The market for all-in-one washer-dryers, often dubbed as “dream home appliances,” is now opening up in earnest. South Korea’s two major home appliance companies, LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics, have both introduced this product. With a washer-dryer combo, there’s no need to separately transfer laundry from the washer to the dryer once the washing is done.
After recently unveiling new washer-dryer combo models, LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics have been promoting their products by highlighting different advantages. LG Electronics emphasizes that its washer-dryer achieves optimal dryer performance while consuming less power. On the other hand, Samsung Electronics highlights its affordable price and artificial intelligence (AI) features.
The company that pioneered the washer-dryer combo market is LG Electronics. It first unveiled its product at the Berlin International Consumer Electronics Fair (IFA 2023) in September last year and was the quickest to release its product to the consumer market in February of this year. The first washer-dryer combo introduced in this manner is the premium “LG Signature Washer-Dryer.” It combines a large-capacity drum washer with an inverter heat pump dryer. With a washing capacity of 25 kilograms and a drying capacity of 13 kilograms, consumers have the option to add an additional 4 kilograms mini-wash if desired. However, it falls on the higher end in terms of pricing, with a retail price of 6.9 million won (US$5,169), which is 200 to 300 million won higher than the combined price of traditional high-end washers and dryers.
The day after LG Electronics released its product, Samsung Electronics also unveiled its washer-dryer combo, the “Bespoke AI Combo.” With a retail price of 3.99 million won, it is approximately 3 million won cheaper than LG Electronics’ premium model. In response, LG Electronics introduced the “LG Tromm Object Collection WashCombo” as a budget-friendly option on March 13, with a retail price of 4.49 million won. While LG Electronics’ “LG Signature Washer-Dryer” was a premium model, making direct comparisons with Samsung Electronics’ product difficult, both companies have now introduced budget-friendly models, intensifying competition in the market.
In terms of basic performance, both LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics products are similar when considering budget models. Both products have a washing and drying capacity of 25 kilograms and 15 kilograms, respectively. They also share the feature of completing washing and drying for a 3-kilogram load in just 99 minutes.
Both companies have also included heat pump technology to drying, which is similar. In the past, there were also washer-dryer combo products, but they used a heater method that consumed a lot of electricity and were dubbed “energy-guzzling beasts.” Another issue was that fabrics tended to suffer. Heat pump technology, on the other hand, utilizes a low-temperature dehumidification method where heat generated by circulating refrigerant is used to absorb moisture from the laundry, thus protecting the fabrics. Compared to traditional heater-type washer-dryer combos, heat pump technology reduces energy consumption by 50 percent.
The drying methods are not entirely identical. Samsung Electronics has incorporated a combination of heat pump technology and traditional heater method. Vice President Lee Moo-hyung of Samsung Electronics’ home appliance division explained during a briefing on March 11, “To maintain energy efficiency of the dryer during cold winter seasons, we have employed both heat pump and heater methods.”
On the other hand, LG Electronics has applied only 100 percent heat pump technology. LG Electronics emphasized, “Among domestic washer-dryer combos, we are the only ones that completely avoid the traditional method of using heaters and solely utilize 100 percent heat pump technology to reduce fabric damage and achieve high energy efficiency in drying.”
There are differences in power consumption as well. Samsung Electronics’ drying power consumption is 1700 watts (W), while LG Electronics’ is 570 W. The products also differ in size and weight. LG Electronics has maintained a size similar to that of a Tromm washing machine, with a height of 990 millimeters, which is notably lower. Samsung Electronics, on the other hand, has a height of 1,100 millimeters, slightly taller, and its width and depth are shorter than LG Electronics’ product. In terms of weight, LG Electronics weighs 95 kilograms, while Samsung Electronics weighs 144 kilograms.