What are compact washers and dryers? Why should we consider a compact laundry pair for our home? These are just a couple of questions we hear from our customers on the topic of apartment-sized laundry appliances.
It's pretty simple—compact washers and dryers are laundry appliances for small living spaces. Perfect for closet laundry rooms or under-counter appliance hookups, most compact washer and dryer models are 24 inches wide. They occupy a smaller footprint in your home but provide cleaning power that is just as efficient as their full-size companions’.
If you live in an apartment, townhouse, or condo where space is limited, don’t bother saving your quarters for the laundromat or lugging your heavy laundry down three flights of stairs to access the communal laundry room—instead, invest in a compact washer and dryer.
Just because your home is small doesn't mean you can’t find a solution for your space requirements. If you’re ready to replace your outdated laundry setup or install laundry appliances for the first time, continue reading our picks for the best laundry appliances for small spaces.
Measure Before You Buy
Before you make an informed decision on whether a compact washer or dryer is right for your home, you must first take accurate measurements. Measure at least twice and maybe three times if necessary—you can never be too careful.
Measure once and conduct your double-check measurements a second time before you make a purchase. It doesn’t do much good to buy a new laundry unit if it won’t even fit in your home. Measure the appliances, the section where they will be installed, doorways, hallways, and make note of your power source and water line.
When measuring a washer or dryer, subtract one inch from each side to determine how much room you have to work with. You need to retain a little bit of space on each side of the appliance to allow for proper circulation.
When measuring depth, subtract about six inches to see how deep your laundry unit will fit. You'll need those six inches of buffer room to account for hookups and ventilation units that are sometimes connected to the back of the machine.
If you’re considering a front-loading unit or laundry pair, make sure there is plenty of room to fully open the doors. If you prefer the design style of a top-loading unit, allow for enough height above the appliance so you can open the lid with no restrictions.
Beko White Front Load Washer (BWM7200X)
Now that we’ve made our measurements, let's dive right into our list of compact laundry appliances with our friends at Beko. Whether you choose to install this Energy Star certified, front-load, vented washer under a counter or in a laundry closet, you can depend on premium performance.
Compact by design, this Beko 24-inch washer has what you need to power through up to 15.4 pounds of laundry with 16 wash cycles, a liquid detergent compartment, and an automatic water adjustment system for efficient and precise washes. Innovative features, such as the Allergen and Tub Sanitize cycle, keep garments free of pollen, dust, and danger while the Down Wear cycle and Organic Wash cycle keep your fabrics looking new.
Despite its compact size, this washer offers a spacious 2.5 cubic feet of capacity with superior washing cycles featuring an impressive 1,200 rpm operation. Efficient spinning results leads to fabric longevity and decreased dry times, thus saving you energy. And for added protection for your appliance and fabrics, the stainless-steel drum resists hard-water stains, spots, and corrosion.
A washing machine shouldn’t just be efficient; it should also be safe. With direct draining, a water level sensor monitors and automatically drains excess water if the tank exceeds safe levels, and you can activate the Child Lock feature to keep laundry settings from changing during the cycle. We know little fingers love to push buttons.
Beko White Front Load Heat Pump Dryer (HPD24412W)
If you’ve got a new washer, then you’ll need a dryer to go with it. With a Beko heat pump dryer, the gentle drum action separates clothing throughout the drying cycle to ensure ready-to-wear, wrinkle-free results. If you’re not at home to empty the bin at the end of the dry cycle, the wrinkle prevention program extends the cycle an additional two hours to stop wrinkles from settling into your clothing.
This dryer features 16 dry cycles and a roomy 4.1 cubic feet drum capacity. Convenient settings like AntiCreasing and Gentle Care efficiently dry your garments without overworking the material. The dryer design features a reversible glass door, digital displays, easy-access lint filter, interior lighting, and child lock setting for easy operation.
The ventless heat pump uses a closed-loop heat exchange system to gently and effectively remove moisture from clothes with an impressive 50 percent energy savings compared to conventional vented dryers. If you’re truly tight on space, you can turn any cleaning nook into a full-service laundry room with the Stack Kit that allows you to stack a compatible Beko washer, even if they’re different sizes.
The advanced technology featured on the ProSmart Inverter Motor provides both noise reduction and superior cleaning ability—plus, it’s durable and energy-efficient, so you can have some peace with your quiet.
Miele Lotus White Front Load Washer (WWB020)
Miele is the pinnacle of exquisitely crafted, German-engineered products. When it comes to laundry day, they mean business. The hexagonal surface of the Honeycomb Drum allows garments to glide on a thin film of water so your clothes are always soft to the touch. With Automatic Load Control, you can lower the water and power consumption used in the wash cycle to match smaller loads, and the water protection system monitors water intake and detects leakage in the drip tray.
The HandWash setting is ideal for delicate items that have the potential to shrink or become warped during the wash cycle. This setting provides a light, gentle cleaning so your fabrics maintain their quality. The Dark/Denim function is used to keep your dark clothing items bright and full of color. This program ensures that colors retain their quality without any creases, wrinkles, or unsightly bleach stains, and if they are too damp at the end of the cycle, the Drain/Spin function continues the spin to extract any remaining moisture.
Miele Lotus White Front Load Electric Dryer (TWI180)
When it’s time to transfer your laundry, you need a dryer you can count on to get the job done right. The ventless, heat pump technology saves up to 60 percent more energy compared to a standard dryer—using the EcoDry filter system to keep the energy consumption and cycle times low.
When you're in a rush to get out the door, the SteamFinish setting is a quick and easy alternative to ironing, and your outerwear will be dried and protected against creases and wrinkles. If you’re drying a smaller load, the Express Dry setting quickly dries your clothes so they can be worn again.
The scratch-proof, corrosion-proof coating is as good as it looks—it's impervious to acids, easy to clean, and proven to maintain its quality for up to 20 years. The filter is easy to remove and clean due to its smooth screen surface, WiFiConn@ct allows you to go online and enjoy laundry care while you’re home or away with the help of the Miele app, and the Multilingual setting sets various languages on the display so you can fully understand every piece of information.
Let’s Recap
Remember, smaller laundry appliances are a great solution if you can’t fit standard 27-inch machines in your laundry room. Compact laundry appliances are oftentimes ventless, so you’ll save even more space in terms of depth because your appliances can be placed directly against the wall. It makes installation much easier as all that is required is a water connection and a drain.
An under-counter installation is a popular choice in Europe and many large U.S. cities, but if you live in a particularly small space, a great option would be a stacked laundry center that can be displayed vertically. An all-in-one unit is another space-saving option, but these tend to lack sufficient washing and drying power.
Every home setup is different, so be sure to check that your building provides the necessary water supply needed to run your appliances properly. In-unit laundry is convenient, but safety is the most important thing.
If you have any questions or need more information on any of our small washers and dryers or compact laundry units, don’t hesitate to chat with us online, give us a call, or visit us in-person at one of our Albert Lee store locations to explore our entire collection of laundry appliances.