My stacked unit was manufactured that way, and both the washer and the dryer are Extra Large Capacity, so when I need to wash large loads it is no problem. Additionally, I am 5'2" and have no problem reaching into the washer (toploading bottom of the unit) or into the dryer. Find one in a store (Lowe's, for example) and check it out for yourself before such a blanket statement as "not...ever." You might be surprised.

Laundry

Depending on the space, side by side is good so you can have a countertop above it to fold your clothes. Since I don't have much space, I bought big stackable machines and organized them in my tiny powder/laundry basement room !


Then, I designed also a laundry/bathroom with small size machines (one on each side of the sink) so the countertop would not be too high:

Nancy Sloop, you got it right. The new stacking models are not like the old two-in-one. Mine are LG extra large capacity, the same models that are side-by-side but just with a stack kit. They hold a queen comforter easily, and I have no trouble whatsoever reaching into the machines. A little bending and reaching are good for our bodies anyway! Yes I lost counter space for folding clothes, but gained storage. And that means more to me in this house.

But as I said in 2 previous posts, everyone has different needs. That's why there are endless possibilities. I agree, never say never.

Neither. One unit that does both and automatically switched from wash to dry. It is the most energy efficient using heat pump technology to remove moisture rather than inefficient heated tumbling with air blowing. Takes a bit longer per load but saves me much more time with not having to do all the load moving. Love my Tromm!

I don't have much room so stackable. However, if I could have my wish it would be a larger room with one washer and two dryers. Oh and plenty of counter space....a tv a window...sorry dreaming.

Integrated with an open floor plan kitchen

Side by side on a platform

If you have the room, go with side-by-side. Trust me.

It is absolutely insane to read that even nowadays, there are people who still laud top loaders. Top loaders use an astronomical amount of water and wash nothing. A front loader is just a sort of spatula that mixes dirt with dirt and uses something we are very quickly running out of: water.

Muriel,
so are you suggesting the ole wash board and a creek? Or??

Definitely side by side but in RED color!

Love the red too! Side by side -way more folding space!

By the way here in Australia, we use a clothes line mainly and only ever use a dryer when we need something urgently or its pouring with rain for a week! Our power bills are way too expensive to run a dryer as a matter of routine. I loved using one when I visited the USA, it was so fast! I did worry about the environmental cost of all that electricity though.

Muriel Geny-Triffaut, when posting it's usually not a bad idea to avoid sweeping blanket statements, especially those which could resemble personal attacks. "Insane?" Not if one recycles the gray water, as we do. And I would compare my wash side-by-side whatever means you champion any day in a cleanliness comparison. BTW, just what method are you championing? Just wondering...

I'm tall so the height for reaching isn't an issue, but what a bad design plan for LED controls that angle up on the top dryer. Can't see any of the settings. Considering taping an angled mirror on top of the dryer so I can see what cycle is selected.

I prefer side by side, but this house it's stackable, and in the hallway. Space is limited as we have a rental suite in basement which are stackable. Servicing them won't be fun though.

Janice

Does the top load lid on the washing machine of stackable open all the way. I have whirlpool and I was told that the lid should open a little more than 90 degrees mine opens about 75 degrees and is awkward to get wash in. This is my first time using stackable and I rent and wondered if it was installed properly. No one has mentioned difficultly with this.

Janice

I have a whirlpool front load washer and the door opens almost 180º (ie. almost fully) Is the door hitting anything when it opens? eg. wall, countertop, etc. I checked my installation guide and it says "when installing to make certain that door can open fully." I also took a good look at my door hinge mechanism but can't tell if there is something that could prevent the door from opening.

S

Side by side if you have the room, which I do!

Stacking only works well with front loaders. Yes, the old top loading stacking units have a small washer door. Hard to get blankets in and wet towels out.

I have LG washer and dryer, stacked with cabinets and counter next to it. Love it.

To Midmodfan:

I love the idea of a shelf between the two units, but haven't seen one advertised. Did you come up with the idea yourself? if so, how did you make or obtain it?

I'm still struggling with the decision of which way to go. My washer and dryer are not only getting old . . . but they're both in the garage, where unlike those of other, obviously more organized folks, the top of both machines have become a dumping ground for loose stuff in the garage.

I dream of the day when I can reclaim that extra floor space and use it for shelving and maybe a small table for folding. With a top loading washer now, I had all but given up on stacking, until I started to shop around and discovered front loading washers.

Ironically, we actually had a stackable pair w-a-a-y back in the late 1960s, when my husband and I rented a condo with a set that was enclosed in a closet in our tiny kitchen. I loved the convenience then . . . but always wondered what we would do if one of the units ever needed repairs. The thought always reminded me of the combination TV, radio/phonograph in a fancy console cabinet my parents bought in the 1950s. Any time one unit needed repair, the cabinet and all its components were hauled away for repairs.

It' still the reason I would opt for separate units today, even if most appliances can be repaired without leaving home these days.

My dryer died 5 years ago, and so I just use the washer and then hang my clothes out to dry. They smell great! And they stay in better shape too. All of the lint in the dryer is material from your clothing. In the winter I put them on the radiators to dry them, and it adds some moisture to the air so I no longer get dry skin winter itch from the heat. I am thinking of getting an LG combo with ventless dryer for under my counter in the kitchen though. I live in a very small house and the washer is in the basement. Have to go outside and then down the stairs thru the bilco doors (like we're not in Kansas anymore!) and it's getting to be more challenging these days! I'll probably not use the dryer very often for reasons mentioned above though.

Stackables allow for my 2 fav words......more storage

I lost track of the poster who mentioned that she wished her washer and dryer were the same height because it would be easier to handle her laundry. But these days, she might be able to find a pedestal to raise the height.

Meanwhile, I made the rounds of all our appliance stores yesterday, hoping to reach a decision during this weekend's sales. Was almost ready to settle for pair of stackable Samsungs, until I read more than a few owner reviews mentioning problems with their gas dryers. While shopping, I asked one of the salesmen at HD, who acknowledged that he's heard the same complaint, although his own Samsungs and the pair he bought for his mother have been OK so far.

The other "think Twice" experience I had was standing front of a stackable pair and trying to read the dial on the dryer. I'm a little shorter than I was years ago, but am still a little taller than 5'4" . . . and it was a stretch. The salesman's advice was "Better plan on getting a footstool."

Excanuck

I am 5'4" and have an LG front load washer & dryer. STACKED I have no issue reading the display and can easily reach the controls.. If I were 5'0" might be a tad difficult, but I am very pleased with my stacked arrangement - saves space in my dog room and is close to the bulk of my laundry.. I do leave the washer open when not in use and don't have any odor problems.. Kinda tacky but it is the dog room...

Thanks, Ppearace . . .

That's food for more thought. After submitting my last comment, I realized I was looking at a Maytag set when I had trouble viewing the controls. So maybe it was just that manufacturer that posed a problem. After the salesman confirmed the problem with Samsung gas dryers, I thought Maytag might be worth considering – if only because they've been around for 100 years . . . so hopefully I could count on them to be there for me if I ever needed them.

I have a LG washer and gas dryer... works like a charm

Good luck with your search

I prefer stackable's because they are space savers. They are also easy on your back especially when unloading the washer. You can place the loaded container on a tall stool next to the washer and transfer the load to the dryer without the excessive bending of unloading the washer then reloading the dryer next to it.

I'd love to stack my LG Front Load Washer/Dryer set... but... each appliance is 38.69" high. Stacked that's 77.38" or 6'4". I'm 5'3". The math doesn't work unless I put a step stool in front. Height challenged folks have you come up with a creative solution?

Pure Genius. Dryer controls that can be at the top or the bottom of the machine. http://www.consumerreports.org/clothes-dryers/kenmore-flip-control-dryer/

Prefer side-by-side with a countertop above for functionality. If space doesn't allow, than stackable would be perfect with perhaps a counter beside for folding.

Mine are side by side, my husband has built me platforms and in the middle drawers! He"s a great builder! Love this now I don"t have to bend down I can reach at my height!

I am wanting to move laundry from basement to main floor and into kitchen area I plan to remodel. I’m retired and live alone so units are not huge. So I’m looking at small closet or incorporated into cabinets but am undecided on what to do

Stackables are easier to reach but don't fit into many kitchen cabinets layouts or standard closets. If they are smaller than standard (Like Asko) they would probably fit into a standard closet stacking. We have placed them in the under the counters or island cabinets, if they fit. Definitely easier than the basement.

Always had side by side until my last house. When we remodeled our basement bath in order for everything to fit we stacked them. When space is limited they are perfect but I prefer them side by side for the folding surface.

Hello, I am living in 600 sq ft home, and am looking to move laundry up from unfinished basement which has an outside entrance. (picture Bilco doors, and “we‘re not in kansas anymore!”). It’s kind of treacherous In the winter getting to it. Can anyone recommend a good under counter washer dryer combo? I though LG had good reviews, but recent ones that I read weren’t so grand. Thanks.

We have Asko (smaller ones) washer and dryer and we are not impressed. It is however the only ones that fit under our counter and over the toe kick. We had good experience with LG and whirlpool.

@tinyhouse56 That’s quite similar to the situation we just solved here! Slightly larger house, but Bilco and “treacherous,” check! I’ll post it soon, but here we redid the one bathroom to incorporate stacked Miele W1/T1. Not cheap, but the alternative to the Bilco here was a hatch in the kitchen floor—I kid you not. Two weeks after machines are in, and it’s like a dream come true. The old TL machines are still in the unfinished basement, and I don’t miss them one bit. Huge life-changing improvement. Good luck :-)

Oh and I should have added, re: the OP’s question—now that I’ve had both, I could go either way. Side-by side on a plinth would be nice, but without plinth and with a counter works too, if you’ve got the floor space. I‘m tall and worried it might be too low to reach into the washer. Not at all, and I chose the stacking kit with a drawer (4.5” ht,) which puts the dryer at the perfect height for me. Much prefer this to reaching into a dryer on the floor to grab that elusive sock ;-) Absolutely love these machines!

@scottie mom When I moved in 27 years ago my uncle recommended a hatch to my 350 sq ft unfinished basement which is where my ”laundry room” is. I never would have thought of it on my own. The couple of contractors that I spoke with back then seemed to think that with the way things were configured that it would be very difficult and/or really expensive to do, and so I put that idea out of my mind. My uncle had suggested using some sort of counter balance or pulley system so that door would lift easily. I would love to see your pics though! And now I have joint issues so I have basically moved into my 600 sq ft first floor in my old converted summer bungalow. I do have a half floor above the front two thirds of my house, but that isn’t really used much nowadays because there’s not even a half bath up there. That’s another story. Been trying to figure where to tuck one in, but it’s nowhere near the water pipes on the first floor, so it would be another pain in the rear undertaking. Instead, I’ve just moved to the ground floor level. I really need to figure a first floor laundry solution to make life easier. And my only bathroom is on the first floor, but it’s 5’ x 6’ so a stackable laundry in there unit would not work unless I lose the tub, but I don’t want just a shower stall. I like a good soak ever now and agaIn!

It depends on the space your have in your laundry room. However, is the space allows, we'd say go for side by side washer and drier. That way you'll be able to create more space for folding all the laundry (because there's never enough space to fold laundry).

You can even add some shelves to create extra storage space.

Tip: Pick a creative design and a relaxing color palette for your laundry room - to make the time you spend doing laundry chores more enjoyable.

Here's a designed we picked for one of our recent projects: clean, simple and lots of storage spaces.

See more amazing ideas at www.gialluisihomesc.com.

I like side by side on pedestals so they are easier to reach in to. It also allows me to put stuff on top of them and eventually I plan to have cabinets above. The pedestal drawers below add extra storage.

I prefer side by side, and is what I’ve always had. However we just moved into a new place and the laundry room is way smaller. As a matter of fact, the stacked unit set up in the op is the layout I have saved in my Pinterest file.

No one has talked about transferring the laundry from the washing machine to the dryer. I have side by sides and the thing I don't like about them is that the doors are in the way and make it difficult to move the wet clothes to the dryer. I have been thinking about doing stackables for that reason. My thought is that it would be much easier to get the clothes from the washer to the dryer. Thoughts?

In general I like the stacked option IF you have a place to fold as it's less on your back. If you need a folding station then I would go side by side. Having a place right next to the dryer to fold is HUGE to me. For swings can usually be switched so just make sure you get a pair that you can install the for swings opposite each other (so when both open the doors are facing out and you can fit in the middle to transfer your laundry).

I thought of this when my washer & dryer were installed so I had the door hinges hung so the dryer door didn’t get in the way. My washer is also a top loader as I didn’t want water sitting in the front of the washer getting smelly.

You raise a good point and one to think about with the side by sides. Some washers do not allow for changing the door swings because of the need to seal with a front loader. In one house the plumbing for the washer was on the right so the front loading door swing was in the way and there was nothing that coud be done about that ... other than complain. When considering your options also consider the plumbing for the washer.

I love my LG washer and dryer side by side as it makes for a good surface to fold my laundry❣️

I'm thinking I like the stackable ones you see at Disney in your room lolol. Top load washer with front load dryer buy two of those or two wash/dry machines. Mom of 6 I just hate laundry and the good basic machines are so much faster. I'm over the "new" bells and whistles. Give me the basic $800 set and I'll kiss your feet. As soon we can we are getting ride of ours and considering these options. Might just stay with basic side by side but I really do like the stackable option with top load washer...crazy but then I don't leave the clothes piled on the dryer or washer.