The Best Top-Load Washer Brand Isn't Samsung, According To Consumer Reports

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Samsung is one of the biggest manufacturers of home appliances, as well as a plethora of other weirder products, so you might expect it to also be the leader among washing machine brands. However, that is not the case. According to Consumer Reports, Samsung is among the best washer brands, but its top-load models aren't quite the best of the best.

Samsung's premium home appliance rival, LG, is the clear winner, or so claims Consumer Reports. LG has a great brand reliability score, top grades in washing performance, and the highest overall scores in the categories of regular- and high-efficiency top-loaded washers. User satisfaction is nothing to write home about, but it's important to note that washers from other brands are even less liked by buyers, including many Samsung models.

Samsung and LG are often compared when it comes to appliances, from high-quality clothes dryers to refrigerators, but rarely does one brand rank so much better than the other. In this case, LG dominates in two distinct categories.

Agitator washers are top-load washing machines that have a sort of pillar in the center, which rotates and rubs against clothes, helping to clean them. LG's best top-load agitator washer is the WT8405CW 5.3-cubic-foot Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer, according to Consumer Reports. However, user reviews on LG's website tell another story. With an average rating of just 3.4 stars and 45 5-star reviews against 31 one-star reviews, this expensive washing machine (costing $1,349 at full price) does not inspire confidence. All the other top-rated LG machines have much better reviews, with between 3.9 and 4.1 stars on average.

The slightly smaller WT8205CW 4.8 cubic foot Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer comes with many of the same features as its bigger siblings, including LG's 4-Way agitator and Easy Unload systems. It places quite close to the top of Consumer Reports's ranking, while also having a much more healthy four stars out of five on LG's website.

Consumer Reports separates regular- and high-efficiency top-load washers in its ranking. LG wins in both categories, even if it only sells impeller washers as part of the second. Consumer Reports' highest-rated LG washer, the WT8600CB Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer, is also the brand's fanciest, being a high-efficiency model with 5.5 cubic feet of space and plenty of features. These include Easy Unload, AI Sensing (which automatically selects optimal wash settings), an automatic dispenser, a built-in water faucet, and an LCD dial for controlling the machine. Sadly, these features were not enough to give the WT8600CB more than a user review average of 3.6 out of 5. Perhaps the $1,500 price tag was to blame.

The significantly smaller (and way cheaper) WT7000CW 4.5 cubic foot Ultra Large Capacity Top Load Washer may have few standout features — LG only names a few energy and water efficiency features, along with Turbodrum and 6Motion tech, for gentle but thorough cleaning — but it's the clear winner as far as user reviews are concerned. It's also pretty high up in Consumer Reports' ranking, losing only a few points in energy efficiency when compared to other high-ranking LG units. However, given the price of $999, often discounted to $699, this might be the best deal out of all Consumer Reports' top-rated high-efficiency washers.