When you’re part of a big household, you’ll find you need to do the laundry at least twice a week for clothes alone, and you can double that if you want to include washing of gym kit, towels and bedding.
So, the more you can fit into the washer the better. It means you won’t have to do laundry quite as often, and you can save on energy and your utility bills as well.
And going for a front load washer is also a good choice. Front load washing machines are built for efficiency. They can get by on just one third of the amount of water, energy, and detergent used, when compared with top loaders.
Front loaders also remove tough stains more easily, compared with the latest high efficiency top loaders.
We’ve had a good look at the various front load washers that are out on the market today, and we’ve come up with our Top 5 Picks. Our reviews on these are coming up very shortly, and to help you to decide which might be the right one for you and your family, we also have a handy buying guide for you which walks you through everything that you might want to think about before you buy.
For the purposes of this article, we class any washer with a capacity of over 4 cubic feet as a large capacity washer. And we don’t include any washer dryer combos, just washers. The article concentrates on washers for use at home, and does not include any coin operated or commercial washers.
Top 5 Best Large Capacity Front Load Washer
OUR TOP PICK
Summary
If capacity is what you’re looking for you need look no further - this baby has a 5.3 cubic feet capacity - that’s big enough to wash up to 28 large towels in one go!
And that’s not even the best bit - Kenmore have brought their washers right up to the 21st century. You can control your laundry via an app on your smartphone or tablet - how cool is that! The Kenmore app is available on both Android and Apple devices.
And what’s even better about it is that in addition to checking your laundry’s status, getting alerts, and scheduling start and stop times, you can also order detergent, download or create specific wash cycles, and receive handy maintenance alerts to keep your washer in perfect working order and prevent any potential issues before they happen.
Or if you want to control the washer when your hands are full doing dinner, then you can simply activate voice assistant controls, and let Alexa take care of the laundry for you.
And it’s also a really good machine beyond this Smart functionality. There’s a Steam Treat which is great for tackling stains, a Rugged Cycle for cleaning thick and heavy fabrics like rugs, and a Sanitize Cycle which gets rid of 99.9% bacteria.
We also love the Accela Wash function, with its Active Spar and Active Rinse nozzles, because it really speeds up the wash time without having to sacrifice any of the cleaning quality to do so.
Pros
- Very large internal capacity
- Control via your smart devices
- Control via voice assistant
- Remove both stains and bacteria
- Speed up your laundry
Cons
- This washer is in so much demand that some retailers sometimes struggle to have enough in stock
EDITORS CHOICE
Summary
Bet you didn’t think you could get a WiFi enabled washer for under $1200 - well we’re happy to prove you wrong!
Thanks to it’s Bixby enabled wifi connectivity, you can remotely schedule your laundry as you wish and receive alerts when a cycle has been completed.
This is so handy for those who tend to forget to move laundry from the washer to the dryer, because it means you can schedule the laundry to be complete on your return home, and ensure your clothes don’t remain too damp before you get round to drying them.
It has a large capacity of 4.5 cubic feet, which is enough to easily fit and wash a king size duvet cover, plus a king size bed sheet and all your pillow cases all in one go. And better yet, it can do it in just 30 minutes.
And the 12 preprogrammed wash cycles are great. We like the Steam Treat function, which helps you to lift stains before the clothes go into their wash cycle, and the Self Clean+ function, which is great for general maintenance, eliminating 99% of bacteria every 40 wash cycles.
And there’s a heavy duty cycle, for when you need to wash heavier, thicker fabrics.
It’s noticeably quieter than other washers too, even with such great performance. And the interior pattern in the drum helps prevent fabrics from snagging during their various wash cycles.
It’s also Energy Star rated, so you know it’s going to be energy efficient, not too harmful to the environment, and help you save on your utility bills to boot.
We love this model’s sleek black and chrome design - would look great in a bachelor pad, or more modern looking utility room.
Pros
- Sleek black and chrome design
- Pair it up with your smartphone
- Steam Treat function
- Self Clean+ function
- Heavy duty cycle
Cons
- If you forget to set up the VRT Plus™ settings, it can be quite loud
BEST VALUE
Summary
Here’s another great washer that you can control via your smartphone!
With the ThinQ app, which is available on both Google Play and the Apple Appstore, not only can you select a cycle, start or stop the wash and get notifications about when your laundry will be done, but it also tracks the machine’s energy efficiency which is great if you want to keep a beady eye on your utility bills.
Plus in addition to working with your Smart devices, it can also work via voice assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
But where this washer is really different is in it’s 6 different wash motions, namely rolling, tumble, stepping, filtration, scrub and swing. We love this because it means you get a really good wash for your clothes that remains super gentle on your fabrics however delicate they may be.
There are 10 preprogrammed wash cycles you can choose from, including one for heavy duty fabrics, and there are 10 different wash options besides, including a handy prewash, and a special cold wash, which uses LG’s special ColdWash™ technology to penetrate cold water deep into your laundry, to give you clean clothes, and all the while using less heat and energy.
Another feature is the load sensing, which allows the machine to automatically adjust its settings according to how full the drum is. Or if you want to tweak the controls yourself, you can, by setting the soil level for example or by selecting a particular spin speed.
Oh, and it’s Energy Star rated to boot.
Pros
- Control via your smart devices
- Control via voice assistant
- 6 different wash motions
- 10 preprogrammed wash cycles
- Great for saving energy
Cons
- Customer reviews on this product have been quite mixed
- If you decide to buy this product, remember to check that the warranty is included, since the manufacturer does a whopping 10 year warranty for this beauty
RUNNER UP
Summary
Here’s another great front load washer that has all the main features you need. Again, it has a large internal capacity, coming in at a generous 4.5 cubic feet.
It’s very similar to another washer in our Top 5 Picks, the Samsung WF45R6300AV, but this is a far more affordable version. This version does have a Smartphone app that it works with, but rather than using it as a means to control your laundry cycles, the sole purpose of this app is for troubleshooting. It interacts with the washer to perform an immediate diagnosis and offer simple solutions.
Other features include a deep steam clean option, a Self Clean + option which notifies you when it's time to give the washer a clean and eliminates 99% of bacteria, a noise reduction setting, and an anti-snag drum pattern.
The feature that really stood out to us though was the Perm Press cycle,and we love this because it prevents your clothes and other laundry from getting too wrinkled during the wash cycle - so when it comes to time to do the ironing, this process is much easier.
You can adjust the temperature, the spin speed, and set the soil level, so you can really tweak and customize the wash cycles as you see fit.
It’s also Energy Star certified, so that’s another load off your mind (pun intended!)
Pros
- More affordable option
- Easy to troubleshoot
- Perm press cycle
- Anti-snag drum
- Very customizable
Cons
- While there aren’t many customer reviews available via link provided, people are loving it elsewhere on the net
RUNNER UP
Summary
This washer has a large 4.4 cubic feet capacity, and while it may not feature wifi or bluetooth functionality, it really does have a lot going for it.
First off, there’s the SmartBoost feature which premixes water and detergent before the cycle begins, which maximizes the cleaning power of the detergent. And speaking of the detergent, there’s an adaptive dispenser designed to accept any form of detergent including pods.
Then there’s Perfect Steam, whereby steam rises from the bottom of the drum, unlike other washers, for the removal of tough stains. And to the same end there’s also a StainSoak option for pretreating stains. And unlike other washers, there’s also lighting inside, so you can visibly see your stains lifting through this process.
There’s also load sensing, whereby the machine adapts the washing cycle according to the weight of the fabrics in the drum. And there’s a Sanitize option, which gets rid of 99.9% of bacteria and 95% of allergens too.
The feature we love the most though has to be the fast wash, whereby you can get your items washed in as little as 15 short minutes - great when you’re in a hurry!
Moreover, the washer is also Energy Star certified, so you know it’s going to be energy efficient, and ultimately save you money on your energy bills.
Pros
- Adaptive dispenser
- 15 minute fast wash
- Great with stains
- Removes allergens
- Load sensing
Cons
- You can’t control it through an app or voice assistants
Best Large Capacity Front Load Washer Buying Guide
Washers can be expensive, especially front load ones, so you want to make sure you buy the right one for you. Here we’ll walk you through everything you might want to think about before you buy.
Smart Technology
These days you can get Smart Technology in your washer to control either via apps on your smartphone or tablet or via a voice assistant like Alexa. And all at the price you would pay for a new washer anyway. Even if you used the apps only occasionally it would be worth it.
Controlling your laundry via an app on your phone is just as easy as using the dials and buttons on the machine itself, and it means that you never have to get up from where you are to move your laundry cycle from stain treat to full wash.
But quite often the usefulness of these apps goes far beyond that, in that it can prompt you to take care of the machine’s maintenance, which is often something that people completely forget about until it’s too late and there’s some sort of fault with the machine.
Brand
What brand to buy from is an important consideration. Buying from a good well established brand means that you get a product that works, and works well, too.
In our Top 5 Picks, it should be of no surprise to you that we’ve selected from top name brands who are known foremost for their product quality, and to lesser extent product innovation.
A number of these said brands are known more for their other appliances rather than specifically for washers per se, but we’ve taken a very close look and these washers are really good too.
Energy Star Advantage
You should also consider looking for appliances that are Energy Star rated. This rating means that the appliance meets the federally mandated guidelines for energy efficiency, and as such use less energy than their counterparts. They reduce air pollution, water consumption, and greenhouse gases caused by burning fossil fuels.
And better yet, this reduced energy consumption also means the consumer gets lower energy bills to boot. Gotta love things that make it easier on your wallet.
Special Features
These days washers can come with quite a number of different special features (besides the use of Smart technology and Voice Assistants) and if you’ve been reading the product reviews you’ll have seen quite a few. Our advice is to go for a machine with as many of these features as possible. Because even if you don’t make use of them all from the word Go, there may come a time when they come in very handy.
Self Clean Cycle
Of the different special features you can get in a washer, we would say that one of the most important and valuable features is a Self Clean cycle. This can play a very important part in the general maintenance of the machine, and is very simple to carry out but also very easy to forget.
To that end it’s very helpful to have some sort of reminder when this maintenance is due. Luckily some of the washers in our Top 5 picks actively remind you when this is due. These include the Number 1 Pick, the Kenmore 41982, and our Number 4 Pick, the Samsung WF45R6100AC.
Treatment for Stains
And of course anything that helps with stain removal is a huge help too. Try as we might to avoid them it’s very easy for clothes and other fabrics to get stained, and if you don’t notice a stain straight away, it can start to set in.
A solution is at hand however. A number of washers in our Top 5 Picks, have at least one setting which is designed to help lift stains from your garments. These include our Number 1 Pick, the Kenmore 41982, and our Number 2 Pick, the Samsung WF45R6300AV.
Cleaning Heavy Duty Fabrics
One clear advantage of a large capacity washers like the ones we’ve shown you, is that they’re big enough to wash small rugs - something you’d never achieve with a regular washer. Rugs can be notoriously difficult to keep clean.
Some of the washers in our Top 5 Picks are great for washing rugs, specifically our Number 1 Pick, the Kenmore 41982, our Number 2 Pick, the Samsung WF45R6300AV, and our Number 3 Pick, the LG WM3500CW.
Anti-Snag Drum
And just like it’s nice to have a machine that can handle thicker fabrics, you could also make use of a washer designed to handle more delicate fabrics.
To that end you might want to look at washers that have a drum pattern designed to ensure that your garments don’t catch or snag. If that’s of interest to you, we can recommend our Number 2 Pick, the Samsung WF45R6300AV or our Number 4 Pick, the Samsung WF45R6100AC.