To be designated Green Choice, models must earn top scores in a variety of key environmental assessments, including these:
Design: We assess the appliance’s weight and dimensions to calculate the amount of material used in its manufacture and the environmental toll of shipping it.
Washing performance: We consider each model’s score in our washing performance tests.
Water efficiency: We gauge a washer’s total water consumption (hot and cold) per pound of laundry. Washers that minimize water usage by adjusting the water level based on the load size, and innovations like dual water systems, which reuse water from the rinse cycle, further enhance water conservation efforts.
Energy efficiency: We calculate how much electricity is needed to run a washer, heat the water it uses, and spin clothes post-wash.
Cycle time: Longer washing machine cycle times can save on water but may require more electricity, lowering a Green Choice score.
Other considerations include:
Where it’s made: We look at where an appliance is manufactured to estimate the environmental effect of transporting it to the American market. Machines made in North America get a higher score.
Gentleness: We consider how rough a machine is on fabric. The longer your clothes last, the less likely you are to have to replace them. Clothing manufacturing and disposal take a toll on the environment. According to the United Nations, the fashion industry is the second biggest consumer of water and is responsible for 2 to 8 percent of global carbon emissions.
Drum materials: We credit the washer if its drum is made of a durable material such as stainless steel. (Tubs can also be made from plastic or porcelain-coated steel, which have varying degrees of durability.)
Brand reliability: Machines that last longer reduce the frequency of replacement, minimizing waste and the demand for new resources. CR’s current brand reliability ratings are based on surveys of CR members who purchased 74,479 washing machines between 2014 and 2024. This rating estimates the likelihood that a particular brand and type of washer will break or experience problems within the first five years of ownership.
Price and warranty: A machine’s affordability also counts toward its Green Choice score. (Washers in our ratings range from about $450 to over $2,000 depending on the type, capacity, efficiency, and features.) Warranties on these machines range from one year—for most models—to seven years. You’ll see warranty information on the model pages of washing machines in our ratings.
