Eight brands appear above £650. The conventional wisdom — that premium price means premium performance — does not hold up. Samsung and LG lead this band. Miele finishes fourth.
In the premium band above £650, Samsung leads on WAC Score brand average — with LG second. Miele, despite its reputation, finishes fourth in our data.
The premium band is where the gap between brand reputation and actual data is at its most striking. The brands that dominate this market on heritage and price tag — Miele, Bosch, Siemens, AEG — do not lead the rankings. Samsung and LG, both at entry prices of £679, outperform all of them on overall WAC Score.
Every brand ranked here is scored using WAC Score — our independent rating system built on over 430,000+ verified customer reviews across nearly 500 scored machines. No brand pays to be included. The score is the score.
How to read this guide: Brands are ranked by average WAC Score within the premium band. The table also shows the four sub-scores — reliability, efficiency, features and value — so you can see exactly where each brand wins and loses. Brand averages can hide individual model variation, so always check the specific machine before buying.
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| Brand | Avg WAC | Reliability | Efficiency | Features | Value | Price range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung | 87 | 83 | 90 | 71 | 87 | £679–£899 |
| Haier | 86 | 79 | 93 | 68 | 86 | £699–£999 |
| LG | 85 | 81 | 90 | 68 | 85 | £679–£799 |
| AEG | 83 | 80 | 90 | 59 | 82 | £669–£1,029 |
| Miele | 82 | 79 | 91 | 63 | 77 | £849–£1,699 |
| Bosch | 82 | 81 | 87 | 63 | 77 | £749–£999 |
| Siemens | 80 | 75 | 92 | 60 | 75 | £699–£1,099 |
| Neff | 78 | 88 | 74 | 60 | 69 | £749–£799 |
Samsung leads the premium band with an average WAC Score of 87 — the highest of any brand above £650. Haier averages 86 and LG 85. This is the most important finding in the premium band: Samsung, Haier and LG all outperform the traditional prestige brands — Miele, Bosch, Siemens — on overall WAC Score at entry prices of £679–£729. The technology — AI energy monitoring, direct drive motors, ecobubble — is genuine rather than marketing, and the scores reflect it.
Haier averages WAC 86 — second in the premium band — with the highest efficiency score at 93. The X Series 9 direct drive models at £699–£999 are where Haier's credentials show most clearly. For buyers who want strong efficiency and are spending £750–£1,000, Haier warrants serious consideration alongside LG and Samsung.
LG averages WAC 85 — third. Their direct drive motor and 10-year parts warranty remain strong arguments. Miele averages WAC 82 — below Samsung, Haier and LG. On the WAC Score alone, Miele does not lead the premium band. However, WAC Score does not fully capture the dimension where Miele's premium is most defensible: build longevity. Miele machines are engineered to last 20 years, with parts availability and service infrastructure that no other brand matches. If you are buying a machine you intend to keep for two decades and want full serviceability throughout, the Miele premium has a genuine rationale that the WAC Score does not entirely reflect. If you are buying a premium machine and expect to replace it in 8–12 years like most people, Samsung and LG offer equivalent or better performance for significantly less money.
AEG averages WAC 83 — up significantly from our previous data, now above Miele and Bosch. Both AEG and Bosch average 82–83. Still trail Samsung, Haier and LG but no longer the poor value they appeared in earlier scoring. Bosch's reliability score of 79 and AEG's of 78 are solid but not exceptional. Features scores of 21 and 19 respectively are the weakest in this band alongside Siemens and Neff, reflecting limited programme variety despite the premium positioning. Neither brand is poor at this price — but neither justifies choosing over Samsung, LG or Haier if performance per pound is the priority.
Siemens averages WAC 80 — improved from previous data but still trailing the top three. Their efficiency score of 92 is strong, but a features score of 15 and reliability of 72 drag the overall average down significantly. Siemens is a brand built on reputation and finish quality rather than measurable performance advantage. The data does not support the Siemens premium over Samsung, LG, Haier, Miele, AEG or Bosch at this price point.
Neff has the highest reliability score of any brand in the premium band at 84 — but finishes last with an average WAC of 74. The explanation is in the sub-scores: efficiency of 77 is the weakest in the band by a significant margin, and features of 18 reflects very limited programme variety. Neff machines are robustly built and score well on component reliability, but they trail the competition on energy performance and what they offer in use. For a brand positioned at £749–£799, that combination is difficult to recommend over alternatives that score better overall.
The most important question in the premium band: Are you buying for performance, or for longevity? If performance per pound is the priority, Samsung leads at WAC 87, with Haier and LG close behind. If you intend to keep a machine for 20 years and want full repairability throughout, Miele's case is stronger than the WAC Score alone suggests.
Read the other price bands
Samsung leads the premium band with an average WAC Score of 87. Haier averages 86 and LG 85. All three outperform the traditional premium brands on overall WAC Score.
On WAC Score alone, no — Samsung, LG and Haier all score higher above £650 at lower prices. The Miele case rests on build longevity: their machines are engineered for 20 years of use with full parts and service support throughout. If you intend to keep a machine for that long and value repairability, the Miele premium has a genuine rationale. If you are likely to replace a machine within 10–12 years, the data suggests Samsung or LG deliver equivalent or better performance for significantly less money.
Samsung leads at WAC 87 vs LG's 85 in the latest data. LG holds a slight value edge and has the 10-year parts warranty. Samsung leads on overall WAC Score and value above £650. Both are strong choices at this price.
Bosch averages WAC 82 in the premium band — improved from previous scoring but still 5 points below Samsung. Their reliability score of 79 is solid but not exceptional for this price tier. Features and value scores are both weak at 21 and 77 respectively. Samsung and LG offer meaningfully higher overall scores at entry prices of £679 — often the same price as Bosch's premium-band machines.
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