Best Washing machines 2026: 9 Compared (29 Sources)

What are the best washing machines in 2026?

Summary

How the field was judged. Reviewed puts every washer through the same lab tests for stain removal, wear and tear, water retention and cycle time [src1]. Consumer Reports' engineers run stained fabric swatches through each machine and give it an overall score out of 100, based mainly on washing ability, efficiency and noise [src2]. Wirecutter's most recent round of testing was in 2023: 12 washers, eight front-loaders and four top-loaders, at its facility in Long Island City, New York, with industry-standard stain strips [src5]. Good Housekeeping's Institute tests to the same industry methods and takes 60 stain readings for each machine [src6]. Yale Appliance, a retailer that services what it sells around Boston, publishes first-year service rates by brand; that is a store's repair data, not a lab test [src7].

Where the testers agree and differ. The Electrolux ELFW7637AT is the washer three testers back: Reviewed's favorite, Wirecutter's runner-up and recommended by Consumer Reports (80) [src1, src5, src4]. Reviewed tested the LG WM6700HBA and calls it excellent for large families, and Consumer Reports tested it and recommends it (82) [src8, src9]; Good Housekeeping's best overall is an "LG Front Load HE Stackable Smart Washer", which it names only by description and which we identify as the WM6700HBA through its retailer link [src6]. Wirecutter's top pick, since 2022, is the LG WM4000H [src5]. Consumer Reports' best-washers guide leads its front-loaders with the LG WM4000HWA (87), but its model page says that score comes from its test of the LG WM3900HWA; it did test the LG WM3400CW, which also scores 87, and Wirecutter tested the WM3400CW too, finding it nearly as good at stain removal as its top pick [src2, src10, src11, src5]. On top-loaders the testers split: Reviewed picks the GE Profile PTW800BPWRS as its best top-loader from a test of its predecessor, the PTW900BPTRS, Consumer Reports tested it and does not recommend it (65), and Good Housekeeping's best impeller top-loader is a "GE Profile Top-Load Washer", named only by description, which we identify as the PTW800BPWRS through its retailer link [src13, src12, src6].

What left the card. The Samsung WF53BB8700AT: Consumer Reports tested it, does not recommend it (75) and lists it as discontinued [src26]; Reviewed's positive review says Samsung has since changed that model number to a 5.3-cu.-ft. model, "different from the 6.1-cu.ft. model we initially tested" [src27]. The Speed Queen TC5003WN: Consumer Reports tested it and does not recommend it (63), finding a decent job of cleaning but a fairly noisy machine that uses more electricity per load than many [src28]. The Samsung WA54CG7150AD: no outlet we read reports testing it; Reviewed's top-load guide lists the "Samsung WA54CG7150(AW)" among washers it "tested and evaluated", with a features summary and no test results [src13].

9 Models Compared

Results are each outlet's own: Consumer Reports' numbers are overall scores out of 100. Capacities are those the outlets give. Prices are the latest our US checks observed; a dash means we have no current price for that link. The table at the top of the card has today's price and stock for every pick. [src1, src2, src4, src5, src6, src8, src9, src10, src11, src12, src14, src15, src16, src18, src19, src20, src21, src29]

Best for Each Use Case

Best Overall: Electrolux ELFW7637AT — Check price

Reviewed calls the ELFW7637AT "our favorite washer to date" and the best it has tested: in its lab the washer tackled stains "from protein to oil" and did particularly well against sweat and protein stains, and its internal water heater reached temperatures "north of 165°F" on Sanitize. Its Fast cycle takes 15 minutes, but Reviewed timed the Normal and Heavy Duty cycles at 46 and 114 minutes and calls the rest of its cycles "average or on the slow side". Reviewed also likes the slot for detergent pods in the dispenser drawer and the easy-to-read controls, and notes an anti-mildew chemical on the gasket whose distinct odor split its office. Wirecutter, which makes it its runner-up (Wirecutter names the model without a finish), found that on a normal tap-cold setting it removed the largest percentage of the stains on Wirecutter's stain strips, credits its SmartBoost dispenser, which dilutes detergent before dispensing it, and says it handled fabrics as gently as Wirecutter's top pick. It has a reversible door and an interior light but no companion app, and Wirecutter says Electrolux's reliability track record is not as strong as LG's. Consumer Reports tested it and recommends it (80): a stellar job of cleaning, a very good gentleness score, a moderate level of noise, and 85 minutes for its most aggressive normal cycle with a midsized load. [src1, src3, src5, src4]

Best for Large Families: LG WM6700HBA — Check price

Reviewed found its Normal cycle finished in 30 minutes "with good cleaning power" and its Quick Wash in 15, with cleaning on par with the average front-load washer; its 5-cubic-foot drum, fast cycles and ezDispense reservoirs, which hold up to 18 washes' worth of detergent and softener, are why Reviewed calls it excellent for large families. Reviewed's drawbacks: the Normal cycle adds about 25% more wear-and-tear damage than the average washer, the AI Wash cycle took nearly twice as long as Normal for nearly identical results, and the display faces straight ahead, so taller people may have to stoop to read it. Consumer Reports tested it and recommends it (82), with a stellar job of cleaning but a low gentleness score; its most aggressive normal cycle with a midsized load took 120 minutes. Good Housekeeping's best overall washer is an "LG Front Load HE Stackable Smart Washer", which it names only by description; we identify it as the WM6700HBA through its retailer link. Good Housekeeping says that washer earned the highest score for washing speed in its most recent evaluation, with a 16-minute Quick cycle and full Normal loads finished in just over 30 minutes, and delivered strong soil removal; it found it less gentle on clothes than some other machines, and liked its bright drum light and the dial's built-in screen. LG's US store listed the WM6700HBA in Black Steel at $1,349.00 ($350.00 off $1,699.00) with Add to Cart when we checked on 2026-10-15. [src8, src9, src6, src24]

Best Budget: LG WM3400CW — Check price

Consumer Reports tested the WM3400CW and recommends it, with an overall score of 87: a stellar job of cleaning, an adequate gentleness score, quiet running, limited vibration, and very little water and electricity per load. Its best-washers guide calls it "a great value" with 4.5 cubic feet of capacity, but no steam cycle. Wirecutter tested it too and lists it among other washing machines worth considering: it "did excellent work in our stain-removal tests, performing nearly as well as our top pick, the LG WM4000H", but took about 15 to 20 minutes longer on the normal cycle to complete a load and was somewhat less gentle than Wirecutter's top pick on fabrics. LG's US store listed it at $749.00 ($300.00 off $1,049.00) with Add to Cart when we checked on 2026-10-15. [src11, src2, src5, src23]

Alternative (Wirecutter's Top Pick): LG WM4000HWA — Check price

Wirecutter has made the LG WM4000H its top pick since 2022. Of the models it tested, it "displayed the best combination of speed and cleaning power": it washed a 12-pound load on its normal setting in about 43 minutes and an 8-pound load in 37, scored better than average in Wirecutter's fraying and abrasion tests, and fit and washed a king-size comforter. Its flaws, per Wirecutter: the control panel is hard to see in the dark, and there is no interior light. A Wirecutter senior staff writer has used one for four years and says the most impressive thing about it is how quiet it is. Wirecutter says the WM4000H comes in white or black steel; this card links the white WM4000HWA. It is not a named pick because, among the outlets we read, only Wirecutter tested it: Consumer Reports scores the WM4000HWA 87 and recommends it, but its model page says it expects it to perform similarly to the LG WM3900HWA, the model Consumer Reports tested, and that the WM4000HWA adds Built-In Intelligence. LG's US store listed the WM4000HWA at $929.00 ($270.00 off $1,199.00) with Add to Cart when we checked on 2026-10-15. [src5, src10, src22]

Alternative (Top-Loader): GE Profile PTW800BPWRS — Check price

Consumer Reports tested the PTW800BPWRS and does not recommend it (65): a solid job of cleaning, a moderate level of noise, a moderate amount of water, and 100 minutes for its most aggressive normal cycle with a midsized load. Good Housekeeping's best impeller top-loader is a "GE Profile Top-Load Washer", which it names only by description; we identify it as the PTW800BPWRS through its retailer link. In Good Housekeeping's tests that washer showed excellent stain removal, finished 8- and 12-pound loads on the Normal cycle in 42 minutes and a 3-pound load on the Fast cycle in 25 minutes, and did a solid job removing water at the end of each cycle, though it was not as gentle on fabrics as some other washers Good Housekeeping tested. [src12, src6]

Alternative (Pet Hair): Maytag Smart Pet Pro MFW7020RF — Maytag's page

Tom's Guide tested the Smart Pet Pro, model MFW7020RF in Midnight Steel, nearly every day for a month and rated the Smart Pet Pro washer and dryer 4 out of 5. Its Pet Pro Option, a rinse that lifts and traps pet hair, made "a noticeable difference compared to standard washers", and its large drum handled towels and bulky comforters; but the built-in Pet Pro Filter "constantly falls off and then rattles around the washing machine", there is no child lock, the door is not reversible, and there is no separate stain, soak or wool cycle. Consumer Reports tested the MFW7020RF and does not recommend it (75), despite a stellar job of cleaning, a very good gentleness score and quiet running. Both outlets tested the Midnight Steel MFW7020RF, and this card's link goes to Maytag's page for that model. [src14, src15]

Alternative (Tough Stains): Maytag MHW6630HC — Maytag's page

Reviewed calls the MHW6630HC "a solid workhorse" that "will get out stubborn stains": in its lab it cleaned an above-average 71.2% of the stains on the Normal cycle and 82.84% on Heavy Duty, while the Quick Wash cleaned about 62%, slightly below Reviewed's averages. It is rough on clothes: Reviewed counted 66 pulled threads on Normal, against a median of about 50, and 58 on Delicates, against an average of about 40. Maytag covers the drum and motor for up to 10 years, and Reviewed lists a 4.8 cu. ft. capacity. [src16, src1]

Alternative (Compact): GE GFW148SSMWW — Check price

Reviewed names the GFW148SSMWW its best compact washer; it holds 2.4 cu. ft. and measures 23.44 inches wide by Reviewed's listed dimensions. In Reviewed's lab it "tested squarely in the middle of the pack": Heavy Duty removed about 75% of the stains, Normal and Quick about 68%, and the Normal cycle took a little over 80 minutes, which Reviewed calls "pretty long even for a compact washer". Consumer Reports tested it and does not recommend it (71): a solid job of cleaning, a very good gentleness score and quiet running, but noticeable vibration and 95 minutes for its most aggressive normal cycle with a midsized load. [src29, src20, src21]

Alternative (Older LG Model): LG WM4200HWA — Check price

Reviewed tested the WM4200HWA: its Normal cycle removed 1.48% more stains than average and finished in 34 minutes, against an average of 53; Heavy Duty cleaned 4.15% more than average; and its Heavy Duty and Speed Wash cycles spun out 10.85% and 10.77% more of the laundry's water weight than average. Reviewed found the digital dial laggy and the washer slightly harsher on clothes than average, says it "can't stand up to the best of the best in its price class", and called it a much better value only after its price fell from over $1,200. Consumer Reports scores it 83 and recommends it from its test of the LG WM4500HBA, which it expects to perform similarly, and lists the WM4200HWA as discontinued. LG's US store showed Notify Me instead of Add to Cart for it, with a note that a new model, the WM6500HWA, is available, when we checked on 2026-10-15. [src18, src19, src25]

Key Market Trends (2026)

• Lab scores for models the lab did not test: Consumer Reports scores some washers from a sibling it tested: the LG WM4000HWA from the WM3900HWA, and the LG WM4200HWA from the WM4500HBA. A Consumer Reports score is not always a test of that model. [src10, src19]
• Testers split on top-loaders: Consumer Reports tested the GE Profile PTW800BPWRS and does not recommend it (65); Reviewed's pick of the same washer rests on a test of its predecessor; and Good Housekeeping's best impeller top-loader, a "GE Profile Top-Load Washer" named only by description, is the PTW800BPWRS by its retailer link. [src12, src13, src6]
• Model numbers outlive the machines they named: Reviewed says Samsung changed the WF53BB8700AT to a 5.3-cu.-ft. model, different from the 6.1-cu.-ft. washer it tested; Consumer Reports lists the WF53BB8700AT and the LG WM4200HWA as discontinued; and LG's own page for the WM4200HWA points to a new model, the WM6500HWA. [src27, src26, src19, src25]
• Cycle times depend on the setting tested: Reviewed timed the LG WM6700HBA's Normal cycle at 30 minutes, while Consumer Reports, which times each washer's most aggressive normal cycle with a midsized load, measured 120. [src8, src9]
• Front-loaders lead lab tests but need gasket care: Consumer Reports says front-loaders perform best in its tests and can be more prone to mold and mildew; Yale Appliance's data puts front-loads (4.6%) and top-loads (4.4%) close on first-year service, with brand making the bigger difference. [src2, src7]

Important Caveats

• Finish and model codes: Tom's Guide and Consumer Reports tested the Midnight Steel Maytag MFW7020RF, and this card's link for the Smart Pet Pro goes to Maytag's page for that model. Consumer Reports' Maytag result is for the MHW6630HW; Reviewed tested the MHW6630HC. [src14, src15, src17, src16]
• Wirecutter: its live page would not load from here, so we read the Internet Archive's copy of 2026-07-22, which shows the guide updated February 3, 2026; Wirecutter's most recent round of testing was in 2023. [src5]
• Yale Appliance's numbers are one retailer's: first-year service rates for the brands it sells and services in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and southern New Hampshire, not a lab test. [src7]
• Older lab reviews: Reviewed's lab reviews of the Maytag MHW6630HC, LG WM4200HWA and GE GFW148SSMWW were first published between 2020 and 2022; Reviewed last updated them between July 2023 and January 2024. [src16, src18, src20]
• Prices: the maker prices quoted here are LG's own US listings on 2026-10-15; the table at the top of the card has today's price and stock for every pick. [src22, src23, src24]