REVIEW – Doing laundry isn’t one of my favorite jobs, but it’s as sure as death and taxes. Clothes get dirty, and keeping them clean can be a pain. LG’s WM6998HBA Washer/Dryer Combo makes the chore easier with a boatload of fancy features. I liked it so much I bought the companion “Sidekick” washer!
What is it?
The LG WM6998HBA is a combination washer and dryer used for cleaning clothes.
The LG WD100CB is a small-capacity washing machine installed under a compatible LG washer/dryer.
What’s in the box?
LG WM6998HBA:
- WM6998HBA washer/dryer
- Non-skid pads
- Hole caps
- Wrench
- Tie straps
- Drain hose elbow bracket
LG WD100CB:
- WD100CB washer
- Water supply splitter hoses
- Water drain hose
- Water drain hose splitter
- Band clamps
- Cable ties
- Long sheet metal screws (18)
- Short sheet metal screws (5)
- Wrench
- Non-skid pads
- Detergent dispenser cup
Hardware specs
LG WM6998HBA:
- Model: WM6998HBA
- Capacity: 5.0 cubic feet
- Two-in-one washer and dryer
- Internal heater
- Steam cleaning
- 27-inch width
- Colors: Black steel and graphite steel
- Touch buttons
- LCD
- Energy Star certified
- CEEE tier 2
- IMEF: 2.92
- IWF: 2.9
- Number of wash/dry programs:
- 30 Wash+Dry, AI Wash+Dry, Normal, AI Wash, Bedding, Delicates, Towels, Quick Wash, Heavy Duty, Allergiene, Perm.Press, Dry Only, Delicates Dry, Perm Press Dry, Tub Clean, Bright Whites, Sanitary, Rinse+Spin, Spin Only, Hand / Wool, Active Wear, Swimwear, Kids Wear, Jeans, Dresses, Color Care, Sweat Stains, Small Load, Large Load, XL Load
- Number of wash options: 18
- TurboWash, Steam, Fresh Care, Pre-wash, Remote Start, Delay Wash, Wi-Fi, Add Item, Extra Rinse, Control Lock, Drum Light, Cold Wash, Detergent Level, Softener Level, Signal, Cycle List Edit, Cycle Optimization, Softener Tank Use
- Number of wash temperatures: 5 (Extra Hot, Hot, Warm, Cold, Tap Cold)
- Spin speeds: 5 (Extra High, High, Medium, Low, No Spin)
- Max RPM: 1300
- Water levels: load sensing
- Number of soil levels: 5
- Dry modes: Normal, Damp, Energy Saver, 30min, 60min, 90min, 120min
- AI wash and dry mode
- TurboWash 360 technology
- LoadSense equipped
- Steam Technology equipped
- Allergiene equipped
- Cold Wash option
- Soil Level Sensor
- TrueBalance Anti-vibration system equipped
- Four tray dispensers (Detergent, Softener), Main Wash, Bleach(cup))
- End-of-cycle signal
- LoadSense
- Control lock
- Automatic suds removal
- Levelling legs
- Drum light
- Lint filter
- Auto clean condenser
- LG ThinQ technology equipped
- Smart Diagnosis 3.0
- Wi-Fi enabled
- ThinQ Care
- Remote start/cycle monitoring
- Energy monitoring
- Tub clean coach
- Inverter direct drive motor mounted horizontally
- NeverRust stainless steel drum
- Cabinet material: painted steel
- Door material: glass/chrome
- Door cover: tempered glass
- AAFA certified
- UL Listed
- Voltage: 120V, 12 amps
- Pedestal capable (models WDP6B and WD6PV, Sidekick washer (WD300CB and WD300CV)
- Pedestal dimensions: 27 x 13.-5/8 x 33-1/8 inches
- Sidekick pedestal washer dimensions 27 x 14-1/8 x 30.34 inches, 50-1/2 open)
- Product dimensions: 27 x 39 x 33-1/8 inches
- Depth with door open: 57-3/4 inches
- Carton dimensions:29-1/8 x 41-7/8 x 33-3/8 inches
- Weight: 246.9 pounds (260.2 pounds carton weight
- Warranty
- One-year parts and labor
- Ten years direct drive motor
- Three years drum
- UPCs: black steel 195174070161, graphite steel 195174077313
LG WD100CB:
- Power: 120V, 60Hz
- Minimum water pressure: 10 PSI
- Maximum water pressure: 120 PSI
- Dimensions: 27 x 30-3/4 x 14-1/8 inches, 50-1/2 inches when open
- Net weight: 100 pounds
- Maximum spin speed: 700 RPM
Design and features
My 30-year-old washing machine has been acting wonky lately and needs a new timer. I’ve been able to nurse it back to health a few times, but parts are becoming scarce, and waiting weeks to do laundry, visit Mom’s, or take a trip to the laundromat isn’t ideal. When the LG washer came up for review, I was thrilled and relieved that I didn’t need to track down an aging mechanism and an ever-increasing pile of soiled garments would be tamed.
Initially, the cost of the WM6998HBA was about $3000 – similarly priced to a washer and dryer pair. The price has dropped to about $2000 in the past month, making it a bargain in my book.
The Washer/Dryer arrived in a large box, strapped to a pallet. It’s a hefty 260 pounds, so you’ll need to combine all the powers of the horse, gorilla, dragon, elephant, and iguana into the super-lion bot with a “kung fu grip” to muscle it. Should your super-lion bot be in the shop, a couple of burley hulks will do (IE, professional installation), especially if you need to move it up or down stairs.
Another critical component – measure your doorways! My house, a raised ranch, has somewhat narrow portals. I needed to take several doors off the hinges to eke out a few more precious inches, and still, there were several crunched fingers in the process. Thankfully, none needed more than a few “colorful metaphors” as medical treatment. Let’s be careful out there, folks.
With the Washer/Dryer safely located in my laundry room, it was time to start the assembly process. LG includes a small “Lunchables” kit with a wrench, non-skid pads, hole covers, and tie straps.
There are four transport bolts requiring removal. Hole plugs fill the voids.
The hot and cold water hoses aren’t in the box. Do yourself a favor and get a new, good-quality set. They can rupture, resulting in a “ton-o-fun” cleaning up a flooded basement (been there, done that, used the t-shirt to clean up the mess).
I was slightly annoyed at the sticky LG disks used for the scratch covers. They were challenging to remove and left a sticky residue.
The LG Washer/Dryer draws about 12 amps of current at peak power draw. Keeping it on a separate electrical circuit would be a good idea to prevent it from popping a breaker. The WM6998HBA is tremendously energy efficient, using a direct-drive motor and heat pump. LG estimates a yearly energy cost of 99kWh at $13 when supplied by an electric water heater and $10 with natural gas. I’m excited about the energy savings! Wooo!
Before use, the plug needs to be freed from one of the shipping bolts.
The WM6998HBA is ventless, capturing lint in a receptacle on the top. I’ll miss the smell of drying clothes outside while doing yard work, but it’s a small price to pay. 🙂
The lint trap halves slide together with guide rails. It’s essential to pay attention to the assembly. I had a problem when I failed to assemble it correctly, and it got stuck. I freed it, but not without much fumbling and concern that I would cause damage. After drying, the WM6998HBA provides a reminder to clean the lint trap before the next cycle.
The buttons require only a light touch to activate. While reading the manuals and leaning on the WM6998HBA, I would make unintentional contact and inadvertently turn it off in the middle of a cycle. A central knob surrounds an LCD with the power button to the left and the “play/pause” button to the right.
Temperature and wash modification options, including temperature, spin speed, and soil level, are on the right panel.
I liked the LG WM6998HBA’s display. It provides a plethora of information, starting with notifications that detergent and fabric softener are low. Status indicators for Door Lock, Wi-Fi, Remote Start, and Control Lock are above the status display.
Detergent, fabric softener, and, optionally, bleach are loaded into a convenient drawer and dispensed automatically. LG specifies only “HE” (High-efficiency) detergents.
The LG WM6998HBA has modes galore! Defaults include Wash+Dry, AI Wash+dry, Normal, AI Wash, Bedding, Delicates, Towels, Quick Wash, Heavy Duty, Allergine, Perm. Press, Dry Only, Delicates Dry, Perm. Press Dry, and Tub Clean. Non-default modes are Bright Whites, Sanitary, Rinse+Spin, Spin Only, Hand/Wool, Active Wear, Swimwear, Kids Wear, Jeans, Dresses, Color Care, Sweat Stains, Small Load, Large Load, and X Large Load. An “Overnight” mode that tumbles clothes to help prevent wrinkles is available through LG’s ThinQ app. There are additional settings for Steam, Extra Rinse, Delay Start, Fresh Care, TurboWash, Cold Wash, and Pre Wash. The manual does an excellent job of explaining and using each mode and function.
Other settings to customize detergent and fabric softener amount, remotely controlling the Washer/Dryer, locking the controls, activating the drum light, and editing/customizing the cycle list are available.
The WM6998HBA is compatible with LG’s Home Kit-compatible ThinQ app. Creating an account and connecting the washer/dryer to Wi-Fi were all straightforward. I was surprised to see HomeKit devices included.
The app provides access to notifications, timers, configurations, and diagnostics.
The app also has clever update features for changing startup screens and audio signals to match the season or mood. Fun!
Over the next few weeks, I ran many washes using multiple modes. The WM6998HBA consistently left my clothes, towels, and bedding clean and fresh. I even washed a weighted blanket with great results, but it needed to be inverted and run through an additional cycle to completely dry.
I appreciated the ease of operation, automatic detergent and fabric softener dispensing, and not having to flop wet clothes from the washer to the dryer. My previous dryer was natural gas and was very fast. The WM6998HBA isn’t even close to the drying time, but, to be fair, it should use much less energy.
One “gripe” I had was that my laundry basket’s height inhibits the door from opening (the basket is taller than the lower edge of the door).
A workaround is to purchase a storage pedestal that increases clearance. It’s not a “deal breaker” for me, but…
I was so happy with the performance of the WM6998HBA that I decided to purchase a companion WD100CB Sidekick washer! Bravo LG!
The Sidekick fits under the primary washer (it’s of similar size to LG’s pedestal), increasing the height by 14 inches. It’s about 100 pounds, and the WM6998HBA must be on top, so it’s a massively heavy beast! There are screws to secure them together and a switch that engages to make sure they are correctly seated.
The door will open with a laundry basket in front now. 🙂
LG provides water line and drain hose splitters, but you might need to visit your local home store for a few bits and pieces to complete the installation (water lines). I preferred adding individual shutoff valves and a drain hose length for easier maintenance.
Opening the Sidekick’s washer drawer reveals a 1.0 cubic foot top-load washing machine. The power button (left) and control panel are forward of the lid.
The central display indicates status and remaining wash time and has lid open, child lock, and cycle status icons. The Sidekick has several wash modes, including Normal, Intimates, Hand Wash, Active Wear, Rinse + Spin, and one for cleaning the tub. The “Play/Pause,” water temperature, and extra rinse/child lock buttons are on the right.
The LG Sidekick doesn’t have an automatic dispenser and uses minimal detergent, so LG included a small measuring cup.
Estimated cycle times are in the manual.
Limit loads to about 4 pounds, ideal for a few dirty towels, a set of grubby work clothes, just a few items of one color, or just a few items that require bleach. It’s perfect for delicates, especially when I don’t want them in the dryer.
The washer is simple to operate, does a capable wash, and it’s perfect when the big washer is overkill. In multiple tests, I found the spin cycle is commendable in extracting most of the water. It doesn’t have an integral dryer, but with small loads, it’s no big deal to plunk them into the WM6998HBA or hang them up to dry. Nice!
For troubleshooting, LG incorporates Smart Diagnosis into both washers. With Wi-Fi, the larger washer reports errors directly to the app.
With the Sidekick, instructions in the app walk through a process that produces audio tones for a smartphone’s microphone. It’s a simple process and makes troubleshooting easy. On my first use of the Sidekick, I didn’t align the stacking switch correctly. Smart Diagnosis made it a snap to resolve. Thank you, LG.
What I like
WM6998HBA Combo Washer/Dryer:
- Very energy efficient.
- Eliminates the need to transfer clothes from the washer to the dryer.
- Automatic detergent, fabric softener, and bleach dispenser
- The ThinQ app is convenient for monitoring, updating, and troubleshooting.
- Excellent washing and drying.
- Space-saving design
WD100CB Sidekick Washer:
- Simultaneous washing.
- Ideal for small loads.
- Adds elevation to the larger washer.
- Smart Diagnosis through the ThinQ app.
What I’d change
- Add an option to turn the drum light on during washing.
- Increase the door height for clearance with a basket directly in front of the washer.
- Add an option for remote lint collection to accommodate the installation in a cabinet or closet.
Final thoughts
LG’s WM6998HBA five cubic foot washer/dryer combo has a “Batman utility belt” full of features and does a terrific duty cleaning and drying clothes. It saves energy, is solidly constructed, and is easy to use. To complete the “dynamic duo,” their WD100CB Sidekick washer provides more elevation and cuts my laundry time for small loads. I’m a big fan! Thank you, LG!
Price: WM6998HBA: $1998.99, WD100CB: $729.00 ($649 at Best Buy)
Where to buy:
WM6998HBA: LG, Home Depot, Best Buy
Source: The sample for this review was provided by LG. The reviewer purchased the LG Sidekick washer.
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Dave this is a fantastic review, extremely helpful. I’m still blaming you if I don’t like this machine, but I appreciate the excellent, detailed information!