LG WT8600CB 5.5 Cu. Ft. Smart Top Load Washer review: for larger loads

For many years, I rented my washing machines, used the washing machines provided by my apartments, or went to a laundromat. When I moved into my house, my brother gave me his reasonably new washer and dryer set, and they did the trick- even if they were loud, and the washing machine didn't always do a good job wringing out water for bulky items. Because of this, I wasn't very aware of how technologically advanced washing machines are these days until I tested the LG WT8600CB 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer.

The LG WT8600CB 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer is sleek and ultra-modern but incredibly spacious with high-tech features like a glass touchscreen control panel and an automatic detergent dispenser. You can control the washing machine through an app and even utilize an AI wash feature (in addition to 27 other washing programs) that determines the settings necessary to clean a specific load. Tack on the built-in faucet that lets you pre-treat stains easily, and this washing machine has all the tools to make for a good wash.

Admittedly, all the bells and whistles are a bit loud, and it can take some time to figure out how to use the settings to achieve the best results. Even so, I wouldn’t go back to my old washing machine now that I’ve experienced this futuristic LG washing machine. Keep reading to learn more about the tests I ran on various fabrics and loads and my overall opinion of the machine.

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Alex Temblador

Alex Temblador is a Dallas-based award-winning author and freelance writer who has covered home, design, architecture, and art in publications such as Real Homes, Gardeningetc, Home & Gardens, Dwell, Architectural Digest, Tech Radar, Tom’s Guide, among many others. Her first home, a green Sears & Roebuck house over 100 years old, sits on half an acre of land and features a stunning wraparound porch, original hardwood floors, pocket doors, and a butler pantry. Alex loves to test yard tools, lawnmowers, and vacuums for Top Ten Reviews, Gardeningetc, Real Homes, and Homes & Gardens buying guides and reviews, which has helped to expand the richness of her first-time homeowner life. The Mixed Latine writer can usually be found working or relaxing in her outdoor spaces.

LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer: Key specs

LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer: Setup

LG offers free in-home delivery for this washer, and for only $29.99, they’ll install it, too. This was the route I took, and I’m happy that I did. Order it through other stores, but you’ll have to pay a delivery and installation fee.

I could schedule my delivery date and time, and the drivers contacted me before arriving. They uninstalled my old washer and dryer before installing the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer and the LG 7.3 cu. ft Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer.

The installation took about 30 minutes and was quick and efficient. I highly recommend going this route. Otherwise, you’ll have to follow the setup instructions in the guide. The setup process isn't complicated, but you'll have to unpackage the washer, connect the water inlet hoses, plug the power cord into an outlet, and level the washer.

When the delivery drivers left, I connected the washer to the LG ThinQ app with the convenience of QR codes and Wi-Fi. It took only a few minutes to complete.

LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer: Design & features

I am a massive fan of matte appliances now that I've tested the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer. There is something inherently sleek in the matte black look of this washing machine – and it doesn’t hurt that it contrasts with the full-width SlamProof glass door placed on top of the machine and the simplistically-style control panel.

Inside the washer is a stainless steel 5.5 cubic-foot tub. Without an agitator, there is plenty of space for large loads. I could fit a king-size comforter and 17 towels in the drum and still have about a quarter of space left.

LG designed the tub to be angled, allowing you to quickly and ergonomically reach for clothes at the bottom. At the top of the machine is the ezDispense Automatic Dispenser, which has a port for softeners and detergents. Once you fill up these ports (I don’t use softener), the machine will automatically dispense however much detergent or softener you need based on the wash cycle. The machine (and the app) will inform you when you’re low on either product, though you can always see the amount in the port thanks to two viewfinders on either side of the dispenser.

When powered off, the only visible thing on the black control panel is the knob which displays the date and time. To turn on the machine, you have to press the power button on the glass touch screen to the left of the knob. That’s when a seasonal splash screen pops up on the LCD knob screen. (Since I tested it during the holidays, a snowman appears on the screen. I can change the app screen whenever I wish.)

The knob cycles through the different wash programs and settings. A check mark button on the bottom of the knob allows users to choose an option. To the right of the knob is where you can adjust the temperature, spin, and soil by clicking on the words that appear on the screen. To the right of those buttons are four more buttons: Faucet, Settings, Deep Fill, and Delay Start.

LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer: Performance

The LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer offers a lot in a sleek and modern package. There are a whopping 28 different preset wash programs: Bright Whites™, Rinse + Spin, Juice&Food Stains, AI Wash, Baby Wear, Bedding, Econowash, Baby Bibs, Overnight Wash, Deep Wash, Delicates, Dresses, Heavy Duty, Kids Wear, Large Load, Normal, Perm. Press, Quick Wash, Small Load, Spin Only, PreWash+Normal, Sweat Stains, Swimwear, Towels, Tub Clean, Waterproof, X Large Load, and Single item.

Only 14 of the 28 programs are pre-loaded to the washing machine. I can add or remove the programs that appear on the washer through the app.

Before doing a load of laundry, I filled up the ezDispense reservoir with laundry detergent. I love the convenience of this automatic detergent dispenser as I’m never sure if I’m using too much or too little, and I hate how the detergent often spills on the washing machine or makes the dispenser cup sticky and gross. The automatic dispenser is entirely out of my hands until the washing machine and/or app notify me that it needs refilled.

I was very excited to use the water faucet feature. I don’t have a sink near my washing machine (which is in the garage), and it can be a hassle to pre-wash stains on clothing items in my kitchen and then take them into the garage to be washed. With this washing machine, I don’t have to do that anymore. Once I press the faucet button on the control panel and open the top door, water pours forth from inside the drum, allowing me to pre-treat a stain before washing the clothing item. The water shuts off automatically when I close the glass door.

With 5.5 cu. ft., I can fit considerable loads in this washing machine. I could easily fit a king-size comforter and 17 towels in the washing machine and still have a decent amount of room left.

One of my favorite aspects of the washing machine is how quiet it runs. The sound was 59-64 dB, depending on the spin speed. Admittedly, some washing machines are quieter, but my previous washing machine could be heard at the front of my house (the washing machine was in the back of the house in the garage), so this sound rating is a blessing.

I used several wash programs to see how well the washing machine works. This included AI Wash, Normal, Bedding, Towels, Quick Qash, and even Juice&Food Stains. Sometimes, I stumped over which program was best for a particular load of clothes. Other times, I wasn't sure if I made the right decision regarding temperature, spin speed, or soil level. In the past, I’ve rarely used anything other than cold water, normal speed, and average soil, no matter the load. However, using this washing machine has shown me that perhaps I’ve not been washing my clothes as well as I can because I didn't take the time to figure out the best combination of settings for an efficient wash.

Admittedly, so many options can be overwhelming, and I sometimes don’t make the right choices. This is not to say that my clothes weren’t clean, because I think they were, but I’ve realized that sometimes cleaning fabrics with fabrics or loads that are medium-heavy rather than heavy can result in a better wash. I'm also a bit more likely to play around with temperature settings and spin speeds.

You can always select AI Wash if you don’t want to consider which settings to use. Under this setting, the washing machine determines the load size and the materials and chooses the wash time, temperature, speed, and soil level. It’s pretty convenient.

No matter what wash program I used, what stood out the most was how well this washing machine wrings out the water – especially from bulky items. If I tried to wash my king-size duvet cover in my old washing machine, I’d have to run the Rinse & Spin cycle multiple times because the duvet would be soaked with water that dripped if I took it out of the machine. That’s not the case with the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer. Whether I was washing my king-size comforter, duvet cover, 17 towels, or a heavy load of diverse fabrics, the washing machine always finished the job by completely wringing out all the water.

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The most significant question users will have when using this washing machine is how well it cleans stains. To test this, I bought a plain white tee and stained it with different items: avocado oil, siracha, mud, coffee, red wine vinegar, red juice, and blueberries. I let the stains set for a few hours before I washed the test tee on Normal with cold temperature, the spin set high, and the soil set on medium heavy. The wash took one hour and five minutes. I washed the tee with a heavy load of various clothing items. I did not pretreat it with any stain-fighting products.

After I washed and dried the tee, I pulled it out and found it still had stains. While the red wine vinegar washed out thoroughly and most of the avocado oil had disappeared, the other stains were quite visible.

I rewashed the test tee with my duvet cover a few days later. Those were the only two items in the wash. I used the Heavy Wash program and set the temperature to warm with a high spin and a deep clean. I was glad to see that the juice stain disappeared completely. The other stains had lessened but were still noticeable.

Finally, I pretreated the tee with a spray stain remover, washed it on Quick Wash with a small load of clothes, and used the Juice & Food Stains setting with a high temperature, medium spin, and heavy soil setting. The wash took two hours long. From the first time I washed the tee to the final time, it's clear that the stains diminished, but not as much as I would've liked.

I can’t tell if this washing machine doesn’t do well with removing stains or if I’m not using it in the right way to remove stains. For testing purposes, I didn’t pre-treat the stains with a stain remover product or pre-wash them with water before washing them the first or second time. Normally, I would do both of these things for a better result. I’m also aware that washing stained clothes with cold water doesn’t favor the stain-fighting process.

This washing machine is a tool, and it will probably take me months to play with all the settings to see what works best and what doesn’t. I will concede that this washing machine may not be the best at removing stains, but I’m inclined to also believe that human error or human choices can affect whether a stain is removed completely or not.

All this is to say that I like using the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer. Washing my clothes is a lot easier and requires less work, and that’s exactly what I want in a washing machine.

LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer: Price & value

The LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer is currently priced at $999 on the LG site, which is $300 off the retail price of $1,299. It’s available at other retailers like Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Best Buy, with Best Buy and Lowe’s pricing it at $998.

With so many smart features, including app connectivity and 28 washing programs, I believe this is an incredible price. When bundled and bought with the LG 7.3 cu. ft Ultra Large Capacity Rear Control Electric Dryer with LGEasyLoad Door, AI Sensing, and Turbo Steam on the LG website, you can save even more.

LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer: User reviews

At the time of writing, there are only 31 reviews on the LG site (4 stars), 38 on Home Depot (4.7 stars), and 77 on Lowe’s (4.5 stars), with an average of 4.4 out of 5-star ratings overall. It should be noted that some reviews on the Home Depot and Lowe’s sites are pulled from the LG website.

Overall, the reviews are very positive, praising the washer for its large tub, sleek look, and a wide array of wash programs. Many love the ease of selecting the AI Wash program without considering the settings. The ezDispense reservoir is liked for the same reason.

Lower star ratings mostly have to do with technology. Some people have experienced glitches in the app or the washing machine and have struggled with customer service. Others find the large number of wash options overwhelming and the glass touch screen and knob selector confusing.

Would I buy the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer?

The LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer is a great washing machine overall. Installation and setup are easy, and it can handle large loads with a diverse set of 28 different wash programs. Not to mention, you can pre-treat stains with a built-in faucet. While it may struggle with stains, this might be partly due to human error, thanks to a slightly overwhelming number of wash settings and options. With AI wash and app connectivity, cleaning your clothes is much easier with this washing machine.

How does the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer compare?

The LG 4.5 Cu. Ft. Smart Front Load Washer was chosen as the best overall TopTenReviews washer of 2024. Admittedly, it’s a better choice for one or two-person households since it’s only 4.5 cu. ft. and stackable. Like the washing machine I tested, it has app connectivity but doesn’t have as many wash programs, settings, or even AI washing. The design differs, too, in that this one is a front load and has a lot of writing and buttons on the control panel.

Price-wise, the Asko W4114CW 2.8 Cu.Ft. Front Load Washer is more expensive than the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer. This is surprising because it’s not as big and has no built-in faucet. But at least it has 22 wash programs and lets you customize the wash mode, temperature, and spin speed. Unlike the LG, Asko’s detergent drawer is compatible with powder, liquids, and pods.

In terms of design, the Maytag's Smart Top Load Washer with Extra Power is more similar to the LG I tested. It’s 5.2 cu. ft. and has innovative features. Thirteen Wash programs are less than the LG’s 28, but for the less tech-savvy person, that’s more than enough and less overwhelming. In terms of stain fighting, the Maytag is like the LG in that you’ll likely need to pre-treat.

How I tested the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer

Over a few weeks, I used the LG 5.5 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart Top Load Washer in my house in Texas. I made sure to test the pre-set programs and settings with a variety of load sizes, materials, and items. Everything from maintenance to in-home delivery has been analyzed or tested.

Read more about how we test.