Top family-friendly washing machines
There are certain key things a family needs to look for in a washing machine. Obviously price plays an important role, as families have a million and one other things to pay for and don’t want to fork out hundred of pounds on washing machines. But there are more things to consider beside price; the capacity needs to be large; it needs to have a quick wash facility and a high energy-efficiency rating is also beneficial as this helps bring down the running costs. Finding this perfect washing machine is actually not as hard as you may think. There is a huge amount of choice out there; but sometimes too much choice makes it hard to decide. So we have narrowed it down for you. Here are three of the best family-friendly washing machines currently available at Dixons:
The Indesit PWE91672W
The Indesit PWE91672W washing machine is a real find. It can take 9kg of laundry and still packs a spin speed of 1600 rpm. This means you can do a lot of washing in one go and not worry that it’s going to come out wet and need an extra spin. Additionally, this neat and tidy machine has an energy rating of A++, the second highest it can be, so it will definitely help lower your energy bills. Finally, it also boasts a number of settings, including the much sought-after quick wash setting and even when spinning it is relatively quiet at 51 decibels. So what’s the catch? Surely this is going to cost an arm and a leg? Nope, this value-packed machine costs just £288.
The Hotpoint AQ113D697
Our next pick is more than twice the price of the Indesit, however, it does pack a real punch in terms of quality. The Hotpoint AQ113D697 has a maximum load capacity of 11kg and still has a spin speed of 1600rpm. There are 16 programmes to choose from including wool and quickwash and you can even go for half-load and anti-crease washes depending on your needs and requirements. This machine really stands out because despite the large load capacity and 1600rpm speed, it still scores maximum energy rating points with A+++. You can find out more about energy ratings from the Energy Saving Trust.
The Samsung Ecobubble WF1124XAC
Our final pick is from Samsung. The Ecobubble WF1124XAC machine is £699, but it does come with plenty of extras that make the extra spend worthwhile. It has a capacity of 12kg, a spin speed of 1400rpm, half load option, a 15°C cold water wash that can save up to 70% in energy. It also produces fine bubbles that penetrate clothes more easily and it uses Samsung’s Vibration Reduction Technology to deliver a quiet and economical wash. It has the maximum A+++ rating too.
22 February 2012
I went through this choice just before Christmas. In addition to the above we needed to have something quiet as our machine is in the main living space too (open plan kitchen, lounge, dining area) and the old machine used to vibrate so much we almost had to leave the house!
In the end I decided to invest for the future and got a Miele W5964 which is certainly not cheap but Miele’s are built to last 20 yrs plus so works out well priced overall. It’s a brilliant machine with loads of space, more programs than you shake a stick at (including nappies, soft toys, down items, etc, etc) and is really really quiet even on the normal cottons program. Definitely worth the money and if you can stretch yourself an investment for (hopefully) the whole of family life!
It’s so difficult these days to compare models between shops as many don’t publish useful info like noise levels, program time so a spreadsheet can be a good idea for easy comparisons of features.