Which? Don't Buy washer-dryers

Buying one machine instead of two sounds like a smart way to save money. But washer-dryers aren't always cheaper than a standalone washing machine and tumble dryer, and if you buy a poor washer-dryer or one that guzzles energy, you'll be wasting your money regardless. 

Our expert unbiased tests help you to avoid the duds that are rubbish at washing and drying and identify the best washer-dryers that do a great job.

What makes a Don't Buy washer-dryer?

Washer-dryers both wash and dry clothes. But we’ve tested machines that wash or dry halfheartedly – and sometimes both. 

Don’t Buy washer-dryers are usually let down by under-powered, slow and ineffective clothes drying. So if you’re often in a hurry for your clothes to dry, you won’t want one of these in your home. 

We’ve also tested some terrible washer-dryers that really struggle to remove stains from clothes when washing them.

A good washer-dryer will wash clothes brilliantly – as well as the best washing machines we've tested. 

And, although washer-dryers can't dry as much at a time as a tumble-dryer can, the best dry quickly and thoroughly too. 

With some washer-dryers being quite expensive, you might think it worthwhile to take a punt on a cheap and cheerful looking machine.

But that's a false economy if you're going to be paying through the nose in running costs, or else washing or drying everything twice. 

Which? washer-dryer testing

We've had six decades of appliance-testing experience, and no one tests as thoroughly as we do. 

We've reviewed the latest washer-dryers from brands including AEG, Bosch, Haier, Hoover, Hotpoint, Indesit and Whirlpool.

We test each one for how well it washes and dries clothes, how easy it is to use, how much noise it makes and how much energy and water it uses to wash and dry clothes. 

• We task each washer-dryer with tackling stained cloths. After washing, we measure how much of the stain is removed by measuring how much light is reflected off the cloths. The more reflected light, the more of the stain that’s been removed.
• We record how long it takes each washer-dryer to dry clothes and measure how dry the clothes are at the end of the cycle. We do this by weighing the clothes before they are washed and then again at the end of drying. The best machines will leave clothes perfectly dried; the worst will leave clothes still very wet.
• Crucially, given the cost of living crisis, we measure how much energy each machine uses when washing and drying. So you can easily see the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive washer-dryers to run.

If we make a washer-dryer a Don’t Buy, give it a wide berth – no matter how attractive the price may be.