Black+Decker BFLW45M Front Load Washer Review

The drum holds 4.5 cu. ft., enough for family-size loads, and the Bulky/Sheets cycle is there for comforters and bedding. The cycle list runs Normal/Colors, Bulky/Sheets, Heavy Duty, Whites, Towels, Sanitize, Quick Wash, Delicates, Baby Care, Sportswear, Tub Clean and Rinse & Spin, plus MyCycle to save your own setup. That is 12 cycles, a wider choice than many front loaders of this size give you.

Steam is one of the machine's headline features. You also get 5 wash temperatures from tap cold to extra hot, 5 soil levels and 5 spin speeds up to 1300 RPM, a high spin for a front loader that pulls more water out before the dryer. Water Plus, Extra Rinse, Pre Soak, Speed Wash and Delay Start up to 24 hours round out the settings, and the stainless steel drum and Auto Balance handle the everyday work.

ENERGY STAR certification is a strong result for a machine this size, and it is the reason the washer suits a household running several loads a week. The touch controls and LED display are straightforward.

At 216.1 lb, this is a fixed machine for indoor use on hardwood or another solid floor. It is not something you move between homes casually, and it is not a portable washer.

Installation is not plug-and-play. The washer needs a nearby grounded 120V outlet, hot and cold water at 10 to 120 psi, and a standpipe at least 1.25 inches in diameter, 24 to 47.24 inches (about 61 to 120 cm) above the floor, able to take a drain rate of about 17 gallons per minute. A laundry space that does not meet these requirements will not accommodate the machine.

Use high-efficiency detergent only, powdered or liquid; conventional detergent is not an option. Bleach and fabric softener are compatible. There are no smart features: no Wi-Fi, no app, no voice control. Delay start and the LED display are the extent of the convenience features. The warranty is a 1-year limited warranty.

Buyer opinion is not uniformly positive on one point. The spin cycle draws the most divided comments on Amazon, with some owners happy and others reporting problems. It is the one area where feedback splits.

The 34-inch depth and 39.8-inch height are the numbers to measure against your opening, since they decide whether the machine slides in and whether the door swings clear. The 120V requirement means a standard household circuit, not a special one, so a grounded outlet near the machine is all the electrical work you need to confirm.

Measure the opening against 27 inches wide, 34 inches deep and 39.8 inches high before anything else. Then confirm hot and cold water hookups within reach at 10 to 120 psi, check that the standpipe is at least 1.25 inches across and sits 24 to 47.24 inches above the floor, and make sure a grounded 120V outlet is nearby. The floor must be solid, the space indoors, and the room kept at 60°F or above.

The box includes the washer and detergent dispenser drawer; inlet hoses are not included and must be purchased separately. Day to day, you load the drum from the front through the transparent door, dose HE detergent in the drawer, pick a cycle or save one to MyCycle, and set delay start when you want the wash to finish later.

Full-size front loaders in this capacity class typically run 4.0 to 5.0 cu. ft. drums, spin at 1200 to 1400 RPM, offer steam on mid and upper tiers, and carry ENERGY STAR certification on newer machines. The BFLW45M sits at the large-capacity end of that range with a full cycle list, steam and a 1300 RPM spin.

It competes on washing features rather than on smart connectivity, which it does not offer. Its feature set covers the washing needs of a family household without charging for connected features.

The portable top-load machines are the 0.9 cu. ft. BPWM09W, the 1.7 cu. ft. BPWM16W, the 2.0 cu. ft. BPWM20W and the 3.0 cu. ft. BPW30MW. Among the portables, the 0.9 cu. ft. BPWM09W suits the smallest space and the smallest load, the 1.7 cu. ft. BPWM16W (11 lb) and the 2.0 cu. ft. BPWM20W (15.4 lb) sit in the middle for mid-size loads, and the 3.0 cu. ft. BPW30MW handles the largest portable load. The 4.1 cu. ft. BTLW41MW is a top-load washer with an agitator in a similar capacity class to the BFLW45M. Choose a portable model if you need a machine you can move, the BTLW41MW if you prefer top loading, and the BFLW45M if you want a full-size front loader.