The top loader survives in Australia on three real advantages: no bending, mid-cycle lid opening for the forgotten sock, and shorter cycles than a front loader. The full set of current top loaders runs to about a hundred models. The four below are the ones owners rate most highly.
1. Best Overall: LG 7.5kg WTG7520
The WTG7520 is rated 4.5 stars by 1,349 owners. It's the modern impeller design with a stainless tub, smart-sensing water levels, and a turbo setting that shortens the standard wash.
At around $700 it's the default answer for most households that want a top loader. Like every impeller machine it prefers full-ish loads for balance, and single heavy items can thump on spin until repositioned.
What We Like:
- Smart water sensing
- Mid-cycle add items
- Turbo shortens washes
What We Don't Like:
- Single heavy items unbalance it
2. Best for Families: Haier 10kg HWT10ANB1
Haier's 10kg carries the highest average of the big top loaders, 4.7 stars across 237 reviews, at around $900. The drum takes a family's daily wash in one go, and owners single out how simple the controls are for a machine this size.
Ten kilograms of wet washing is heavy; the machine handles it, the person unloading notices it.
What We Like:
- Family-size drum
- Simple controls
- Gentle on power bills
What We Don't Like:
- Big loads heavy to unload
3. Best Budget: Haier 7.5kg HWT75AA1
At around $550 the smaller Haier does the top-loader essentials with a 4.4 average across 432 reviews, which is a serious number of reviews for a budget machine. Ten programs, a stainless tub, and the same lid-up add-a-sock convenience.
The spin leaves clothes wetter than the LG's, so line-drying households notice an extra hour on the line.
What We Like:
- Around $550
- Stainless tub
- Ten programs
What We Don't Like:
- Wetter clothes off the spin
4. Best Premium: Fisher & Paykel 8kg WL8058G1
F&P top loaders have been the Australasian laundry default for generations, and the current 8kg holds 4.6 stars across 197 reviews at around $900. The direct-drive motor is the quiet, long-lived design the brand built its name on, and the wash programs include a proper delicate cycle owners trust with woollens.
We've recommended F&P machines here for years, and the brand keeps earning the spot.
What We Like:
- Quiet direct-drive motor
- Trusted delicates cycle
- Long local service history
What We Don't Like:
- Premium price for 8kg
How to pick a top loader
Impeller replaced the agitator for a reason. The centre-post agitator machines of years past wash rough and hold less; modern impeller drums wash gentler and fit more. The trade is that impellers want reasonably full loads to balance.
Top loader versus front loader is a habits question. Top loaders win on no bending, short cycles and mid-wash access. Front loaders win on water use, detergent efficiency and stacking. Neither is wrong; the laundry layout usually decides.
Check the water rating, not just stars. Top loaders use more water than front loaders as a class, and the WELS label puts a number on it. In a water-restricted area that difference is real money.
RELATED: The Best Front Loader Washing Machines and The Best Clothes Dryers
FAQs
Are top loaders rougher on clothes?
The old agitator style was. Modern impeller machines like everything above tumble clothes through water gently enough that the difference against front loaders is small, per owner reports across thousands of reviews.
Why does my top loader walk across the floor?
Unbalanced loads or unlevelled feet. Levelling the four feet with a spirit level fixes most of it, and washing single heavy items with a couple of towels fixes the rest.
