If you dry most of your laundry indoors, start by choosing a capacity that suits your loads and checking the spin-drying efficiency. ADEME recommends choosing class A to speed up indoor drying. A top-loading washing machine is worth considering if space is tight; a washer-dryer is better suited to homes where there’s not enough room to hang laundry or fit a second appliance. If you’re considering a washer-dryer, compare its washing and drying capacities separately, along with the duration and energy and water consumption of the cycle you need.
If your laundry spends a long time on the clothes airer, check spin-drying efficiency before basing your decision on capacity alone. ADEME links more efficient spinning with faster indoor drying. Spin noise also matters if the machine is near your living areas.
Measure the width, depth and height, as well as the clearance needed to open the appliance. A top-loader may suit a narrow space: for example, Electrolux lists its YW7T3713DA as 400 mm wide, although this measurement doesn’t apply to all top-loading models.
A washer-dryer lets you wash and dry your laundry without transferring it to another appliance, as long as you stay within the capacity for the full cycle. Check the drying capacity separately from the washing capacity, then compare the energy label details for the model you’re considering.
First work out where the appliance can go and how you’ll dry your laundry. Then compare the capacity you’ll actually need, spin performance and noise levels.
Consider this if: the space is suitable and you’ll continue to hang your laundry up after washing.
Bear in mind: spinning won’t eliminate the need to hang laundry up. Check the spin-drying efficiency class and noise level on the energy label.
Consider this if: limited width rules out some front-loading machines.
Bear in mind: you’ll need enough clearance above the machine to open the lid. And a top-loading design doesn’t guarantee any particular dimensions or spin performance across all models.
Consider this if: you don’t have enough space to hang laundry up or fit a separate tumble dryer.
Bear in mind: the washing load may exceed the capacity allowed for a wash-and-dry cycle. Compare the cycle duration and energy and water consumption too.
| What matters to you | What to check | Who is this for? |
|---|---|---|
| How long laundry takes to dry indoors | Spin-drying efficiency class on the energy label; noise during the spin cycle. ADEME recommends class A if fast indoor drying is a priority. | If my laundry needs to dry on an airer in my living areas, I want it to come out of the machine less wet. Around 33% of consumers would put reducing drying time at the top of their list of needs. |
| A capacity that suits your laundry loads | Rated capacity in kg compared with your usual loads; energy and water consumption shown on the energy label. ADEME recommends choosing a capacity that meets your actual needs. | If my loads are often small, a large drum may regularly be underfilled. If my loads exceed its capacity, I’ll need to run more cycles. For around 27% of consumers, matching the machine to their usual laundry loads would be the priority. |
| Space for drying | Separate washing and wash-and-dry capacities; duration and energy and water consumption for the relevant cycles on the washer-dryer’s energy label. | If I don’t have enough space to hang laundry up or fit a second appliance, I’d like to be able to dry a load in the same machine. Integrated drying would be the main need for around 20% of consumers. |
| Noise in your home | Noise emissions in dB and the spin-noise class on the energy label; where you plan to put the machine. | If the machine is near the rooms we use, spin noise could affect when I choose to do the laundry. Around 20% of consumers would make reducing this noise their main concern. |
A high capacity won’t help if your usual loads regularly leave the drum underfilled. ADEME recommends matching the capacity to your actual needs and says a 7 kg washing machine is enough for most households.
Keep an eye on your loads for a few weeks, and only choose a larger capacity if they regularly call for it.
With a combined appliance, you can’t always dry a full washing load in one go. For example, Bosch lists a 9 kg washing capacity but a 6 kg wash-and-dry capacity for its WNG24402FR.
Before expecting a cycle to run from start to finish without intervention, compare both capacities for the exact model with your usual loads.
If the load exceeds the drying capacity, you’ll need to remove some laundry or run another cycle.
If you dry laundry indoors, the spin-drying efficiency class and noise during the spin cycle also affect everyday use. You can find these details on the energy label shown by the European Commission.
Compare spin performance, noise emissions and energy and water consumption for the appliances you’re considering, rather than looking at the energy efficiency class alone.
The machine needs to fit through to its intended position, open properly and be connected up. Electrolux’s pre-installation guide explains that its installers don’t carry out any carpentry, plumbing or electrical work that may be needed beforehand.
Measure the access route and clearances, then check the water supply, drainage and electricity supply against the model’s instructions. If you’re unsure about the installation, consult a qualified professional.
Any preparatory work could delay getting your machine up and running.
These two models suit different needs if you usually dry laundry indoors: a front-loading washing machine for washing loads that you’ll hang up afterwards, and a washer-dryer for built-in drying too. Check the specifications of your chosen model against your available space and laundry loads.
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Worth considering if you wash loads suited to an 8 kg capacity and plan to hang them up afterwards. The model name indicates a maximum spin speed of 1,400 rpm and an inverter motor; this maximum speed isn’t a substitute for the spin-drying efficiency class. Check the class, noise level, dimensions and connections before deciding where to put it.
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Worth considering if you want to wash and dry in one appliance because you don’t have room to hang laundry up or fit a separate tumble dryer. The stated capacity is 10 kg for washing and 6 kg for drying, so a washing load of more than 6 kg will need to be reduced before drying. The model name mentions Zeo-Cycle, app control and the LintClear system. Check the instructions and energy label for dimensions, connections, cycle duration, energy and water consumption, and noise levels for the cycles you’ll use.
Check the spin-drying efficiency class first, then choose a capacity that suits your laundry loads. ADEME recommends choosing class A for spin-drying if you want to speed up indoor drying. Check the noise level too if the machine is near the rooms you use.
Not necessarily. Check its wash-and-dry capacity separately from its washing capacity. For example, Bosch lists a washing capacity of 9 kg and a wash-and-dry capacity of 6 kg for the WNG24402FR. If your load exceeds the latter, plan to remove some laundry before drying.
Measure the route to the machine’s intended position, the available space and the clearance needed to open it. Then check the water supply, drainage and electricity supply using the model’s instructions. Electrolux says that its installation service doesn’t include carpentry, plumbing or electrical work.
Have the location and electrical protection checked before installation. In France, the order of 3 August 2016 on electrical installations in residential buildings sets out requirements including an earth connection and protective devices that automatically cut off the power supply. Promotelec also highlights the importance of 30 mA residual-current protection and the rules for positioning appliances in bathrooms. If you’re unsure about the existing installation, ask a qualified professional to assess the project.