The best washing machines to buy in 2024

Our pick as the best washing machine overall is the AEG 7000 LFR71864B. This freestanding washing machine has an 8KG load capacity – considered about average size for a washing machine. It’s also full of additional features that make this a brilliant all-rounder.  

A Quick Wash cycle can wash clothes in less than 30 minutes, while AEG’s ProSteam technology is perfect for items that don’t need a full wash, when a quick refresh will do the job. It can weigh your wash load to calculate exactly how much water and detergent it needs, and has ten different wash settings – including delicates and woolen washing.

It’s got a top-notch A rating for energy efficiency. And while it doesn’t have an inverter motor (which helps make a washing machine quieter) it’s still a pretty quiet machine overall. A digital display, child lock and overflow protection to prevent flooding from an inlet pipe make this a versatile and user-friendly machine.

The HISENSE 3 Series WFQA1214EVJM has a generous 12kg drum, so while it’s one of the more wallet-friendly models on our shortlist, you won’t have to do extra wash loads to compensate for its cheaper price. 

With 15 different wash programs, a steam refresh function to reduce ironing and remove allergens, this washing machine also has a “snowflake pattern” drum which Hisense claims helps to remove stains, without damaging fabrics. It also uses an inverter to reduce noise and energy consumption.  

Speaking of energy usage, this machine can complete a quick wash of up to 1kg of laundry in just 15 minutes – ideal if you realised you’ve forgotten to wash a PE kit, for example. There’s also a pause function, allowing you to add any missed items to the machine in the first ten minutes of the wash cycle. All this gives this affordable washing machine an excellent A energy rating, meaning that its lower price tag won’t necessarily mean higher energy bills.

The Hoover H-Wash 500 HWB 414AMC washing machine is an absolute star when it comes to energy efficiency. As well as a top A-rating for efficiency, it has a quick wash program that finishes in just 14 minutes. It also has an all-in-one mode, meaning you don’t need to separate whites and coloured items before putting them in the machine. 

It weighs your load before starting, to ensure it calculates the optimum amount of water and time needed to thoroughly wash your clothes. And an enormous 14kg drum means that even the largest households should be able to cut down on the number of wash loads they need to do each week. To top it off, this washing machine has a steam function to help reduce the number of creases in your clothes, to help reduce the amount of ironing you need to do after the wash cycle is finished.  

It’s also Wi-Fi enabled, and its companion app allows you to check how your current wash is going, and even do a diagnostic check to see if everything is working properly.

If you’re looking for a washing machine that tries to make life as easy for you as possible, this Samsung Series 5+ WW90T554DAN may be the one you’re looking for. It offers a vast array of features designed to make doing the laundry as simple as it gets. 

The smart control panel remembers your laundry habits, and then suggests the cycles you are most likely to use on the display. There’s a companion app which allows you to schedule when your washing machine cycle starts (perfect for economy-7 tariffs, for example). It also alerts you when your spin has finished, and provides guides to help you find the perfect setting for your next wash load. This machine can also run self-diagnostics to ensure it’s in tip-top condition and recommend drying cycles to match the wash cycle you’ve just used.  

There’s a bunch of other clever tech as well: ecobubble mixes air, water and detergent to help clean clothes at lower temperatures, while a steam wash program helps eliminate bacteria and allergens such as pollen and dust mites. There’s also an all-important AddWash door that lets you add the sock that fell out of the basket, even after the cycle has started.  

A rated for energy efficiency, this machine also has digital inverter technology to help keep it quiet. And the motor itself comes with a ten-year warranty, alongside a five-year warranty for the rest of the machine, for extra peace of mind.

The Hotpoint ActiveCare NM111046WDAUKN has plenty of features designed to improve stain removal – so if that’s an area of concern for you, Hotpoint’s anti-stain cycle is sure to appeal. Anti stain works alongside Hotpoint's ActiveCare technology to remove stubborn stains, even at 20 degrees. ActiveCare pre-mixes water and detergent, and Hotpoint claims this is effective on more than 100 stains such as wine, coffee, oil, and tomato sauce.  

Alongside its stain removal prowess, this washing machine also offers an A rating for energy efficiency, an inverter motor to reduce noise and improve washing performance, steam cycles to remove allergens and viruses, and a 20-minute steam cycle to freshen up laundry that doesn’t need a full wash. There’s also a dedicated anti-allergy cycle that washes at higher temperatures and offers extra rinses to remove allergens. 

You can also use Hotpoint’s Stop and Add feature to pause the cycle at the start, to add anything you may have forgotten. The 10kg capacity means the drum will be suitable for all but the very largest of households.

For years, Miele has been known for its high-quality appliances that last for decades. The Miele WER865WPS is no exception to this, having been tested for 20 years of usage. But it offers much more than just a long shelf life – there's plenty to like about this washing machine.

As well as the top A energy rating, this appliance offers automatic load adjustment – where it adjusts the length of each cycle to suit the load. This saves water and energy. It similarly has an AutoDose function, which calculates exactly how much detergent and softener each laundry load needs. The AddLoad function, like many of the models on our shortlist, lets you add any forgotten laundry items – this one lets you add them until shortly before the end of the program. 

There are also dedicated delicates, wool, and quick wash cycles – you can complete a quick wash in under 30 minutes. There’s a timer delay function so you start your washing when your electricity is cheapest. The Miele app also lets you control your washing machine remotely – you can choose the program you need even when you aren’t at home, and it will tell you when it’s finished.

The price means this machine won’t be for everyone. But it’s a premium appliance offering a premium experience.

Large households will likely have large piles of laundry, so the enormous 13kg drum on LG’s EZDispense™ F4Y913BCTA1 will go a long way to helping you cope. As well as that cavernous drum, this washing machine can weigh your laundry load to ensure the right amount of detergent is used. This appliance also utilises AI to detect the load and fabric that you’re washing, to help keep them in good condition for as long as possible. 

TurboWash 360 means a half load can be completed in 39 minutes, while Steam+ helps reduce allergens by up to 99.99 per cent. You can also use the Wrinkle Care option to help remove creases and reduce the amount of time you must spend ironing. And to help make life even easier, you can control this washing machine with your voice, or via the companion app, which also monitors your washing machine to alert you to maintenance issues, among other things. 

All this doesn’t affect its energy efficiency, though. This machine is 10 per cent more energy efficient than the benchmark needed to achieve an A rating, making this cheap to run.

A smaller household doesn’t necessarily need a cavernous drum, and this 7kg offering from Logik is a very affordable choice. It’s got plenty of helpful features as well. 

The PreWash function helps with stain removal, to make sure all your clothes get thorough clean. There’s a 15-minute quick wash cycle as well, to help you wash that outfit when you don’t have much time, while the wool cycle allows you to wash delicates without ruining them. There are 15 cycles in total, to make sure you can choose the best program for your laundry. 

This washing machine also helps you keep it clean. Steam is added just before the main wash to keep it clean, while a dedicated Drum Clean mode uses high temperatures to get rid of as many germs as possible. There’s a light on the display to remind you when it’s due for a clean. 

It’s rated A for its energy efficiency, so as well as being cheap to buy, it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to use it.

If your washing machine lives behind a cupboard door, then we think the Haier Series 4 HWQ90B416FWB-UK is an excellent choice for an integrated washing machine. There’s plenty to like about this smart-looking machine. 
Like many of the washing machines we’ve picked, this one also has an A rating for energy efficiency. The inverter motor means it’s quiet, too. There are 15 different wash programs to choose from, and the Steam Plus program helps to make ironing easier.  

Haier offers I-Time technology, which lets you choose from three levels of wash intensity to suit whatever you need to wash. It also uses what Haier calls Instant Mix technology, which ensures your detergent gets spread evenly throughout the laundry, to make sure everything is thoroughly cleaned. 

We’ve probably all encountered a funky smelling washing machine at some point – this one has an anti-bacterial gasket to reduce residue and stop unpleasant odours. It also monitors the hose tubes to prevent leaks. If it detects any, the water flow is automatically stopped, to give you peace of mind that your house won’t get flooded.