Fisher & Paykel Washer & Dryer
Buying Guide
Every Fisher & Paykel Series washer and heat pump dryer cleans well — what changes as you step up from Series 5 to 7, 9 and 11 is how many fabrics and garments it's built to care for, rising from 28 cycle combinations to 49. Series 5 covers everyday loads plus wool, down and elastane; Series 7 adds silk, linen, delicates and shoes; Series 9 adds specialist care for silk, linen and hand-wash wool, plus fabric-matched stain care; Series 11 adds cashmere, outerwear, colour care and leather care. Buy for the wardrobe you own, and pair each washer with its matching dryer.
What actually changes as you step up the Series?
Not how clean your clothes get. Fisher & Paykel says every washer and heat pump dryer in the range cleans beautifully — what grows with each Series is fabric care. Fibres, durability levels, item types and treatments combine into cycles built for what you actually own: 28 combinations on Series 5, 37 on Series 7, 43 on Series 9 and 49 on Series 11.
A few other things climb with it. The display moves from an LED readout to a TFT screen (7-inch on Series 11), the door from plastic to glass, and detergent handling from auto-dose to a cartridge dispenser and then a modular one. White and Graphite versions of each model (Graphite has a G in the model code) are the same machine in a different finish.
What is your wardrobe worth?
Before comparing Series, think about what actually goes into the drum. Most of us remember what we paid for our last washing machine, but few of us have ever added up what's hanging in the wardrobe.
Try it: picture the five pieces you'd least like to replace — the wool coat, the good silk shirt, the merino and cashmere knits, the rain jacket, the linen you save for summer. Roughly what would it cost to buy them all again?
A washer and dryer look after those clothes every week for years. So the real question isn't only what the machines cost — it's whether the care they give matches what you've invested in your wardrobe. If most of what you own is everyday cotton and polyester, Series 5 is the sensible choice. If you've spent real money on your clothes, the higher Series are built to care for them.
Try this:
Write down your five most-loved or most expensive garments and check their care labels. Silk or linen on the list? Look at Series 7 and up. Hand-wash-only wool? Series 9 and up, whose dryer carries Woolmark Blue. Cashmere, outerwear or outdoor gear? Series 11.
What do you get with Series 5?
Series 5 is where most people start, and it does more than its spot on the ladder suggests. Its 28 cycle combinations cover everyday fabrics plus wool, down and elastane, with refresh and sanitise options. Auto-dose measures detergent for you — up to 13 washes per fill on WH8060J5 and up to 21 on FlexiDose models — and Steam Refresh revives lightly worn clothes in about 20 minutes.
- Design: steel panel, LED display, plastic or glass door.
- Options: pre-wash, soak, extra rinse, wrinkle free and allergy care, available from the app. UV is also listed.
- Efficiency: 5-star energy and 5-star water washers; the matching heat pump dryers are 9-star, sense humidity and carry Woolmark Black for machine-washable wool.
- Who it's for: households washing mostly cotton, synthetics, kids' clothes and sports gear, with the occasional wool jumper or puffer.
Who it isn't for: anyone with silk, linen or delicates they want dedicated care for — that starts at Series 7.
What does Series 7 add?
Series 7 is the step for people who own a few things they're nervous to wash. It adds ultra delicate, silk, linen and shoe care, with stain care, taking the range to 37 cycle combinations. Soil sensing reads the load so the wash matches how dirty it really is.
- Design: steel or full-glass look, TFT screen and a glass door. Depending on model, the screen is 3.7-inch with a dial or a 5-inch touchscreen.
- Options: everything on Series 5, plus air circulation.
- Dryer: 9-star heat pump that dries at low temperature, with Woolmark Black.
- Who it's for: wardrobes with silk shirts, linen, delicates, activewear or sneakers alongside everyday loads.
- Who it isn't for: if nothing you own needs more than a delicates cycle, Series 5 already covers you.
Why step up to Series 9?
Series 9 is specialist care for the clothes you love — the pieces you'd least like to replace. It widens silk and linen care, its matching dryer carries Woolmark Blue for hand-wash-only wool, and the drum keeps tumbling after the cycle to help prevent creases — 43 cycle combinations in all.
It also adds stain care, with treatments tuned to the type of fabric, which helps busy, active households. Proofing is also on the cycle list, and a cartridge dispenser doses every load, so detergent is one less thing to think about.
- Design: glass or full glass, a 7-inch touchscreen, and storage plinths.
- After the wash: the drum keeps tumbling after the cycle to help prevent creases and airs itself with the door closed.
- Dryer: steps up to 10 energy stars, adds a shoe dry option, and carries Woolmark Blue — which covers hand-wash-only wool.
- Who it's for: people who've invested in their clothes — silk, linen and hand-wash wool — and busy, active households who want stains treated to suit the fabric.
- Who it isn't for: cashmere owners, or anyone after dedicated outdoor and outerwear care — that's Series 11.
What makes Series 11 the top of the range?
Series 11 is built around the widest wardrobe: 49 cycle combinations, adding cashmere, ramie, outdoor and outerwear care, plus steam sanitise, deodorise and leather care. Optic sensing and active colour care tell darks from lights and adjust the wash to help protect colour.
- Design: full glass, a 7-inch TFT screen, full-set pairing and stacking kits. A modular dispenser handles detergent.
- A connected set: the display-free Series 11 dryer is controlled from the washer's touchscreen, and washer, dryer and Fabric Care Cabinet are designed as one system.
- Dryer: 10-star heat pump with Woolmark Blue.
- Who it's for: owners of cashmere, wool coats, outerwear and other investment pieces, and anyone who wants a fully matched laundry.
- Who it isn't for: a household that washes mostly cotton and polyester will pay for care it rarely uses.
Why does the matching heat pump dryer matter?
Fisher & Paykel matches every dryer to its washer, so the pair works as one system. Every dryer in the range is a heat pump rated 9 or 10 energy stars, and EECA says a 9-star dryer saves the average household about $48 a year — $528 over an 11-year life — compared with a 2-star model.
The dryer steps up with the washer too. Series 5 and 7 dryers carry Woolmark Black, for machine-washable wool; Series 9 and 11 carry Woolmark Blue, which extends to hand-wash-only wool. TangleProtect reverses the drum to help stop sheets and activewear twisting. For the full running-cost picture, see our guide: Is a heat pump dryer worth it in NZ?
Which Series is right for your wardrobe?
Series 5
Mostly cotton, polyester, kids' clothes and sports gear
Series 7
A few silk shirts, linen, delicates or sneakers
Series 9
Good silk, linen and hand-wash wool you'd hate to replace, or a busy household with stains
Series 11
Cashmere, wool coats, outerwear, outdoor gear and leather-care items
Rule of Thumb
Buy for the wardrobe you own, not today's load. Ask yourself: what's the one garment I'm nervous to wash? The Series that cares for it is your starting point.
Is it worth stepping up?
Only if your wardrobe has the fabrics the next Series adds. Every tier cleans well, and Series 5 already brings auto-dose, Steam Refresh and a 9-star heat pump dryer — the extra cycles above it are for specific garments, not cleaner everyday washing.
Think of the step up as matching the machine to the value of what's in your wardrobe — not as a way to get everyday loads cleaner. If your most-loved clothes are the ones you're nervous to wash, that's the clearest sign a higher Series is worth it.
A couple of honest caveats. Series 9 and 11 use cartridge and modular dispensers, so check what refills they take before you buy. And these are 2026 models, so independent long-term reviews are still thin; the details here come from Fisher & Paykel's own information, plus Canstar NZ ranking Fisher & Paykel the country's #1 washing machine brand for customer satisfaction in 2025 and 2026 which makes their offering stand out compared to the rest.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Fisher & Paykel Series 5, 7, 9 and 11?
Each step up adds fabric care. Cycle combinations rise from 28 (Series 5) to 37, 43 and 49 (Series 11), adding silk, linen and shoes at Series 7, stain care and proofing at Series 9, and cashmere, outerwear and colour care at Series 11.
Do I need to buy the matching dryer?
Fisher & Paykel matches each dryer to its washer so the pair works as one system, with complementary care and a matching finish. On Series 11, the display-free dryer is controlled from the washer's touchscreen, so it's designed to be bought as a pair.
Are Fisher & Paykel heat pump dryers cheap to run?
Every dryer in the range is rated 9 or 10 energy stars. EECA says a 9-star dryer saves the average household about $48 a year, or $528 over its life, compared with a 2-star model.
Which Series should I choose for silk and wool?
Series 5 handles machine-washable wool. For silk and linen, start at Series 7. If you have hand-wash-only wool, Series 9 and 11 dryers carry Woolmark Blue, and Series 11 adds dedicated cashmere care.
Is there any difference between the white and Graphite models?
No — Graphite models (with a G in the model code) are the same machines in a different finish. Choose the colour that suits your laundry.
Is Fisher & Paykel a good washing machine brand?
Canstar NZ ranked Fisher & Paykel New Zealand's #1 washing machine brand in its Most Satisfied Customers awards in 2025 and 2026, with top ratings for design, ease of use and features.
Reviewed by 100% Home. Last updated October 2026.