The 6 Best Compact Washers and Dryers of 2025

For our most recent round of testing, we assessed six pairs of 24-inch (or European-style) front-loading compact washers and their matching ventless dryers. We limited our recommendations to matching pairs, since these machines are easier to stack and often work better as a set.

Based on our testing of full-size washers and dryers, we’re able to draw some conclusions regarding the washing and drying performance of compact machines. Compacts present a few more limitations, particularly if the dryers are ventless, which will extend drying time. However, overall we expect a brand's compact washers and dryers will perform similarly to their full-size counterparts.

Here’s how we evaluated them:

Cleaning performance: We paid attention to stain and odor removal, how gently the machines handled fabric, and how loud they were while running. We also washed a variety of load sizes (from 4 pounds to 16 pounds) with a range of laundry, including duvets, sheets, towels, and a mixture of clothing that a typical household might go through to get a sense of the machines’ usability and capacity.

Spin speed: The washer’s spin speed impacts how quickly and fully your clothes will dry. A faster spin wrings out more water, leaving less work for the dryer to do. This is especially important with ventless dryers, since they dry items more slowly and less efficiently than traditional vented models. We looked for compact washers with a minimum spin speed of 1,200 rpm. (The higher the number, the drier the clothes.) We weighed loads before and after each test wash to gauge the power of each machine’s spin cycle.

Capacity: The models we recommend easily held 16-pound loads in our tests, but they operated best with loads of about 10 pounds. This is fairly small (family-size loads are typically in the 12- to 16-pound range), but a larger load will take much longer to dry. One of our washing-machine picks can handle loads as heavy as 20 pounds, but expect a long dry time.

An accelerated wash cycle: That is, an option to run a “normal” cleaning cycle in about 40 minutes or less. (This type of cycle is typically less water and energy efficient.) The “normal” cycle of a compact front-loader can take up to 120 minutes, so we prioritized washers that also offered a shorter cycle (40 minutes or less) that still washed effectively.

Drying time: No ventless dryer that uses condenser technology will dry clothing as fast as a traditional, vented dryer. But we paid close attention to exactly how long each dry cycle took, and some machines were far faster than others. We also evaluated sensor accuracy and temperature controls.

Moisture removal: Ventless dryers usually need to be hooked up to a drain, but some models store evaporated water in a reservoir, which needs to be emptied regularly for the dryer to work properly. (Our top and best-for picks operate this way.)

Convenience and quietness: We checked that filters were easily accessible for routine maintenance. We paid attention to how much noise and vibration the machines produced, especially during the fastest spin cycles.

Reliability and customer service: Compact laundry machines, especially in the US, are much less popular than full-size washers and dryers, so user feedback is scarce. To assess reliability and customer service, we called and chatted with customer service reps, perused Reddit and asked for feedback on specific models, studied warranties, and talked to various service techs about parts and service availability nationwide. We also drew on our research into and experience with brands that make full-size washing machines and dryers we have tested.

Price: Perhaps unintuitively, compact washers and dryers cost more than full-size machines; even less expensive models tend to have a list price of $1,000 or higher. This is partly due to their lower demand. While we considered price, we focused on reliability and performance in making our recommendations.