Whirlpool WFW9620HC Washing Machine Review

Like most modern Whirlpool washers, the WFW9620HC features an innovative approach to cycle selection. Namely, instead of picking a single cycle with a dial, you instead choose one option from a list of "What to Wash" and one option from “How to Wash,” and then the machine creates a customized cycle based on those two factors. We generally like this approach: If you know what you're doing, it's not much more cumbersome than using the dial and if you don't, it might actually be more intuitive.

While we really like the overall aesthetic of the Whirlpool WFW9620HC and its accompanying app, for every aspect we'd consider praiseworthy we found ourselves running into minor inconvenience after minor inconvenience. The best feature: a 13-minute Regular + Quick cycle that did an OK job at cleaning, especially in that short timespan. We also liked the drawer for adding bulk detergent and fabric softener.

Unfortunately, there are also quite a few shortcomings. Compared to other washers, we found the Whirlpool WFW9620HC offers a slightly lower than average clean and laundry after a cycle was often significantly more wet than average. We thought the onboard controls were a bit unresponsive and their placement on the door made them difficult to access. While you can use the free smartphone app to input your cycle settings instead, you must first enable remote control via a button on the door, and you must push that button every time. Most of these issues are minor or at least not significant enough to be disqualifying. Overall, this isn't a bad washer: It's average, but priced like it's excellent.

About the Whirlpool WFW9620HC front-load washing machine

• Dimensions: 38.625” x 27.0” x 33.25” (H x W x D)
• Capacity: 5.0 cu. ft.
• Finishes: White, Chrome Shadow ($100 extra), Black Shadow ($150 extra)
• Cycles: Can have up to 36 cycles based on the combinations of "What to Wash" and "How to Wash"
  • What to Wash options: Regulars, Colors, Whites, Towels, Delicates, Bulky Items
  • How to Wash options: Normal, Quick, Wrinkle Control, Heavy Duty, Cold Wash, Sanitize
• Cycle options: Steam, sanitize, Fan Fresh
• Paired dryer: Whirlpool WED9620HC
• Whirlpool WFW9620HC manual

What we like

The Quick cycle really is fast

The Regular + Quick cycle managed to finish in 13 minutes, which means the Whirlpool WFW9620HC is tied with the Maytag MHW6630HC for the fastest cycle we've seen. This is an incredibly speedy time, more than twice as fast as the average quick cycle time of 30 minutes. The Regular + Quick cycle does have some downsides (which we’ll get to), but there’s no denying that it’ll get laundry reasonably clean incredibly fast.

Drawer for bulk detergent makes the process easier

The Whirlpool WFW9620HC has a small drawer underneath its door where you can add bulk detergent and fabric softener. We liked this feature, as it can help streamline the laundry process by only necessitating refills every so often, as opposed to requiring you to add detergent for every new cycle.

The app is intuitive and easy to use

The Whirlpool app by Lifestyle offers all the functionality of the onboard controls plus some valuable extra functionality. Once you’ve enabled remote access from the button on the front of the washer, you can input all your cycle settings via the app and it’s easier to use than the washer’s touchscreen. You can also receive notifications when your cycle is complete.

Unfortunately, the app has a bit of a downside: You need to hit the Remote Control button on the dryer each time you want to use the app. If you open the door, you’ll need to enable remote access again. While this isn't a big deal and the button is pretty easily accessible without stooping over, it still adds a hitch to the process.

What we don’t like

Somewhat lackluster cleaning performance

In the vein of “I’m not mad, just disappointed,” we wouldn’t say the Whirlpool WFW9620HC had poor cleaning performance, but on most cycles we tested it scored just below the average washer. On everything but the Delicates + Normal, which cleaned about 2% better than average, the Whirlpool WFW9620HC left about 5% more stains remaining compared to most washing machines we've tested. Does this 5% difference represent a significant gap in cleaning ability between the Whirlpool WFW9620HC and its competition? No. But it is slightly disappointing.

It often leaves laundry soggy

While the Regular + Normal and Regular + Heavy Duty cycles did a decent job of delivering mostly dry laundry, the Delicates + Normal and Regular + Quick cycles resulted in laundry that was significantly more waterlogged than average. While wet laundry is both heavy and (sometimes) drippy, the main downside is it takes a lot longer to dry—which is much less energy efficient than simply spinning out the water.

It's not gentle on laundry

To test wear and tear, we use mechanical action strips, which are pieces of fabric with holes punched out of them. After going through a wash cycle, we can count the number of threads that were pulled away to gauge how rough the washer is to clothes. In this case we found both the Normal and Delicates cycle were far less gentle with laundry than average.

On the Normal cycle, we counted about 50% more threads loosened than average (76 pulled threads versus the average of 51). The Delicates cycle resulted in more than twice as many loose threads as average (68 vs. 30). Typically, some degree of higher-than-average wear-and-tear damage can get a pass because the machine is really scrubbing clothes and getting out a higher-than-average degree of stains. This isn’t the case with the Whirlpool WFW9620HC, which, again, had slightly below-average cleaning performance.

What owners are saying

Owners are generally positive about their Whirlpool WFW9620HC, awarding it an average of 4.2 stars across major retailers. Owners really like its high capacity, quiet operation, and the app. Owners that were unhappy with their washer cite unclean laundry and cumbersome controls as their top two complaints.

Warranty

Whirlpool offers a one-year limited warranty on the Whirlpool WED9620HC. This is the baseline warranty in the product space. Other manufacturers will sometimes have extended guarantees for specific parts.

Should you buy the Whirlpool WFW9620HC?

Probably not. While the Whirlpool WFW9620HC definitely isn’t a bad washer, it just has too many quirks and shortcomings for us to recommend purchasing it at its current price. Even if it had impeccable performance we’d still caution users about its high cost, because there are some great washers out there for under $1000. With cumbersome controls, subpar cleaning, and cycles that leave laundry worn, torn, and wet, we’d recommend looking elsewhere.

If you’re interested in a front-loader with excellent performance and a lower price, we’d recommend our current top-rated washer, the Electrolux EFLS627UTT.