The 4 Best Washer/Dryer Sets of 2023, According to Testing

These duos will make you look forward to your next laundry day.

Emily Estep is a plant biologist and journalist who has worked for a variety of online news and media outlets, writing about and editing topics that range from film and beauty to science and the automobile industry. Her plant biology degree has a focus on sustainable agriculture, and she's an expert on growing your own food, environmental sciences, and all topics relating to houseplants.

Jump to a Section

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more.

Better Homes & Gardens / David Hattan

Shopping for a single household appliance can be daunting. Shopping for two at the same time can be even more stressful. The good news is that at least when it comes to your washer and dryer, this dynamic duo likes to stick together—when you decide on one, you can pick its mate rather quickly. But with so many options on the market, where should you start?

Steve Sheinkopf, CEO of Yale Appliance, recommends first identifying if you prefer a front-load or top-load washer. From there, you can then focus on any advanced settings and features you want as well.

To help you find the best washer/dryer sets, we tested a variety of top picks in our Des Moines Iowa testing lab and right at home. While clean and dry clothing—including cloth diapers!—were of the utmost importance to us, we made our final selections based on important features like the machines’ design, noise level, efficiency, and overall value.

AJ Madison

Both units operated very quietly and only played a sound to alert us when the cleaning cycle was done.

We had trouble connecting with the app.

After trying out this set in our testing lab, we were impressed by the efficient performance of this LG pick. The customizable settings are very intuitive, so you won't have much of a learning curve with this washer/dryer set. We made use of the preset cycles on the washer and noted there was a setting for every washable item.

Unless we were standing right next to the washer and dryer, the noise level was minimal during a wash or dry cycle. We appreciated that both machines "sing" to you when they’re done, so you will be alerted when the machines stop.

There's an accompanying app that can send you alerts and even help you choose the best cycles for the load. We weren't able to get ours set up, however, so we weren't able to give it a try ourselves.

Though there is no lint trap indicator, we were dutiful in checking it after every dryer load and found it easy to clean out. We found that the door on the washer and dryer allowed ample room for reaching in and out to add or remove laundry, even if it did feel a bit low.

We found the capacity to be more than adequate for both the washer and the dryer, though depending on the size of your dryer load, you might have to keep it on a bit longer to avoid any dampness. For this reason, we preferred to use the timer option on the dryer rather than the presets.

Still, we found that the AI-sensing technology took about half the time of our previous washer and dryer, so it was definitely a win in our books.

Price at time of publish: $2,418 for the set

Product Details: Type: Front Load | Capacity: 4.5 cubic feet (washer), 7.4 cubic feet (dryer) | Size: 27 x 39 x 30.25 inches (washer), 27 x 39 x 30.13 inches (dryer) | Washing Cycles: 12 | Dry Cycles: 12 | Energy Consumption: 1300 kWh per year

AJ Madison

Short wash cycles are great for parents of little ones.

The gray color easily shows scratches from our laundry basket.

We were using an older Electrolux washer and dryer set that was still going strong after 10+ years, but we were even happier with this new and improved set. We especially liked the intuitive settings and how the display panel keeps info like temperature, soil level, and spin speed available at a glance.

We were impressed to see that there was an oversuds protection feature on the washer and even more impressed that we didn't need to use it, as there was no detergent residue after a wash.

We felt there was a huge improvement over our older appliance in terms of dry time, thanks to the auto-sensing feature that detects wet clothes and linens to set the appropriate dry time. Only on occasion—usually for heavy towels and piles of cloth diapers—did the dryer have to be run for longer.

If you are the parent of a cloth-diaper-wearing child, know that we were impressed by how clean and fresh our diaper loads looked. There's also a 15-minute fast wash for those unfortunate spit-up moments.

Our previous set was white, so we went with the gray option for this set. Though we liked the look of them, we noticed scratches on the tops of the machines where we had been placing our laundry basket.

You might be disappointed that there is no app or even a push button display on this machine—the dial itself has a digital screen—but we appreciated how easy the knobs were to turn to adjust the settings. We also liked that you could toggle the settings to find the most eco-friendly options for each load.

These machines aren't exactly quiet if you’re standing nearby, but they won't keep up the house. The washer and dryer will play a tune when the cycles are done. Like a beeping microwave, they’ll keep going until you open the door. If you don't like it, there's an option to turn off the chime setting.

Price at time of publish: $2,898 for the set

Product Details: Type: Front load | Capacity: 4.5 cubic feet (washer), 8 cubic feet (dryer) | Size: 27 x 38 x 32 inches (washer), 27 x 38 x 32 inches (dryer) | Washing Cycles: 11 | Dry Cycles: 11 | Energy Consumption: 85 kWh per year (washer), 710 kWh per year (dryer)

AJ Madison

It's effective and less expensive than other models.

Wash cycles tend to be longer and the washing machine was louder than some other tested picks.

We were impressed by how well this washer cleans clothes and linens. The settings are quite user-friendly, and the lint trap is easy to remove and clean as well.

We used this machine most often on the "normal" setting, adjusting speed and temperature according to the manufacturer's guidelines. While other cycles might be shorter—like the Super Speed Wash that's billed as 28 minutes—we found the regular wash cycles tended to be over an hour.

The washer and dryer are a bit loud—the whirring sound is hard to ignore, as is the "chorus" that plays when a cycle is finished. This duo is one of the best washer/dryer sets if you’re looking for a less expensive option. It comes in three different colors as well, and you can choose from an agitator or impeller for the washer.

We liked that the lid on the washer was clear so we could see the suds in action. If you’re in another room, however, this washer/dryer set connects by Wi-Fi to Samsung's SmartThings App to alert you when a wash or dry cycle ends and you’re out of earshot.

Price at time of publish: $2,198 for the set

Product Details: Type: Top load | Capacity: 5.1 cubic feet (washer), 7.4 cubic feet (dryer) | Size: 27.56 x 44.68 x 29.43 inches (washer), 27 x 44.57 x 30.25 inches (dryer) | Washing Cycles: 12 | Dry Cycles: 12 | Energy Consumption: 120 kWh per year (washer), 644 kWh per year (dryer)

Lowe's

It has 25 wash cycles and 19 dry cycles, which is more than other units.

The app was challenging to set up and you aren't able to share an account with another person in your household.

It's hard not to be impressed by the 25 wash cycles and 19 dry cycles on this Samsung set. We tried this out at home in a laundry-laden household and quickly fell in love with the Optiwash setting, which senses the size of the load and its soil level to dispense the right amount of detergent. It became our go-to cycle and we found it just as effective as the go-to "normal" cycle.

Even big loads of laundry came out clean without any damage or discoloration. The drums are larger to accommodate heavy loads, though this might result in longer dry time depending on the nature of the clothes and linens you are washing.

The dryer is effective, but with the washer being able to take on those heavier loads, you’ll likely find some damp items. But here's some great news—all socks were accounted for during the testing period.

Where we did have a bit of frustration was setting up the app. If you share laundry duties, note that you can't share the account—you’ll need two. Still, it might be worth the extra trouble. Aside from allowing you to check on your laundry remotely, we loved the "laundry recipe" feature on the app that quizzes you on your laundry to find the best cycles and settings.

Price at time of publish: $3,298 for the set

Product Details: Type: Front load | Capacity: 5 cubic feet (washer), 7.5 cubic feet (dryer) | Size: 27 x 38.75 x 33.5 inches (washer), 27 x 38.75 x 31.31 inches (dryer) | Washing Cycles: 25 | Dry Cycles: 19 | Energy Consumption: Not listed

Overall, the best washer/dry set is the LG WM4000HWA 4.5 cu. ft. Ultra Large Capacity Smart wi-fi Enabled Front Load Washer & LG DLEX4000W 7.4 cu. ft. Large Capacity Vented Smart Stackable Electric Dryer. The set won us over with its roomy capacity and overall efficiency, thanks to AI technology that senses your laundry loads and automatically chooses the right settings.

Laundry is a seemingly endless chore, which is why our team committed to testing these washer and dryer sets not just for a few loads, but month after month for a full year of testing. We shared insight at the three-month and six-month mark and will check back in at the year mark.

During the testing period, our BHG team washed and dried at least two laundry loads per week to find the best washer/dryer sets. Aside from their primary aim of clean, fresh-smelling clothes, we evaluated the washer/dryer pairs on their settings, noise level, special or smart features, energy and water efficiency, and overall ease of use, including how simple/difficult it was to clean the lint trap.

Washing machines are designed either as front load or top load. In addition to being more compact, front-loading machines are known for using less water during their wash cycles.

Top loads are the more traditional model of washing machines. You won't have to bend to place the clothes in the drum, but taking them out could be more difficult for some. Still, these have the advantage of being less expensive and having shorter wash cycles—even if they do use more water than their front-loading counterparts.

Keep in mind that while preference and budget matter, the size of your laundry space might be what makes the ultimate decision. For example, if you need to stack your washer and dryer to save room, then you have no choice but to purchase a front-loading machine.

Washing machines are also made with either agitators or impellers. An agitator—that's the twisting "arm" that extends out from a drum to help churn clothes during a wash—is only found in top-load washing machines. Impellers, on the other hand, are found in both; they spin and rotate the drum, forcing the clothing to rub together to get clean.

Capacity refers to how much a washer and dryer can hold. "The current standard size is 4.5 cubic feet, which is good enough [for most households]," says Sheinkopf.

For top-load machines, though, he says you’ll have to subtract the volume of the agitator, so keep that in mind when considering capacity. You’ll notice that dryers typically are larger than their washer counterparts because clothes and linens need extra space to tumble if they’re ever going to dry.

But when it comes to the actual size (dimensions) of the machines, be sure to measure your laundry space. You don't want to purchase and have delivered a washer/dryer set that might not actually fit, especially if you plan to stack your machines.

It's great to have options, though chances are you’ll be locked into a few of the more common ones—looking at you, normal and delicate—based on the contents of your laundry basket. However, as Sheinkopf says, wash cycles shouldn't dictate your purchase of the machine. Modern machines tend to have plenty of options regardless of brand, so it's better to first decide on a top- or front-load machine, then see what types of settings and cycles they feature.

All of the washer/dryer pairs on our list are Energy Star-rated appliances. The US Department of Energy issues this designation to products recognized for their energy efficiency. An appliance with the Energy Star symbol will help consumers save money on energy and utility bills without diminishing its performance, meaning that it works as well or perhaps even better than regular models available on the market.

It should be noted that the energy outputs of electric washers and dryers are measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). You’ll see this number on both the appliance's label—where you’ll also see Energy Star info—as well as on your electric bill each month. This way, you’ll be able to make an informed decision based on your household budget.

We also tested the Samsung WF53BB8900AD Bespoke 5.3 cu. ft. Ultra-Capacity Smart Front Load Washer and Samsung DVE53BB8900D Bespoke 7.6 cu. ft. Vented Smart Electric Dryer. Although this sleek—and quiet!—washer/dryer set seemed to have all the bells and whistles we could want, we were less than impressed with its overall performance. The settings weren't very user-friendly and the display times were often inaccurate, so we found the wash/dry cycles went on for longer than indicated. We liked that it had a lint trap alert feature, but we found the lint trap itself was a bit tricky to remove.

The products on our best washer/dryer list range from $1,896 to $3,298 per pair. The washers tend to be the same price as the dryers, though it's not always true for every duo. The difference in price can be due to the capacity and the settings.

If you’re looking to furnish a laundry room on a budget, Sheinkopf says top-loading washers tend to be less expensive.

You can purchase a washer/dryer set from a dedicated appliance store or a department store with a home goods section. You can also purchase a washing machine and a dryer—just about any appliance, actually—online as well. Sheinkopf does recommend that whatever washer/dryer set you decide to buy, check if there are repair services readily available for that brand in your area. Laundry can pile up even when your washer/dryer is working well, but things will get out of hand pretty quickly if either machine is on the fritz.

Unlike other appliances that you can simply plug into an outlet, you will need a washer/dryer hookup. This means plumbing and electricity for the washer and a vent for the dryer, which might also be hooked up to electricity or a gas line. Keep in mind that any large electric appliance should be plugged into a grounded outlet for power surge protection.

If you are confident in your DIY skills, you could take on washer/dryer installation. However, it's always best to leave it up to the pros for safety, especially if you plan to stack your dryer on top of your washer.

Barbara Bellesi Zito is a freelance writer from Staten Island, New York, covering all things home and lifestyle for Better Homes & Gardens. To compile this list of the best washer/dryer sets, Barbara analyzed lab insights from our testing site in Des Moines, Iowa. She also consulted Steve Sheinkopf, CEO of Yale Appliance.