Hoover H-Wash 500 HD4106AMC Freestanding Washer Dryer, WiFi Connected, A Rated, 10 kg/6 kg, 1400 rpm, White, Decibel rating: 51, EU Acoustic Class: A

I decided to purchase this Hoover combined washer/dryer as there isn't space in our kitchen for two appliances and we had converted the garage in our home. I am so pleased with the device that I just wish I'd done this sooner! Our old washing machine was a Hoover and we'd always been really impressed with it so it was the natural choice to choose another Hoover appliance. We chose the H Wash-Dry 500 due to the large 10kg load capacity and also the Wi-Fi capability. The appliance was really easy to install and setting up the Wi-Fi connection was really simple, following the instructions it only took 10 minutes. I was eager to try out the machine and as a family of 4 who are very active I can always count on there being sufficient wash loads available to load up. The 10kg capacity in the washing function is very practical and the huge choice of programmes available on the app means there is a wash cycle for any situation. The machine is so quiet when it is running that you can barely hear it. Using the app I am able to have control over the machine and change to a spin cycle or change to the dryer function. There are many programmes to choose from when drying and I have made use of the refresh cycle when the clothes off the washing line just need a little extra effort to get them completely dry as we move into the autumn months. Overall I would really recommend this appliance to those with a busy family life who need some control over their washer and also anyone for whom space is precious in their home.

Good points: The washing machine is quiet, fast and effective. You can only really hear it when the spin cycle is on, which is limited to last 5-10mins of the wash. Note, you will need to ensure that it is properly levelled to ensure you get it to be as silent as this (I.e. no vibrations). The machine has a good selection of wash times, offering a quick 14min, 30min, 44min for smaller loads. I always just used the 44min wash and maybe have the machine half full/5kg - does it great. My clothes always come out very clean and smelling lovely, even at 30 degrees. As part of new legislation (UK), manufacturers need to provide a warranty for parts for up to 10years. Bad points: The fitters were hopeless, I had to direct them how to connect it up (which involves connecting the hand screw water supply, the push fit waste pipe, and plugging into the wall). It’s really not that hard, save yourself the £20 and do it yourself. Also, they didn’t level it and I was left with a rattling machine. If you have a wooden/laminate/unfixed floor like I do, expect vibrations/rattling of everything in the room. This can be minimised by levelling the machine properly, but you’ll want to invest in some rubber vibration feet (£3-5). Mine is practically silent now with no vibrations. The drying can take quite a long time, and I don’t think it would be useful for big items like lots of heavy towels. It’ll do the trick for underpants/socks/nylons etc. as long as you don’t overload it. I mean, it would dry towels, but it would take probably >3 hours and your salary on electric bills. My honest opinion: If you need it to be functioning as a dryer as much as a washing machine, it’s not for you. But if you’re like me and want a good washing machine with the added option of drying small things once in a while (for the price of a washer) then it’s great. I bought this for an absolute steal on prime day (£380 including fitting/removal of old machine) - just FYI if it may sway your decision on buying.

Great washer dryer

So far I've been impressed with the machine. Clothes have come out really clean, and the automatic drying programmes are drying the clothes for just long enough to get to the chosen dryness level, and so saving energy. The machine is much easier to load than my previous machine thanks to the big door and drum. So far I've started all my washes from the app. I thought it might be something where the novelty would quickly wear off, but I've actually found it really useful. Not only does the app let you choose extra programmes that you can't set from the machine itself, but it also gives you a fairly detailed description of each programme so you don't have to guess what it does from the name. It also tells you how environmentally friendly your chosen programme and options are, in terms of electricity and water use. There are definitely some bugs in the app, and some of the user interface could be a bit more intuitive, but overall it's a surprisingly useful way of controlling the machine, and I'll definitely carry on using it. I was hoping this machine would be quite a bit quieter than my old one, but it's probably about the same - it's not particularly quiet, but it's not unbearably noisy either. Most of the noise seems to come from the pump, which turns on at several stages in both the washing and drying cycles. It seems quite stable at even the highest spin speed, causing just a bit of vibration.

First impressions are that it’s a nice-looking machine. There’s not a lot to distinguish washing machines visually, but it’s smart and simple, with intuitive controls, and the instruction manual is clear. Having never installed a new washing machine before, I was a little apprehensive, but it proved surprisingly easy - a couple of pipe connections and plug it in to the mains socket. Connecting the machine to WiFi was fairly easy too - it could all be done by downloading the hOn Android app, and then pointing the phone at the QR codes on the WiFi router and the washing machine. There are a number of ways you can tweak the washing cycle on the hOn application, using either pre-built cycles or you can make your own. You can set a time-delay on the start of the wash, and I can see that being useful for setting up a wash late at night to start first thing in the morning. The app kept me informed with an estimated completion time for the wash, and once the cycle had finished I got a notification and was asked if I wanted to use the “refresh touch” option, to keep the clothes fresh in case I couldn’t unload it immediately. Everything came out clean, needing only a little drying. There are different drying setting for pre-ironing, putting away in a cupboard and extreme - I’ll explore those more to see what works best. I’ve done a couple of washes so far, and they’ve been quieter than my old machine (which was too noisy to be next to during a wash) and as far as I can tell from my smart meter, they’ve used less energy too. After the first couple of days, it’s a thumbs up! Some additional comments after exploring smart features - There is an option to set a washing cycle by taking a photo of your washing piled in front of the machine, but unfortunately you need about 2m of distance between the machine and your phone to frame it properly, so I couldn't test it. Another cool thing is that you can scan washing labels to build a clothing library, and configure your wash cycle using this.