A 2020 GE survey of over 90,000 households found that people leave clothes in the washer for around 130 minutes before moving them to the dryer. With all-in-one machines, clothes won’t move between cycles because you forgot to move them. The washer automatically switches to drying mode, so you can put your feet up, watch a movie, or go out to dinner after you’re done with the laundry.

Many brands including Black+Decker, Equator, Magic Chef, GE, LG, Samsung, and Whirlpool are bringing all-in-one washer-dryer combos to the market. You can find them at appliance stores and larger retailers like Home Depot and Lowe’s. Some have stylish carbon finishes, bright colors, or advanced features. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, Eureka unveiled the Dual Washing Bot, a metallic blue washer-dryer combo with a robotic vacuum/mop garage on the bottom.

But washer-dryer combos are hardly flawless. Our tests showed that these all-in-one machines wash better than they dry. They take longer than a standard dryer. And some of their best features are offset by shortcomings.

“While they’re convenient since you don’t need to transfer laundry, they don’t let you do many loads in a row, which makes things slower,” says Rich Handel, CR’s laundry expert. “I can dry one load with separate machines while washing another.”

How All-in-One Washer-Dryer Combos Work?

Washer-dryer combos wash clothes the same way traditional washers do – they wash, wring out, and rinse, then flush the excess water and detergent down the drain. However, their mechanism for drying clothes is different.

The combination machines we tested dried clothes using condensation drying technology or energy-efficient heat pump technology – both of which take longer to dry clothes than traditional dryers that expel the moisture. (Most washer-dryer combos are ventless, and require a drain or water-collecting reservoir to remove moisture.)

Condensing dryers heat the air in the drum to absorb moisture from the clothes, then pass the warm moist air over a cold heat exchanger that condenses the moisture and removes it through a drain line.

Heat pump dryers also use hot air to absorb moisture, which is passed through an evaporator that collects the water and reuses the hot air in a loop system until the clothes are dry. Clothes in a heat pump dryer do not feel as dry or hot to the touch as clothes dried in a conventional dryer unless shaken.

Pros of All-in-One Washer-Dryer Combos

They are space savers. As a single unit, washer-dryer combos can save space in your laundry room, especially if you don’t have room for two machines. Most measurements are within a few inches of a traditional front-load washer (though the GE model we tested was considerably longer, so be sure to check the measurements on the model you intend to purchase). Because they are ventless, they are not hostage to the exhaust vent. You can place them near any wall with a water line, even in the kitchen or bathroom. You may not even need the 220-volt outlet required for most conventional dryers; The three combo machines tested by CR run on 110 volts.

You can control your schedule. All-in-ones promise no more chasing the bicycle, watching it fall, or springing into action at the sound of a buzzer. Combos are handy because they wash and dry in one load, and some machines don’t need lint filter cleaning (LG and Whirlpool models in our rating filter lint down the drain).

He is a skilled washerman. The three models we tested are high-performing, quiet washers that excel in energy and water efficiency, and they’re very gentle on clothes.

Cons of All-in-One Washer-Dryer Combos

They can be expensive. All-in-one washer-dryers can cost more than $2,000. The good news is that prices are coming down (GE’s combo washer-dryer launched for about $2,900; it now costs less than $2,500). In comparison, the Whirlpool washer-dryer we tested is priced similarly to the Whirlpool front-loader in our ratings.

The drying time is long. As mentioned above, drying a load of clothes in a combo machine can take hours. “The combo we recently tested took more than 3 hours to dry a 12-pound load and more than 2 hours for an 8-pound load,” says Handel. (CR’s drying performance scores combine test results from three types of loads: a 12-pound load of mostly cotton jeans and towels, an 8-pound load of mixed synthetics, and a 3-pound load of delicates.) Handel says That drying time. There can be a lot of variation between heat pumps and condenser dryers. The three models tested run on CR 110 volts, compared to the 220-volt power required by most conventional electric dryers. Handel says the lower voltage means less power can be supplied to heat, which can increase drying time.

Also Read:- Top Load Washer Vs. Front Load Washer: Which Is Better?

Drum capabilities are limited. Washer-dryer combos range in size from compact to full-sized, with drum capacities ranging from 1.6 cubic feet to 4.8 cubic feet – more typical of washing machines than dryers. By comparison, the drum capacity of traditional gas and electric dryers typically ranges from 7 to 9 cubic feet. This means there is less room for air to circulate, increasing drying time (and the larger the load, the less circulation). The extended drying time is a factor in the low drying performance score in our ratings. Additionally, only the largest capacity combos can handle large, bulky items like comforters (CR recommends a capacity of at least 4.5 cubic feet to wash them). Investing in a full-size combo with a larger capacity drum can also improve drying performance and drying time.

You cannot wash and dry at the same time. All-in-one machines don’t allow you to multitask by washing your next load while the second load dries. Doing four loads in a day can take 8 to 10 hours. Who has that much time? The dual functionality may be impractical if you wash a lot of delicate clothes that you don’t want to wash in the dryer. If so, you will have to program the washer-dryer functions independently.

Should You Buy a Washer-Dryer Combo?

Washer-dryer combos can do it all if you give them the time. What they do is make washing clothes easier, it’s the wash. There’s no doubt that they make laundry day go longer than using a washer and dryer. Convenience is in the eyes of the washerman.

Due to poor drying scores, the combination machines we tested didn’t earn high ratings overall in CR’s performance tests. So before you invest in an all-in-one washer-dryer combo, consider whether it’s right for your home and lifestyle. If your home lacks laundry space or ventilation, a washer-dryer combo can be a great solution. But keep in mind that drying for extremely long periods will test your patience. (And as Tom Petty says, “The waiting is the hardest part.”) While these machines may relieve you from the laundry room, they don’t save time. And you’ll still have to fold the clothes yourself.