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Laundry is a doddle with our expert-tested best buys barrier washer
Washing machines are real household essentials – and when they break down or aren't working as they should, they certainly make their absence felt.
Whether you regularly find yourself scrubbing away at grass and mud stains that haven't vanished in the wash, or you’ve decided it’s time to invest in a more energy efficient model, there’s a lot to consider when buying a replacement appliance.
But, if washing machine shopping puts your head in a spin, you’ve come the right place. The Good Housekeeping Institute has tried and tested the latest models on the market to find the best washing machines to add to your kitchen or utility room.
Ready to invest in your next washing machine? Here are our top picks:
During testing, our experts use each washing machine just like you would at home – we load them with a combination of clothes, bedding and towels. We try out a quick wash, along with 40-degree cotton and synthetic programs, and score the results.
For each machine, we consider the weight of the laundry before and after washing, spin efficiency, cycle durations, and water and energy usage (any prices below are based on the cost of electricity at the time: £0.30kWh). We also check whether clothes are creased.
We know that stain removal is important too, so we add stain strips to both the cotton and synthetic cycles to see exactly how well they handle common household dirt and spills. Finally, we assess the design, ease of use and instructions of each model.
Over the years, the GHI has tested 63 different washing machines. These are our top picks for 2023.
Thanks to its intuitive design, featuring a wide door for easy loading and a clearly readable digital display and program dial, this washing machine makes doing the laundry simple. It comes with clear instructions and has a child lock, should you need one.
It did an outstanding job at cleaning our clothes, banishing over 80% of all stains on every cycle we tested, including stubborn marks such as grass, blood and curry sauce. Testers also found it had a good spin efficiency and excellent water usage. It was fairly energy efficient too, with its quick cycle using just five pence of electricity. It’s a total box-ticker.
Producing some of the freshest results on test, this Miele is a worthy investment. It excelled at removing stains, banishing 86.5% of stains from cotton – not even dreaded foundation posed a problem. On polycotton, wine also washed out well.
While it's definitely an investment, we found its low energy and water consumption made it economical to run – its quick wash, for example, cost about 4p per cycle on test and the longer cycles we tried cost around 30p.
A sturdy design, it boasts a responsive touch screen and has WiFi capabilities. The instruction manual is clear, which is helpful as setting up the auto-dosing system is lengthy, and there are a few steps required to start a quick cycle. Our testers liked the guidance on washing different fabrics and garments, too.
This machine’s A energy rating was reflected in the low electricity cost of its cycles on test. Its quick cycle cost six pence, while both the 40-degree cotton and 40-degree synthetic cycles we tested cost 16 pence. While costs will vary based on the weight of your load, this was enough to earn it a near-perfect score.
Its thoughtful design also makes doing laundry a breeze. Testers declared it straightforward to use, found its wide door made loading simple and you can add forgotten garments mid-wash. The display is easy to read, if a little cluttered, and the accompanying instructions are helpful, too. Its stellar stain removal also deserves a mention – it eliminated at least 80% of every stain it tackled.
If you don’t like waiting for washing, this is your machine – its cycles were some of the shortest on test. Our cotton cycle was complete in under two hours, while the synthetics cycle came in at just over.
It removed most stains well, but struggled to lift blood, so we’d recommend turning to a stain remover for extra help there. Its energy and water efficiency varied notably on a cycle-by-cycle basis, too. But its fascia is clean and easy to follow, meaning our testers found doing laundry effortless from start to finish.
If it’s fancy features you’re after, say hello to this sleek Bosch. It has intelligent detergent dosing to dispense just the right amount for your load, a light within the drum to help visibility when loading and unloading, a drum cleaning reminder, and even the option to add that forgotten sock once your wash cycle has started.
It’s straightforward to use too, although its touchscreen buttons weren’t always the most responsive. It reliably cleaned stains on both its cotton and synthetic programs, but testers found it wasn’t the most efficient machine when it came to water and energy consumption. It is A-rated though, and we were sold as soon as we learnt you can add clothes mid-wash.
Everything about this washing machine is a pleasure to use. It’s well built with dials that turn smoothly and a door that opens wide. What’s more, our expert found both the drum and the detergent drawer easy to clean.
The instructions are detailed and its claimed program times proved mostly accurate. It removed over 80% of stains from both polycotton and cotton and on the cycle dedicated to the latter, it spun our load effectively too.
The quick wash was cheap to run but it left our clothes wet, so you may need to run a separate spin cycle afterwards. The washing machine’s overall water consumption was relatively high, too.
Our expert liked its accompanying app, which allows you to schedule a wash – ideal if your electricity tariff is cheaper at certain times of the day.
On test, we found this machine could happily fit between 5 and 6 kilograms of washing, making it a great buy if your laundry is often piled high. It’s easy to use too – in fact, our expert found it so intuitive they barely had to consult the instructions.
The cycle selection dial is responsive, and the detergent drawer opened seamlessly. The latter’s dark grey markings were hard to see at times, though, and we noticed some sludge left after washes. But, its filter was easy to access and clean.
We noticed some inconsistencies in the advertised wash times – the actual durations were longer. While its quick cycle was notably energy efficient, water consumption was substantial across all three cycles on test. It’s a trusty stain remover though, doing a particularly good job of removing tomato puree from cotton and red wine from polycotton.
Here’s a good looking machine that also comes with a large drum capacity. It has a user-friendly interface and smart function capabilities – you can start the machine remotely and see how your wash is progressing from your phone. There’s even a steam function. It removes most stains well and the detergent drawer is easy to fill.
Despite claims the maximum capacity is 12kg, we could only fit in 8kg, and it consumed quite a lot of water in our tests. The porthole is also not big enough for easy loading and unloading, but the option to add items mid-cycle makes this an appealing contender if you’re looking to splurge.
If you like to wash as much as you can on a quick cycle, this machine’s the one for you. It scored full marks for its water and energy consumption and spun our clothes well.
Our testers liked its design, with sturdy and responsive drawers and dials. Some buttons lagged a little but it’s simple to use overall – you just turn the cycle dial to turn the machine on, for example. And its door opens wide, so loading or emptying should prove a doddle.
Note you’ll need a screwdriver to access the filter, and, on test, wash times exceeded their claims by anything from 12 to 57 minutes. We found that 6.5kg was the maximum weight we could comfortably fit into the machine, but it was roomy in comparison to a lot of machines we trialled. It was also a top-notch stain remover, especially on cotton, making it another good machine if you’re dealing with a family’s worth of washing.
With Braille markings on its buttons and 23 programs (including baby care, bedding and 15-minute cycles), this is a washing machine designed to work for everyone. It has automatic dosing technology and you can add forgotten items mid-way through a cycle, while WiFi connectivity means you can manage it all from your phone.
Our experts were impressed with its spin efficiency on longer cycles and its very economical quick wash. It removed most stains on the cotton and synthetic cycles, but lots of water was used in the process. We also found inconsistencies in the reported and actual duration of cycles on test (they were longer).
The smart-looking machine is neatly designed with clear and responsive controls. Its instructions provide a thorough breakdown of what to use each cycle for and a musical dial will also sound when the wash is finished.
Energy ratings changed in March 2021 to account for the fact that modern machines are inherently more energy efficient than they were when the scale was first introduced. The A+++ to G scale has been simplified and now goes from A to G.
Even with the revised scale, many models are still very energy efficient, with many on our list rated A.
As well as looking at a machine’s rating, look to see if it has an economy mode, as this should use less water and electricity. Quick cycles also tend to be more economical.
Like most appliances, it all comes down to how you use your washing machine.
If you’re doing washing for a large family or messy little ones, look for a bigger capacity drum to accommodate larger loads, while a machine with effective stain removal will save you a lot of hassle.
Spin speed is also worth considering as a higher speed should leave your clothes dryer – ideal if drying space is limited or you want to minimise tumble dryer usage.
You may also require specific programs based on what you have in your wardrobe, such as hand wash or wool cycles.
Some machines also come with features that allow you to add clothes in mid-wash, which is ideal if you regularly find a stray sock as soon as you’ve started your cycle.
For more detail on what to look for, consult our washing machine buying guide, which covers everything modern washing machines have to offer.
Hannah is our senior homes writer, specialising in reviewing the latest kitchen appliances, cleaning products, mattresses and bedding, and crafting equipment. Hannah has written about hundreds of products, from air fryers to smoothie makers to pillows, and is committed to finding the most reliable and best value for money buys. Hannah is also interested in sustainability in the home and has completed a course with the University of the Arts London in sustainable textiles, so she can help cut through the noise on what’s green and what’s not. Hannah helps to uncover the best cleaning hacks too, with a focus on easy, natural solutions. Hannah has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously worked as a freelance lifestyle and women’s sports journalist, working for Stylist, Sky Sports and more. Hannah has also previously worked in a florist and can normally be found caring for her house plants or sewing something new for her home or wardrobe. You can find Hannah on Instagram on @sewnbyhan
Blossom is our Senior Homes Tester. Passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for our readers, she has tested everything from blenders to pizza ovens. Blossom enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols for hundreds of items. Innovative items like robot vacuum cleaners and wine coolers are among her favourite tests to date, and her most notable accomplishment is toasting 360 slices of bread in a determined bid to find the best toaster. In her free time, Blossom openly admits to being a music geek and indulges her creative side through crocheting, baking, singing and writing.
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