These are the washing machines we'd actually recommend from our range, at each price point and for each kind of household. Everything here is in stock and every price is live. If you want the background first — drum sizes, spin speeds, what the energy label means since it changed — start with our washing machine buying guide.
Our picks at a glance
| Category | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Samsung Series 6+ 9kg Auto Dose | £459 |
| Best budget | Montpellier MDA61CWM 6kg | £279 |
| Best for large families | SIA SWM121400W 12kg | £299.99 |
| Best mid-size freestanding | Montpellier MDAWM1014S 10kg | £419 |
| Best budget integrated | Candy CBW49D1W4J-80 9kg | £399 |
| Best integrated | Hoover H500 10kg | £599 |
| Best premium | Samsung Series 9 9kg | £979 |
How we chose these
Every machine here is one we stock. We picked across price points from the brands we know best — Samsung, Montpellier, Candy, Hoover, SIA, CDA and Smeg — judging on drum capacity, spin speed, energy use, noise and what you get for the money. Prices include VAT and are correct at the time of writing; the product page is always the definitive price.
Best overall: Samsung Series 6+ 9kg Auto Dose, £459
Nine kilos covers a family of four with room for bedding, and the auto-dosing tank is the feature you notice week after week — you fill it once and the machine measures its own detergent, which stops the over-pouring almost everyone does. Samsung's AI wash adjusts the cycle to the load rather than running the same programme regardless.
Best for: most households of three or four. If you only read one line of this page, buy this one.
View the Samsung Series 6+ 9kg
Best budget: Montpellier MDA61CWM 6kg, £279
A 6kg drum at 1000rpm, freestanding, no frills, and the lowest price we stock. For one or two people it's plenty, and it's the sensible floor — machines much cheaper than this tend to cut corners somewhere you'll notice within three years.
The 1000rpm spin means clothes come out wetter than from a 1400rpm machine, so it suits line drying better than tumble drying.
Best for: one or two people, rentals, a second machine, replacing a dead one without overspending.
Best for large families: SIA SWM121400W 12kg, £299.99
A 12kg drum at 1400rpm for under £300 is unusual, and it's the one to look at if there are five or more of you or you wash bedding most weeks. A 12kg drum takes a king-size duvet without a fight.
You're trading brand recognition and some refinement for capacity, which for a busy household is usually the right trade. Fewer, bigger loads also cost less to run than more, smaller ones.
Best for: families of five or more, anyone washing bedding weekly.
Best mid-size freestanding: Montpellier MDAWM1014S 10kg, £419
Ten kilos at 1400rpm sits neatly between the budget and premium ends. Enough capacity for a family of four to five, a fast spin so things dry quicker, and a price that doesn't sting. Also available in black at the same price if silver doesn't suit the room.
If you want the same brand in 8kg, the MDAWM814W is £369.
Best for: families of four, utility rooms, anyone who wants capacity without paying for smart features.
View the Montpellier MDAWM1014S
Best budget integrated: Candy CBW49D1W4J-80 9kg, £399
Integrated machines usually cost more for less drum. This one gives you 9kg at 1400rpm behind a kitchen door for under £400, which is the best capacity-per-pound in our integrated range.
Remember an integrated machine needs a housing unit of the right size and a door panel to hang on it — you can't slide one into an open gap.
Best for: fitted kitchens on a budget, landlords, families of three or four who want the machine hidden.
Best integrated: Hoover H500 HBSI410CL8U-80 10kg, £599
Ten kilos, 1400rpm, fully integrated. Most integrated machines stop at 8kg, so if you want the machine out of sight without dropping to a smaller drum, this is the obvious answer.
Integrated machines also run slightly quieter than freestanding ones, because the surrounding cabinet absorbs some of the vibration — worth knowing if the kitchen is open-plan.
Best for: fitted kitchens, larger families who don't want to compromise on capacity.
Best premium: Samsung Series 9 9kg, £979
The quietest and best-built machine we stock, with AI Home controls and Samsung's most refined wash system. You're paying for how it runs day to day — the noise level, the door seal, the way it handles an unbalanced load — rather than for a bigger drum.
Worth it in an open-plan kitchen, or if you intend to keep it fifteen years. If you want premium and integrated, the Smeg 7kg fully integrated is £871.99 — a smaller drum, but Smeg build quality behind a kitchen door.
Best for: open-plan kitchens, long-term keepers, anyone who simply wants the best.
Also worth considering
The Samsung Series 6+ 11kg at £579 is the same machine as our overall pick with a bigger drum — the one to choose if you want auto dosing and large-family capacity together. The CDA CI327 7kg integrated at £439 is a solid British-designed option for couples in a fitted kitchen.
Buying a washer and dryer together
If you're replacing both, the bundles come in cheaper than buying separately: the Montpellier freestanding bundle is £689 for an 8kg washer and 7kg condenser dryer, and the heat pump bundle is £849 for a 10kg washer and an 8kg heat pump dryer. Heat pump dryers cost about half as much to run — see our guide to heat pump vs condenser dryers.
Quick buying notes
What size drum?
6–7kg for one or two people. 8kg for three or four — the UK's most popular size, and it takes a double duvet. 9–10kg for four or five. 11–12kg for larger families or frequent bedding washes.
Buying too small is the common mistake. Two cycles cost twice the water and energy of one, so if you're between sizes, go up.
Spin speed
1400rpm is the UK standard and right for most people. 1200rpm is gentler and fine if you line dry. 1600rpm gets clothes driest, which matters most if you tumble dry afterwards. Spin speed affects how wet the laundry is, not how clean.
Energy rating
The label was rescaled in 2021 and A+++ no longer exists — it's A to G now, and the new scale is much stricter. Most machines sit between A and D, and a C is not a bad machine. To compare running costs properly, find the kWh per 100 cycles figure on the label and divide by 100.
Noise
Most machines run 47–52dB washing and 70–79dB spinning. Under 50dB on the wash cycle is what to look for in an open-plan kitchen. The spin is always louder but only lasts a few minutes.
Worth paying for
Auto dosing. A genuinely quick wash. Delay start if you're on an off-peak tariff. An anti-allergy programme if anyone in the house needs it.
Not worth paying for
App control — you still have to load it by hand. Steam programmes make little difference to everyday washing. Dozens of cycles you'll never select.
FAQs
Which washing machine should most UK households buy?
An 8 or 9kg drum at 1400rpm, somewhere between £400 and £600. The Samsung Series 6+ 9kg at £459 is our most-recommended machine. On a tighter budget, the Montpellier 10kg at £419 gives you more drum for less money, without the smart features.
Is 7kg or 8kg better for a family?
Eight, for three people or more. The extra kilo is the difference between fitting a double duvet and not. For a couple, 7kg is ample.
How much does a washing machine cost to run per year?
Between roughly £21 and £50 a year at the current Ofgem cap, depending on the machine's rating and how often you use it. Washing at 30°C instead of 40°C saves around 40% of the energy, whichever machine you own.
Are integrated machines as good as freestanding?
They wash identically. Integrated costs more for the same specification, tends to come with a slightly smaller drum, and needs a housing unit and a door. It's also a little quieter, because the cabinet absorbs vibration. In a utility room, freestanding is better value.
Should I wash at 30 or 40 degrees?
Thirty for everyday clothes — modern detergents are built for it and it saves about 40% of the energy. Forty for towels and anything properly dirty. Sixty for bedding and tea towels.
How long should a washing machine last?
Ten to twelve years. Better-built machines such as the Smeg and Samsung models tend to go longer, mostly down to bearings and suspension. Don't overload the drum — that's the single biggest cause of early failure.
How often should I clean it?
Run an empty 60°C wash with machine cleaner or white vinegar monthly. Scrub the detergent drawer every two or three months. Check the drain filter quarterly — that's where the coins and hair grips end up, and a blocked one causes most spinning problems.
Still deciding?
Message our UK team on WhatsApp and a real person will reply within 30 minutes, seven days a week. Or see the full laundry collection.
