Tired of spending hours folding laundry after each wash? Enter the TikTok sensation - laundry folding machines! These magical devices are taking the chore out of folding clothes, making it as easy as dumping them in and watching them come out neatly folded. No more tedious folding sessions, just feed your clothes into the machine and let it work its magic.
But before you get too excited, it's important to note that these machines require you to feed items one by one and wait for the folding process to complete. While it may not be as simple as it seems, the convenience they offer is undeniable. So, are laundry folding machines worth the investment? We dug into expert opinions, customer reviews, and product information to find out.
Unveiling the Mystery Behind Laundry Folding Machines
In the realm of laundry folding machines like Foldimate, the process is quite fascinating. Garments are clipped to dedicated holders to prevent the hem from balling up. Shirts are introduced to the machine by the collar, while linens are clipped flat to the surface. As the item goes through a rail, the machine's "articulated arm technology" swiftly folds it within seconds, neatly stacking it in the bottom drawer for easy retrieval.
Not limited to just t-shirts and pants, Foldimate can also handle full-sized towels and sheets. Additionally, users have the option to steam their clothes to eliminate wrinkles by simply filling the water tank beforehand. For added freshness, scented capsules can be added to the machine, ensuring that the folded laundry comes out smelling delightful.
The machine that was Foldimate's biggest competitor, Laundroid, employed AI neural networks to detect, categorize, and fold clothes just so. Although the prototype eliminated all human interference, it required hours to fold a load of laundry (5 to 10 minutes for a t-shirt) and was priced at about $16,000. However, despite having a sizable investment capital of $90 million and being backed by Panasonic and Daiwa House (a Japanese housing development company), Laundroid owed $20 million in debt and filed for bankruptcy in 2019.
Are laundry folding machines worth the money?
You can bring home a Foldimate machine for about €500 (or approximately $550). There's no denying that the machine looks impressive in action, and the thought of not having to fold your laundry is sublime. However, its biggest drawback is you'll have to feed it clothes manually and continuously empty the bottom drawer since it can't hold more than 20 to 30 folded clothes at once. So you'll still need to stand by the machine till all the garments are folded. That being said, you might be able to get through the chore during a quick commercial break since the brand boasts the ability to tackle a load of laundry within two minutes.
One downside is that the device is not designed for folding small items such as baby clothes and socks. Therefore, if you have a toddler, you will have to fold large stacks of baby clothes manually. Additionally, you must assess whether your laundry room has enough space to accommodate the machine, which measures 49.2 inches in length, 27.6 inches in depth, and 23.6 inches in width. Despite the popularity of laundry folding machines on TikTok and their suitability for laundromats or retail establishments with a high volume of garments, it is essential to evaluate whether they are a worthwhile investment of time and money before making a purchase.
