Which washer holds the most, for the least water?
We hold federal certification data for 390 washers. We hold measured width and depth for 390 of them, so measure your opening first and read only the class that fits. Each size and configuration class is ranked separately, on drum capacity, then certified water factor (IWF) — comparing a compact unit to a full-size one would flatter the small one and tell you nothing. The median costs $20.71 a year to run, and running cost is shown for every model. We do not sort on it: within a class it separates washers by too little to be a ranking. We publish no star ratings and no opinion scores, so this is not a list of "best" washers.
Before you buy anything
Electricity is the smaller half of what a washer costs you. The certified water figures we hold — gallons per cycle, and the integrated water factor — are the numbers worth comparing, and almost nobody publishes them next to the price.
If yours has just broken, work out whether it is worth fixing first — what fails on a washer and what the part costs. Most of what goes wrong is cheap.
Cheapest washers to run, certified
Ranked on each machine's own DOE or ENERGY STAR test result at the US average electricity rate, not a manufacturer claim. Only models the registry still lists as current are ranked, and a price is only shown where the listing is in stock today.
We earn a commission on Amazon purchases made through these links. It never changes the ranking — the table below is ordered on certified data, not on what we can sell.
| Model | Per year | kWh | Configuration | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front · Under 4.5 Cu Ft — 105 models certified | ||||
| Electrolux ELTE7300*** - ENERGY STAR | $9.41 | 50 | front · 4.4 cu ft | $1699.00 2026-07-19 |
| Electrolux ELFW7337*** ENERGY STAR | $9.41 | 50 | front · 4.4 cu ft | |
| Electrolux ELFW7626*** ENERGY STAR | $16.01 | 85 | front · 4.4 cu ft | |
| Front · 4.5-5 Cu Ft — 100 models certified | ||||
| GE GFW550S*N*** ENERGY STAR | $29.75 | 158 | front · 4.8 cu ft | |
| GE GFW550S*R*** ENERGY STAR | $29.75 | 158 | front · 4.8 cu ft | |
| GE GFW650S*N*** ENERGY STAR | $29.75 | 158 | front · 4.8 cu ft | |
| Top · 5 Cu Ft And Up — 84 models certified | ||||
| Maytag MVWB965H** ENERGY STAR | $58.56 | 311 | top · 6.0 cu ft | |
| LG WT7700H*A ENERGY STAR | $28.25 | 150 | top · 5.7 cu ft | |
| LG WT7710H*A ENERGY STAR | $28.25 | 150 | top · 5.7 cu ft | |
| Front · 5 Cu Ft And Up — 54 models certified | ||||
| LG SIGNATURE WM9700H*A ENERGY STAR | $20.34 | 108 | front · 5.8 cu ft | |
| LG SIGNATURE WM9900H*A ENERGY STAR | $20.34 | 108 | front · 5.8 cu ft | |
| LG SIGNATURE WM9901H*A ENERGY STAR | $20.34 | 108 | front · 5.8 cu ft | |
Swipe the table sideways for the price →
Cheapest to run of the ones we can price today
A smaller list, and a different one: these are the models we can currently match to a live listing. It is a subset of availability, not a better ranking — the table above is not sorted to favour anything we earn from.
| Model | Per year | Configuration | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrolux ELTE7300*** - | $9.41 | front · 4.4 cu ft | $1699.00 2026-07-19 |
| Koolmore FLW-3CWH | $14.12 | front · 2.7 cu ft | $1101.40 2026-07-19 |
| Electrolux ELFW7637*** | $16.01 | front · 4.5 cu ft | $899.00 2026-07-19 |
| Electrolux ELTE7600*** - | $16.01 | front · 4.5 cu ft | $1999.00 2026-07-19 |
| Electrolux ELTG7600*** | $16.01 | front · 4.5 cu ft | $1899.00 2026-07-19 |
| Samsung WF45T60**A* | $16.95 | front · 4.5 cu ft | $729.00 2026-07-19 |
| Samsung WW25B69**A* | $16.95 | front · 2.5 cu ft | $989.00 2026-07-19 |
| Samsung WH46DBH1**E* | $17.70 | front · 4.6 cu ft | $1899.00 2026-07-19 |
Swipe the table sideways for the price →
We can price 38 of these washers against a live listing that is currently in stock; the rest we hold certification data for but cannot currently link to a seller. Prices shown were retrieved on the date beside them and change without notice.
Tools for what you actually need
Enter the model that died. We match on configuration and size, and show what the replacement would save you a year — often nothing, which is worth knowing before you spend.
Certified consumption at your own state's electricity rate, not the national average on the yellow sticker.
Documented failures, the part that fits, and whether the repair is cheaper than the energy a new one would save.