Top Load vs Front Load Washer: Which is the Best Washer Type?

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Are you looking for a new washer but confused between a top load and a front-load washer? Here’s how to make the right pick.

Choosing the right type of washer for your needs can be a little tough and exhausting if you don’t have sufficient knowledge about it. This is why you need to have a proper idea about both the types of washers and the advantages and disadvantages associated with both of them to make the right choice for yourself.

There could be several reasons for knowing which type of washer is better and will suit a particular situation. You might be trying to replace your old washer and want to try a new type or you might be contemplating if you need a high-efficiency washer or not or you might just be looking for a way to conserve more energy. Well, choosing the right washer can certainly help you with that.

In this article, we have discussed both the types of washers and have compared both their pros and cons to help you out in choosing the better-suited washer for yourself.

What are Energy-efficient washers?

Now, you might have often heard about the high-efficiency top-load washers and front-load washers which are said to be energy efficient and tend to provide more efficiency than a traditional top loader washer. But what is the difference between the two?

A traditional top-loading washer uses a central agitator to rotate your clothes and clean them and requires you to simply soak the clothes in water. A front-loading washer uses a drum to rotate the clothes rather than using an agitator.

Now, a high-efficiency top-load washer doesn’t include an agitator and instead comes with a base plate that moves the clothes around in the washer for cleaning.

After several tests, it is found that high-efficiency front loader washer is more energy efficient than a high-efficiency top loader washer although there are other advantages of an HE top-loading washing machine which makes it a better choice for many users.

Top Loader Washers Vs Front Load Washers

We have compared the Top load washers and the Front load washers on a number of factors in order to determine the better washer type. You can refer to the below factors to figure out the washer type that is more suitable for your needs.

Top Load Washer vs Front Load Washer

Cost Effectiveness

One of the most important things to compare is the initial cost of purchasing the washers. While a Front load washer is known to be energy and water efficient which can help in reducing the operational cost by a great margin, the fact remains that the upfront cost of a front load washer is always more than a top load washer.

This is because a front load washer often offers more features and designs to the users which are usually not present in a top load washer.

A top load washer is a basic washing machine that doesn’t provide you with fancy features so it often comes at an affordable price when compared to a front load washer.

Electricity Consumption

After the initial cost of purchasing a washer, you need to keep in mind other things like electricity consumption. We all know that washing machines tend to consume a considerable amount of electricity but several tests have proved that a front load washing machine consumes almost 50% less amount of electricity than a top load washer.

However, if you are using a cold wash cycle then both the washers will consume the same amount of electricity but if you use a hot wash cycle then a front load washer will consume much less electricity than a top load washer.

It doesn’t matter much if you don’t use a hot washing cycle much but if you wash your clothes on a hot wash cycle more frequently then a front load washer will be the obvious winner.

Water Consumption

You also need to consider the water consumption when choosing between the two types of washers as both consumer different amount of water for the washing cycles.

Well, after several tests it has been found that a front load washer consumes considerably less amount of water than a top load washer which can help in water conservation and end up saving a lot of money for you.

Many top models of front-load washers consume half of the water that the same level top load washer consumes which makes a front load washer a wiser choice in the long term.

So, if you have a family or if you wash your clothes once every day then a front load washer will help you in conserving both water and money.

Cleanliness Efficiency

In terms of cleaning your clothes efficiently, both washers provide equal washing capability but since there is much more free movement in a top load washer, they usually tend to clean your clothes more effectively while being gentle on them at the same time.

Front-loading washers move the clothes up and down which is similar to hand washing and can often result in a few dirty spots being left out.

A front load washer also can end up tearing your cloth material but a top load washer is gentler and just rotates your clothes at a great speed in order to clean it.

Ease of Loading and Unloading clothes

One of the most important things that people usually check is the ease of loading and unloading of clothes inside the washer. It is no surprise that users generally dislike front load washer’s bending requirement in order to load and unload the clothes which can often result in backache in users.

Although there are a few washers that come with a feature that can allow the users to raise them to waist level so one doesn’t need to bend while loading and unloading but such front load washers are few in the market.

Also, one major disadvantage of using a front load washer is that you can’t add more clothes mid-wash and have the option to start a new wash cycle or terminate the existing one.

On the other hand, a top load washer doesn’t require you to bend so you don’t have to worry about your back pain and can easily load and unload clothes in your washer without holding a weird posture. You can easily add more clothes in the washer during a washing cycle and don’t have to stop the washer in order to do so.

Capacity

Generally, a front load washer comes in huge capacity but there is a limited amount of clothes that can be washed at a time. You also have to keep in the mind the washer drum that is responsible for moving the clothes up and down in the washer which takes a little space and doesn’t offer you a lot of space to load your clothes.

On the other hand, a top load washer doesn’t include an agitator or a washer drum to move the clothes which allows users to load more clothes in a washing cycle.

Generally, a top load washer tends to have more capacity than a front load washer but you can find different capacity washers on the market to suit your needs so this shouldn’t be a huge issue.

Storage Space Required

It is found that a front load washer is more compact in size and can also be stacked with a dryer to save space whereas a top load washer needs to be placed beside the dryer which can take a lot of space.

So, if you have a huge house and a huge laundry room then you don’t have to worry about storage issues at all, you can easily purchase a top load washer.

However, if you have a small house then you might need to focus on purchasing the front load washer which will help you in managing your space by storing the dryer inside it so that it can be easily fit into a storeroom or a closet.

Drying

A Front load washer often spins faster than a load washer and tends to drain the water completely before it can be unloaded which ensures that the clothes are 10% drier so you don’t need to use your dryer for a long time.

On the other hand, a top load washer will spin at a great speed too but it can often lead to untangling and the water is not as fully drained as in the case of a front load washer which is why clothes tend to stay a little wet after being washed in a top load washer.

Maintenance and Repair

Although a front load washer and a top load washer has the same life expectancy of 11 years, a front load washer is more likely to get damaged due to mold and can often require more maintenance and repair than a top load washer which can increase the maintenance cost for it.

Since a front load washer offers many wash cycles and interesting features, it can break down quickly and have high repair costs which make it an expensive investment.

A lot of people also face odor problems with a front load washer which is why a top load washer is often preferred when looking for a budget-friendly and low maintenance washer.

Mold Growth

Often ignored but yet an important factor to consider when choosing between a top load washer and a front load washer. A washer is an ideal place for mold to grow and can be hard to keep dry and clean which can often lead to a smelly and dirty washer.

If your washer grows mold inside it then you won’t be able to use it to wash your clothes anymore unless you want your clothes to be covered with mold and smell like it too. This is why a top load washer is often more useful because it dries quickly and one doesn’t have to worry about mold growth.

On the other hand, a front load washer is tightly sealed which doesn’t let a lot of air enter to dry the washer from the inside and can leave washer wet and humid from the inside after every wash. This is an ideal condition for the mold to grow. So, a top load washer is a better choice if you want to avoid mold growth.

Which one is better?

So, now that you know about the different features and factors and have more understanding of which washer fares well in which situation, you might find it easy to determine the right washer type for yourself.

If you are looking for an energy efficient washer more and don’t care about the cost then go for a Front load washer but if you want a basic washing machine for daily use then a top load washer would be a better choice.

In the end, it all depends on your requirements and needs. You can only determine which washer type will be a better fit for you because there is no better washer. Both of them have their own pros and cons and you have to decide which washer’s cons are more manageable for you.