Kenmore Vs. Whirlpool Home Appliances: Which One Is Better?

Setting out to purchase an appliance calls for a fair amount of research to make the best choice. Finding trusted appliance brands involves a lot of factors, including available features and user reviews. Brand name recognition is usually one of the biggest influences on decision-making, particularly if the brand is a household name.

Kenmore and Whirlpool are two classic and highly popular appliance brands, both with several decades of operation. Each company has an excellent reputation for producing practical, innovative, and high-performing appliances. Choosing the better company will likely depend on what appliance you’re in the market for.

It is interesting to note that Kenmore, while an exclusive brand of Sears, manufactures some appliances through Whirlpool. Additionally, the closing of both Sears and Kmart reduces the number of retailers still offering the brand for sale. With products available for purchase in a larger number of retail chains, Whirlpool holds a slight advantage over Kenmore.

To get a full picture of each company, here’s a look at them from four different perspectives. First, you’ll get to evaluate the number of different products offered and manufactured. Next, you’ll see a side-by-side comparison of three different appliance classes: cookers, cleaning implements, and refrigeration.

Kenmore offers all standard kitchen and laundry room appliances, plus vacuum cleaners, grills, water softeners, cookware, and water heaters. While Whirlpool doesn’t have cookware, they do offer the same appliances, plus wine fridges, water coolers, dehumidifiers, and air purifiers. So as far as the quantity of product offerings goes, Whirlpool is the winner of this round.

Both Kenmore and Whirlpool have stepped into the interactive arena with their wide selection of smart appliances. Each brand has various appliance models with programmable smart functions and WiFi connectivity through a smartphone app. On this front, Kenmore has a slight edge with appliances not carried by Whirlpool and slightly lower retail prices.

Both ranges have an overall average rating of 4 stars, with high marks in capacity, performance and ease of use. There have, however, been some performance complaints related to product construction and lifespan. Fortunately, management seems to be very proactive in addressing consumer complaints quickly and satisfactorily.

The Winner: Taking all of these factors into account, the best choice in this contest is the Whirlpool freestanding range. Both ranges are comparable in features, ease of use, and cooking power, but the Whirlpool range performed a bit better. Even being the more expensive option, it has a few extra features and a high consumer performance rating.

Whirlpool has mixed reviews, with category and overall ratings ranging in the 4-star spectrum but with many malfunctions reported. However, the company addressed most complaints quickly and fully covered many under product warranty. Kenmore’s difficulties lie within shipping timeliness but mostly have positive performance reviews.

The Winner: Kenmore; both microwaves seem evenly matched, but the Kenmore model boasts the better overall value. Even though its wattage is lower than Whirlpool’s, its reflection technology boosts its cooking power to an equal level. The lower price and fewer reported mechanical issues show the Kenmore microwave as the better overall value.

The Kenmore washer has an overall 3.5 user rating, while Whirlpool users report an average 4.3 overall rating. Users are most pleased with the washer’s capacity, yet feel machine quietness could be much improved. Many Kenmore users are disappointed by diminished cleaning power, reporting more residual lint and debris remaining after a wash cycle.

The Winner: Given the available functions and the overall consumer reviews, it might be wiser to splurge on the Whirlpool washer. Even with its retail price being higher than the Kenmore model, the overall performance and lifespan is superior. Additionally, the service response seems more productive and proactive for Whirlpool customers than it is for Kenmore buyers.

Each refrigerator holds nearly 16 cubic feet inside the refrigerator and nearly 10 cubic feet inside the freezer cabinet. They offer adjustable shelves and door bins to accommodate container heights and overall food volume while still maintaining adequate circulation. LED lighting shines inside both the refrigerator and freezer when opened to make finding items easier.

These models have space-saving ice makers in the interior that dispense cubed or crushed ice through an exterior level. Additionally, a separate lever dispenses cool water filtrated through a replaceable, easy-to-install charcoal filter. Temperature controls are electronic and easy to operate from the outside without having to open the doors.

These “low-end” side-by-side models have the least favorable overall reviews among all of the appliances profiled. Whirlpool ranks at 4.1 stars, while Kenmore’s rating stands at 2.5 stars. Users also reported low ratings on appliance operating noise.

The Winner: While both models have similar functions and features, Whirlpool’s comes in about $200 higher. However, considering Kenmore’s lower consumer reviews and limited retail availability, the inconvenience evens out the final cost. Therefore, it’s a better long-term bet to go for the Whirlpool.

Kenmore is decidedly toward the lower end of appliances as far as high-tech features go. However, even with Sears going bankrupt, Kenmore maintains its brand loyalty and often rates better than Samsung and LG. Kenmore may offer fewer electronic features, but their appliances are still sturdy and efficient and remain the most budget-friendly.

The best time to shop for a new appliance is well before you need it: however, retailers offer seasonal discounts. Seasonally buying during late spring, fall, and holiday weekends will often offer the deepest discounts on major appliances. However, if you can’t wait for a special sale, shopping at the end of the month can yield lower prices.

Based on the sheer variety of products available, Whirlpool wins big over Kenmore. However, for the caliber of quality gained from owning a Whirlpool appliance, it comes with a bit of a price tag. Nevertheless, any extra discretionary funds spent with Whirlpool are well worth the value as far as product quality and longevity.

This is not to say that Kenmore products are substandard, or that Whirlpool products are the optimal top-tier choice. Whirlpool has the smart tech advantage over Kenmore with more intelligent offerings and actually manufactures some of Kenmore’s dishwashers. However, Kenmore does produce budget-friendly appliances that work efficiently and have a decent lifespan.

The one drawback with Kenmore appliances is that two of its flagship stores, Sears and Kmart, have gone out of business. Because of this, there are few physical retail locations, and you may need to purchase online and arrange shipping. So even with Kenmore being the more economical brand, the slight inconvenience gives Whirlpool another advantage.