About This Data

The specifications below were gathered from a range of common brands and models, including a few more unusual ones. The table is not definitive – model numbers are not included as that data would quickly go out of date. The purpose is to show the range of variation that exists and where dimensions tend to be consistent.

Width is almost always 60cm or very close to it. Height is almost always 85cm. Depth is where meaningful variation occurs – ranging from around 40cm on slimline models up to 64cm on deep machines. If you need a machine shallower than average, use the depth column to get a sense of how common shorter-depth machines are.

If you are searching for a smaller than normal machine, price comparison sites allow you to filter by depth, width, or height.

Washing Machine Size Comparison Table

All measurements are in centimetres. Asterisked notes indicate unusual results or where a second source gave a different figure.

What the Data Shows

Why Drum Capacity Figures Are Not Always Comparable

Manufacturers do not all use the same criteria when determining and specifying drum capacity. The published figure represents the physical volume of the drum in some form, but the actual usable space for laundry varies depending on drum geometry, paddle design, and door glass depth.

Some manufacturers use professional packers and specifically chosen items of laundry to physically demonstrate maximum capacity – in ways that ordinary users would not replicate. The practical result is that a drum labelled at one capacity can behave as though it is significantly larger or smaller than an identically labelled drum from a different brand.

The design of drum paddles is a particularly significant factor. Large, deep paddles take up usable space inside the drum. A drum with small, shallow paddles will fit more laundry even at the same nominal capacity.

6kg Drum Capacity

6kg is now the entry-level drum size for most mainstream washing machines, replacing the 4-5kg drums that were standard for many years. For most households with average washing demands, 6kg represents a practical balance – large enough to handle a typical family wash without the complications that come with very large drums.

A 6kg machine is unlikely to require compromises in terms of machine size, electrical supply, or water consumption. For households without regular need to wash very large items like duvets, or very large loads in one go, 6kg is a sensible choice.

7kg Drum Capacity

7kg drums are the most common size in mid-range washing machines. The key point about 7kg drums is that usable capacity varies significantly between models – more so than at other capacity ratings.

Testing and comparison carried out by Whitegoods Help highlighted an instructive example: the now-discontinued Dyson CR01 washing machine, which was sold as a 7kg machine, had a notably larger usable capacity than other 7kg machines tested subsequently. The Dyson’s unusually shallow door glass and particularly small drum paddles meant that considerably more laundry could be loaded than was possible with other 7kg machines. In practical terms, the Dyson CR01’s 7kg drum was closer in usable space to what might be expected from an 8kg machine on another brand.

This example illustrates why comparing specifications alone is not reliable. Where possible, comparing the door glass opening size and drum depth visually – whether in a showroom or via detailed product specifications – gives a more accurate picture of usable capacity than the kg rating alone.

Duvet washing

A 5kg drum is generally too small to wash a standard double duvet satisfactorily – the duvet cannot move freely enough to wash properly. A 7kg drum with good usable space (such as the Dyson CR01 design) can accommodate a standard duvet comfortably. For most other 7kg machines, a duvet wash is possible but may be tight.

8kg Drum Capacity

8kg drums are genuinely large. For households that do a high volume of washing, or regularly need to wash large items, an 8kg machine can be more economical – fewer cycles needed for the same total laundry volume. The potential downside is that running a very large drum with a small load wastes water and energy.

To give a practical illustration of 8kg capacity, the following items were washed in a single load during testing of an 8kg Samsung washing machine:

• 10 pairs of underwear
• 8 pairs of socks
• 2 pairs of trousers
• 3 t-shirts
• 2 cotton shirts
• 4 pairs of jeans
• 1 pair of shorts
• 1 heavy hoody top

This represents a significant volume of laundry – more than most households would typically generate in a single wash. For reference, the full load when dried filled a standard rotary washing line plus a separate sock hanger with 32 socks. What amounted to one wash load appeared visually equivalent to two normal loads when hung out to dry.

Bigger Is Not Always Better

A very large drum capacity is only beneficial if it is regularly needed. Buying a machine with an 8kg or 9kg drum when the typical household load is 4-5kg means consistently running an oversized machine at below its optimal fill level, which is inefficient. Larger drums also tend to increase the physical depth of the machine and its weight.

See the companion guide for a full breakdown of the pros and cons of each drum size: washing machine drum sizes – pros and cons.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Drum Sizes Have Changed

For many decades, washing machine drums were standardised at around 4 to 4.5kg – the limit of what the machine cabinet dimensions and engineering of the time allowed. A move to 5kg was a welcome step forward, and drum sizes remained at that level for many years before manufacturers found ways to increase them further.

The progression from 5kg to 6kg happened gradually and with no significant downsides. Beyond that point, manufacturers pushed sizes to 7kg, 8kg, 9kg, 10kg, and larger – driven partly by genuine consumer demand and partly by the commercial benefit of offering premium products at higher prices and encouraging upgrades. The physical machine cabinet did not grow proportionally with these drum sizes, which is where the engineering trade-offs begin.

Advantages of a Larger Drum

Washing large items
A large drum can accommodate items that simply will not fit in a smaller one – duvets, large towels, curtains, and bulky clothing. This is the clearest practical benefit of a large drum and the hardest to argue against if you regularly need it.

Fewer loads
If a large drum allows you to combine what would otherwise be two separate loads into one, you genuinely save water, electricity, detergent, and machine wear over time. This benefit only materialises if the extra capacity is regularly used.

Potential running cost savings
Fewer cycles per week translates directly into lower running costs – less electricity, less water, less detergent. Again, this only applies if the larger capacity consistently reduces the number of loads actually done.

Disadvantages of a Larger Drum

How manufacturers fit bigger drums into the same cabinet

Washing machines have not grown significantly in external dimensions – the standard width and height have remained largely constant. A larger inner drum means less space between the inner drum and the outer drum, and less clearance between the outer drum and the machine cabinet. This engineering compromise has practical consequences.

Are bigger drums more economical?

This is the most common misunderstanding about large drum washing machines. A bigger drum uses more water, more detergent, and slightly more energy to turn – per cycle. It is only more economical if the extra capacity allows the total number of cycles per week to fall. If the wash load stays the same size but is now washed in a larger drum, running costs increase rather than decrease.

The average UK wash load is around 3-4kg.

This means a significant proportion of households with 8kg or 9kg machines are washing small loads in an oversized drum for most of their washes – using more resources per cycle than a smaller machine would. The economic case for a large drum only holds if that capacity is genuinely and regularly needed.

Do You Need a Large Drum?

The right drum size depends on how laundry is actually done in the household, not on the maximum conceivable load. Before choosing a large capacity machine, it is worth asking:

• Do you regularly have very large loads? If most washes use less than half the drum’s capacity, a large drum provides no practical benefit and increases running costs per cycle.
• Do you need to wash large items? If washing duvets, large curtains, or bulky items at home is important, a minimum of 7-8kg is a genuine requirement. Otherwise it may not be.
• Will a larger drum actually reduce the number of loads? If the answer is yes – consistently – then a larger drum is genuinely more economical. If not, the extra capacity is largely wasted.
• Consider 6kg if in doubt. For a small to medium household with typical laundry needs, a 6kg drum is likely to be used near its capacity most of the time – which is the most efficient scenario. Upgrading to a larger drum for occasional large items may not represent value for money.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cold Fill vs Hot Fill: Who Benefits From Each?

The right answer depends on how the household washes laundry and how the hot water system works. The following points summarise the main considerations.

Not using biological detergents?

The benefit of cold fill is most pronounced when biological detergents are used on low-temperature washes. For those using non-bio detergents, the absence of a hot valve may make only a marginal difference to wash results.

If You Heat Water With Solar or Renewable Energy

A hot valve can be genuinely useful if hot water is generated by solar panels or another environmentally friendly or economical method. The logic is sound: if the hot water is essentially free, drawing it directly into the machine saves energy. However, as a separate guide explains, getting a meaningful amount of hot water into the machine in practice is harder than it sounds – especially with modern machines that use very little water. See: do washing machines with a hot valve actually use much hot water?

The Case for User Choice

There is an argument that washing machines should offer both hot and cold inlets with an option to specify when the hot valve is used. The scenarios where a hot valve would genuinely help include washing without biological detergents, maintenance boil washes, regular high-temperature washes, households with economical or renewable hot water, and homes with a combi boiler close to the machine supplying instant hot water at full pressure.

However, delivering a hot valve that works well across all the different hot water systems found in UK homes – from stored cylinder systems to instant combi boilers – requires sophisticated control that manufacturers have not prioritised. Modern machines are designed around an assumed average user: biological detergents, low-temperature washes, and a conventional stored hot water system.

Should I Buy a Washing Machine With a Hot Valve?

Hot and cold fill machines are now uncommon and are mostly found at the lower end of the market. If a hot valve seems desirable, it is worth considering whether the energy savings it might deliver would be offset by potentially reduced reliability or longevity compared to a better-quality cold fill machine.

Consider the trade-off

Choosing a lower-quality machine solely for its hot valve could be a false economy. Any savings in energy costs may be outweighed by higher repair costs or shorter machine life. Overall, more energy is saved nationally with cold fill only machines, because only the water the machine actually needs is heated.

For most people, a cold fill machine is the practical and economical choice. There are, however, genuine scenarios where a hot water inlet would be beneficial – particularly for households that regularly wash at high temperatures or have access to very cheap hot water. See: is a hot and cold fill washing machine more economical?

Summary

The subject is more nuanced than it first appears. According to manufacturers, most people who use biological detergents and wash primarily at low temperatures are better served by cold fill machines. But this assumption fails to account for the many households that wash differently – with non-bio detergents, at higher temperatures, or with access to economical hot water.

Modern washing machines are designed around a broadly assumed average user and do not accommodate the full range of washing habits found in real households. Cold fill is the right default for most – but not everyone.

Frequently Asked Questions