Laundry machines are bought on a bad day, usually because the old one has stopped, and the decision that costs the most over the next decade is made in the first five minutes: which kind of machine, and how much water it uses. A top loader can use 110 litres a wash where a front loader uses about 80.
These pages use the energy and water label figures, the published noise ratings and what owners report at the retailer each product links to.
Start with the type
- Front loader vs top loader: top loaders use up to 110 litres a wash and front loaders about 80. Water, energy, spin speed and cycle time compared.
- Heat pump vs vented vs condenser dryers: condenser dryers have all but vanished from Australian shelves. Running cost, price and venting for the two that are left.
Decode the series numbers
- Bosch Series 2, 4, 6 and 8 explained: the same numbers mean different things on dishwashers, ovens, washers and cooktops.
- Fisher & Paykel Series 5, 7, 9 and 11 explained: odd numbers, uneven gaps, and what each tier adds per category.
Washing machines, brand against brand
- Bosch Series 6 vs Series 8: Series 8 adds a kilo of capacity, auto dosing and Home Connect.
- Bosch vs Miele: the Bosch Series 6 costs around $800 less than a comparable Miele; Miele adds steam and a longer design life.
- LG vs Samsung: Samsung uses 93 litres and LG 86 on comparable cycles, and both back their motors for a decade.
- Asko vs Miele: Asko spins at 1600rpm and uses 54 litres a wash; Miele adds steam and app control at 77 litres.
The shortlists
- The best front loaders: four worth buying, from a budget Hisense to the Westinghouse owners rate best.
- The best top loaders: the ones Australians actually buy.
- The best clothes dryers: from a cheap vented unit to the heat pump that halves running costs.
- The best washer dryer combos: the LG heat-pump generation, and the honest trade-offs of one machine doing both jobs.
Keeping a machine working
- How to clean a Bosch washing machine: the Drum Clean cycle, the detergent drawer, the pump filter behind the service flap.
- How to clean a Fisher & Paykel washing machine: the bowl clean and drum clean cycles, and the pump filter on front loaders.
Two things worth knowing before you shop
Star ratings only compare within the same test program. Two washing machines rated on different cycles, with different rinse counts and temperatures, cannot be compared on their kilowatt-hour figures. Where the programs match the numbers are directly useful; where they do not, the star rating is the fairer guide.
Premium brands are not always sold by the big chains. The Good Guys lists Miele but passes the sale to Miele itself. That means no price shopping and no retailer reviews to read before you buy.
