The GE GFW650 cleaned about as well as the LG WM4000H in our tests and was similarly gentle on fabrics. LG makes a similar washer, the WM3600H, which omits some useful features but costs less. The WM4000H and its matching dryer (which is available in electric or gas) are stackable-in fact, you can stack any 27-inch LG dryer, new or old, on top of the WM4000H. The big downsides to the LG washer and dryer are that the control panels are hard to use in dim lighting and LG’s customer service stinks, so in the unlikely event that you need a repair under warranty, it might be a hassle. (They still won’t last as long as your parents’ old Maytag, though.) The matching LG DLEX4000 dryer dried loads faster than most of the other dryers we tested. Reliability is tough to predict, but in recent years LG front-loaders have had some of the lowest repair rates among mainstream washers, according to multiple sources. We found the Wi-Fi–connected features useful, including the end-of-cycle notifications, maintenance alerts, remote start, and additional downloadable wash programs the LG ThinQ app was also more intuitive and full-featured than those of our other picks. It even has a unique door-prop feature to help prevent the dreaded mildew smell. Like most front-load washers, the WM4000H has a huge capacity, runs quietly, and is notably efficient with water and energy. The WM4000H can wash a load significantly faster than a typical high-efficiency washer, and it has one of the widest varieties of wash settings, including a stain-loosening prewash option, super-hot temps, and extra rinses. It was one of the best washers we tested at removing all types of stains, yet it also handled fabrics more gently than most models we tried.

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