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If you're in the market for a new washing machine, one of your most important decisions is figuring out which
configuration will best meet your family's needs: a front-loader, a traditional top-loader, or a high efficiency top-loader.
Here are the pros and cons of each to help you make t he right choice.
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à If your laundry room is tight on space, this washer can be stacked.

à Its large capacity allows you to wash more items at once and accomodates bulky
items, without sacrificing cleaning performance.
à In our recent evaluation of washing machines, front-loaders provided the best
cleaning performance of all configurations tested.
à Many units also let you add steam to the wash cycle to improve stain removal.
à It's the most energy efficient since its wash cycle uses less water.
à Its high spin speed extracts more moisture from wet loads, which means you can cut
down on drying time.


à With its advanced technology and special features, a front-loader can be very expensive to purchase.
à Wash cycle time can be longer by 30 minutes or more than the cycles on other types of washers if you select one of
the customized settings.
à It may vibrate quite a bit on the spin cycle, especially if it's not installed on a reinforced floor.
à Because of its design, water can get trapped inside, causing musty odors to form in the washtub and
the detergent dispenser.
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If your laundry is very dirty and you do many loads a week, you can ease the cleaning challenge and
lighten the number of loads with a front-loader.
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à You don't have to bend as much when you're putting clothes in and taking them out.
à Some top-loaders still give you the freedom to add laundry after the cycle has started.
à Wash cycles are much shorter.
à Minimal vibration.
à You're unlikely to have musty odors to deal with.
à You'll find its control panel uncomplicated and intuitive-to-operate.


à Cleaning performance may not be up to snuff when it comes to heavily soiled clothes or full-
to-the-brim loads.
à The tub may not be able to accomodate your queen -size comforter.
à It's not stackable.
à Wash cycles can't be adjusted to fit your specific cleaning needs.
à More water can remain in the wet load after the spin cycle, which can lengthen drying time. (Her e are several tricks
to shortening drying time.)
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If you're not that fussy and don't feel the need to fine tune every wash setting ‘
don't want to spend a
ton of money, a traditional top-loader will suffice.
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à Since it doesn't have an agitator, it canaccomodate larger loads and bulkier items,
like comforters.
à Its cleaning performance is comparable to front-loaders.
à Uses less water as it only fills part-way to allow room for the load to tumble, which
translates to energy savings.
à Here too, musty oders are unlikely to be a problem .
à While you'll pay more than for a traditional model, if you don't opt for lots of extras
and high-tech design, you'll still find it quite affordable.


à The wash cycles can be just as lengthy as on front-loaders.

à HE washers aren't stackable.
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Combines the functionality of a front-loader with the styling of a traditional
top-loader.
There are several washing machines on the market that are certified to remove
allergens. Check out Carolyn Forte's blog on which certification marks you should look
for when purchasing a washer. Also be sure to look for a control lock on the washer panel to help prevent laundry
accidents.
To get a firsthand look at how we evaluate washing machines, tour the Good Housekeeping Research Institute.
Read more: Types of Washing Machines - Front Loading Vs Top Loading Washing Machines - Good Housekeeping p