The 2 Best Washer and Dryer Combos, Tested by Laundry Experts

GE introduced the Profile UltraFast Combo last year, and it's a model unlike any we've ever tested. Its size is the first thing we noticed — it’s larger than most traditional and compact laundry appliances. But with its impressive performance and convenient features, we ultimately named it a winner in our Good Housekeeping Best Cleaning & Organizing Awards.

Here's how it scored in our Lab assessments:

✔️ Washing: We were impressed with GE Profile's cleaning abilities and its stain-removing prowess. It effectively lifted over 90% of the tough soils from our test stain swatches. Its normal cycle was a bit more aggressive on our swatches than other machines we've tested, though we don't expect you would end up with damaged clothing as a result. The UltraFast Combo also excelled at spinning and removing moisture, meaning the load zips through the dry cycle a bit faster.

✔️ Drying: When it comes to drying performance, the GE Profile is a clear winner. It dried our overly-wet test loads faster than the LG unit and at a low, safe temperature for good fabric care. And since it does such a great job of extracting moisture from fabrics, medium loads that go straight from washing to drying are done in two hours, as claimed.

✔️ Standout Features: The GE Profile includes all the usual cycles and options, plus it offers Adaptive SmartDispense bulk dispensing. It holds 32 ounces of liquid laundry detergent and 32 ounces of fabric softener, and through the app, you can scan the barcode of the detergent or softener to ensure it doses per the directions. Though the UltraFast Combo offers fewer cycles than the LG, through a recent software update, a pet hair removal option (that we are currently in the midst of testing) can be downloaded to remove pesky pet hair before the wash cycle starts. There are also other specialty cycles in the app, like swimwear and jeans. The door gasket, dispenser and drainage system are treated with Microban, an ingredient that controls bacteria growth and odors.

✔️ Ease of Use: The control panel of the GE is front and center and super easy to navigate. A circular, center screen displays information like the selected cycle and estimated time remaining. It also serves as the menu where downloaded cycles are displayed. We think the many individual buttons and clear labels make it easier to use at the expense of some added visual clutter. We also found the wide-mouthed dispensers easy to fill, and the lint filter and drum opening were comfortable to access.

Like GE, LG has produced compact units for years, but now the brand offers this larger, feature-packed combo model. Costing around just $13 per year to run, we think it offers impressive value. Here’s what we found in our testing:

✔️ Washing: The LG also excelled in cleaning and stain removal, achieving over a 90% stain removal score in our wash tests. In terms of gentleness, it was only slightly gentler than the GE but not as gentle as some non-combo models we’ve tested. However, the LG stumbled in our water retention test, leaving loads 6% wetter than the GE after the spin cycle.

✔️ Drying: The LG’s gentle dryer temperature is great for fabric care, but it also meant the WashCombo took an extra 30 minutes to dry our standard test load. (Keep in mind that our test load starts out damper than either of these machines leaves laundry after their wash cycles, so your actual drying times at home may be a bit faster.) Despite the longer cycle, the LG still delivered perfectly dry laundry.

✔️ Standout features: The LG comes with all the basic cycles and a handful of unique choices, like cycles for washing kids' clothing, dresses and removing sweat stains. Its standout feature is the AI Wash + Dry cycle which uses built-in sensors to detect load size, soil level and fabric texture to automatically select the right settings for the most effective washing and drying. Both machines share some helpful extras like remote start through a smartphone app, delayed start, self-cleaning cycles and wash cycles for active wear.

✔️ Ease of use: The centerpiece of the LG WashCombo’s control panel is a digital dial with a small, rectangular screen in its center. The machine’s various wash and dry cycles can be viewed on the screen by turning the dial. It also has touch pads for adding extra options to a cycle, like steam or an extra rinse. While the dial concept is not too complicated, we did find it more difficult to get used to than the GE Profile’s dedicated buttons. We wish there was a way to make all of the cycles visible at once rather than having to toggle through them one by one. On the bright side, this machine’s pared-down controls make for a sleek, clean design, though its lower profile did mean more bending.