Front-load washers vs. top-load washers: How to pick the best Samsung washer for you, plus deals
You've done your research, and made up your mind: Your next washer is going to be a Samsung washer. There's just one thing nagging you: Should you get a front-load Samsung washer or a top-load machine? Here's a look at the pros of each kind of washer, plus a heads-up on some of the biggest Samsung front-load and top-load washer deals out there right now.
Top products in this article:
2.2 cu. ft. Compact Front Load Washer with Super Speed in White, $799 (reduced from $1,099)
Why a front-load washer is right for you: You need to maximize your space.
Arguably, the No. 1 reason that someone – maybe even you – selects a front-load washer over a top-load washer is logistics: You've got a tight space; you've got to stack your washer and dryer; you've got no reasonable option but a front-load machine.
Samsung's 2.2 cubic-foot capacity front-load washer with Super Speed is built for cramped quarters.
The 23.6-inch-wide compact machine can be stacked with a dryer, or paired with one side by side. Like all Samsung washers, the model is Energy Star certified for energy efficiency. (And, yup, in general, front-load washers are greener than top-load washers in that they use less water and electricity.) In Super Speed mode, the Samsung can cut the wash time for a full load of laundry from nearly an hour to 40 minutes.
The machine uses something called Vibration Reduction Technology+ to produce a quieter wash cycle. (Front-load washers tend to clang and make more noise than a top-loader.)
Right now, you can save $300 on the white Samsung 2.2 cubic-foot capacity front-load washer with Super Speed; it's marked down from $1,099 to $799. Its matching dryer, Samsung's white 4.0 cubic-foot capacity dryer with Sensor Dry, is also on sale for $799 (reduced from $1,099). (For more leads on combo deals, read our guide to Samsung sales on washer-dryer sets.)
Now, you don't have to buy a compact machine in order to build a stackable washer-dryer combo. Case in point: Samsung's 5.0 cubic-foot, extra-large capacity Smart Dial front-load washer with OptiWash.
This 27-inch-wide, 33.5-inch-deep machine makes quite the impression. But it's just as stackable as a smaller front-wash washer. If you prefer, and if you have the space, then, of course, it can also be used side by side with a dryer.
You can preload the washer with enough laundry soap and softener for 20 loads. During a wash, the OptiWash feature will sense how much dirt the machine's dealing with, and adjust everything from detergent levels to wash times accordingly. The machine's Super Speed mode will wash a load of laundry in less than 30 minutes. Download the Samsung SmartThings app to get wash-cycle updates from the Wi-Fi-enabled machine. The washer also boasts Samsung's Vibration Reduction Technology+.
At last look, you can save $550 on the 5.0 cubic-foot, extra-large capacity Smart Dial front-load washer with OptiWash in brushed black; the machine is on sale for $1,049, down from $1,599. Pair it with Samsung's 7.5 cubic-foot capacity Smart Dial electric dryer with Super Speed Dry in brushed black. It's also marked down $550 – from $1.599, to $1,049. When the units stacked, a multi-control feature allows you to operate the dryer from the washer's control panel – no reaching up to the top of the dryer required.
2.2 cu. ft. Compact Front Load Washer with Super Speed in White, $799 (reduced from $1,099)
4.0 cu. ft. Capacity Electric Dryer with Sensor Dry in White, $799 (reduced from $1,099)
Why a top-load washer is right for you: You need to maximize your budget.
Top-load washers tend to be less expensive than front-load washers. While even a significantly discounted, extra-large capacity Samsung washer will run you more than $1,000, an even-larger, top-rated, top-load Samsung washer may come in for three figures (or, at least, it may when it's on sale). Prime example: Samsung's 5.5 cubic-foot, extra-large capacity, top-load smart impeller washer with Auto Dispense in brushed black.
This Wi-Fi enabled, 27.5-inch wide machine, with 12 preset wash cycles, a Super Speed wash mode and a soft-closing lid that doesn't clang shut, is currently on sale at Samsung for $899 – a savings of $400 off the $1,299 list price.
Why a front-load washer is right for you: You want a washer that's really easy on your clothes.
Top-load washers do a perfectly good job of laundering your clothes, and helping you look presentable. But it's generally held that front-load washers do the job better. This is because the swishing, swaying wash cycle in a front-load machine moves clothes around more gently than a top-load washer – especially if the top-load washer is an agitator washer. An agitator is the spindle-like thing found in the center of some washing-machine tubs; you may know it as the twisty thing that draws in, and tangles up, stray threads and bra straps mid-wash. One alternative to an agitator top-load washer is a spindle-free, impeller washer, like the one we just covered. (Samsung makes both agitator and impeller top-load washers, so both have their fans.)
But if "no snags ever" is your motto in the laundry room, then you should check out Samsung's 4.5 cubic-foot, large-capacity front-load washer with Vibration Reduction Technology+.
The washer, which comes in white, features a swirling drum pattern for a gentle, no-hassle wash. The front-load machine is currently on sale at Samsung for $854, down from the $949 list price. It's stackable with the matching 7.5 cubic-foot capacity electric dryer with Sensor Dry, also on sale for $854.
7.5 cu. ft. Electric Dryer with Sensor Dry in White, $854 (reduced from $949)
Why a top-load washer is right for you: You want a washer that's really easy on you.
A top-load washer is easier to keep clean than a front-load washer. If you've only ever had a top-load washer, in fact, you may not even know that you're supposed to clean a washing machine, outside of, say, dusting the lid. But you can't get by with such naivete with a front-load washer. Instead, you need to be on guard for the mold that may develop because the water just doesn't disperse as thoroughly as it would in a top-down, top-load washer. (For what it's worth, the Samsung front-load washers covered here remind you when it's time for a cleaning. Some of the brand's top-loaders do that, too.)
Another thing that generally makes a top-load washer easier on you than a front-load one is that you get to plop your clothes into the washer, as opposed to having to lean over, and shovel your clothes into one. And because top-load washers can't be stacked, there's no chance you'll have to reach for sky-high dryer controls. If you think of these as minor points, then congrats to you and your non-aching back.
For those who want to avoid a date with a massage-therapy gun, Samsung's 5.0 cubic-foot capacity top-load washer with Active WaterJet is one to watch.
The champagne-colored machine has a shallow wash tub that lessens the chore (and strain to your back) of retrieving washed laundry. And if you're hearing or visually impaired, then the machine offers audio assistance and a braille-outfitted control panel. (The 5.5 cubic-foot Samsung top-load machine we covered earlier also has such accessibility features.)
Elsewhere, the top-loader's Deep Fill feature adds water throughout a wash to ensure everything gets and stays wet, while the Active WaterJet gives you a stream that allows for spot cleaning and stain prep right at the machine (as opposed to at the nearby, or not-so nearby, sink). The washer also features a soft-closing lid.
The machine uses neither an agitator nor an impeller, but rather something Samsung calls Swirl+, which basically looks like a swirl-pattern drum. And because all washing machines really should be occasionally cleaned, this one gives you a heads-up after 20 washes that it's time for a refresh.
You can save more than $100 on the Samsung's 5.0 cubic-foot capacity, top-load washer with Active WaterJet; it's on sale for $944, down from the $1,049 list price.
5.0 cu. ft. Top Load Washer with Active WaterJet in Champagne, $944 (reduced from $1,049)
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