9 Best Top

Dec 20, 2023

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Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.

The GE Profile PTW900BPTRS is designed to handle a lot of laundry with a huge 5.4-cubic-foot drum and built-in detergent reservoirs. Read More

The Whirlpool WTW8127LC is a one-shop stop for all your laundry needs. You can scrub stains, soak them, and even hand wash them all from this machine. Read More

With a 5.5 cu. ft. capacity and an Allergiene cycle, the LG WT7900HBA is great for those with families and pets alike. Read More

This Samsung top-load washer comes with a built-in faucet, great for pretreating hard-to-wash stains. Read More

The Maytag MVW7232HW offers a massive 5.3-cu.-ft. drum and above-average cleaning. Read More

Updated May 8, 2023

While front-load washers are the popular choice when it comes to laundry appliances—for good reason—many people prefer top-loading machines. Not only are the controls typically more straightforward, you also don't need to stoop down in order to load it. Another consideration is cost: top-loaders often cost less than front-loaders.

If you're interested in a top-load washing machine for your laundry room, you've come to the right place. We've compiled a list of the best top-load washers available today.

The GE Profile PTW900BPTRS (available at Best Buy for $899.99) earns our Best Overall for its plethora of features and great stain removal.

With a 5.4-cu.-ft. stainless steel drum, the GE Profile PTW900BPTRS has all the right features to please both traditionalists and new-school laundry doers.

If you like to micromanage how your clothes get washed, the PTW900BPTRS has eight cycles, five water temperatures, soil and spin settings, and three rinse levels. However, if you want to set it and forget it, this GE washer still has you covered. Its auto dispenser works for up to 32 washes, the smart wash soil sensor will adjust cycle times based on how dirty your laundry is, and built-in Alexa helps select which cycle to use.

We awarded the GE Profile PTW900BPTRS with the best top-loader title specifically because the Normal and Delicates cycle impressed us with how much of our testing stains were removed.

Read our review of the GE Profile PTW900BPTRS top-load washing machine.

Good cleaning power

Antimicrobial coating, steam, detergent reservoir

Large wash drum

Loud at times

Alexa integration seems buggy for some users

The Whirlpool WTW8127LC features an industry first: a removable agitator pole, so owners of this washer have two options for washing their clothes. It's interesting that our best top-Load washer with agitator is the one where said agitator is removable, but this flexibility is precisely what allows the WTW8127LC to offer such incredible wash quality.

Not only did the WTW8127LC do a great job scrubbing out our test stains, removing the agitator and using the built-in impeller also did a good job—and it was more gentle overall.

We also love Whirlpool's "What to Wash / How to Wash" system, which replaces the traditional cycle selection dial and can help take the guesswork out of what a wash cycle does.

Read our review of the Whirlpool WTW8127LC.

Good cleaning

Built-in faucet

Removable agitator

Expensive

If you want a workhouse that can deal with big loads and different laundry situations, you’ll want to take a look at the LG WT7900HBA top-loading washer.

It has a lot of appealing features, including a large 5.5-cubic-foot capacity that's great for bulky items like a king size comforter. There's also an Allergiene cycle (which claims to remove pet dander and dust mites), and seven steam cycles (including Normal, Allergiene, and Sanitary).

Additionally, the cycle times are nice and short. The Normal and Speed Wash cycles both clock in at 30 minutes long. If you have some serious stains to remove, though, we recommend the Heavy Duty cycle, which performed the best in our stain removal tests, and takes less than two hours to run.

While this washer isn't as efficient as some LG front-load washers we’ve tested, it's a great option. If you like top-load washers and want a larger tub capacity, fast cycle times, and steam cycles, the LG WT7900HBA might be a good fit for you.

Read our review of the LG WT7900HBA.

Steam cycles

Allergiene cycle

5.5 cu. ft. capacity

None that we could find

Beautiful and functional, the Samsung WA50R5400AV top-load washer has some really nice features that belie its affordable price tag. Who wouldn't want a built-in faucet for pretreating stains, a soft-close top, or a fingerprint-resistant black stainless steel finish?

During testing, the Heavy Duty cycle had the strongest stain removal performance, with the Normal cycle a close second. While a 55-minute-long Normal cycle may be long, this washer also has a Super Speed option that can shorten your Normal cycle time to as little as 36 minutes for a quick wash. If you want a washer with a luxury feel at a non-luxury price, check out the Samsung WA50R5400AV.

Read our review of the Samsung WA50R5400AV.

Built-in faucet

Easy to use controls

Clothes remain very wet after a cycle

The Maytag MVW7232HW top-load washer is a great mix of new features, like WiFi connectivity, and old-school functionality. With a 5.3 cu. ft. capacity and Extra Power stain removal booster, this washer can handle large loads without losing cleaning efficiency. If you like to control the water level of your wash, the Deep Fill option allows you to add varying amounts of extra water to your wash cycle.

In terms of stain removal, this washer has some of the best-performing Normal and Heavy Duty cycles that have ever come through our labs. Even better, we found that this washer is gentle on your clothes. While the cycle times are longer than some other washers we’ve seen (the Normal cycle clocks in at ~40 minutes), the cleaning power you get with the Maytag MVW7232HW is worth the trade-off.

Read our review of the Maytag MVW7232HW.

Massive drum

Deep fill option

Good cleaning

Slow cycles

A bit noisy

The Whirlpool WTW7120HC is a solid washer with decent cleaning power. Its built-in faucet and pretreating brush are excellent features that make it easier to take care of your clothes. The spin cycle also wrings out a lot of water, saving your dryer a lot of extra work and increasing its energy efficiency.

Its "How to wash/What to wash" selection dial yields a total of 36 wash settings for various laundry needs. On the downside, the WTW7120HC is currently very expensive to purchase, and its smart features require a paid subscription to access beyond the first six months. Also the Delicates cycle didn't perform well in testing, showing it to be 10% rougher on clothes than the Normal cycle.

Read our review of the Whirlpool WTW7120HC.

Decent cleaning

Good spin cycle

Integrated faucet, pretreating brush

Delicates cycle isn't very gentle

The GE GTW840CSNWS is a prime example of why top-loading machines remain serious contenders: It offers a gigantic, 5.2-cubic-foot wash drum, a built-in faucet for pretreating stains and an automatic detergent dispenser.

If most of your laundry winds up in the Normal cycle, you’ll be pleased to hear this is where the GTW840CSNWS excels. During testing the machine was able to scrub out nearly 74% of test stains; an average top-loader gets out roughly 69% of test stains.

The automatic detergent dispenser holds up to 75 ounces of detergent, so you won't need to add detergent for each wash or guess how much detergent each load may need. We also liked the built-in faucet which makes pre-treating stains more convenient and helps save water.

The companion app, offered via GE's SmartHQ platform, can start wash cycles remotely, integrate with smart assistants, send notifications when cycles are complete and set up more complex commands via IFTTT.

However, the GTW840CSNWS was frequently unbalanced during test washes, causing us to have to manually redistribute the laundry to ensure the cycle could finish properly. And during the Delicates cycle, the machine showed water retention rates of almost 176% – meaning the laundry was almost double its dry weight and dripping wet.

Read our review of the GE GTW840CSNWS.

Auto detergent dispenser

Large drum

Smart capabilities

Balancing issues

Weak spin on delicates cycle

The Maytag MVW7230HW offers some decent performance for a traditional top-loader. In our tests, we found it performed about as well as the average washer. It also includes some nice extras like a built-in faucet, and an impressive, decade-long warranty. We liked the slow-close glass lid, and the pull out detergent dispenser which is easy to use and access, however the Quick and Heavy Duty cycles left in about 7-12% more water than average.

Read our review of the Maytag MVW7230HW.

Built-in faucet

10-year warranty

Expensive

Low cleaning power for its price

Tough on clothes

If you're a pet owner looking for a top-load washer, the Maytag MVW6500MBK is a good pick.

In addition to solid stain-fighting power, the real draw is its trademark Pet Pro system, which excels at removing pet hair from laundry. A filter inside the machine's pole agitator collects pet hair during a wash, which can be easily emptied after the cycle.

In our testing, we found this washer was able to remove the majority of shedding from a blanket used exclusively by a Bernese Mountain Dog (and brightened it up quite a bit as well).

This washer also has some nice extras to round out its offerings, including a built-in faucet and a slow-close lid to prevent slams.

Read our review of the Maytag MVW6500MBK.

Catches a lot of pet hair

Decent cleaning power

Slow-close lid and built-in faucet

Delicates cycle is rough

Spin cycle doesn't get out much water

Hi there! We're Reviewed's former and present appliance testing team.

We have plenty of experience testing washing machines in the lab, but we've also used them like normal people would in the course of daily life. This means that we have a great sense for what appliances are bargains at their price points. We also know which appliances have genuinely useful extra features (as opposed to the kitchen-sink approach).

With all this in mind, you can feel confident that when we recommend a product, we're giving it our Reviewed stamp of approval. That means two things: firstly, this appliance performs well. Secondly, this appliance is easy to use. We're always reviewing new products, so stay tuned for our reviews and roundups of the latest products in laundry, refrigerators, dishwashers, and vacuum cleaners.

Using special material strips, we test both a washing machine's stain-fighting power and how tough it will be on fabric during a given cycle.

Every washing machine that comes into Reviewed's labs gets put through the same testing regime, which addresses both performance and user-friendliness. Performance tests include:

Stain removal – Using a strip of AHAM-approved stains (which includes cocoa, sweat, pig's blood, red wine, and oil), how much of each stain can this washing machine remove?

Wear and tear – During a given cycle, how hard is the mechanical action of the washing machine on your clothes?

Water retention – How much water does your washing machine spin out at the end of the cycle?

Cycle time – How long is each washing machine cycle?

The best washing machines have solid stain removal abilities, do not damage your clothes, retain little water, and have short cycle times.

Beyond these performance tests, we also assess the usability of each washing machine. This is based on our experience, both during testing and during more casual use. (One perk of working at Reviewed is that there are plenty of laundry machines on the premises!).

Our main goal is to answer one question: How easy is it to actually use this washing machine? This involves cumulatively assessing the control panel, the door, the detergent dispenser, and any smart features that are included.

By combining the performance data with our own observations, we can make solid recommendations for any type of washing machine, at any price point.

You've probably heard people bragging about their beautiful front-load washing machines (and rightfully so). So, why would you want to buy a top-loader? As it turns out, there are plenty of reasons to buy a top-loader, but the three most important reasons are ease of use, extra water options, and ergonomics.

While the distinction between top-load and front-load washers might seem minor, they differ significantly in terms of their design and user experience. With front-load washers, the wash drum is oriented horizontally: you put your dirty laundry in through a door on the front of the machine. Front-loaders can leverage gravity as they run, allowing them to keep your laundry tumbling to agitate it.

With top-loader washing machines, the wash drum is oriented vertically. You lift up a door on the top of the machine to drop your laundry in from above. Top-loaders use their rotation to rub your laundry items against each other to scrub out stains.

Front-load washers have overtaken top-loading washing machines in the laundry popularity contest, although some shoppers prefer to stick with what they know—top-loading washing machines with pole agitators (the big spiral column in the middle).

The sentiment isn't misplaced. Most top-load agitator washing machines have gotten a tech-induced face-lift, and will look different than the one in your mom's basement. But even so, if you're already familiar with the layout and logic of these machines, it can make your laundry life easier.

On top of that, you can easily throw laundry into a top-load washer after a cycle has started. This is a much more difficult task for a front-load washer, which has to pause the cycle so that water doesn't spill out when you open the door.

Top-loaders may be easier for some people to use, because they let you drop your laundry into the washer from a standing position. Front-loading washing machines make you crouch down to get your clothes in and out. (Or, they require you to stack your front-loader for easier access while standing.)

In general, most top-load washing machines are less complicated than front-loaders, which often come with control pads that look like they belong on a spaceship. If you just want to hit a few buttons and get your laundry going, you're probably better off with a top-loader.

Top-loaders don't generally score as well in the efficiency department as their front-loading counterparts when it comes to water and energy usage. But some people like having the option to increase the water level for really dirty loads of laundry.

It's worth noting this doesn't necessarily mean your clothes get any cleaner. But it's a popular enough feature that a number of brands have added options like Deep Fill so that users can easily add more water to a wash cycle.

Just because a washing machine cleans clothes, doesn't mean it can clean itself. Stuff builds up inside the washer drum, from bacteria and mildew to scummy detergent and softener residue. No one wants to wash stinky clothes in a machine that stinks worse.

Cleaning a top-load washer is different than cleaning a front-load washer, because of its drum orientation. Front-loaders have a problem area around the gasket, where mold, bacteria, and odors can build up, and they also have a filter that needs to be cleaned every few months. Top-loaders on the other hand, don't have these problems, because of the orientation of the top door and vertical drum.

Use vinegar or bleach (don't mix them) to clean your top-loading washing machine—both work well, and vinegar also does a killer job at killing smells. Run the washer through its hottest wash cycle using one of those ingredients; then do it again with baking soda. In addition, you'll want to unclog and clean the washer's drain, and, if your top-loader has an agitator pole, remove any hair or strings that may have gotten twisted around it.

Mark Brezinski

Senior Writer

Mark Brezinski works on the Home Team, reviewing refrigerators, minifridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, and fans.

Jonathan Chan

Senior Manager of Lab Operations

Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.

David Ellerby

Chief Scientist

Dave Ellerby is Reviewed's Chief Scientist and has a Ph.D. from the University of Leeds and a B.Sc. from the University of Manchester. He has over 25 years of experience designing tests and analyzing data.

Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.