Top Load vs Front Load Washing Machines
If you’re in the market for a new washing machine, it’s one of the very first questions you’ll ask yourself: Front loader or top loader? Each design has its advantages and disadvantages depending on the situation, so it’s a good idea to consider which one’s right for you. To help you decide which appliance will be washing your beloved laundry, we’ve compiled a list of some pros and cons of each.
Generally, front loaders tend to be more energy efficient than top loaders when using warm water, as well as using less detergent. This is because of their horizontal drum that uses gravity to tumble the clothes. One downfall, however, is that you can’t open a front loader to add more clothes mid-wash, except if you have a front loader such as a Samsung AddWash model.
With top loaders, on the other hand, you can expect much faster cycle times. Top loaders typically run cycles in 15-30 minutes, whereas front loaders usually take up to an hour. This is due to the clothes being constantly immersed in the water, unlike in a front loader. One disadvantage is that they can create significant amounts of lint due to the friction of clothes during the wash.
It’s really one of those curly hair/straight hair conundrums: some people have a marked preference for one over the other. Interestingly, Canstar Blue’s recent washing machine consumer satisfaction survey found that owners of front loaders appear to be more environmentally conscious, with 33% of front loader owners citing energy efficiency as the biggest factor of consideration when purchasing, compared to just 19% of top loader owners surveyed. On the other hand, a higher proportion of top loader owners were concerned about price, with 55% of them citing the cost as the biggest consideration factor when purchasing, as opposed to just 40% of front load buyers. It appears that, between front loaders and top loaders, there is something for everyone.
What’s cheaper: Top or front loaders?
Front loaders may have an edge on top loaders from an energy and water consumption standpoint, but what’s also beneficial to look at is the initial purchase price. The upfront cost of the washer may in fact negate the savings you’re making on your water and power bills every quarter. Let’s compare the prices of similar front and top loaders to breakdown which option is ultimately cheaper. We used Appliances Online^ to compare the prices of front loaders vs top loaders:
We’re sensing a pattern here. We can deduce that from these three sizes and price ranges that front loaders are slightly more expensive for the same or slightly smaller capacity models. While these prices may seem negligible and your green thumb is itching, it’s possible it may take many months to recoup the costs of a front loader.
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