What size washer do I need: cubic feet, loads and doorways

Nobody sets a washer size per person. I looked. What you get is bands from appliance retailers, and they disagree. I haven't run these machines, so capacities are maker figures, sizes come from spec sheets and store listings, and the one test-based comment belongs to Consumer Reports.

The bands, side by side

All three sell washers. Queen City's figures run well above the others, which is one good reason to take none of them as law.

The single hard number comes from Consumer Reports, whose guide says you need "at least 4.5 cubic feet" to handle a king-size comforter. Brothers Main agrees, and points out that one person with a king bed may need a bigger drum than a couple who wash only clothes. Homestar disagrees with itself on a queen: its table says 3.5 to 4.5 handles one, and its comforter list says at least 4.0 to 4.5.

Think in loads

Count what you wash in a week. Brothers Main's question is how much laundry you generate, more than how many people live there. It also warns that if you sort by color or fabric, a bigger drum may not cut your cycles much. Small loads several times a week don't need 5 cubic feet.

So ask two things. What's the largest item you wash at home? And would you pay a laundromat to do that one comforter a few times a year instead? In a small apartment, I'd let that second answer settle it.

Three machines, three homes

One or two people with a closet. The Bosch WGA14400UC holds 2.2 cu ft. That's under Brothers Main's band for two people, and inside Homestar's for one person in an apartment. So it fits a single person well and a couple who do laundry often. Bosch's sheet gives 33 1/4 by 23 1/2 by 24 1/4 inches, a footprint of about 4 sq ft (0.37 m²). It stacks with a kit, to a minimum height of 67 3/4 inches. The door is hinged on the left and isn't reversible, so check which way it opens against the wall.

Read the plug. Bosch's sheet lists 208/220-240 V and a 3-prong NEMA 6-15 cord. A standard 120 V laundry outlet won't do. Skip it if you can't change that, or if you'd ever wash a king comforter. It weighs 163 pounds, too, per Bosch. It costs $1,349.

A family of up to four, on a budget. The GE GTW325ASWWW holds 4 cu ft, and that sits in the family band of two of the three retailers. It's 27 in wide. Abt lists 44 inches tall, 27 deep, and 54 with the lid open, so check any shelf above it. Spin speed is 750 rpm. It's short of the 4.5 that Consumer Reports wants for king bedding, so skip it if that's your wash. List price: $699.

Four or more, with bulky bedding. The Samsung WA51DG5505AW holds 5.1 cu ft. That clears the comforter number. It's 27.56 in wide, and Abt lists it 29.44 deep and 58.38 tall with the lid open, on a footprint of about 5.6 sq ft (0.52 m²). Skip it if the machine goes under a shelf or in a tight closet. List price: $888. Prices checked November 2, 2026.

Consumer Reports' guide, drawing on washers it tested, describes top-load agitator models in general as rough on fabrics and thirsty, at about 20 gallons a load, against about 10 for a front-loader. Abt lists both the GE and the Samsung as agitator machines and as high efficiency, and CR puts high-efficiency top-loaders at about 13 gallons. So I can't say which figure applies to either. Ask before you buy.

Measure the way in

Brothers Main lists what to check: opening width, height with overhead shelving, depth with hoses, door or lid clearance, and the doorways and hallways on the way there. Queen City adds pedestal height. A closet upstairs is the case to worry about, so measure the stairs as well, and the turn at the top.

A dryer comes with its own questions. No vent at home? Read the LG ventless dryer review before you pick a washer, since a compact dryer pairs best with a compact washer. If the whole kitchen and laundry is being sized at once, what size refrigerator you need uses the same approach. And the home sizer or the washer list will narrow this to your own household.