When you live in an apartment, you need to be smart about the types of appliances you choose for your home so that they don’t take up too much space or get in the way.
One of the best things you can do is choose combination appliances, such as a compact washer and dryer in one.
What’s the best compact washer and dryer?
These types of models offer many benefits while saving space.
By far, the best rated one to buy is the hOme Labs compact laundry dryer that’s an Amazon bestseller. But there are other models to choose from.
When shopping for the best apartment size washer and dryer, it’s important to look at various factors so you make the right choice. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the best combo models and why they’re essential for your small living space.
Washing Machine and Dryer Reviews & Recommendations For 2019
Best Overall: hOme Labs Compact Laundry Dryer
This electric clothes dryer is a front-load model. It’s five-star rated on Amazon and it’s no surprise why. It’s got a lot of room inside it for your washing requirements, with 2.6 cubic feet of space, and it can dry up to nine pounds of clothing.
It’s 17.91 inches in width with a height of 27.16 inches, making it easy to slot into tiny spaces in your apartment. It’s even suitable for use in townhouses and even your RV!
Benefits
- It’s durable to last you for many years, thanks to its quality stainless steel tub that is scratch-resistant.
- It’s got mechanical controls that enable you to customize your settings when doing laundry very easily. These include a “cool down” feature to cool down your clothing, along with a “heat dry” feature that dries your clothing with continuous heat.
- It dries clothing quickly, which also saves you energy, and is perfect when you need to do a load of laundry in a hurry. With 1400 watts of drying power to its name, this unit ensures that your clothes will dry faster than many other models on the market.
Drawbacks
- This model doesn’t wash your clothes, but it’s such a good dryer that it’s definitely worth having, especially if you like to hand-wash your clothing. Just pop clothing items into the dryer when you’re done and your clothes will come out dry and not be wrinkled, which is a bonus because you won’t have to iron them.
Extra features
- This model is energy-efficient, but it not only saves you energy and money – it also ensures that you don’t waste time cleaning it. The hOme Labs Compact Laundry Dryer has a lint filter that’s easy to clean so you don’t have to worry about dirt accumulation.
- This dryer has handles on the side so that you can move it around your apartment easily.
Buying advice
The hOme Labs compact laundry dryer sells for about $250.
If you’re just looking for a great dryer that’s small and easy to use, then this one is perfect for you.
Best Compact Washer And Dryer: Best Combo For Your Apartment: Giantex Full-Automatic Washing Machine
This is the best compact washing machine that has 1.6 cubic feet of space inside it.
It’s 19.8 inches in width and 33.6 inches in height, with a spinning capacity of 10 pounds of washing, thanks to its honeycomb shaped tub.
This means that you can get a lot of laundry done in one load while using this in various small living spaces.
Benefits
- This washing machine uses laundry detergent, but thanks to its eco-friendly design it results you in using less detergent and water.
- It’s got a transparent lid so that you can easily see how it’s washing your clothing.
- It has bottom feet that can be adjusted.
Drawbacks
- The connector hose that comes with the washing machine has been said to be a bit too short, which might be problematic and require you to purchase extra parts so that you can use the machine in a more comfortable and practical way.
- This machine has no special compartment for detergent so you might have to add dissolved washing powder or liquid detergent to your load after you’ve filled the tub with water for what you need to wash. That said, the machine does have a compartment for fabric softener, and that’s a nice touch.
Extra features
- The control panel on this machine offers 10 washing programs and 8 water level choices, including a nifty child-lock feature. If this feature is activated, buttons on the machine will be locked and an alarm will sound if its top lid is opened.
- If your washing hasn’t been put in properly, this can cause vibration to occur in washing machines. As you’ve probably experienced, this can be noisy. However, this Giantex washing machine solves that issue because it has an imbalance adjustment function that detects errors.
Buying advice
The Giantex Full-Automatic Washing Machine costs about $210, but it’s worth it because of all its special features and perks that make doing laundry easier.
It’s definitely the best compact washer dryer combo!
Alternative 1: Best Choice Products Portable Mini Twin Tub Compact Washing Machine w/Spin Dry Cycle
This is a mini washing machine that doubles up as a dryer, so you get two separate functions in one.
Although it looks quite large, it’s actually got a width of 13.5 inches and a height of 28.8 inches, yet it can wash up to 12 pounds of clothing.
Benefits
- The Best Choice compact washing machine is really to install and set up in your home. This is thanks to its drain hose and water inlet hose that are included, as well as its light design that makes it easy to move from one spot in the apartment to another. It only weighs 28 pounds.
- This machine spins water out of clothing very efficiently, and light clothing items only take about two hours to dry.
Drawbacks
- With a capacity of approximately six to eight pounds, the dryer is clearly smaller than the washing compartment (this can even be seen in pictures of the model). Other small washer and dryer sets might be more suitable if you need to dry more laundry.
Extra features
- The bright blue transparent lids of the compact washing machine provide a nice burst of color and make the model look stylish, especially when set against its white body.
Buying advice
This model costs $114.99 on Amazon and although it could do with a larger dryer, it is a solid product that fits into tight places –it’s a great compact stackable washer dryer.
It also challenges stand-alone machines that are on the market.
Alternative 2: Giantex Portable Compact Full-Automatic Laundry
This sleek and stylish model gives you the chance to wash up to eight pounds of clothing in one load.
Best of all, it’s really easy to store in your home as it has a width of 16.9 inches and height of 29.5 inches.
What’s really great about this machine is that it washes and dries your clothes in just one tub, which really does make the most of your living space. It’s the ultimate small stackable washer dryer!
Benefits
- It’s really easy to use. Simply put in a load of clothes that you want to wash, then choose if you want to wash or dry them. This Giantex model has three different water levels to choose from, which is a nice feature that makes it easy to tailor the washing to your current load, and this also saves you both energy and water.
- It has five different washing programs to choose from, meaning that once you’ve set it to do a cycle, you don’t have to keep checking up on your clothing. You can use the time to do other things while the washing machine cleans your laundry.
- It’s completely automatic, with a built-in drain aluminum pump as well as a drainage tube. These enable you to drain out dirty water without any fuss.
- It uses very little detergent because of how efficient and economic it is, and this is the case even for larger, dirtier loads of washing.
Drawbacks
- It is suitable for light to medium loads, so don’t try to pack it too much as this can damage the machine.
- The lid doesn’t latch onto the machine. Instead, it has a flipping mechanism that can rattle a bit during a spin cycle.
Extra features
- This washing machine comes with a pause feature so you can adjust the load of washing in the middle of a cycle if necessary, which is a nice touch.
- It has an efficient spin-drying feature, which takes almost all the water out of clothing.
Buying advice
The Giantex Full-Automatic Washing Machine costs about $300, but it’s worth it.
Due to how it works well and saves you time, energy, and even detergent, it can be considered the best compact washer and dryer.
Best Value For Money: Giantex Portable Mini Compact Twin Tub Washing Machine
This is another model by Giantex, and it’s a bit different.
It’s an apartment size washer and dryer that features a washing machine and dryer in two separate compartments, while still being conscious of not wasting your living space.
It can wash up to 11 pounds of clothing and dries clothing of up to 6 pounds. With a width of 27 inches and a height of 16 inches, it’s surprisingly small even though it’s a twin tub model.
Benefits
- Although it’s suitable for washing small loads, it’s safe and gentle enough for washing delicate items.
- It’s eco-friendly, using less water and energy, and it also doesn’t require lots of detergent to properly clean your clothes.
- Once you’ve washed your clothes and wrung them, simply pop them into the dryer and they’ll almost be completely dried within five minutes, saving you time.
- Best of all, you can use the washer and dryer simultaneously without a hassle, which is great if you have a lot of clothing to wash and others to dry on a busy laundry day.
Drawbacks
- This model makes use of a gravity drain, so it has to be elevated off the floor or surface where it has been set up and needs to be located close to a drain outlet. This might not be suitable for your living conditions.
Extra features
- There’s a filter net that’s located on the side of the washing machine tub. This collects and stores dirt from your clothing during the washing cycle. It’s really easy to snap it off when you want to clean it, without any hassle.
Buying advice
You can purchase this Giantex model for about $120, which is really value for money considering all the features that it offers.
Compact Washer And Dryer FAQ
Have you ever wondered just how small a washing machine and dryer can be?
Well, the smallest reported model is just 24 inches wide and has a capacity of 2.2 cubic feet. To understand just how small this is, a full-size washer is 27 inches wide, as Sher She Goes reports.
Are ventless dryers good?
If you’ve ever wondered about ventless dryers and how effective they are, it’s worth first exploring the difference between ventless and vented dryers.
A vented dryer uses electric heating or gas combustion to heat up the air inside it to dry your clothes. This warm air enters the dryer’s tumbler and then dries clothes before being released out of an exterior vent.
On the other hand, a ventless dryer doesn’t have a vent that releases the air. The air inside gets recycled. A condenser dryer pulls the air back into the condenser where it is cooled and then reheated, thus making use of the same air. The water that collects from drying the clothing has to drain through a tube or into a container, as Green Garage Blog explains.
Since they don’t require a vent, this makes ventless dryers much easier to deal with, especially in the case of someone who wants to put their dryer in a room in their apartment or dorm room that doesn’t have exterior venting.
Ventless dryers have many benefits. These include that they’re easy to install and maintain. They’re also gentler on your clothing. However, they do tend to be a bit more expensive to purchase than vented models.
Another downside of ventless dryers is that it takes a bit longer for them to dry your clothes when compared to vented dryers. This is due to how ventless dryers tend to work on a low-heat setting.
What brand is best for washer and dryer?
While there are many different brands of washer and dryer combos out there, some of the best are said to be Kenmore for its large capacity and Samsung for its smart features that include a “super speed” setting, according to CNET.
That said, hOme Labs is popular and was named one of 2019’s Best Compact Laundry Sets, while Giantex (which is featured a few times in this article’s buying guide) is also considered to be one of the best brands.
Its Portable Compact Full-Automatic Laundry model was featured in New York Mag and said to be the best portable washing machine for small living spaces.
Are combo washer-dryers good?
If you’re in the market for a new washer and dryer, you might wonder if combo models, or apartment stackable washer and dryer combos, are worth it. This is a complicated question that requires a deeper look.
While there are some good washer-dryer combos out there, it’s important to bear in mind some important things when opting for one of these appliances.
They are convenient to use, but that doesn’t mean they’re all going to be perfect. Here are some pros and cons to consider.
| Pros of combo washer-dryers | Cons of combo washer-dryers |
|---|---|
| Washer-dryer combo machines are just as efficient as traditional stand-alone appliances, and can be much eco-friendlier. This saves resources like energy and water. | Generally, the dryer function of combo washer-dryers tends to dry half the amount of clothing you are allowed to wash, which can be a bit frustrating. However, these models are perfect for people who like to air-dry their clothing on the washing line or who just want the dryer as an emergency back-up plan. |
| You can use the washing or drying function independently if you need to, which is convenient. | If you’re washing and drying in one cycle, it can take quite long for the appliance to finish its job - sometimes up to six hours! So, it’s always worth it to find out about a specific unit’s washing and drying times. |
| They can fit into smaller spaces in your apartment, without much hassle. Many models can also be moved around because they’re so light. This is great if you move around a lot or live in an RV. | It’s important to always check what connections the unit needs, such as a connector hose and if this is included in the price so that you won’t have any obstacles to overcome before being able to switch it on and start doing laundry. |
Can you have a washer and dryer without hookups?
It’s not always easy to get away without hookups when using washer-dryer combos. You might need to use accessories such as a Y-connector to connect the washer-dryer unit to the sink in your kitchen or bathroom.
The great thing about this is that it makes the unit completely portable and you can use it wherever you go without worrying about complicated water connections. This is important because it’s not always easy to get the right water connections, depending on where you live.
As pointed out by Architectural Digest, many buildings don’t allow washing machines because of their outdated water pipes. This isn’t just a problem with washer-dryer combos, however, but washing machines in general!
If this isn’t a problem for you, you have to consider that hooking up the washer or dryer to the water connection means that you need to be close to a kitchen or bathroom so that you can simply connect to the plumbing system that’s already in place.
This isn’t always easy or practical.
The great thing about portable washer-dryer combos is that they’re light to carry.
Many of them even come with handles on the side to make transporting them around even easier. But do you need hookups for these models?
Yes, but it’s a little bit different from the conventional way of connecting your washer-dryer to the water system.
Here’s how it works. You’ll have to hook your hose up to a faucet in the kitchen or bathroom, or a different hose that will drain water into the bathtub, as Apartment Guide reports.
Now, it’s worth remembering that different washer-dryer models will have different specifications and instructions, which is why it’s always a must to read the appliance’s manual.
In spite of how your portable washer-dryer will still need some sort of hookup, there’s no doubt that it’s portability definitely makes up for it because you can use it in a variety of places.
Conclusion
Buying a compact washer and dryer might feel a bit tricky because there are so many different models and types out there, but this buying guide will hopefully help to clear things up so you can choose the best compact model for your specific needs.
Ultimately, some of the most important things to look for in a washer-dryer combo include how easy it is to install and use, as well as how well it will save space in your apartment.
It’s easy to think that washing machines and dryers are going to be big and bulky, taking up a lot of space in your home and possibly even being an eyesore, but this is clearly not the case anymore.
Thanks to how brands have made their washers and dryers much lighter and sleeker, you can definitely find a machine that’s strong enough to wash a decent load without taking up a lot of space.
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