Hoover’s Pro Wash Series 5 13kg washing machine is designed for families

RRP at time of testing: £429 | Check price at Hoover, Currys and Argos

Our verdict

For households with a serious laundry pile to tackle every few days, the Hoover Pro Wash Series 5 makes the most sense. Its 13kg drum can swallow family bedding, towels and sports kit in fewer loads, while the controls remain straightforward and the hOn app is useful for checking progress. It’s impressively quiet, too, and doesn’t disturb Hayley in her home office next door. 

The compromises are practical rather than disastrous with this washing machine: the start-based delay is less convenient than a finish-time timer, some washes felt wetter than expected after spinning and the machine’s 68.1cm full depth needs measuring carefully. 

Read on to discover how Hayley found the Hoover Pro Wash Series 5 in her family home across a period of three months. 

How we’ve tested the Hoover Pro Wash Series 5

Parent tester Hayley used the Hoover Pro Wash Series 5 at home for over three months, folding its programmes and connected features into her family’s normal laundry routine.

“There are four of us at home - two adults and two children, aged nine and two - so the washing machine gets a fair amount of use. We probably do around three to five washes a week, depending on what we’ve all been doing. Sports kit is one of the main things we wash because we work out most days. Three of us play football twice a week, and my son also swims twice a week. 

“On top of that, my youngest is at nursery, so there are plenty of stained or grubby clothes coming home as well.”

What’s in the box? 

The box contains the washing machine, water inlet hose, drain-hose support, transit-bolt blanking plugs, optional noise-reduction pads, warranty card and product literature. If needed, the full user manual is available online.

First impressions of the Hoover Pro Wash Series 5

Hayley’s first impressions were good. “It looks nice and sleek, and it felt like a decent upgrade from our old machine without being overly complicated. The controls were easy to understand and getting started was straightforward. 

“Installation was simple enough too, so there wasn’t really a big learning curve before we could start using it properly.”

Design, installation and everyday use

This was an upgrade from a much older machine, which gave Hayley a useful before-and-after comparison.

“Before this, we had a Samsung washing machine that was around 12 years old. It had served us well, but it had become quite noisy and the 9kg drum was noticeably smaller than this one. 

“The Hoover has been much quieter in comparison and the cleaning feels more consistent overall. The 13kg drum has made a real difference in a family household too, as we can fit more in each wash and have reduced the number of washes we need to do each week. The main thing I miss from our old machine is the delayed start function. 

“On the Samsung, you could set the delay based on when you wanted the wash to finish, whereas this one is based on when you want it to start. Because the cycle length can change depending on the weight of the load, it makes it harder to work out when the wash will actually be done, which is a bit annoying.”

“Day to day, it has been really easy to use,” Hayley shared. “The controls are straightforward and we settled into using it quite quickly. I also like that the user manual is online, because it makes it easy to check anything if needed, and you can use an AI tool to help work out the best programme for different washing needs. 

“The only ongoing annoyance is the delayed start function, for the reason mentioned above. It is not a major issue, but it does mean you have to think a bit more carefully if you want a wash finished at a particular time.”

In ordinary use, the controls are unfussy and the online manual is easy to dip into. The delay timer is the exception. It schedules a start rather than a finish, and the estimated cycle length can move after the machine weighs the load.

Hoover Pro Wash washing machine: cleaning performance

Hoover says its ProActive Wash system sprays a mix of water and detergent directly onto the load and claims to remove up to 99% of everyday stains - though, that’s a manufacturer test and not a promise that every domestic disaster will vanish. 

During testing, Hayley’s loads supplied a more familiar mix of mud, sweat, nursery stains and one particularly grim bedding incident.

“For everyday clothes, it has performed well. Things come out smelling fresh and generally looking really clean. Muddy clothes, sports kit and stained nursery clothes have also washed well, especially where I have used stain remover before putting them in. 

“I did have one wash with toddler bedding that had vomit on it where some bits were still left in the drum afterwards, so I had to clean it out and put another cycle on. To be fair, I think that was probably more down to me not soaking or rinsing the bedding first rather than the machine itself. 

“Towels and bedding have been one of the biggest benefits, as the large drum means I can get more done in one load, including more than one bedding set at a time.”

Hoover washing machine programmes and the hOn app

The Hoover has 16 programmes, including Smart Wash, Eco 40–60, Whites, Delicates, Hand Wash, Hygiene Plus 59’, Drum Clean and a 14-minute Rapid wash for a small 1kg load.

“The programmes we have used most are the smart cycle, the white cycle and the eco settings. The programme lengths have felt reasonable, and I like being able to use the app to check when the wash is finished. The 14-minute quick wash has also been useful for us, especially for gym things like towels and t-shirts that need freshening up but don’t need a long cycle every time. 

“We still mostly use the main programmes for normal family washing, but the quick wash has definitely earned its place.”

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connect the machine to Hoover’s hOn app. It can add specialist programmes and remote controls, although the humble progress update proved more useful in Hayley’s house.

“We have used the hOn app, but mainly for checking the progress of a wash rather than using lots of extra features. That has actually been more useful than I expected, because in a busy house it is really easy to forget there is washing sitting in the machine. Being able to see where the cycle is up to and know when it has finished is handy. 

“We haven’t really used it much for downloading extra programmes or starting washes remotely.”

Is the 13kg capacity enough for a family? 

A 13kg capacity is the headline here, backed by a 78-litre stainless-steel drum. It’s excessive for a light laundry routine but genuinely useful when bedding and bulky loads arrive together.

“Yes, the large drum has made a noticeable difference. For a family, it is really useful because we can do bigger loads when needed, but most cycles also have a half-load option so it doesn’t feel wasteful when there is less washing to do. 

“I can wash our king-size bedding and my son’s double bedding in the same load, which saves time and makes bedding days much easier.”

Is the Hoover Pro Wash Series 5 noisy?

 The official spin-noise figure is 72dB, with an A noise rating. More importantly, the machine passed the next-room home-office test.

“Noise-wise, it has been very good. My home office is right next door to where the washing machine is, and it hasn’t been distracting when I’m working. It is much quieter than our old machine, including during normal washing and spinning. 

“You obviously know it is on, but it is not intrusive and we can comfortably have it running in the background.”

Spin and build quality of Hoover’s washing machine

The maximum 1400rpm spin is typical for a modern family machine, but the official spin-drying class is B. Hayley’s laundry sometimes backed that up.

“The spin cycle is fine, but it is probably one of the weaker points compared with the rest of the machine. The maximum spin speed is lower than our previous machine, although we didn’t really use the very high spin settings on that one anyway. I have noticed that washing can still feel quite wet when it comes out. 

“It hasn’t been a big problem over the summer because things have dried quickly in the warm weather, but I’ll be interested to see whether that becomes more noticeable in winter when drying is harder.”

As for the machine’s durability, Hoover says this design has survived 4,000 internal test cycles, equivalent to 20 years at 3.85 washes a week. That’s a controlled claim, not a 20-year product guarantee - and labour cover only lasts one year. 

“Now we’ve been using it for a while, it still feels well made. The door, drum and controls all feel sturdy and good quality, and nothing has stood out as flimsy so far. It feels like it should cope well with regular family use, although obviously durability is something that is harder to judge properly after only a few months.”

Clean Shield, Smart Spray and a 60°C Drum Clean programme are intended to keep the gasket, glass and drum fresher but as Hayley rightly points out, a short three-month test is too soon to give any washing machine a gold star for long-term maintenance.

“There hasn’t been any real maintenance needed so far. I haven’t had to clean the detergent drawer or door seal yet, and we haven’t needed to run a drum clean programme. 

At this stage, it seems easy enough to look after, but it is probably too early to say much about longer-term maintenance.”

Is the Hoover Pro Wash Series 5 good value for money?

With an RRP of £429, the Hoover undercuts the comparable Haier X5 while matching its 13kg capacity, 1400rpm spin and A energy rating.

“At around £500, I think it is reasonable value for money, especially given the 13kg drum, the range of programmes and the app connectivity. It doesn’t feel like a budget appliance, and it has been a good fit for how much washing we get through as a family. 

“The size and quietness are probably the biggest factors that make it feel worth the price. I would not say it is perfect, mainly because of the delayed start function and the spin leaving some loads quite wet, but overall it feels like a fair price for what you get.”

Compare washing machines: the Hoover Pro Wash Series 5 vs Haier X5 13k

Final verdict: is this the right washing machine for you? 

The Hoover Pro Wash Series 5 isn’t the obvious buy for a one-person household or a shallow kitchen recess. For a busy family regularly washing bedding, towels and sports kit, however, the capacity is genuinely useful rather than a number printed on a sticker. Its quiet operation, simple controls and sensible current price outweigh the imperfect delay timer and merely average spin result.

“I would recommend it to families of four or more, busy households, or anyone who gets through a lot of washing and would benefit from the bigger drum. It is especially useful if you wash a lot of bedding, towels, sports kit or children’s clothes. The app connectivity is also useful if, like us, you often forget a wash is on. 

“I probably wouldn’t recommend it as strongly to a single person or a couple who do much smaller loads, as a smaller drum would likely be more practical. 

“Overall, I would give it 4 out of 5. It has been quiet, easy to use and very practical for family life, but I would take a star off for the delayed start function and the fact some loads still feel quite wet after spinning.”

About the editor

Rebecca Roberts (aka Beccy) is our resident lifestyle expert with a practical focus on sleep, wellness and everyday comfort. She’s equally at home tackling frank, NSFW‑adjacent topics as she is road‑testing kitchen appliances, mattresses and vacuums that work for real parents. As a mum of two, she writes with the time‑poor, sleep‑deprived in mind - honest product reviews, realistic routines and products that make parents’ lives easier.

When she’s not at her desk, she’s probably product‑testing with her two helpers, corralling a PTA or walking her two dogs up and down country lanes.

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