It’s not exactly a hot take that all industries are rushing to integrate AI into their products, and the home appliances market is no exception. New washing machines are increasingly being marketed as smarter and more personalised than ever.
As a shopper, though, this can be confusing. Is AI just being used as a buzzword to dress up a pre-programmed smart tech feature? Or is it genuinely improving the product by adapting how it operates from data it is gathering?
Samsung has been focused on integrating AI into its home appliances for the past couple of years, with a push for features it says will make a meaningful difference for customers, rather than “AI for AI’s sake”.
I wanted to put this to the test when reviewing the Samsung bespoke AI front-load washing machine series 9 model, which boasts a range of features from energy efficient adaptive cycles to Spotify integration and more. While testing the washing machine for three months, I set out to discover which, if any, of these features genuinely improve the experience of the neverending chore of household laundry.
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Samsung bespoke AI front-load washing machine series 9
Why we love it
- Energy efficient
- AI wash senses best cycle for you
- 24 cycle options
- Extra hygienic features to keep machine and laundry clean
- Looks chic
Take note
- Smart features may be unnecessary for some users
- 1,400RPM spin can be noisy
If you’re the type of person who cares about the bells and whistles that come with smart technology, as well as using less energy and keeping your bills and environmental impact low, this AI washing machine from Samsung is a great option.
The series 9 makes bold energy efficient claims, boasting that the machine exceeds the minimum energy efficiency requirements for an A-Grade rating by up to 55 per cent (according to its own internal testing). Indeed, I found that most of the features are geared at using the least amount of time, energy and detergent, without compromising on the quality of the clean.
I particularly liked the AI wash cycle option, which senses the weight and level of soiling of the items in the machine and adjusts the various washing options to use the least amount of time and detergent. It also has handy “ecobubble” technology, which mixes air, water and detergent when you wash on a colder cycle, to improve cleaning and stain removal without needing hot water. I tested this by washing some clothes that had been particularly soiled at a dusty music festival, and they came out as good as new.
By far my favourite feature is the automatic drum clean warning, which pops up when your machine is due for a bit of sanitising care (for me, this happened after three months of consistent use). As a self-confessed clean freak who can’t stand even a hint of mildewy smell in my laundry, I love knowing that the machine will tell me when it’s time to clean it. I shudder to think how few times I have run a drum clean on previous machines I’ve used.
On that note, I also love the hygiene clean steam wash, which is touted as being able to kill 99.9 per cent of bacteria and allergens. I tested this on a towel that had developed a less than pleasant smell (after being left to languish in my gym bag), and Samsung’s appliance managed to get rid of the smell without need for any special antibacterial detergent.
Improving upon Samsung’s series 8, the series 9 comes with a full-colour LCD touchscreen display that has detailed cycle descriptions and options to tweak temperature, number of rinses and spin speed.
I liked this feature, but found it often takes two to three taps to wake up. The touch screen also comes with apps such as ‘weather’, Spotify and YouTube, which are nice-to-haves but, practically, I am always going to use these apps on my phone over my washing machine.
You can also use Samsung’s SmartThings app to control your machine, look up details of your past washes and monitor your energy usage. This included the option to input my energy provider and postcode to get accurate readings of my washing machine energy usage and the cost.
I found the biggest upside to connecting to the SmartThings app was the fact that it enabled me to turn on the machine and start washing cycles while I was out of the house (having put my dirty clothes in the machine earlier in the day). This was handy for times where I’d underestimated how much time I had before leaving the house, because it meant I could time the wash to finish when I got home and hang my clothes out right away. This avoids having them sitting in the machine for any length of time.
The app has some other nice features, such as remembering previous cycles used and making recommendations based on that data. However I found that if I was at home, it was easier to use the touch screen to program the machine.
One thing to note is that the machine can get noisy when it’s on its highest spin setting (1,400RPM). Although, this doesn’t tend to last longer than a few minutes and it’s very effective at getting the excess water out of heavier items, such as sheets and towels, which I especially appreciate, as someone who does not own a tumble dryer.
Aesthetically, the machine comes in a dark silver colour with black glass, which looks nice and sleek. With a 9kg capacity, the machine should cater to couples or smaller families, without being overly bulky.
Key specifications
Buy now £1099, Samsung.com
Is the Samsung bespoke AI series 9 washing machine worth it?
The features that genuinely make the Samsung series 9 better than a low-to-mid-range washing machine include the ability to start a wash remotely, the energy efficiency monitoring, the highly effective hygiene steam cycle and the drum clean cycle (which prompts you to clean when the machine needs it).
If you’re meticulous about cleanliness or have someone in your household who is particularly prone to creating stacks of dirty laundry, this machine is worth considering. Otherwise, it is on the pricier end of the scale, so if you’re not fussed about smart features, there are cheaper machines out there that could be better fits for your needs.
How I tested the Samsung series 9 washing machine
To provide you with a real-world view of how this machine would fit into your household, I spent three months putting the appliance to the test in my small apartment kitchen. I used the series 9 to wash clothes, towels, sheets, cleaning cloths and gym kit, all while considering the following criteria.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
The Independent’s dedicated shopping section, IndyBest, is committed to providing unbiased reviews and expert advice. Our product reviews are written only after thorough real-world testing and are intended to help our readers feel more informed and confident in their buying decisions. The Samsung bespoke AI front-load washing machine series 9 was used similarly to how you would be using it at home, enabling our reviewer to come across pain points or need-to-knows and, ultimately, deciding whether it is worth your money.
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