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How do you choose the best washer-dryer for your home in 2024? What functions and features should the best washer-dryer have to suit your needs? Read our guide and make an informed choice.
A washer-dryer is a normal washing machine with a front load and a condenser dryer in the same appliance. If you live in a small apartment or have a small laundry space, a washer-dryer is the ideal choice because it will help you save space.
You can use the appliance as a normal washing machine. Once the wash cycle has finished, you can use the same appliance to dry your clothes. You also have the option of scheduling your machine to wash and then dry your clothes in a single cycle, so you can wake up in the morning and find your clothes washed and dry, ready to put in the wardrobe or wear them.
Washer-dryers incorporate a condenser dryer that is different from the vented dryer because is not ventilating wet air in the room where it is installed. The condenser dryer extracts the moisture from the clothes and then sends it through the drain as condensed water. Most compressor washing machines are equipped with a hose that automatically sends water to the drain. In addition, you also have a lint filter that needs to be cleaned at a certain time.
Top 3 Recommended Best Washer-Dryer Machines
Why Choose the Best Washer-Dryer?
The best washer-dryer is an excellent idea to save space. It will take much less space than if you had a washing machine and a separate dryer installed.
Washer-dryers also have all the advantages of front-loading washing machines: excellent economical clothes washing and maximum efficiency of water and energy. Unlike a top loading washing machine, you can incorporate such a device under the kitchen counter-top, which is especially convenient if you do not have a dedicated laundry space.
The drying function of a washer-dryer is good for smaller loads. Even if the drum capacity is 7 kg for washing, the drying capacity will be less than this. This means that a washer-dryer is suitable for washing and drying shirts and t-shirts, but it can not dry up heavy loads such as bedding or towels.
The Best Washer-Dryer: What to Look for
In order to choose the best washer-dryer you have to consider several aspects such as: capacity and washing functions, drying capacity, spin speed, noise level and energy consumption. Next, we will detail each aspect to help you find the right product for your needs.
Capacity of the Washer-Dryer
The capacity of the appliance refers to the number of kilos of dry clothes that you can put in the drum. Washer-dryers will always have 2 capacities: one for the amount of laundry that you can wash in a load and another for the amount you can dry. You can always wash larger amounts of clothes than they can dry.
Greater is not necessarily better – if you buy a machine with too big capacity you will waste water and energy if you do not fill it up in every use. If it is too small, you will have to wash more often.
Washing Capacity
The amount of laundry a washer-dryer can receive in one load usually starts from 5 kg (about 16 men’s cotton t-shirts) and can reach up to 12 kg, enough to wash up to 38 shirts once.
A capacity of 7 kg is the average and is best suited for an average family. This washing machine can fit up to 22 t-shirts or, more realistically, a load formed of, for example, two pairs of adult jeans, three pairs of children’s jeans, four men’s t-shirts, two bath towels, three hand towels and two pillowcases.
Drying Capacity
The drying capacity will always be less than the washing capacity of the same appliance, with values between 2.5 and 8 kg. This means that if you have filled the drum, you will have to take off some clothes before the drying cycle, otherwise they risk not drying properly.
Although the clothes you want to dry are wet, the indicated capacity refers to the amount of dry clothes the dryer can receive in a single load.
Just because two different washer-dryers can wash the same amount of clothes does not mean they have the same drying capacity. Always carefully check product specifications before buying.
Washing Functions
Each washing machine offers a wide range of automatic washing programs suitable for different situations to help you wash as easily as possible. Always choose a washer-dryer that has the following programs included:
Gentle Wash Program
Repeated washing of clothes wraps fabric fibres, especially for delicate linen, silk or lace that look old and discoloured. Some washer-dryers offer delicate washing programs that help keep the original look of your clothes for a longer period of time.
Also, look for Woolmark special wool washing program to make sure your wool clothes stay soft and warm for a long time.
Quick Wash Program
Quick wash program in a washer-dryer allows you to wash a slightly dirty clothes in short cycles of up to 30 minutes. Some appliances even have washing and drying cycles lasting only 45 minutes, ideal when you are in a hurry.
Spin Speed
Between the wash cycle and the drying cycle we have rinsing and spin cycles. Rinse removes laundry detergent residues and centrifugation extracts water. Effective centrifugation will remove the most of the moisture from your clothes, which will result in faster drying. The highest spin speed is not necessarily the best way to remove the moisture from your clothes.
Spin speeds typically range from 1,000 to 1,600 rpm and you will have to pay more for a higher speed model. You probably assume that a higher spin speed will dry clothes better, but this is not always true. Check the energy label of the product and choose a dryer with the best drying efficiency (this is indicated by the same energy efficiency as letter A to F, with A being the best).
Noise Level
If you have small children, have to wash at night or live in an open space house, choose a washer-dryer that operates with a noise of 50 dB (a) or less to minimize noise and disturbance. A noise of 50 dB (A) is comparable to the humming of a refrigerator.
A silent washing machine can be crucial in an open space house, or beneficial for night-time laundry or while watching your favourite TV programs.
Energy Efficiency
Energy and detergent saving is an important aspect, and many home appliances offer intelligent systems that regulate water and electricity consumption at every load, using just the right one. Some models also feature smart detergent and softener dispensers automatically adjusted to match every load.
Washer-dryers are much more economical than in the past. Their energy efficiency varies between A and C, depending on the electricity and water consumption.
Sensor dryers also help to save energy because they stop the appliance when the clothes dry out, thus preventing unnecessary energy consumption.
Service and Warranty
When choosing the best washer-dryer, make sure it is produced by a company recognized for the quality of the products and that you are offered a long-term guarantee. The typical warranty offered by manufacturers varies between 2 and 5 years, depending on model and brand.
Also, find out prior to purchase if there are service units near your home that can intervene in case of a defect in a timely manner. In addition to the standard warranty, some stores and manufacturers offer, against a cost, prolonged warranty periods that may prove useful over time.
Recommended Washer-Dryers
Taking into account the above criteria and recommendations, studying the current market offer and user reviews, we present you below some models of washer-dryers that offer excellent quality/price ratio.
- Powerful cleaning with a Pure Jet wash
- 10kg wash & 6kg dry load - great for medium households
- Pause & Add forgotten clothes mid-cycle
- 8kg Capacity – The 8kg capacity means that you can fit around 40 tshirts per load in this Willow washer dryer. There is also a 5kg drying capacity should you wish to use the tumble dryer function.
- Max 1400RPM Spin Speed – The 1400 spin sped on this white washer dryer is fast enough to remove most of the water from the garments without causing any damage.
- BLDC Inverter Motor - The Willow WWD8514WH boasts BLDC motor technology which determines the optimum speed of the motor's rotation based on the size of the load. This results in lower levels of vibration, a quieter, longer lasting and more reliable washer dryer that uses less energy than conventional washer dryers.
- kg mode - weighs the load during the first four minutes and adjusts the length of the programme and the water consumption accordingly
- sensor dry - the machine will automatically stop the cycle when it detects that the load is dry. this avoids the cycle continuing until the timer ends, saving time, energy and money
- automatic wash and dry - enables you to select a programme which will automatically wash and dry your clothing
- Steam care: Improve the cleanliness of laundry by removing up to 99.9% of bacteria and odours, and reduces wrinkles too!
- Various temp options: The 4 temp options (Cold, 20℃, 40℃, & 60℃) enable you to wash a variety or different clothing materials worry-free to keep them looking brand new!
- Quick wash: 15min and 45min quick wash options get your clothes washed when you are in a hurry, saving time and energy. You also can get 1 hour washing and drying by setting 15min quick wash+dryer.(Not exceeding 1 KG)
- Decibel rating: 54, EU Acoustic Class: A
- ecobubble: Make laundry less of a chore. ecobubble technology mixes air, water and detergent to create bubbles that wash your clothes at cooler temperatures.
- 59Min Wash + Dry: Fancy night out? Have your favourite outfit washed and dried in under an hour.
- ANTISTAIN 40 -Quickly eliminate common stains without the need for pre-treatment
- Continous wash and dry cycles- Choose from XS Rapid, for a 1kg load, XL Bed & Bath to take care of bedding and towels, and Wash & Dry Mixed for a daily mixed load.
- Steam refresh cycle - Refresh your laundry without washing in just 20 minutes.
- AutoDry: gently dries laundry to exactly the degree of dryness you want.
- EcoSilence Drive: extremely energy-efficient, durable and quiet.
- Wash and Dry 60: wash and dry small loads efficiently in just 60 min.
- Push & Go Cycle - Thanks to clever Push&Go technology all you have to do is simply press and hold the blue button for 2 seconds to wash and dry your clothes. It's so easy the whole family can share the chores.
- Water Balance technology
- WASH & DRY 45' -Wash and dry 1kg of laundry in just 45 minutes
Last update on 2024-05-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
