While the LG WashTower WKEX200HBA has a relatively unique design, it won’t look alien to anyone who’s done laundry in an apartment complex. The integrated stacked single unit features a washer on the bottom, a dryer on the top, and a control panel in the middle, just at the perfect height.
Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan
We found the LG WKEX200HBA WashTower's control panel to be simple, easy to use, and located at a good height for accessibility.
Speaking of the control panel, it is made entirely of LEDs, and it is very easy to read. The digital buttons responds with a light touch, are large enough to push easily, and have a nice layout, with the cycle buttons on the left and the customization options off to the right.
This unit feels great to use, from the controls to the swing of its doors, to the quiet cycles in either partition.
About the LG WKEX200HBA WashTower
Dimensions: 74.38" x 27" x 30.38"
Capacity: Washer 4.5 cu. ft., dryer 7.4 cu. ft.
Finishes: White, black steel ($100 extra)
Cycles: Normal, Heavy Duty, Bedding, Speed Wash, Delicates, and Downloaded
Cycle options: Extra rinse, sanitize and steam, auto-recommends cycle based on last ran wash cycle
User manual: LG WKEX200HBA WashTower manual
What we like
Cleaning performance is better than average
Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan
The washer is located at the bottom of the device, has three agitation paddles, and is a good size for the average family, at 4.5 cubic feet.
On every cycle we tested (other than Delicates—we’ll address this later), the LG WashTower offered an above average performance. In terms of stain removal, it was able to get our test loads of laundry anywhere between 1% and 4% more clean than average.
What impresses us most is how quickly these cycles finished compared to average times. Normal wash finished in 35 minutes, which is, coincidentally, about 35% faster than the average washer’s cycle length. The Speed Wash finished in 16 minutes, which is almost twice as fast as the average quick cycle length.
With this kind of speed and cleaning performance, incorporated with the WashTower’s overall convenience and price, and we are happy.
Drying performance is solid on just about every cycle
Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan
The dryer, located at the top of the device, has a spacious 7.4-cubic-foot drum, large enough to accommodate most families.
LG's WashTower does a perfectly fine job drying laundry, and we really like how the device automatically assigns an appropriate drying cycle based on what cycle you selected for the washer. Just load your laundry in and hit start. It’s a nice feature that, while small, really does make the act of doing laundry feel a lot smoother.
If you'd prefer to mix things up, you can also manually select a drying cycle that differs from the associated wash cycle.
During testing, most drying cycles wrapped up in an average amount of time with 100% dry laundry. Again, nothing outstanding here, but nothing concerning either.
We also like the dryer's steam options, which can help relax and de-wrinkle material relatively quickly. Overall, using the dryer is a pleasant experience that doesn't disappoint, unless you are washing delicates (again, we'll address this later).
The LG WashTower's integrated design creates a smoother, more efficient laundry routine
There are a lot of small ways that the WashTower improves upon doing laundry over a traditional washer and dryer. The central control panel is integrated and located at a height that's easy to reach for, really, anyone. And, it's easy to operate, without a clutter of options that complicates cycle selection.
We also really like the unit's auto-selecting dryer cycle. You just load up your damp laundry, close the door, and hit start. With this said, you are still able to select a cycle of your choice instead.
As far as energy efficiency is concerned, the WashTower uses about 40% less energy per cycle when compared to other washer-dryer sets. This can be a boon for those looking to reduce their carbon footprint, and has the added bonus of saving you about $23 per year.
What we don’t like
Avoid using the Delicates cycle
Here is where we finally get to our concerns over the LG WashTower's Delicates cycle. In general, these are hard to get right, because they need to be gentle and use low heat. Some consumers will want their Delicates to come out of the dryer still feeling damp—and if so, you'll be even more happy with this unit's performance—while others will interpret any dampness after a Delicates cycle as a failure on the part of the dryer.
Even as the Delicates cycles can be a moving target, the WashTower's Delicates cycle performance is pretty off-base. When washing, it ends with items retaining 92.9% of their weight in water. While delicates cycles often have higher water retention rates, this is still 12% more than average.
The WashTower's Delicates cycle is not particularly gentle, either. We measure gentleness with a mechanical action strip, which allows us to track how many threads pull loose over a cycle. On average, Delicates cycles result in 30 pulled threads, whereas the WashTower's Delicates cycle resulted in 52 pulled threads.
When drying, conditions are better yet not ideal. The dryer's Delicates cycle took an average amount of time to complete, but clothes were still fairly damp afterwards, even compared to other Delicates cycles.
What owners are saying
This product is still fairly new (and fairly expensive) so there aren’t a ton of user reviews out there at the moment. This being said, the ones we did find were overwhelmingly positive, netting an average of 4.9 out of 5 stars. Users praised its ease of use and overall aesthetics. There were no negative reviews as of publication.
Warranty
LG offers its standard warranty to cover the LG WashTower WKEX200HBA, which has some of the better coverage out there. It covers one year for general parts and labor, the stainless steel drums are covered up to three years, and the direct drive motor is covered for up to ten years. The motor is the part that’s most likely to break down first, so ensuring it for up to a decade makes the WashTower a solid investment.
Should you buy the LG WashTower WKEX200HBA?
Yes. While it’s not perfect, it does enough right that we recommend it. Its stacked design and automatic cycle selection allows for a much smoother laundry process with fewer required user inputs. Controls are simple, intuitive and easy to reach, making it one of the best washing machines for short people. While it's not packed with features, it does have the big ones: steam and sanitize. Sanitize is great for new parents or those with particularly grimy jobs or hobbies, and the steam feature is an excellent way to de-wrinkle something quickly without needing to break out the iron.
One of its best features is just how cheap this product is as a unit. Individual washer/dryers with similar performance can run $700–$900 per unit, making the WashTower's street price seem like a bargain by comparison. And that it’s cheap to run is a nice perk on top of that.
If you’re looking for a new laundry setup, the LG WashTower is definitely worth trying out.
If you’re looking for a laundry center that's a bit more compact, we'd recommend checking out the Whirlpool WET4024HW. As a compact unit, it has a much smaller capacity in both its washer and dryer compartments compared to the WKEX200HBA, but it has great cleaning power and roughly the same price. If the WKEX200HBA is a bit too large for your space, the WET4024HW is a great alternative.
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
Meet the testers
Mark Brezinski is a senior writer with seven years of experience reviewing consumer tech and home appliances.
Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.
Checking our work.
We use standardized and scientific testing methods to scrutinize every product and provide you with objectively accurate results. If you’ve found different results in your own research, email us and we’ll compare notes. If it looks substantial, we’ll gladly re-test a product to try and reproduce these results. After all, peer reviews are a critical part of any scientific process.
Shoot us an emailJanuary 23, 2021 at 01:35AM
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