The Best Large Capacity Washers of 2026

Everything scales up when you have a big family. Groceries are consumed faster, toilet paper disappears in the blink of an eye, and laundry piles up until it's taller than your youngest.

For these situations, look for the best large capacity washer. Since children enjoy finding creative ways to get dirty, families with small children should invest in a washer with a sanitize feature and speedy cycles. There are even washers out there that come with a secondary mini-washer to keep items like cloth diapers separate from everything else.

Considering the various needs of a large family, we went through the data we’ve collected from testing hundreds of washing machines to select the best one. Most are front-loaders, but we have some top-loaders to recommend as well.

The Maytag MHW8630HC (available at AJ Madison) came out as the clear winner. It’s the best large capacity washer we’ve tested, with powerful cleaning cycles, and a useful steam mode that will sanitize. If you think the MHW8630HC is too expensive, don't worry: Our roundup also includes more affordable models.

Editor's Note: Appliances purchases are a large investment of both money and time. We’ve not only compiled lists of the best washers to shop, but also the best places to buy in-stock appliances right now and the best times of year to buy appliances to take advantage of sales and new releases.

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Other Large Capacity Washers We Tested

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What You Should Know When Shopping For The Best Large Capacity Washers

Large Families Mean Large Capacity

When we recommend a washer as one that’s good for large families, we’re mostly looking at that washer’s capacity. A washer’s drum is rated in cubic feet, and the higher the number is, the more laundry you can fit into the washing machine for a given cycle.

The average washing machine has a drum capacity between 4.2 cubic feet and 4.5 cubic feet. This drum size can accommodate the laundry needs of a family of four.

When you have a larger family, however, chances are that you’ll have bigger and more frequent laundry loads; in this case, we look for washing machines that have capacities with a minimum of 5 cubic feet.

There’s An Emphasis On Cleaning and Sanitization

Every washer on this list features both a sanitize cycle and a heavy or extra heavy soil cycle. Why? Because babies poop a lot, little kids are constantly on the ground grinding dirt and grass stains into their knees, and pre-teens and teens are dripping paint, ketchup, or cosmetics all over themselves. Families need wash options that are both tougher and germ-conscious.

If You’re Running Multiple Loads, Speed Matters

Another spec that makes a washer good for large families is the washer’s cycle time. Sometimes, even with large capacity washers like the ones listed here, you’re still going to be running multiple cycles of laundry in a given day; it’s best for everyone if those cycles don’t take too long.

You’d think that more laundry in a load would automatically translate into longer cycle times, since, you know, there’s more laundry to clean. However, some brands have come up with ways to efficiently disperse detergent and rinse it out fairly quickly, which cuts down on the time you’re standing around waiting to put laundry into the dryer.

How We Evaluated The Best Large Capacity Washers

The Tests

Every washing machine that comes into Reviewed’s labs gets put through the same testing regime, which addresses both performance and user-friendliness. We look at stain removal, wear and tear, water retention, and cycle time.

When testing washing machines through the lens of large families, we specifically look at the washer’s drum size to gauge how much laundry it can hold at one time—our minimum size requirement is 5.2 cubic feet—as well as whether it has a sanitize cycle and a heavy or extra heavy soil setting to deal with all manners of family generated stains, from muddy knees and poopy diapers to pasta sauce and red wine spills.

We also make sure to just use the products normally, like how anyone would use them in their own home. This pass lets us catch any user interface issues or particularly brilliant design flourishes that you’ll only notice on the hundredth time you do something.

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