What Is a Front-Load Washer?
Front-Load Washer Benefits
What Is a Top-Load Washer?
Top-Load Washer Benefits

Upgrading your washer and dryer is a huge step in renovating your home. With so many different styles, sizes, and features, it’s easy to get confused. This guide will explain what a front-load washer vs. a top-load washer is and the specialties of both.

What Is a Front-Load Washer?

Front-loaders are a newer design for washers where you can load and unload laundry from a door in the front of the machine. The drum of a front-load washer has a fan in the back which propels clothes against each other in a small amount of water to get them clean. Their different shape has several advantages in the debate of front-load washers vs. top-load washers. and have recently become a very popular choice.

Front-Load Washer Benefits

A general benefit from all front-load washers includes the ability to wash clothes cleaner and quieter. The front-loader’s drum motion allows clothes to get scrubbed together more in the detergent and against all the inside of the washer. The absence of an agitator in the drum of a front load washer vs. a top load washer significantly reduces noise since clothes aren’t getting tangled and unbalanced in the large drum. Front-load washers also help to ring out the soaked-in water from your clothes, so drying takes less time.

Aside from these benefits, there are some key features to look for when shopping for a front-load washer vs. a top-load washer.

Save Water: High Efficiency (HE) front-load washers use an average of about five less gallons per wash than top-load washers. This comes from the rotation of the front-loader’s drum that washes clothes in a shallow pool, as opposed to the top-loader, which fills up the drum deeper to get all the clothes wet.

Stackable: With the main feature of a front-load washer being its forward-facing door, you have the option to stack your washer and dryer set – something you can’t do with top-load washers. Regain valuable floor space in your laundry room – and even add a pedestal for additional storage and accessibility.

Steam Function: Front-load washers with steam functions use a combination of steam and water to give clothes a deeper clean without any pre-treatment. The steam that’s released from the bottom of the basin helps to remove wrinkles, and even sanitizes fabrics.

Wi-Fi Enabled: Washers with Wi-Fi connection capability are set up with features that can remotely start or stop a load, schedule cycles, and even send alerts at the end of each wash all from your phone.

Cycle Time Remaining Display: Most washers have a digital dash that shows how much time is remaining for each cycle. Sometimes these numbers will vary in more or less time, but not because it’s malfunctioning. The washer is programmed to recalculate the time left – depending on where the load is in its rinse or spin cycle – to ensure that clothes are ready for the dryer.

What Is a Top-Load Washer?

Top-loaders are another type of washing machine with an above door entrance for loading clothes in from the top. The drum is either equipped with an agitator – a vertical rod, vaned or finned, in the center of the washer – or an impeller, which uses a small amount of water in order to optimize the friction of the clothes rubbing against each other.

Top-Load Washer Benefits

Compared to front-load washers, water can fully drain after each cycle in a top-loader and won't stand in the rubber door gasket. Keeping the hatch open at the end of a wash can also help any remaining water evaporate and prevent mold and mildew. For some floor plans, a top-load washer could simply fit your home’s layout better. If you can’t swing a door open due to the size of the laundry closet or the traffic in the hallway, a top-loader might make more sense than a front-loader. Read on for more key features of top-load washers.

Wi-Fi Enabled: Avoid an unnecessary second wash by linking your washer with your devices through Wi-Fi and control the cycle’s settings remotely. Get alerts when your clothes are finished and ready to be dried.

High Efficiency: Typically less expensive, but still offering a similar load capacity, high efficiency top-load washers are made with an impeller instead of an agitator so they use about 13 gallons less per load. The spinning impeller not only saves water, it also helps you save energy by spinning clothes dry thoroughly before they go into the drier.

Cycle Time Remaining Display: An improved drum pattern extracts more water more quickly during the rinsing cycle and prevents fabrics from snagging during washing. Some washers even feature a digital display to see exactly how much time is left in your cycle so there’s no more guessing.

Consumer Reports states that there are no more repairs needed for a top-load washer vs. a front-load washer, and so ultimately, it’s up to your preference and washing needs. Now that you know everything about front-load and top-load washers, shop below to find your new laundry room upgrade.