equipped with a capacity of 7kgs and a 4kgs drying capacity, this is sufficient for a small family of three or four. It comes with 14 programmes including your typical cotton, delicates, synthetics and wool cycles. It even has a Quick Refresh mode that will reduce the creases in your favourite clothing, saving you precious ironing time!
The key feature here is the auto adjust mode that will automatically adjust the water to the weight of your load, saving you money on water and energy bills. What’s more, it has the options for Quick Wash (20 minutes), or a 60-minute Wash&Dry function, if you’re in a hurry to get through your laundry basket.
One thing to note is the control interface looks a bit complicated, with many users mentioning how confusing it was. In any case, it might be worthwhile reading the instructions book carefully (who ever does?). But once you get to grips with the setting, and can overlook the long-ish program times, the end results are impressive.
Best of all, it’s incredibly quiet which is always a bonus, and reasonably priced making it great value for money!
The sleek LG FWV917WTSE Freestanding Washer Dryer is the best family-friendly option. It has a 10.5kg drum capacity and 7kg drying, which is adequate for a big family, and comes with some impressive features. Equipped with a clever AI DD that weighs your laundry and automatically detects the softness of your fabric to wash pattern, this means you’ll never have to worry about the right setting.
It has a TurboWash 360 setting that effectively washes in just 39 minutes, and handy for those favourite items of clothing. Other nifty functions include Wash & Dry (that does everything in 160 minutes), pause and add, delay timer, hand wash and the obligatory child lock. Those with young children will certainly benefit from the Baby Bare and Allergy Programmes that uses steam tech to thoroughly kill 99.9% of allergens. Ideal for babywear and allergy sufferers.
Best of all, if you’re a bit of a techie or simply want an easy life, the WIFI-enabled features allows you to do almost everything from your smartphone. Simply download the SmartThinQ app, and you’re ready to wash from the comfort of your sofa!
All this and it’s incredibly quiet – a plus if you have a mountain of laundry to get through. Granted, it doesn’t come cheap and is on the larger side, but the cleaning results are outstanding.
For those after style and substance, this high-end freestander offers all of that and more. With a modern, drum design (that looks more sci-fi than white appliance!) the Samsung WD80N645OOW is a cracking washer dryer.
Even with a small-ish yet adequate 8kg capacity, it comes with a range of impressive features. The Ecobubble tech uses zillions of tiny air bubbles to saturate laundry up to 40 times faster than the norm, while its diamond pattern drum makes clothing slip around as if on a waterslide. Best of all, the little Addwash hatch is handy to throw in that missing sock or spare item during mid cycle.
All of this, and the WD80N645OOW comes with other unique programs including Super Eco Wash, Speed Wash+Dry, AirWash, 15-minute QuickWash and Silent Wash. Its 1,400rpm spin cycle, meanwhile, ensures that the drying session shouldn’t consume too much leccy, while delivering an outstanding performance. Similar to many other Samsung appliances, you can also troubleshoot the machine using a smartphone.
It isn’t any wonder then why this model received good reviews from users. One minor downside mentioned is the on/off button can be a little touch sensitive, so you may accidentally turn on the machine at the slightest touch. But this can easily be overlooked by the impressive results.
The Haier HWD80-B14979 Freestanding Washer Dryer is a machine that’s suitable for a wide variety of households, with a programme to suit all occasions. What’s more, the appliance comes with a top end 1,400rpm speed and can wash up to 8kg and dry 5kg. It’s also got the benefit of an A energy rating, which is always going to be a bonus in these energy-saving times we live in.
Another bonus with this washer dryer is its Direct Motion motors, which means that the operational noise of the machine is fairly nominal. The front-loader also bristles with additional features, including Steam & i-Refresh programmes, which can be used for easy iron and anti-allergen clothes treatment. Anything that helps reduce the need for ironing has got to be a good thing, right?
What to look for in the best washer dryers
All washer dryers list two different capacities, one for the washing sequence and another for the drying cycle. Hence, you can’t just leave a full washing load in the machine and expect it to dry it all successfully at the end of the washing cycle.
If you do wash a full load, you will have to find somewhere to store one half of the damp pile while the other half’s being dried. That’s no big deal in summer when you have the option of having the sun dry some of your washing but it can be an issue in winter. Hence, if you want to enjoy the fully automated process of washing and drying all done in one go, you’ll need to do smaller loads, and stick to the maximum capacity for the drying program.
Washer dryers are inherently expensive to buy and repair so, if space allows, you could feasibly buy a separate washing machine and dryer for about the same price as a single do-it-all unit. This would allow you wash and dry laundry at the same time. Remember, too, that if a fault occurs in a washer dryer, that’s the whole machine out of action until it’s fixed. Even more so than washing machines, it’s a good idea to spend more on a washer dryer, as there's so much to potentially go wrong with them.
One especially handy feature of a washer dryer is that since the waste plumbing is already required for the washing side of things, it means you won’t need to periodically empty any water containers after the drying cycle. Even though most washer dryers have integrated water collection tanks, condensed water from the drying sequence can just as easily be pumped out of the same waste outlet as the dirty washing water.
You may find that increased humidity caused by the washing and drying process leaves you at the risk of damp but fear not as we've put together a guide to the best dehumidifiers for a solution…
