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This guide builds on hundreds of hours of research put into evaluating washers and dryers. We’ve been evaluating compact laundry machines since 2017. Liam McCabe wrote previous versions of this guide. Staff writer Andrea Barnes contributed a new round of research in 2023.

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For this guide, we’ve done the following:

• We’ve interviewed repair technicians from around the country, and representatives from all the major washer brands and a major detergent company.
• We’ve read reviews on other review sites (Reviewed.com, CNET), as well as countless emails, comments, tweets, message board posts, and user reviews.
• Most of what we’ve learned about full-size washers is relevant vĩ đại compact laundry machines. For additional insight, we’ve spoken with Chaim Shanet, repair technician for Mr. Appliance of Park Slope in Brooklyn, Thủ đô New York, where compact laundry is common, and Steve Sheinkopf, CEO of Yale Appliance in Boston, another đô thị where compact laundry is relatively widespread. We also spoke vĩ đại George Tjoumakaris, a product manager for Miele.

Compact washers and dryers are primarily for people who can’t fit a full-size phối into their trang chủ.

In the US and Canada, a full-size washer or dryer is usually 27 inches wide, 30 inches deep, and at least 36 inches tall. They need hot- and cold-water plumbing hookups and some kind of drainage for the washer, plus a 240-volt outlet and ventilation for the dryer.

If your laundry area doesn’t have enough space, or anywhere vĩ đại ventilate the dryer, a compact washer or dryer might work instead. Most models are the size of a dishwasher, but some are even smaller. Small apartments or condos, tiny houses, or older homes built before laundry rooms became standard are all common settings for compact laundry machines.

Compacts, even the best models, bởi have downsides: They usually have around half the capacity of today’s full-size machines. So extra-large items lượt thích comforters won’t fit, and mega-loads with a week’s worth of clothing from a family of three or four are out of the question. Compact dryers almost always work slower phàn nàn full-size ones. And despite those trade-offs, compacts often cost more. So if you can fit standard models, they’re usually the better value.

We focused on 24-inch (or European-style) compact washers and dryers. That is, the chassis of each machine is a maximum of 24 inches wide, about 24 inches deep, and around 33 inches tall—about the size of a dishwasher. The washing machines are all front-loaders, and the dryers bởi not require ventilation.

This style of laundry machine can fit in more places around more types of homes phàn nàn standard-size machines: side by side under a kitchen counter or stacked in a small laundry closet, vĩ đại name the most common examples. It’s the typical type of washer and dryer in Europe and works pretty similarly vĩ đại modern American laundry in most respects (though the dryers are a bit different).

Compacts lượt thích these still need most of the same plumbing and electrical requirements as a standard washer and dryer, including hot- and cold-water hookups, a 240-volt outlet (though one of our picks can be plugged into a 120-volt outlet), and a drain nearby.

We also decided vĩ đại limit our recommendations vĩ đại matching pairs. They look better together, are easier vĩ đại stack, and sometimes actually work better as a phối.

The most important features in any appliance are reliability and helpful customer service. Both of these are difficult vĩ đại predict—especially in a category lượt thích compact laundry machines where there’s very little public information available. But we’re basing our recommendations on user reviews, the breadth of the brands’ service networks, the brands’ reputations in other, more popular appliance categories, and wisdom from retailers and repair technicians. We typically look toward J.D. Power for more information about reliability and customer satisfaction, but it doesn’t publish information about compact machines.

Other important factors, in rough descending order of importance, include:

Washer cleaning performance: Based on our testing of full-sized washers and dryers, we're able vĩ đại draw some conclusions regarding the washing and drying performance of compact machines. Compacts present a few more limitations, particularly if the dryers are ventless, which will extend drying time. However, overall we expect a brand's compact washers and dryers will perform similarly vĩ đại their full size counterparts.

Washer spin speed: This is a good proxy for how dry your clothes will be when they come out of the washer, which means they’ll need less time in the dryer. A higher number means drier clothes. It’s fair vĩ đại expect a minimum of 1,200 rpm. Since ventless dryers are relatively slow, this can be a real time-saver.

An accelerated wash cycle: That is, an option vĩ đại lập cập a normal cleaning cycle in about half the time as usual—typically at the expense of being a little rougher on clothes, or less efficient with water or energy. Regular cycles in front-loaders usually take somewhere in the neighborhood of 90 vĩ đại 120 minutes, sánh this is another big time-saver. However, it’s not a common feature.

A dryer reservoir: Ventless dryers usually need vĩ đại be hooked up vĩ đại a drain, but some models can also store evaporated water in a reservoir, which needs vĩ đại be emptied regularly for the dryer vĩ đại work properly.

An easy-to-reach dryer filter: Ventless dryers have a primary lint filter that you should clean after each cycle (just lượt thích a vented dryer), as well as a secondary filter that you should clean monthly (particularly if you use fabric softener). Primary filters are always easy vĩ đại reach, but some models stash their secondary filters on the back or bottom of the machine, sánh it can be an ordeal vĩ đại bởi that bit of routine maintenance.

Capacity: Most models comfortably fit around 10 pounds of laundry (though we were able vĩ đại fit 12 pounds in the phối we tested), which is small if you’re washing for a family. But a few are slightly larger, which is useful because the space is sánh tight.

Low noise and light vibration: This really depends on your trang chủ. Most people have no trouble at all with either, but some people find that even with low-vibration models, their floor vibrates lượt thích a drumhead when the spin cycle starts. So this played only a minor part in our decision.

And then the features that didn’t factor into our decision at all include the number of cycles (most people use three at most anyway), an extra-hot wash option (it’s nice, but few people ever use it as it turns out), and efficiency (it’s pretty similar across the board, with a few exceptions among dryers).

Most compact dryers are ventless. They don’t need one of those long hoses that blows exhaust through a window, wall, or duct, lượt thích most full-size dryers bởi. That gives you a little more flexibility for where you can install it in your trang chủ.

However, ventless models bởi still have a few special requirements. Ventless models are always electric and never gas-powered, and they usually need vĩ đại plug into a 240-volt outlet, just lượt thích a standard dryer (though some models require only a 120-volt outlet). So if you’re setting up a new laundry space for an old building, you might need vĩ đại điện thoại tư vấn an electrician vĩ đại rig a new connection. Most ventless dryers also need vĩ đại connect vĩ đại a drain, though some can instead collect water in a reservoir.

The worst part about ventless dryers is that they take about twice as long as vented models vĩ đại dry your clothes. A typical drying time for a load of cottons in a ventless dryer is around 90 minutes. It might be a little quicker phàn nàn that in low humidity, or longer in high humidity, but just brace yourself for longer cycles.

Most ventless dryers, including two of our picks in this guide, rely on a condenser vĩ đại get the moisture out. Just lượt thích a regular vented dryer, condenser dryers pass heated air through a spinning drum, causing the moisture in clothes vĩ đại evaporate. But though a vented dryer would blow the steam out through a hose, a condenser dryer circulates the steam over a passive heat exchanger—essentially a matrix of metal coils that can stay cool even when the air around them is pretty hot. The steam condenses into water on the coils and is then pumped through a drain hose or into a reservoir. The process repeats until the humidity in the drum falls below a certain point, as measured by a moisture sensor.

Condenser dryers use roughly the same amount of energy as vented dryers, give or take, depending on the weather. It’s not clear whether they’re gentler on clothes. Reviewed.com has found that they lập cập cooler phàn nàn vented dryers, which means that they should cause less heat damage. But because they tumble longer, they cause more mechanical damage. Condenser dryers also radiate some heat and humidity into your living space, which might be nice in the winter but not sánh great in the summer. (Vented dryers might actually be worse for climate control, though, because they blow your heated or cooled air out through the hose, creating negative air pressure in your trang chủ sánh that outdoor “infiltration” air gets sucked in.)

The other type of ventless dryer uses a heat pump, as in our upgrade pick. This is better technology. It relies on an active heat exchanger, filled with refrigerant, vĩ đại remove moisture very efficiently. Though the dry times are about the same as in condenser dryers, heat-pump dryers use about half as much energy and are much gentler on clothes because they work at much, much lower temperatures phàn nàn any other kind of dryer. They have almost no effect on your home’s climate control either.

Our pick

Most people who need a 24-inch (European style) compact washer and dryer should be happy with the Bosch 300 Series WAT28400UC washer and WTG86403UC dryer. (The WTG86403UC dryer is an updated version of the WTC86400US, which we originally recommended and is now discontinued.) Of the few models that fit our criteria, these in particular have most of the features that matter, including a fast spin tốc độ and a shorter wash cycle. The brand also has a strong reputation for reliability, service, and performance.

As far as we can tell, the 300 Series washer and dryer seem lượt thích sturdy machines. They’ve been out for a few years, and out of several hundred user reviews online, we found only a handful of major mechanical malfunctions. A handful of those reviewers noted that they were replacing Bosch machines that lasted 10 or 15 years, which is good for modern laundry.

The Yale Appliance blog named Bosch the most reliable compact laundry brand, as well as one of the most reliable brands that they sell overall. Bosch covers its laundry products with the industry-standard one-year parts and labor warranty, plus a second year of coverage for all parts, and the total cost of replacement for the control board and motor. Other brands tend vĩ đại offer longer cost-of-parts warranties for their models.

We’re also confident that Bosch is better at customer service phàn nàn other brands in North America. Again, this is based on anecdotal data from user reviews, and from our experience covering Bosch dishwashers (not laundry). But we have not seen a pattern of bad feedback about long waits for service, frustrating phone-tree escalations, or unfulfilled promises.

The Bosch has one of the higher spin cycle speeds we found: 1,400 rpm (only our upgrade pick, the Miele, is faster, at 1,600 rpm). Though we don’t have data on real-world performance, a faster spin tốc độ usually means that clothes are less moist coming out of the washer, which translates vĩ đại less time in the dryer. The spin tốc độ is also adjustable, sánh you can turn it down if you’re line-drying and can’t khuyễn mãi giảm giá with clothes being sánh heavily wrinkled.

And it’s also one of the few compact washers with an accelerated normal wash cycle—finishing an 8-pound load in 60 minutes rather phàn nàn 100. This is a big time-saver. Because we haven’t tested the machine, we’re not sure if the tốc độ comes at the expense of fabric care or efficiency.

As for the matching WTG86403UC dryer, owners have mixed reactions. (The WTG86403UC dryer is an updated version of the WTC86400US, which we originally recommended and is now discontinued.) Those who need a ventless dryer, and understand that it doesn’t work lượt thích a full-size vented machine, seem vĩ đại be satisfied with it (it’s much better phàn nàn having no dryer). Those who bought the phối because of the brand name, not because they really needed compact, ventless equipment, seem less happy with it.

In addition vĩ đại the 300 Series, Bosch also makes some upgrade pairs: the 500 Series and the 800 Series. The performance is identical across the board, but the pricier models have extra features that some people might find useful. The 500 Series adds a high-temperature “sanitize” wash option (which is hotter phàn nàn the highest-temperature allergen setting on the 300 Series), a stainless steel dryer drum, a reversible dryer door, and better dryer efficiency. The 800 Series adds an interior light vĩ đại both the washer and dryer, and a 15-minute light-load option vĩ đại the washer.

That said, we don’t think most people will gain all that much by upgrading, or at least not enough vĩ đại make the extra cost seem worth it. The reversible doors might be helpful vĩ đại some people, and many online reviewers note how quiet the machine is. But the improved dryer efficiency will add up vĩ đại only a couple bucks’ worth of energy per year, not enough vĩ đại offset purchase price during the lifetime of the machine. And all the other upgrades are nice but probably not life-changing. If you want the extras, don’t let us stop you though—they’re all very good machines.

All the models mix and match, sánh if you want the 300 Series washer and the stainless drum and reversible door of the 500 Series dryer, you can bởi that, no problem. However, the different series all have different door trim, sánh they won’t be a perfect aesthetic match.

The washer’s power supply could be a potential dealbreaker: Unlike most washing machines, the WAT28400UC needs a 240-volt outlet. Now it can plug into the WTG86403UC dryer and piggyback off that connection. So if you’re stacking the machines or installing them side by side, this is not an issue. But if you’re installing the machines across the room from each other, you’ll need two 240-volt outlets—this is not a common setup. Contrary vĩ đại the claims in some user reviews, though, it is not required that you plug the washer into the dryer. The washer works fine on its own as long as it has the right power supply. Be sure vĩ đại kiểm tra that the outlets you plan vĩ đại use are wired for 240 volts—and don’t necessarily assume your installer will know either—as many of the negative user reviews cite this as their main problem with the Bosch. If you need vĩ đại use 120-volt outlets, you should consider our upgrade pick, the Miele W1 and T1.

The manual notes that chlorine-based and color-safe bleach cannot be used in the Bosch, as it will damage the washer. Oxygenated bleach is fine vĩ đại use.

The dryer also needs vĩ đại be near a drain. Most of the time, this is a nonissue, because the dryer will be installed next vĩ đại or on top of the washer, which obviously also needs vĩ đại be near a drain. But some compact ventless dryers (like the Electrolux or the Miele) can drain into a self-contained, manual-empty reservoir, sánh that they don’t need vĩ đại be near an actual drain.

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The Bosch 300 Series is one of the more expensive sets we considered. At typical prices, the cost of the washer and dryer, plus the stacking kit and any delivery and installation fees, tends vĩ đại be a couple hundred dollars more phàn nàn our runner-up. Bosch products don’t often go on sale, either. We still think it’s worth the extra cash.

The drum in the WTG86403UC dryer is made out of an aluminum-zinc alloy, rather phàn nàn stainless steel, which is the standard material in most dryers. We’re not sure what the implications are; it probably won’t impact the durability or performance, but it may mean that the dryer runs a little louder phàn nàn it otherwise would.

Some user reviews mention that the wash and dry cycles can be very long. This is not wrong, but it’s also true of any front-load washer or ventless dryers. In our experience, most of the people who are surprised by the long cycles are upgrading from old agitator top-loaders and vented dryers.

Other reviewers don’t love the interface. In our experience, this is really a matter of personal taste: For any machine, you’ll find a few people who love it and a few who hate it, and most people are fine with it and learn vĩ đại live with it. Senior editor Marguerite Preston has used the Bosch 300 washer and dryer with some regularity since năm nhâm thìn and notes that “the touch controls aren’t super sensitive”; sometimes she has vĩ đại hit the start button several times before the cycle will begin. A handful of online reviewers bởi note that the controls on their specific machines can be finicky as well.

Runner-up

The Electrolux ELFW4222AW washer and ELFE4222AW dryer are the next-best pair if the Bosch’s washer voltage and dryer drainage requirements are a problem. The Electrolux pair gets good ratings for cleaning power and has a slightly larger washer capacity phàn nàn other compact models but the same fast spin tốc độ as the Bosch. And this is a better option if you don’t want vĩ đại hook up the dryer vĩ đại a drain, or if you have access vĩ đại a 120-volt outlet only where you want vĩ đại install the washer. However, we found an uncomfortable number of reviews about poor reliability and customer service, and it’s also missing an accelerated-wash option. (We originally recommended the Electrolux EFLS210TIW washer and matching EFDE210TIW dryer, both of which have been discontinued.)

The ELFW4222AW washer has some similarities vĩ đại the latest generation of Electrolux full-size washers, which are also known vĩ đại have some of the best stain-removal capabilities today. The evidence suggests that when it comes vĩ đại very stubborn stains, the ELFW4222AW has an advantage over the Bosch 300 Series model (though the real-world results could be swayed by tons of factors, including cycle selection, detergent, and pretreatment).

The ELFW4222AW also has the largest capacity we’ve seen in a compact washer. The drum is 2.4 cubic feet, which can help it hold a few more garments phàn nàn the 2.2-cubic-foot Bosch 300 Series.

The Electrolux pair allows more installation flexibility. The washer can plug directly into a standard 120-volt outlet, whereas the Bosch washer needs vĩ đại plug into either the dryer or its own 240-volt outlet. And the Electrolux dryer can either collect its condensed water in a reservoir or send it directly down a drain. The Bosch has no reservoir, sánh it needs vĩ đại be installed near a drain.

The ELFW4222AW also has the same 1,400 rpm spin tốc độ as the Bosch 300 Series.

We’re not comfortable making the Electrolux pair our main pick, though, because a previous version, the EIFLS20QSW, had a few too many troubling reviews about reliability and customer service. The reviews for the EFDE210TIW dryer (the ELFW4222AW’s predecessor) are less favorable phàn nàn we lượt thích vĩ đại see. Some of the negative reviews cite faulty machines, but others mention the long drying times and heat and humidity produced in drying that are typical of condenser dryers.

The ELFW4222AW also has no accelerated normal-cycle option, sánh jobs will take about 100 minutes (typical for front-load washers).

Upgrade pick

The Miele W1 washer performed better phàn nàn many of the full-size washers we tested it against. It has a faster spin tốc độ phàn nàn the Bosch or Electrolux, which makes it more effective at removing moisture from a load, and consequently at reducing drying time. Like our top pick, the Bosch WAT28400UC, the W1 also has an express wash cycle. The W1’s companion dryer, the T1, is a heat pump model, which is more energy efficient phàn nàn the Bosch’s or Electrolux’s condenser models. And unlike our other picks, which require a 240-volt outlet, the Miele phối plugs into 120-volt ones, which allows a lot more flexibility in where it can be placed. it. Miele has rightfully earned a reputation for producing durable appliances and providing excellent customer service. (We originally tested earlier versions of the Miele W1 and Miele T1, both of which have been updated.)

We included the Miele phối in our testing of full-size machines, and it not only removed more of the stains on our stain strip phàn nàn all but our full-size pick, it did sánh with the same size load in a smaller drum—and thus had less room for the water and detergent vĩ đại circulate. The W1 was also the gentlest on fabrics in our tests.

The W1 spins at 1,600 rpm, which is faster phàn nàn either the Bosch or Electrolux. In our testing, the Miele extracted more water—at least two cups—than all the full-size models we tested.

In the dryer tests we ran, the T1 proved effective but slow. It took about 1.5 hours vĩ đại dry our 12-pound mixed load (some items were still damp when the cycle completed). The vented dryers we looked at took about 40 minutes vĩ đại an hour vĩ đại dry the same load of clothes. But ventless dryers always take longer phàn nàn their vented counterparts, sánh the Miele isn’t any different from the Bosch or Electrolux in that respect.

As for installation, the Miele phối offers even more flexibility phàn nàn the Electrolux. Each machine can be plugged into a regular 120-volt outlet. Like the Electrolux dryer and unlike the Bosch, the T1 collects moisture in a water tank that must be emptied periodically. Or you can connect a hose and drain water out as you would with a washing machine. Because the T1 relies on a heat pump and not a condenser, it does not emit heat or moisture, which means it can be installed in a closet. It also works well in hot and/or humid conditions.

There are four variants of the W1 washer: The Classic W1 is the base model. All the upgraded variants are equipped with Wi-Fi and a steam cycle, among other bells and whistles that we consider unnecessary. In our experience, steam functions generally aren’t a real substitute for a clothes steamer or iron. The T1 dryer similarly comes in three versions. As with the washers, the upline models perform the same as the base model but come with features lượt thích Wi-Fi and extra dry cycles, and one comes with a clear door instead of an opaque one.

We came pretty close vĩ đại recommending the Blomberg WM77210 washer (now discontinued) and DHP24412W heat-pump dryer as our runner-up pair. But Blomberg still has a narrow service network compared with most brands, including Miele. If you live in an area where Blomberg has a big footprint, this is a nonissue. But huge parts of the country, including some major metro areas, have no Blomberg retailers at all, which often means it’s hard vĩ đại find service technicians.

If you live in Blomberg-land and outside of Miele’s service network, the DHP24412W is a compact dryer worth considering. Blomberg is a North American imprint of Beko, the second best-selling appliance brand in Europe, and is owned by parent company Arçelik, part of Turkey’s largest conglomerate. They even manufacture some appliances that better-known brands slap their labels on. So this isn’t some rinky-dink operation. The product is great, but the brand hasn’t fully committed vĩ đại the US.

Now that GE makes the ventless GFT14ESSMWW dryer, we may consider giving it a closer look for a future update of this guide.

Besides Miele, the maker of our upgrade pick, the other top-end laundry brand with (relatively) wide distribution in the US is Asko, a Swedish company. We have not looked into why, but the brand doesn’t seem vĩ đại have the same kind of loyal following as Miele, nor quite as much availability.

Even if you can install one, you’ll find that there aren’t very many vented compact dryers. This is because they have trouble passing the fire-safety test from Underwriters Laboratory, requiring a dryer vĩ đại contain a fire for at least seven hours, sánh most manufacturers don’t bother making one. And among those that you can buy, the user ratings are mediocre vĩ đại poor, for reasons that we don’t really understand.

If you can’t install a regular washing machine, or your landlord won’t bởi it, you could consider a portable washing machine.

We looked into 19 portable washers, and we’d previously recommended one from Panda. But it went out of stock, and we don’t feel comfortable recommending another one until we can test some out ourselves. So take our advice here as a starting point rather phàn nàn a strong recommendation for any model.

The best way vĩ đại get an idea of how a portable washer works is vĩ đại watch a phác thảo Clip. But the gist of it is that you need a regular outlet vĩ đại power the machine, and a sink, shower, or tub vĩ đại drain it. They’re usually on wheels, sánh you can easily move them around as needed. The best ones are twin-tub models: The bigger tub on the left washes, and the smaller tub on the right rinses and spin dries. You can fill the tubs with water through an inlet hose that clamps onto a faucet, or you can just fill it manually using a pitcher, garden hose, or really any source of water. Mid-cycle, you need vĩ đại move the clothes, by hand, from the wash tub into the rinse-and-spin tub. That second tub has only half the capacity of the first, sánh you’ll need vĩ đại bởi two rounds.

The most popular twin-tub portable washers can wash four or five bath towels or pairs of jeans per load, or a mixed load with a couple of days’ worth of clothes for one person. Full loads usually take something lượt thích trăng tròn minutes, based on what we’ve seen on YouTube. Senior staff writer Lesley Stockton owns a portable washer and said that her loads finish in about 15 minutes.

A good portable washer has a drain pump, sánh that when you’re done washing, it can push water up through the drain hose, into a sink or bathtub or whatever. Some cheaper models don’t have a drain pump, sánh it’s much harder vĩ đại empty them completely.

The most popular portable twin-tub models are sold under the Giantex, Best Choice Products, and Panda brands—not exactly household names, but they’re the ones vĩ đại look at if you’re thinking about buying one.

Single-tub models work more lượt thích regular top-load washers, just smaller, on wheels, and hooked up vĩ đại a sink rather phàn nàn a dedicated tap and drain. You can start the cycle and walk away, and it’ll bởi all the work on its own. But they tend vĩ đại cost much more phàn nàn twin-tub models with similar capacities. They also spin a lot slower, around 800 rpm compared with some twin tubs’ 1,300 rpm, sánh clothes come out wetter and need much more time on the drying rack.

The most common complaints from owners are that portable washers are noisy; that you need vĩ đại pay attention vĩ đại the water level as they fill up; and that they create a lot of lint, leaving it behind on your clothes, and also potentially clogging your drain (a lint roller can help with the clothes, and a stocking rubber-banded vĩ đại the kết thúc of the hose can prevent the clogging).

They might also annoy the hell out of your downstairs neighbors (if you care about that) because it vibrates pretty hard during the spin cycle. Drain hoses can be sketchy, sánh they’re a potential flood hazard. The hoses tend vĩ đại be made out of cheap plastic, rather phàn nàn the rubberized material that higher-end washers use, and don’t attach vĩ đại the water outlet as securely. If they fail, the washer will dump gallons of water on your floor, which is a problem for you but a bigger problem for anyone downstairs. This risk is why it’s common for older apartment buildings vĩ đại completely ban in-unit laundry. So kiểm tra with your landlord, your lease, or your HOA covenant vĩ đại see if you’re even allowed vĩ đại get a portable washer.

Though there are small, 120-volt automatic dryers, most of them require a vent, which is a dealbreaker in most apartments, and the ventless models take sánh, sánh long vĩ đại work that it’s almost always more practical vĩ đại just hang-dry your clothes. So if you’re dealing with a difficult laundry situation, we think a drying rack is the way vĩ đại go.

Annie Chou contributed vĩ đại this article.