BBy Bikram Nath·Researched from UK Amazon listings·Updated 2026-08-23·7 products compared
What are the best washing machines under £400 to buy in the UK?
Our top pick for Washing Machines Under £400 in the UK is the Candy Quick Pro 9kg Washing Machine, 1400 RPM.
For UK households who want a full-size machine without stretching past 400 pounds, the Candy Quick Pro 9kg is the strongest recommendation — an A-20% energy class, a 9kg drum, a 1400 RPM spin and eight quick cycles cover almost every household laundry pattern without paying for features you will not use.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This guide contains Amazon affiliate links, and we may earn a commission — at no extra cost to you — but it never changes our rankings.
Under £400 is where the UK washing machine market stops asking you to compromise. A 9kg drum, a 1400 RPM spin and a genuine energy class are all standard at this price in 2026, and the better machines add a BLDC inverter motor, a steam programme or a slim sub-500mm cabinet on top. The bracket suits the largest group of British buyers: families of three or four replacing a machine that has finally died, first-time buyers fitting out a kitchen, and anyone who has decided the under-£300 tier asks too much of a 7kg drum. Brands to know here are split into two camps. Hotpoint and Hoover are the familiar UK names with wide service networks and easy spares; Candy sits between the two, and Midea and COMFEE' are the newer entrants competing on specification rather than on reputation. Hisense and HYE cover the bottom of the range. The single most important number to read is the energy class, because A, A-10% and A-20% are three genuinely different machines hiding behind the same first letter — and the second most important is the cabinet depth, since a standard UK kitchen run is 600mm and a slim machine buys you a tidier door line rather than a whole extra cupboard.
Buying guide
What should you look for in Washing Machines Under £400?
1Capacity first: 7kg suits one or two people, 8–9kg covers a family of four washing three times a week, and 10kg is for larger households or anyone who prefers fewer, fuller loads. Under £400 a 9kg drum costs no real premium, so undersizing is a false economy.
2Read the energy classes properly — A, A-10% and A-20% are not the same thing. An A-20% machine uses roughly a fifth less electricity than a plain A-rated one on the Eco 40-60 cycle, which is the cycle the label is measured on, not the cycle most people actually select.
3Measure the depth, not just the width. UK kitchen worktops are typically 600mm deep and standard machines fill that; slim models at 495–500mm leave clearance, but check whether the quoted figure includes the door handle, control knob and rear hose connections.
41400 RPM is the sensible UK default. Faster extraction leaves less water in the load, which matters more in Britain than in drier climates because most drying happens on an indoor airer from October through March.
5Budget for installation and old-appliance removal separately. Amazon delivery on large appliances does not usually include plumbing the machine in and testing it, and take-back of your old machine normally has to be arranged at the point of order rather than afterwards.
6Check what the guarantee actually covers and when it starts. Cover lengths vary by brand and some manufacturers require online registration within a set window to activate the full term — do it the day the machine arrives, not the day it breaks.
Our process
How do we choose our picks?
We don’t lab-test products ourselves. Instead we synthesise the strongest independent evidence — current Amazon UK listings, verified-buyer feedback, published specs and UK pricing — into clear, honest recommendations. We earn a commission if you buy through our links, but that never changes which products we rank.
Current UK availability
We only shortlist products actively listed and in stock on Amazon UK, checked against live catalogue data — not last year’s models.
Publicly visible buyer feedback
We look at how each product is received by UK shoppers — its overall rating standing and the praise or complaints that recur in public reviews — rather than relying on a single reviewer’s opinion.
Published specs & value
We compare manufacturer specifications, typical UK price bands, warranty and running costs so each pick is right for a real budget and use-case.
UK-specific fit
We factor in UK voltage, plug/fitting standards, CE/UKCA marking and Consumer Rights Act cover — details that generic global lists miss.
8 quick wash cycles including a 39-minute mixed-fabrics cycle
60+ dedicated cycles via the hOn app
Anti-Stain technology
Power Mix, Turbo Wash, Steam Care
Cold / 20°C / 40°C / 60°C temperature settings
15, including Eco 40-60, Wool, Sports, Baby Care and Extra Hygiene
Spin Speed
1400 RPM
—
1400 RPM
1400 RPM
1400 RPM
1200 RPM
Energy Rating
A-20%
A-20%
—
A-10%
A
B
Quick Wash
14-minute rapid cycle
—
—
—
15 and 45 minutes
30 or 49 minutes for a 2.5kg load
Colour Options
White
Graphite & black
White
—
—
—
Motor Type
—
—
—
BLDC inverter
BLDC inverter
Durable inverter
The rankings
The best Washing Machines Under £400, ranked
1
Candy
Best Overall
Candy Quick Pro 9kg Washing Machine, 1400 RPM
The strongest all-rounder under £400: a 9kg drum, a 1400 RPM spin, eight quick cycles and an A-20% energy class matched only by the Hoover Series 3 in this guide.
Capacity
9kg
Spin Speed
1400 RPM
Energy Rating
A-20%
Quick Wash
14-minute rapid cycle
Programmes
8 quick wash cycles including a 39-minute mixed-fabrics cycle
Colour Options
White
What we like
+A-20% energy class — 20% more efficient than a standard A-class machine, on the cycle the label is measured on
+Eight quick wash cycles, including a 14-minute rapid wash and a 39-minute programme for mixed fabrics
+Anti-bacterial treatment protects the detergent drawer and door gasket from mould and bacteria — the two spots that smell first
+MixPower System sprays pre-mixed water and detergent straight onto the load, and Smart Spray rinses the gasket clean during every rinse
Worth noting
–No steam programme, unlike the Hisense, COMFEE' and Midea picks in this guide
–No app or Wi-Fi control — the Hoover Series 3 is the only connected machine here
£269.00Amazon.co.uk price as of 19 Sept, 13:00 (London time). Details
The pick for larger UK households: a 10kg drum with an A-20% energy class and Quiet Mark accreditation, plus app control that none of the other machines here offer.
Capacity
10kg
Energy Rating
A-20%
Drum
XL Soft Drum
Connectivity
hOn app with Scan To Care
Programmes
60+ dedicated cycles via the hOn app
Noise
Quiet Mark accredited (AI Silent Motion)
Colour Options
Graphite & black
What we like
+10kg drum — the largest in this guide, aimed squarely at family-sized loads
+A-20% energy class, operating 20% more efficiently than a standard A-class machine
+Quiet Mark accredited with AI Silent Motion reducing vibration — the only accredited-quiet machine in this guide
+hOn app unlocks 60+ cycles plus Scan To Care advice on cycles and detergent dosage — the only connected machine here
Worth noting
–Hoover does not quote a maximum spin speed for this model, so confirm it before buying if you air-dry indoors
–Graphite and black is the only finish listed — a mismatch if the rest of your kitchen appliances are white
£349.00Amazon.co.uk price as of 19 Sept, 13:00 (London time). Details
A well-equipped slim 9kg machine: steam wash, a BLDC inverter motor and a 50cm cabinet, for buyers who want hygiene cycles more than a headline energy class.
Capacity
9kg
Spin Speed
1400 RPM
Energy Rating
A
Depth
50cm
Motor Type
BLDC inverter
Quick Wash
15 and 45 minutes
Programmes
Cold / 20°C / 40°C / 60°C temperature settings
What we like
+Steam wash rated to eliminate 99.9% of bacteria without running a boil wash — useful for bedding and baby clothes
+50cm depth slots under kitchen cabinets, into bathroom corners or along narrow corridors
+BLDC inverter motor with reduced friction for quieter running and a longer service life
+15-minute and 45-minute quick washes for small, lightly soiled loads
Worth noting
–Energy Class A rather than the A-10% or A-20% classes quoted by the Midea, Candy and Hoover picks here
–COMFEE' is a newer name in UK white goods, with fewer local service engineers than the established brands
£269.99Amazon.co.uk price as of 19 Sept, 13:00 (London time). Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of 19 Sept, 13:00 (London time) and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Editor's Note
The step from under-£300 to under-£400 buys two things in 2026: a better energy class and a bigger drum. Candy and Hoover both quote the A-20% class here, and that is the single specification most worth paying for, because the Eco 40-60 cycle it is measured on is also the longest-running cycle on the machine. Connectivity is the other addition at this price, and the honest advice is to ignore it unless you will genuinely use it — Hoover's hOn app is the only one in this guide, and app-driven cycles are a convenience rather than a cleaning improvement. One practical UK note that catches buyers out: a standard kitchen run is 600mm deep, and a machine quoted at 495mm or 500mm still needs clearance behind it for the waste hose and the cold fill, so a slim cabinet buys a tidier door line rather than a full extra 100mm of usable space. Finally, note which listings publish nothing: the Hotpoint and HYE machines here do not state an energy class at all, and Hoover does not publish a spin speed for the Series 3.
Our Take
Most buyers in this bracket should take the Candy Quick Pro 9kg and stop there — it is the best balance of drum size, energy class and cycle speed on this list. Choose the Hoover Pro Wash Series 3 instead if you need the biggest drum here for a household of five or more, since it is the only 10kg machine in this guide and the only one with app control. If your kitchen alcove is the constraint rather than your budget, the Midea's 495mm cabinet is the shallowest depth quoted here. And if you are furnishing a first flat for one or two people, the Hisense 7kg does everything you need at the bottom of the range — just accept the 1200 RPM spin and plan for a longer dry.
Questions & answers
Frequently asked questions
What can you get for under £400 on a washing machine in the UK?
At this price in 2026 you can have a 9kg or 10kg drum, a 1400 RPM spin and an A-20% energy class from established brands. Steam programmes, BLDC inverter motors and slim sub-500mm cabinets are all available too, though usually not all on the same machine. What you generally do not get below £400 is app control — the Hoover Pro Wash Series 3 is the exception in this guide.
Is an A-20% washing machine worth the extra over an A-rated one?
A-20% means the machine uses roughly 20% less electricity than a standard A-class model on the Eco 40-60 cycle the energy label is measured on. Whether that repays the difference depends on how often you wash: a household running five or six loads a week will see it far sooner than a single person washing twice. If you mostly use short quick cycles rather than Eco 40-60, the real-world gap narrows considerably.
What size washing machine do I need for a family of four in the UK?
8–9kg is the usual answer for a UK family of four washing three or more times a week. The Candy Quick Pro, Hotpoint NSWF 946 W, Midea, COMFEE' and HYE picks in this guide are all 9kg. Step up to the 10kg Hoover Pro Wash Series 3 if you have five or more in the house, or if you would rather run two big washes a week than four small ones.
Do I need a 1400 RPM spin in the UK?
It helps more here than in drier countries. A faster final spin leaves less water in the load, so clothes dried on an indoor airer between October and March take noticeably less time and put less moisture into the room. Five of the seven machines in this guide quote 1400 RPM, the Hisense WF1G7021BW quotes 1200 RPM, and Hoover does not publish a figure for the Pro Wash Series 3.
Does a slim washing machine hold less laundry?
Not necessarily. The Midea and COMFEE' picks here quote 495mm and 50cm cabinet depths while still holding 9kg — the same drum size as the Hotpoint, Candy and HYE machines in this guide. Always check whether the quoted depth includes the door, the control knob and the rear hose connections, because that is where a slim machine can still catch on a worktop overhang.
Is installation included when you buy a washing machine on Amazon UK?
Usually not. Delivery on large appliances typically means delivery to a room of your choice rather than plumbing the machine in and testing it. Budget separately for an installer if you are replacing an old machine or connecting to an existing standpipe, and arrange removal of the old appliance at the point of order rather than after it has been delivered.
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. UKPicks earns a small commission from qualifying purchases made via links on this page. This does not affect our editorial recommendations or the price you pay.
