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Samsung Bespoke Washer hands-on review: Stylish cleaner
I need a lot more time to form a firm verdict here, but early impressions indicate that Samsung has put a lot of effort into making washing easy. Clever additions like auto dispense, AI wash and smart cycles when paired with the Bespoke Dryer make this a desirable addition to the laundry, so long as the style suits your home.
While the Bespoke AirDresser was the most exciting appliance I got to test during Samsung’s recent laundry experience, it was not the only one. I also had the chance to go hands on with the 12 kg Bespoke washing machine.
To be clear, one night is not enough time to formulate any definitive opinions on a washing machine. My wife and I put our bedsheets through the machine before we went out to dinner, then popped them in the dryer when we returned.
If we had more time, I would have liked to have really tested the different smart washing modes on offer, as well as attempted to get a deeper appreciation for the cycle synergy across the appliances.
But I still managed to form some early thoughts from our experience.
Samsung Bespoke Washer review: Design
The Bespoke appliances are sleek and polished, like a sports car on the showroom floor. That is both a good and a bad thing.
It’s hard to make a laundry appliance look good. No matter what you do, you’re essentially left with a big, cubish box with a front-windowed door.
The Bespoke washing machine we tested was the black version of the 12 kg Bespoke washer, and while it looked sleek, I’d argue it was just too dark for my tastes. Luckily there is a white model if you prefer your appliances lighter in colour.
The front load door is flat and barely protrudes from the body of the washer, which is a nice change from our 2017 model Samsung 11kg front load washer. However, it doesn’t feature the same AddWash window that we have come to appreciate.
According to Samsung, AddWash was a feature they had to cut from the Bespoke machines. There is a limited period of time you can still pause the cycle and open the door to add the pair of socks you found on your teenager’s floor, though.
Controls
The controls on the Bespoke washer were wonderfully simple.
There is a single central dial that rotates through the different wash modes, which is flanked by the power and start buttons on either side.
There are also a few additional buttons located under the LCD that allow you to adjust the spin speed, the number of rinse cycles and the water temperature of the wash.
But the truth is that for most people, you won’t need those buttons because the pre-programmed cleaning cycles are automated and simple to choose.
Cleaning modes
At the top of the list of options is the AI wash mode. It basically spins your dirty washing around a few times in a bit of water first.
It then lets the five different sensors inside the machine detect how dirty the washing is, as well as what kind of material it might be and how much detergent to use.
Then it puts on the most appropriate cycle, taking the guess work out of washing for people like me.
If you like control, there are a heap of settings, with everything from “delicates” and “cotton” to “towels”, “shirts” and “activewear”.
Once the washer is done, it sings a nice little song and will notify you through SmartThings that it has finished its job.
Samsung Bespoke Washer review: Performance
As I said at the top, we only really got to wash our bedsheets on the bedding setting. After the full process, the sheets felt clean and comfortable.
What I liked about using the Bespoke Washer was the fact that it doesn’t require a manual detergent load every time you go to use it.
There is a smart Auto Dispense feature that allows you to load up the machine with a month’s worth of detergent, as well as a second dispenser for fabric softener.
If you don’t use fabric softener, you can also fill that with detergent to get up to 2.5 months worth of washes before you have to refill the dispenser.
Combined with the AI wash cycle, that should make the process of washing clothes almost automatic.
SmartThings integration and intelligent control
One of the big advances between this washing machine and our old washer is the SmartThings integration.
Sure, our old washer can connect to SmartThings (maybe – there was an update and I haven’t been able to reconnect it), but the information and functionality is limited.
With the Bespoke Washing machine, you can get daily insights into your energy usage (which is also a feature of the AX46 air purifier we recently reviewed).
You can manually activate and control a cycle, if you manually activate that control on the machine after it’s loaded (it’s a safety feature to require the input on the machine, apparently).
You also get alerts as to when the cycle is finished, or if you need to clean the machine, or if you want to create custom cycles for specific items of clothing.
If you happen to have the Bespoke Dryer or AirDresser, the devices will also sync their cycles based on the washer.
So, for example, after washing our sheets on the bedding setting, the dryer automatically selected the bedding option for drying them.
(This also caused some confusion for me when testing the AirDresser at the same time, but I can see how it’s useful).
Without more time testing this functionality, I can’t say definitively whether it’s genius or a potential source of frustration. If you like things a certain way, having to manually change it after every wash could get annoying.
But for me, it was definitely convenient when washing our sheets.
Samsung Bespoke Washer review: Early Verdict
There’s no denying that Samsung has launched a powerful and stylish washing machine with the Bespoke washer.
From the limited hands on time I had, it was easy to use and did a good job of cleaning the sheets we put through.
I’d love to dive deeper into those settings and the SmartThings integration to see just how useful the “AI” automation functionality is over time.
I feel that it could be a game changer for laundry day if it’s executed well, but it could also get in the way of someone who likes having control over their washing.
But from my limited experience, I think I could confidently say that so long as the style suits your decor, you’ll be satisfied with the Samsung Bespoke Washer.
Buy the Samsung Bespoke AirDresser online
Samsung provided an overnight experience in Bondi to test the Bespoke Washer.
