We have seen a lot of smaller and washer/dryer stacked units in condos. I haven’t paid attention to brands. The vrbo we are currently in has a new-looking full size Whirlpool washer and hot point dryer. They are side by side and we haven’t yet tried using them.
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We had a combo w/d in a small townhouse where we didn’t have space for anything else. It was ok for a secondary residence but would take a lot of getting used to for a primary residence. They do work though, it just takes forever.
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Some of the condos we have looked at have taken out the combo W/D and put in full-sized W/D but then they have to take out the kitchen cabinets and the W/D are basically in the space that divides the kitchen and living room. It’s a bit awkward for entertaining, but I guess more practical for everyday living. S and his wife have lived in condos with combo washer/dryer for several years and have never complained, so I guess you get used to what you get used to. It’s also just the two of them and no kids (for now), so that likely helps.
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Sorry for any confusion, I’m talking about the top model, which is very common around here in condos and other small spaces. I have never seen the bottom photo.
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We had thought of a combo washer and dryer, perhaps putting it on the level with our bedroom because lugging laundry down to the basement as we get older may not be so great. It wasn’t common in the US, but now the big makers have them out and they are prominently displayed.
We had a speed queen washer and it was rugged as heck (and heavy, too…huge direct drive motor and transmission with bronze gears). We ended up getting rid of it because for whatever reasons we had trouble getting someone to repair it in our area, and speed queens recommended service was as bad as Bosch repair (I suspect it was the mechnanical timer unit, and though I likely could have replaced it myself I didn’t have the time). We ended up with a large capacity Whirlpool top loader that doesn’t have an agitator, and so far it has been a honey. Sadly it has electronic controls but isn’t fancy, and given it likely has plastic drive components will likely go in relatively short time, but it works great. We have an older gas drier that is probably 20 years old if it is a day, that all it has needed was a new mechanical control unit.
When it is time for new units we buy the most basic ones we can. I don’t need wifi monitoring or AI enhancement to get my clothes clean, and KISS generally means it will last longer IME. Speed Queen was known for that, but I hear that the next generations no longer are the same, that they have cheapened them up and also put in more bells and whistles and the like.
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That’s definitely what we plan to do. Right now our only “necessity” to make our first floor pretty easily livable in older age is the laundry downstairs. We are hoping to renovate our first floor bathroom to include a spot for a stackable set.
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Someday if we moved to the downstairs den/guestroom (with pocket door to bathroom with shower) we’d have complication of laundry closet being upstairs with the bedrooms. But it’s unlikely that we both become unable to do stairs at the same time. I think of the plan as more of a stop-gap if one us has surgery or illness.
This washer/dryer apparently has WiFi? Does anyone know why an appliance would need WiFi and what it would use it for?
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At universities it can be helpful to remind students when their load is done. (Saw it on college tours years ago). At home, not as useful.
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We have a new Washtower, with wifi. It is sometimes useful especially on busy days or when kids are home and there is a lot to wash. I can see when W or D is done… can see how long til load is finished, etc.
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I’ve made A LOT of trips to the basement over the course of 3 different houses to check to see if a load is done - that’s pretty cool.
Could you start it over wifi so it will be done and ready to fold when you get home?
our appliances have wifi but we have never connected to them. Just seems like more opportunities to be hacked.
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Or data collected on habits?
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I never run appliances other than furnace and mini-splits (obviously) while I’m not at home. So this feature does nothing for me. Total waste of microchips for me personally.
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I like being present when running appliances especially washing machines. We have had a bunch of mishaps involving a lot of water overflowing. It’s embarrassing how many times it happened—a plastic bag that fell into the deep sink, a rag that fell into the sink, etc. 
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Having lived through water damage—not from an appliance—I wouldn’t leave any appliance running while not home. Water damage is not fun.
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Yes, we were fortunate that we heard the water splashing and were able to mop things up before our living room and great room floor was ruined. Fortunately, the kitchen opens to the outdoors so we just had to push all the water out the door and mop up everything with mops and bath mats. It’s been awhile since the last overflow, but it is a vivid memory we all have! If we lived in a condo, I have heard of condos causing water damage in adjoining units and units below—EXPENSIVE and extensive repairs for water damage.