Help your laundry room work smarter, not harder

Laundry is a chore that never truly ends, but the way we tackle it is changing. Spending hours sorting, soaking and hanging clothes is pretty thankless work. In 2026, the laundry picks worth your attention aren’t just the ones boasting more power, but also more care - and less effort on your part.

Sensors help save water and energy, automatic dosing takes the guesswork out of pouring detergent, and gentler cycles help your fabrics last longer.

Whether you're fitting a washer into a small apartment nook or a spacious laundry room, the right machine can make a real difference to your daily routine. Here are some of our popular picks in 2026.

If you've got a busy household, a washing machine with a generous drum size will let you wash larger - and fewer - loads. Regardless of how many people live in your home, or how grubby the laundry tends to be, machines that work out how much detergent and water you need make laundry day easier and more efficient.

The Bosch 9kg Series 6 with i-DOS automatic dosing is a leader in this regard. You fill the detergent and softener chambers once every 20-25 washes, and the machine dispenses the amount each load needs based on its size and how dirty it is. That takes the guesswork out of washing, saves you from dripping and helps you avoid wasting detergent. It also has an Iron Assist steam function to reduce wrinkles, so you can spend less time at the ironing board.

If you have a large family, the huge 12kg capacity drum of the Hisense 12kg Series 5i gives you heaps of space to make a big dent in the bottomless dirty laundry basket. The Hygiene Guard+ system uses steam and a sterile rubber seal to help reduce bacteria, which is handy if allergies are a problem for anyone in your home.

Despite the big drum, the Quick Wash can handle a half load (still a reasonably substantial 6kg of clothes) in 49 minutes, which can be handy when you need school uniforms or sports kits in a hurry.

For apartments without a dedicated laundry room, or for European-style laundry cupboards, slimline machines with shallow depths make a lot of sense. They fit generous-sized drums into a shallower cabinet, so they don't jut out past benchtops or cupboards.

The Haier 300 Series is a good example. The 8kg model is just 507mm deep and the 10kg model 565mm, so even allowing a few centimetres for power and plumbing connections, it’s less likely to protrude past surrounding cabinetry into the room. In addition to standard settings and cycles, both have an express 15-minute cycle for quickly washing a small load of lightly worn clothes and a pause feature that lets you chuck in a last-minute item within the first few minutes of the wash cycle. Haier's anti-bacterial treatment in the door gasket, meanwhile, reduces the likelihood of mould developing in the door seal.

Front loaders get most of the attention these days, but top loaders are still the go-to for people who prefer not to bend down to load and unload their washing. Two-in-one combos also have a loyal following, not just among those with limited laundry room space, but those who like the convenience of taking a load from dirty-to-clean-to-dry in one cycle. If space or budget is limited right now, these value-focused models from CHiQ could be just what you need.

If bending down to load a machine is a pain for your back or knees, CHiQ’s 8kg top loader is a good choice. With a One Touch Smart Clean program that senses the load and sets the water level automatically, and a soft-close glass lid that prevents accidental slams, you can check in on your wash if you need to.

If bending down isn’t an issue for you and you prefer the design of a front loader, CHiQ’s 10kg model is great for washing bulky items like doonas and winter coats. Pairing a large 530mm drum with smart load-sensing technology, it keeps things simple and efficient.

If you don't have the floor space for a separate washer and dryer, and stacking or wall-mounting aren’t options, CHiQ’s space-saving 8.5kg/5kg combo does both jobs in one. Pop your dirty clothes in before work and come home to a clean, dry load.

It's good for fitting under benchtops too, with its 577mm depth. Despite the compact exterior dimensions, it houses a large 530mm drum that allows for a better washing action and a Steam Wash function to help soften clothes and reduce bacteria.

The best laundry setup is the one that suits how you actually live. If you're always in a rush, quick cycles and automatic detergent dosing could ease things a little. If space is tight, a slimline front loader or a washer-dryer combo can help declutter.