For most of us, laundry is a daunting chore that can suck up precious weekend or after-work hours. Having a nice laundry room and arming yourself with some great laundry hacks can help, but the best thing to do is invest in quality equipment. To find out if the LG WT7300C Top Load Washer was up to the task, we tested it over the course of a month. After more than 20 loads of laundry, here’s what we learned about its performance, design, and how it stacks up to the competition.
Setup Process: Easy as it gets
We opted to have the washer delivered to our home and installed by professionals, so there was no heavy lifting required. We just had to ensure we had new hot and cold drain hoses prior to installation. We put the washer in the laundry area of our basement, right next to the utility sink for easy drainage. Once the washer was installed and leveled, the technician ran the washer (completely empty) for one cycle. The whole installation process took less than 30 minutes. To enable Smart ThinQ—LG’s app from which you can run the washer remotely—we first had to register the product. After that, it was as easy as connecting to a Bluetooth speaker to sync the washer and smartphone.
Performance: Effective and—dare we say—fun
A melodic tone greets you upon starting up the washer and a happy little tune plays when each load is finished. Once you’ve selected your wash program, you can either press start to get the load going or you can customize each wash. As with most washers, you can specify your spin speeds or water temperatures as well as add-on options like extra rinse or soak cycles. Specific to LG, and quite useful in our household — which includes an active toddler and a dog — is the StainCare program. When you use StainCare, the cycle starts with warm water to keep stains from setting and then slowly heats up to higher temperatures. Other great wash settings include the waterproof program, which made quick work of a rather stinky backseat dog hammock, and Collars and Cuffs, which was more effective than a normal load when it came to getting sweat stains out of dress shirt collars. An added bonus to all of the wash programs is the vigorous spin cycle which leaves clothes just barely damp. This has made a big impact on our drying times, slashing the amount of time clothes have to be in in the dryer or on the line. Because the LG doesn’t have an agitator, the washer drum is surprisingly roomy. We were blown away by the size of the loads we could wash. It easily handled our queen size comforter and we were also able to fit our sheets and pillowcases as well as our son’s crib sheet, pillow, and pillowcase. The washer has a sensor that runs each time before a load begins; this feature weighs the load and determines the right amount of water to use. Even after 21 loads, we didn’t have a single negative experience with any of the programs or features. Every item came out clean with no soapy residue. And although the spin cycle is strong, we never found that our clothes were wrung out too much or overly wrinkly. Whether it was a large load of towels, a handful of stuffed animals, or just a regular old hamper’s-worth of clothing, the LG performed perfectly.
Design: Modern and compact
We opted for the stainless steel version of the washer and simply put, it’s very pretty. The crisp finishes balance so nicely with the appliance’s rounded edges, lending it an ultra-modern feel, but one that won’t feel outdated in a year or two. The glass top is a neat feature and its soft-close, slam-proof design makes the unit feel just a bit more luxurious. It’s fun to be able to peer into the washer while it’s running; our toddler especially enjoyed watching his favorite stuffed fox take a spin after getting dirty in the garden. The only drawback to the high gloss interface is its tendency to show fingerprints; of course, they’re easy enough to wipe away with a soft towel. The benefits of a huge wash drum with a small appliance footprint does lead to one rather noticeable shortcoming. If you are under 5 feet, 5 inches tall, you may find yourself struggling to reach the last few bits of laundry at the bottom of the drum. If you don’t mind using a step stool, then the issue is easily resolved. However, older folks or with people with balance issues may want to look for a more user-friendly washer. Upon opening the lid, you’ll see there’s a pull-out two-tray dispenser at the back of the washer which allows you to add your detergent and softener. The max fill line in the tray makes it so we no longer have to measure liquid detergent in a cup and then pour it into the washer. It’s a small thing, but it’s been truly lovely to do away with a sticky, drippy detergent cup. On the front right side of the washer is a liquid bleach container; we like that the bleach container is in front as it limits the likelihood of an accidental spill on the clothing inside the washer. While we initially shrugged off the Smart ThinQ feature, we’ll admit we’re now connectivity converts. We love getting alerts when a load is finished and it’s especially handy when used with a smartwatch. Laundry productivity around here is way up and we no longer find ourselves running a load twice because we left it in overnight.
Smart Features: Not essential, but certainly helpful
While downloading new cycles is easy on the Smart ThinQ app, the process wasn’t entirely intuitive. There’s a list of wash cycles like baby bibs, juice and food stains, pet odor, swimwear, and a dozen or so more, but because you can’t sort through the downloadable cycles on the washing machine interface, you can only have one cycle downloaded at a time. This means you either need to have your phone with you to change to a different cycle or plan in advance and download the cycle before you run it. If you have the remote start option enabled, you could do this all without being near the washer, but again, you’d need to plan in advance. The remote start is a neat feature, but we struggled to find relevant uses for it. Aside from the novelty of turning on the washer from somewhere other than the basement, we found its application a bit limited. However, it did come in handy when I went to put a load in and realized my husband was in the shower. Instead of freezing him out, I enabled the remote start feature and turned the washer on from my phone when he was finished, rather than trudging back down to the basement to start the load.
Price: Reasonable for a higher-end washer
On the pricing spectrum of all top load washers, the LG is at the mid to high-end range with an MSRP of $899.99. But, for all its features, the LG offers a lot of bang for your buck and when purchased through big-box retailers, you can opt for delivery and installation as well. Depending on where you live, you may also be able to cut down costs with an Energy Star rebate.
Competition: LG really has it all
GE 4.5 Cu. Ft. High-Efficiency Top Loading Washing Machine: If you’re looking for the same smart-home connectivity that comes with the LG washer but for a few hundred dollars less, the GE 4.5 Cu. Ft. Top Loader is a great budget option. It’s got a lot of nice features, like a soft-close glass lid and tons of wash cycle options. Of course, it comes with a few drawbacks, like slightly lower capacity (4.5 cubic feet), no extended warranty, and more utilitarian design. Maytag MVWB765FW: This American-made Maytag is comparably priced to the LG 5.0 Top Loader and is a solid option for people who are consistently washing very soiled clothes. It has a slightly lower capacity at 4.7 cubic feet and offers similar colors and warranties to the LG. It’s available in white and stainless steel and has a 1-year limited warranty and a 10-year limited warranty on the drive-motor and wash basket. Even though the drum size is pretty close to the LG, Maytag’s design is more accessible for shorter people. On the downside, it’s missing some of the nicer features like smart home connectivity and a soft-close lid. Because this washer features an agitator instead of an impeller, some users prefer it for particularly dirty clothes. On the flip side, when it comes to energy efficiency, the addition of an agitator is likely the reason the Maytag isn’t CEE rated whereas the LG is Tier 1. With superb performance, stylish design, and productivity-boosting reminders, this LG washer makes laundry a bit less of a chore.
