Nestled down in the South-East of South Korea is the bustling city of Busan, a crowded conglomerate of gleaming skyscrapers, Buddhist temples, and beautiful beaches.
Home to over 3.3 million people, it’s also the base of one of the world’s biggest technology manufacturers, LG, and by ‘base’ what I actually mean is that LG IS Busan, with roughly eleventeen or possibly twelvety thousand people working for the tech giant in its countless labs and manufacturing plants in the city. And I know, because I’ve been there, toured a small percentage of LG’s operation and endured the absolute sheer scale overload of its business in Busan.
Admittedly, this was some years ago, and an invitation to return this year had to be declined due to some idiot misplacing my passport (yes, to save the suspense, that idiot is me), but what I saw last time, particularly in the appliance divisions, gave me privileged insight into how LG became the behemoth it is today, those appliances scooping up over US $23 billion in revenue last year alone. And a lot of that is down to its washing machines division, which has been the leader in the world market consistently for many years.
Today, in the UK market, LG offers some 112 different models, across a diverse range of colours and capacities, energy ratings and, of course, features and functions, which made the whole task of selecting the ‘Best’ for these hallowed online pages quite a challenge.
However, sticking with size to narrow things down, as I have with my other recent round ups of Samsung, Beko, Hotpoint, Bosch, and Miele washing machines, once more I’ve selected the best of the LG bunch when it comes to small, medium and large capacities, but here adding the extra dimensional dimension of “colossal capacity”, as that’s also an option LG offers.
So, fully aware I’m stating that size matters, I’ve managed to painstakingly boil down that epic 112 models massively to a quartet that I think best demonstrates LG’s quality in both build and innovation. All well under £1000 and all packed with the cutting-edge laundry nous Lucky Goldstar (yes) is known for; time to give LG a spin…
Best LG washing machines at a glance:
- Best for small capacity: LG Counter-Depth MAX F2Y508WBLN1 - £480, LG
- Best for medium capacity: LG spin AI Direct Drive F4X7009TBB - £850, LG
- Best for large capacity: LG spin AI Direct Drive F4X7511TSB - £649, LG
- Best for colossal capacity: LG AI DD ezDispense F4Y913BCTA1 - £799, LG
LG Counter-Depth MAX F2Y508WBLN1
Best for: small capacity
Small, but perfectly formed, as the old idiom would have it, this 8kg capacity laundry lugger not only comes in at £20 under £500, it also comes energy efficiency rated at a money savingly marvellous ‘A-10 per cent’, so not only will it help keep your clothes clean, it’ll also help keep your pennies and pounds safe from the ever-grasping claws of the power companies.
With a top spin speed of 1200rpm, the MAX F2Y508WBLN1 comes packing a fulsome 14 programmes to tackle the toughest stains and tickle the most delicate fabrics, including Allergy care, Cotton, Cotton turbo, Delicates, Duvet, Easy care, Eco 40-60, Mixed fabric, Rinse+Spin, Speed 14, Sportswear, and an AI wash which senses the weight of load and fabric softness to automatically optimise the wash cycle. And on top of all that comes the options to run a half load, an intensive wash, a pre wash, or a rinse cycle, which should cover most foreseeable fabric stain misadventures, plus ‘LG Steam’ which, as the name might suggest, uses steam to kill off up to 99.99 per cent of bacteria on clothes, taking the concept of ‘clean’ to whole new heights.
Mercifully free from the complications of apps and Wi-Fi, the MAX F2Y508WBLN1 features a nicely clear and concise LED display, complete with touchscreen and control dials, so there’s no chance of fumbling the app and accidentally emailing your dirty unmentionables to your manager. If, indeed, there was ever a chance of that.
Finally, with an operational volume of just 71dB at full spin throttle, the lower capacity LG is hardly going to disturb your sleep or haunt your dreams when you stick it on during the cheaper off-peak wee hours of the night – the ultimate cherry benefit atop the icing of a very feature-packed and frugal washing machine cake.
Buy now £480.00, LG
LG spin AI Direct Drive F4X7009TBB
Best for: medium capacity
Knocking capacity up 9kg, the F4X7009TBB is a lean, mean washing machine designed to more than meet the demands of medium-sized households, and it comes, in this chosen iteration, in a decidedly modish Matte Black that will certainly add a soupçon of Stygian style to your kitchen or utility room, if you’re latter-wise posh.
Rated ‘A’ for energy efficiency, this LG revolves at a rapid 1400rpm to spin more saturation out of the load for shorter drying times, while 13 programmes give you the likes of Allergy Care, Bed Sheets, Cotton, Delicates, Down Jacket, Duvet, Easy Care, Eco 40-60, Mixed Fabric, Speed 14, Sportswear, Turbowash39, Wool, and the AI wash as documented in the 8kg above. Whilst other options include pre-wash, rinse+, add item, and ‘LG Steam’ to bump off any nasty bacteria clinging to the skin of your washables.
Wi-Fi enabled, while the LED display and controls are all perfectly intuitive and easy to operate, those with a more techie bent might want to lean into the LG ThinQ app on their smartgubbins of choice to delve deeper into automated options, controlling functions from the convenience of the palm of your hand and a location nowhere near the LG.
Available in the aforementioned Matte Black or, if that’s not your washing bag, also White in the guise of the F4X7009TWB. On which final point, this more traditional, achromatic option usually costs £830, but, always striving to bring you appliance class acts at savagely cut prices, this model is currently reduced right down to £749, so there’s a real bargain waiting to be grabbed for the cash-counting wet-spinner savvy.
Buy now £850.00, LG
LG spin AI Direct Drive F4X7511TSB
Best for: large capacity
Upping the capacity ante to a massive 11kg to clean-cater for the expansive family empire, this is the LG spin AI Direct Drive F4X7511TSB, a machine so ludicrously energy efficient, it has been granted an ‘A-30 per cent’ rating which, for those who don’t know, means it’s rated some 30 per cent more easy on the energy than the top ‘A’ rating, so electricity, water, planet and pounds will be saved in equal measure.
Revving up to 1400rpm for quick drying post wash, the F4X7511TSB comes rammed to the rim with 20 aplenty programmes to deal with any dirt-based eventuality, such as Baby care, Bedding, Blouse/shirt, Cold, Cotton, Delicate/silk, Down wear/duvet, Easy care, Eco 40-60°C, Hand/wool, Hygiene/anti-allergy, Microfiber, Mix, Quick, Quick 14min, Rinse & spin, Silent, Spin/drain, Sport, Towel, and Smart AI, for easily listed example. This latter Smart AI feature teaming up with LG’s AI Direct Drive to detect load size and fabric type before intelligently working out the best motion for optimal care of your clobber.
With ‘ezDepense’ also on hand, to auto-dose detergent based on load size, this little launderer even remembers your fav cycles and auto selects them, thus making you even more redundant in the whole domestic drudgery scheme.
Naturally at this level, LG’s ThinQ is present to let you hook your smartphone or tablet wirelessly with the washer to wield complete control over its ablution actions, whilst ‘LG Steam’ is also front and centre, ready to kill off 99.99 per cent of bacteria to keep your clothes as clean as a high-pitched simile.
And here’s the best bit, currently priced at £649, that’s a reduction of a whopping £400 on the F4X7511TSB’s usual price tag, so if you have a large, messy family and are keen to save buckets of bread now and in the future, cease your staring here and head to the link below.
Buy now £649.00, LG
LG AI DD ezDispense F4Y913BCTA1
Best for: colossal capacity
Now, if the human contents of your household are not just big but bordering on the behemothic, as clearly capacious as the 11kg mega machine above may have appeared, now we stagger to Brobdingnagian levels of laundry handling, with the mastodon of LG’s washing machine range, the AI DD ezDispense F4Y913BCTA1.
A 13kg capable, AI-enhanced option with a planet-friendly ‘A’ energy efficiency rating, seen here in Platinum Black, a spin speed of 1360rpm is a tad of a step down from the expected 1400rpm, but still ample enough oomph to cut drying time down considerably.
Featuring an all-encompassing 14 programmes, namely: Allergy care, Cotton, Delicates, Download cycle, Duvet, Easy care, Eco 40-60, Hand/Wool, Mixed fabric, Rinse+Spin, Speed 14, Sportswear, Tub clean, TurboWash 39, and AI Wash for the automatic sensing of load and fabrics and subsequent smart selection of cycle. Then there’s exDispense, as seen in the name, that auto-doses your laundry with detergent according to weight, and ‘LG Steam’ to utilise the power of hot vapour to bring about the brutal end of bacteria. So, pretty comprehensive on the all-round cleaning front.
Then comes ThinQ, LG’s smart-things app for phone or tablet to allow you to exert unwavering remote command over the AI DD, monitoring energy consumption, conducting online maintenance, picking programmes, and even giving orders to your appliance using voice control alone. Also featuring, of course, a large LED display, touchscreen and dial for those who prefer the hands-on approach, the AI DD ezDispense F4Y913BCTA1 is big, brilliant, beautiful and – as you can see – bodacious in Black. Though I probably should add that White is available too, but not as bodaciously.
Buy now £799.00, LG
