Best Washers for $800 or Less
These workhorses from CR's tests handle loads of laundry at a low price
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You don’t have to pay $1,000 or more to get a washing machine that cleans well. And though Consumer Reports tests plenty of washers that cost far more, most of us would rather spend less.
“Seventy-five percent of washers sold in the last four quarters ending March 2024 sold for $800 or less,” says Eric Voyer, chief revenue officer at TraQline, a company that tracks trends, market share, and consumer behavior for the retail industry.
- Best for Under $800: Top-Load Agitator Washers HE Top-Load Washers Front-Load Washers
- How CR Tests Washing Machines
Best Top-Load Agitator Washers for $800 or Less
Top-load agitator washers are usually the least expensive option, starting at around $450. Their cycle times are typically shorter than those of other types of washing machines, but they also tend to be rough on clothes.
Best HE Top-Loaders for $800 or Less
High-efficiency top-loaders often earn a very good or excellent rating for cleaning performance in our tests, but their cycle times tend to be on the longer side, often 70 to 110 minutes.
Best Front-Loaders for $800 or Less
Front-loader washers typically earn an excellent or very good score for cleaning performance in our tests, and they can generally be stacked to save space. Their wash times are often long, however, and they may be more difficult to load.
How CR Tests Washing Machines
To test how good a washing machine is at cleaning clothes, CR’s testers use fabric swatches stained with red wine, cocoa, carbon (which is similar to soot), and other hard-to-remove things. They analyze each swatch with a spectrocolorimeter before and after washing. The lighter the stain after laundering, the higher the machine scores in washing performance.
We also evaluate how gentle a washer is on fabrics, and record the amount of water and energy each machine uses. Our testers measure how much vibration the washer transmits to a wood floor, and our panelists judge the washer’s noise levels during the fill, agitate/tumble, drain, and spin cycles.
In addition to the lab test results, we incorporate each washer brand’s reliability and owner satisfaction scores from CR’s member survey into the Overall Score.
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