Top 5 compared
The best washing machines
Clean clothes from a machine that fits the gap under the worktop and doesn’t shake the floor on the spin.
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The top 5 at a glance
A washing machine washes, rinses and spins the water out of a drum of clothes, and a freestanding one slides into a gap under the worktop. Drum size, in kilos, sets how much goes in at once: 8 or 9kg suits most homes, while 10kg means fewer, bigger loads. Beyond the basics, machines add quick washes, steam, stain programmes or an app.
Since March 2021 the energy label has run from A to G again, with the A+ to A+++ classes gone. Freestanding machines share a height and width, about 85cm by 60cm, but depth varies more than it looks. Delivery, plumbing in and taking the old machine away depend on the seller rather than the machine.
What matters
- Water use per cycle, in litres, as well as the energy class.
- Spin noise in decibels, if it’s near where you sit.
- An add-item button, for things found after the door locks.
#1Hisense 1Q Series 10kg Washing Machine (WF1Q1041BW)
£200–£300
A 10kg drum for a big household’s washing in a body only 55cm deep, with a 15-minute quick wash, a Baby Care programme and a Drum Clean cycle to keep the machine itself fresh.
What owners say: Owners find the big drum a help with a busy household’s washing, and say the settings are straightforward to learn, though several had one fail within weeks.
A closer look: Drum Clean runs with nothing in the drum, and doing it every month or so keeps smells at bay when most washes are cool ones. A 10kg drum is most economical when it’s properly full, so the quick wash is the better choice for a handful of things.
- 15-minute quick wash
- Baby Care programme
- Drum Clean programme
- 15 programmes
Best for: Big households
- Capacity
- 10kg
- Max spin
- 1,400rpm
- Energy class
- A
- Water per cycle
- 46L
- Spin noise
- 74dB
- Depth
- 55cm
- App control
- No
#2Hotpoint Anti-Stain 9kg Washing Machine (NSWA 946 WW UK)
£200–£300
Its Anti-Stain programme is a one-hour wash at 40°C made for everyday marks, with no pre-treating, and Full Load 45 gets a whole 9kg drum washed in 45 minutes.
What owners say: Only a handful of owners have reported on it so far, far fewer than for the others here; they like the roomy drum and find it runs quietly.
Heads up: At 60.5cm it’s the deepest machine here, so measure the gap with the hoses and taps behind it in mind. With so little owner feedback yet, the Hisense at #1 has the longer track record.
A closer look: For something lightly worn that’s needed the same day, the Rapid option trims a chosen programme by up to half. Anti-Stain is the one for everyday marks on shirts and tea towels, and saves the soaking and pre-treating beforehand.
- Anti-Stain programme, no pre-treating
- Full load in 45 minutes
- Rapid option shortens programmes
- Anti-allergy programme
- Delay timer and time-left display
Best for: Stains and quick full loads
- Capacity
- 9kg
- Max spin
- 1,400rpm
- Energy class
- A
- Water per cycle
- 50L
- Spin noise
- 76dB
- Depth
- 60.5cm
- App control
- No
#3COMFEE’ 9kg Washing Machine (CFE12EW90/W-UK)
£200–£300
The shallowest here at 49.5cm, for a narrow utility room or a short gap under a worktop, and it still takes 9kg with a 1,400rpm spin, a steam wash and quick programmes of 15 and 45 minutes.
What owners say: Owners say it’s quiet and simple to use, and one turns to the steam setting to freshen bedding; some had trouble fitting it, and opinions on the spin are split.
A closer look: Cold or 20°C is plenty for clothes that have only been worn once, which keeps the running costs down, and 60°C is there for towels and bedding. A large family filling the drum every day may be better served by one of the bigger machines.
- Steam wash
- 15 and 45-minute quick washes
- Washes from cold to 60°C
Best for: Gaps under 50cm deep
- Capacity
- 9kg
- Max spin
- 1,400rpm
- Energy class
- A
- Water per cycle
- 50L
- Spin noise
- 76dB
- Depth
- 49.5cm
- App control
- No
#4Hoover H-WASH 350 10kg Washing Machine (H3WPS4106TMB6-80)
£379.00 RRP
Hoover’s hOn app starts and checks the wash remotely from a phone and opens up more than 60 programmes, and the Eco Doser suggests how much detergent each load needs.
What owners say: Owners like the long list of cycles and setting it up to suit their own routine, and find it quiet on the spin; the worry is durability, with several reports of the plastic drum breaking.
Heads up: Hoover’s warranty covers labour for one year and parts for ten, so register the machine with Hoover and keep the paperwork.
A closer look: Most of the 60-plus programmes live in the hOn app, so it’s worth connecting it to the wifi at the start; the dial on the machine covers the everyday washes without it. Kg Mode Plus weighs the load and trims water, energy and time to suit, which helps on half-full drums.
- 60+ programmes in the app
- Suggests detergent per load
- Weighs the load, trims water
- Allergy care programme
Best for: Washing from an app
- Capacity
- 10kg
- Max spin
- 1,400rpm
- Energy class
- A
- Water per cycle
- 51L
- Spin noise
- 76dB
- Depth
- 57.8cm
- App control
- hOn app
#5Bosch Series 2 8kg Washing Machine (WGE03408GB)
£399.00 RRP
The quietest spin here, 72dB and class A on the label, with SpeedPerfect to cut a wash by up to 65% and a Reload button for the sock that turns up after the door has closed.
What owners say: Owners mention the low noise and a control panel that needs no manual, and one points to the 90°C and prewash settings; the sore point is delivery and installation, smooth for some and a trial for others.
A closer look: The eco programme on the energy label is the slowest wash but the cheapest to run, so it earns its place on full, everyday loads. At 58.8cm deep it suits a standard kitchen gap, with a little room left behind for the hoses, and the small display shows the time remaining.
- Add forgotten items mid-wash
- Washes up to 65% quicker
- Matches water to the load
- Shows time remaining
Best for: Quiet everyday washing
- Capacity
- 8kg
- Max spin
- 1,400rpm
- Energy class
- A
- Water per cycle
- 47L
- Spin noise
- 72dB
- Depth
- 58.8cm
- App control
- No
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Hisense 1Q | #2Hotpoint Anti-Stain | #3COMFEE’ 9kg | #4Hoover H-WASH 350 | #5Bosch Series 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Runner-up | Best budget | Best app control | Quietest | |
| Picked Rating | 8.6 | 8.9 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 8.3 |
| Price | £200–£300 | £200–£300 | £200–£300 | £379.00 RRP | £399.00 RRP |
| Capacity | 10kg | 9kg | 9kg | 10kg | 8kg |
| Max spin | 1,400rpm | 1,400rpm | 1,400rpm | 1,400rpm | 1,400rpm |
| Energy class | A | A | A | A | A |
| Water per cycle | 46L | 50L | 50L | 51L | 47L |
| Spin noise | 74dB | 76dB | 76dB | 76dB | 72dB |
| Depth | 55cm | 60.5cm | 49.5cm | 57.8cm | 58.8cm |
| App control | No | No | No | hOn app | No |
| Best for | Big households | Stains and quick full loads | Gaps under 50cm deep | Washing from an app | Quiet everyday washing |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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