Best Integrated Washer Dryer

For many people, a washer dryer is, quite simply, a must-have purchase.  We all need to wash our clothes and a home washing machine is far and away the most convenient way to do so.  Adding in a tumble dryer means that we have extra options when it comes to drying our clothes and so is a very useful bonus.  

In today’s world of compact homes, very few of us have the space for separate washing machines and tumble dryers.  This means that for the vast majority of people, built in washer dryers are the way to go and having an integrated washer-dryer is a distinct benefit, since it helps to create a streamlined appearance, which can go a long way towards making small rooms look bigger.  

As well as saving space, washer dryers tend to cost less than buying separate machines for the simple reason that they use less material and labour.

Read Our Review Of The Best Integrated Dish Washer Here

There are, however, a few drawbacks to washer dryers.  First of all, they don’t tend to be as energy efficient as separate machines and secondly they don’t usually offer quite the same level of performance as either washers or dryers.  

Thirdly, you have to choose between washing and drying, you can’t be washing one load while you’re drying another, and finally, a washer dryer will have two separate capacities, a larger one for washing and a smaller one for drying, which means that you’ll either have to remove part of a full load before drying or wash smaller loads.  

Having said that, we suspect that most people will only use the dryer aspect as a back-up so this last point is a fairly minor one.

When choosing a washer dryer, there are 7 points you should consider.  These are: physical size, drum size, presets, spin speed and efficiency, drying options, brand and energy ratings.

Most of these are self-explanatory.  You need to know the physical size to make sure that the machine will fit in your space and the drum size will determine how big a load the machine can manage.  

Preset programmes generally make life easier, spin speed and efficiency determine how much water is removed at the end of the wash and therefore, how much drying time your laundry will need and having a range of drying options makes it easier to give different kinds of fabric the drying treatment they prefer.  

We strongly recommend buying integrated washer dryers from long-established, trusted brands with a track-record of reliability and of standing by their warranty when things go wrong (and, indeed, being around to stand by their warranty for the foreseeable future).

Finally, if you’re buying a washer dryer, as opposed to a washing machine, we also suggest taking a look at the energy ratings.  

Generally speaking, we don’t get too hung up on energy ratings for washing machines, partly because they all tend to be within a fairly narrow band and partly because washing machines use much less energy than tumble dryers.

When it comes to washer dryers, however, we’ve noticed that there’s a much wider range of energy ratings and this matters because tumble drying is a very energy-intensive activity, so if you are going to do it, you want to do it as efficiently as possible.

Having said all that, here are our pick of the top four integrated washer dryers available right now.

Best Integrated Washer Dryer In The UK

Bosch WKD28351GB Review

The Bosch WKD28351GB is 58.4 x 59.5 x 82 cm and has a washing capacity of 7 kg and a drying capacity of 4 kg.  It has B energy, A wash and B spin energy efficiency ratings. This isn’t the very quietest machine on the market, but the noise level is still perfectly reasonable.  

There are 10 preset wash programmes and you can customize your wash by adjusting temperature and spin cycle. There’s a maximum spin speed of 1400 rpm, which is very decent.  

The tumble dryer is also very high quality and if you are doing less than 4 kg of laundry, there is a programme to take you directly from washing to drying. You can use this in combination with the 24 hour delay timer.

Candy CBWD8514D-80 Review

The Candy CBWD8514D-80 is (H)82.0 x (W)59.6 x (D)55.0 and has a washing capacity of 8 kg and a drying capacity of 5 kg.  Its maximum spin speed is 1400 rpm. Very unusually, this washer dryer has an AA energy rating. Noise levels are moderate.  

There are 14 preset wash programmes, including three quick was programmes, and three drying programmes. If you are washing a load of 5 kg or less, you can go straight from washing to drying and there is a 24 hour delay timer so you can start your laundry at the time which best suits you, even if you are not at home.  

The standout feature of the Candy CBWD8514D-80 is that it has excellent energy efficiency (meaning lower running costs), this is achieved by means of sensors which adjust the wash time, quantity of water and electricity used, depending on the size of your load.

Hotpoint BHWD1291 Review

The Hotpoint BHWD1291 is H:82 X W:59.5 X D:55.5 and has a washing capacity of 6.5 kg and a drying capacity of 5 kg.  It has B Energy, A wash, B spin efficiency. Its maximum spin speed is 1200 rpm. Noise levels are very reasonable.

It has no fewer than 16 preset washing programmes and three drying options.  You can also adjust spin and temperature. Overall, the Hotpoint BHWD1291 offers solid performance and a trusted brand name, at a very reasonable price.

Smeg WDI147 Review

The Smeg WDI147 is 59.6 x 56 x 82 and has a washing capacity of 7 kg and a drying capacity of 4 kg.  Its maximum spin speed is 1400 rpm and it is the second most tnergy-efficient washer dryer on our list, with an A energy rating.  

As with the Candy, this is achieved with the help of sensors which minimize the amount of water and energy used. This machine also has an acceptable noise level.  

There are 12 preset washing programmes and no fewer than 6 drying programmes. Even though that’s a lot of choice, before you even start on helpful extras such as the delay timer, one of the great features of the Smeg WDI147 is that it’s actually really easy to navigate, partly because of the LED display, which is very legible and easy to understand.  

It has to be acknowledged that the Smeg WDI147 has a premium price tag, but it does deliver a lot of value for money.

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For larger households, the Candy is the obvious choice as it has the biggest capacity and the best energy rating.  

For medium-sized households, if you do a lot of different kinds of laundry, then we’d suggest the Smeg, for maximum flexibility but the Bosch also has a decent range of options and is much more affordable.  

The Hotpoint has the smallest capacity and is therefore probably best kept for smaller households, but larger households might be able to use it as an alternative to the Smeg, as it gives similar flexibility at a more affordable price point.  

This would, however, involve reducing your load size and hence doing laundry more frequently.