The Best Washer and Dryer For Airbnbs
Speed Queen: A Durable, Made in America Classic. Great for Airbnbs and Personal Use.
A recent situation at our Sea Ranch property prompted me to write this post about the best washer and dryer for Airbnbs sooner than I thought. Our Whirlpool electric dryer, which came with the house when we purchased it in late 2021, finally gave out. This incident came a year after we had to replace our washer.
Having used various brands over the years for our primary residences as well as our Joshua Tree rental, including a recent purchase of high-end LG unit at our home in Saint Helena 2.5 years ago, we haven't had much brand loyalty with these types of appliances.
So when our Sea Ranch washer stopped working, I called our local appliance repair person, John, to ask him for a recommendation since he services most houses in the area.
Enter Speed Queen
John’s advice was straightforward and concise:
“I’ve repaired and replaced hundreds of washing machines over the years. Get a Speed Queen, you’ll thank me later.”
We took John’s advice and had him pick up a basic Speed Queen TR3 in Santa Rosa and deliver it to the house. $1250 for the unit. I immediately noticed one benefit of its use in an Airbnb:
Simple, physical controls.
There is no fancy digital user interface, no Wi-Fi setup, no confusing extra modes: just 3 dials, 2 buttons, and straightforward language.
The lure of this simplicity as a host, of course, is to minimize guests’ frustration and them feeling they need to reach out to us to ask how the washer works.
Why Speed Queen?
For the uninitiated, Speed Queen as a company is over 115 years old, having been established in 1908. While they’re more commonly known for their commercial laundry products supporting laundromats, hotels, multi-family units, and more, they’ve also maintained a small line of residential washers and dryers for decades.
Beyond the simplicity of the controls, the product is well engineered throughout. The machines are largely unchanged over the years, which has a few benefits for Airbnb hosts over other units:
Reduced Maintenance: These machines have been battle-tested in commercial settings for decades. Speed Queen takes the best of commercial-grade products and brings them to residential use.
Easy to Find Service. Given their prevalence in commercial uses and a strong following in residential, it’s easier to find reliable technicians who know these machines well.
Easy to Find Parts. Given the careful and limited change in the product suite over time, it’s easier to find the necessary replacement parts for a Speed Queen versus LG, Samsung, or other manufacturers who are constantly (and confusingly) testing and releasing new products every year.
Reduced Lifetime Costs: If you believe time equals money, the ease of finding parts, finding service, and the reduced downtime have multiple implications as a host. You’re likely paying less in parts and less in labor, and your units are operating with more uptime with more satisfied guests.
Efficiency: These units work fast. A typical wash is about 30 minutes. Drying is similarly fast, depending on load. Again, these are commercial-grade units, so they need to be efficient for a variety of reasons (lower energy costs, quicker for cleaners, etc).
Downsides of Speed Queen
There are only two reasons I can think of to avoid Speed Queen:
Unavailable via Amazon Prime: You can buy a Speed Queen on Amazon, but you’ll pay a premium, and delivery is variable.
Expensive Combo Units: If you need a stacked Washer and Dryer combo, you’ll pay a premium. About $4200 in our market.
I’d recommend using the Speed Queen website to find a local dealer and develop a relationship with them in your market(s). These dealers can also help you find service technicians in your area if they don’t have any themselves.
Foundational Considerations
With all that said, you might be asking yourself, what about concerns about the noise levels of these machines, the overall wash quality, and energy efficiency? These are important, and here again, Speed Queen shines due to pressure-tested commercial engineering. The machines are comparable, if not better than the best on the market by other brands.
Final Thoughts and Future Plans
Our experience with the Speed Queen TR3 has been so positive that we plan to replace our primary residence appliances with Speed Queen models. Their blend of simplicity, efficiency, and durability, and reduced maintenance costs, makes them an ideal choice.
If you've had experiences with Speed Queen or have further insights, feel free to share your thoughts..