Never before have washing machine manufactures been ranked based on the vibration and noise characteristics of their products.  That is until now with the latest release of test results from The Vibration Solution.  Our test engineers have been busy in their lab testing washing machines from every major brand and even a few minor brands.  The results of their tests have finally been compiled.  Below is a ranking of each washing machine brand by the vibration that their family of washing machines generates during operation.  The lower the score, the better.  Higher scores indicate that the washing machine created significant and violent vibration throughout the majority of it’s cycles.  Any brand scoring near 100 should be avoided.  The industry average rating for front-loading washing machine vibration was 55.  The average for top-loading washing machine vibration was significantly lower at only 23.  But don’t pick your next washing machine based only on its vibration statistics.

Just because a clothes washing machine doesn’t generate as much noise as one of its competitors doesn’t mean that it won’t keep you up at night.  Noise is another major problem especially with new front-loading washing machines.  That’s why we have also included noise ratings as part of our evaluation.  A perfect example of this issue can be seen on the results for front-loading washers.  While Amana, Miele and Electrolux all scored well on vibration none of them were as quiet as Whirlpool machines.  So consumers looking for a good balance of both a quiet and balanced washing machine should strongly consider Whirlpool for their next purchase.  But not all washers are created equal.  While some brands are better than others, consider that there still may be a few black sheep in every brand’s family of appliances.  Steer clear of individual models with poor or below average vibration and noise ratings.  These ratings can be found in our 2010 Washer and Dryer Buying Guides.

Other good front-loading washer brands to consider are Maytag, Kenmore and Samsung.  All three of these brands scored better than the industry average on vibration and also scored well on noise.  Buyers should avoid Speed Queen, Asko, Bosch, GE and Frigidaire washers if possible.  While some washers within each of these brands do offer a good balance of noise and vibration performance, most do not.  Over the past few years we’ve heard from many very upset Bosch owners who complain of serious vibration and noise.  While Bosch has been slowly improving their appliances, they still have a long way to go before they will be competitive in the laundry appliance industry.

For consumers looking to buy a new top-loading washing machine, consider that while most offer the same low level of vibration, LG performed the best in our noise tests.  GE and Fisher & Paykel washing machines also performed well with Kenmore following close behind.  Avoid buying Frigidaire and Roper top-loaders as they suffer from severe noise issues during most of their cycles.  Staber top-loading washing machines performed poorly in vibration tests, but their overall noise rating was on-par with the industry.  Still, Staber should be avoided as a brand until they can resolve their vibration issues.