Free up laundry space with these stackable washers and dryers

If your laundry load seems to be growing by the week but your laundry room’s not doing the same, it’s time to rethink how you use the space.

So, what are your options when floor space is at a premium? The same as for home renovators and urban developers: go up. You have a couple of choices as long as you don’t have a built-in benchtop or cabinetry above your washing machine.

One option is wall mounting a dryer, but it’s not always practical, possible or desirable. For starters, you can only wall mount vented dryers, which are fairly light, not heat pump dryers, which are significantly heavier, but a more popular choice these days.

If your laundry walls are tiled, drilling into them is not always a simple DIY project either: you'll need specialised masonry drills and the confidence to navigate potential hidden plumbing or electrical surprises, or to pay for professional installation. Alternatively, you may live in rental accommodation and not be permitted to drill into walls, or simply not want to scar your laundry tiles with holes.

The other option for freeing up floor space is to stack your dryer on top of your washer, which can transform your laundry layout without the need to drill holes in the wall.

When it comes to laundry stacking, dryers always go on top because washing machines are heavier. You can only stack on top of front-loading washing machines, of course, because top-loaders require access from the top.

There are a couple of stacking strategies:

1. Universal stacking mat

This is a budget-friendly option for stacking a vented dryer on top of a front-loading washer. Simple to install, you just place the universal stacking mat on top of the washing machine and lift the lightweight vented dryer onto it. You're not locked into matching brands, and at around $60 it's a wallet-friendly solution. The downside? You're limited to older vented dryer technology, which means higher running costs and less energy efficiency, and the overall look may not be quite as stylish as with the next option.

2. Compatible stacking kit

The other solution is a stacking kit designed to precisely connect stacked washers and dryers from a specific brand. These often support heat pump dryers as well as vented models, and provide a sleeker, more integrated look for your laundry than a stacking mat might achieve. Fixing your appliances together more securely than a stacking mat, these kits can provide extra peace of mind. A lot of stacking kits also feature a retractable shelf strong enough to hold a full laundry basket, which can add practical, useable surface space to small laundries.

The modest capacity washing machine and vented dryer from this affordably priced brand, combined with a stacking mat rather than a kit, make this a space-saving combination that could also save your bank account from too much stress.

With slightly larger capacities than the Haier models, this front loader and heat pump dryer from German brand Bosch connect with a branded stacking kit. to achieve a uniform look in the laundry room.

At the upper end of the price range, Swedish brand Asko’s titanium front load washer, heat pump dryer and matching stacking kit piece together to create a cohesive laundry look with renowned Scandinavian quality and style.

Beyond individual stacking, you've got a couple of other space-saving options. Washer-dryer towers, like the LG Washtower (WWT-1209B) and Haier Laundry Centre, provide a pre-stacked solution. With seamless washer-dryer connection and a single control panel, they are unquestionably stylish options, though the available range of this style of laundry appliance is very limited.

All-in-one washer dryer combos are another option, combining washing and drying in a single unit. While this can be great when space saving is the priority, combos usually feature vented drying, rather than the more modern heat pump option, and a lot of people prefer to have two separate machines, each designed to perform one key function.