LG’s new ThinQ washer can sense fabrics so you never ruin your clothes

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It can sense what clothes you toss in and adjust its cycles accordingly

(Image credit: Future)

Whenever I volunteer to do laundry in my house, my wife tells me to wash my clothes separately, so that I don't mess up her delicates by accident. LG's new ThinQ front-loading washing machine and clothes dryer will potentially eliminate any pre-sorting mishaps, by using a combination of AI and sensors to adjust its various washing cycles on the fly. And, if you have the matching dryer, the washer will automatically transmit its data to the dryer, so your clothes don't accidentally end up a size too small.

Both the washer and dryer will be available in North America in the first half of 2020, though pricing has yet to be announced.

Like a typical washer, the LG ThinQ features a variety of presets, such as Heavy Duty, Bedding, Delicates, Permanent Press and so on. However, when the washer determines the type of fabrics in the machine—through sensors embedded in the drum, as well as the size of the load—it will tailor that preset accordingly, based on accumulated data from LG. The washer will also determine how much detergent is needed to properly clean the load.

(Image credit: Future)

The washer has a Wi-Fi connection, so it can send information about the load to a dryer. It also allows homeowners to create a custom washing cycle on LG's ThinQ app, which they can then download to the machine. The Wi-Fi connection can also be used in conjunction with Amazon's Dash Replenishment service to order more detergent, as well as LG Proactive Customer Care, which helps alert owners to potential issues with the washer or dryer.

We're curious to see how LG's AI performs in the real world. The company says it can make clothes last up to 15 percent longer. We suppose it can also make for more efficient energy use, too. And it means I'll be able to do more laundry.

Be sure to check out our CES 2020 hub for the latest news and hands-on impressions out of Las Vegas.

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Mike Prospero
Mike Prospero
U.S. Editor-in-Chief, Tom's Guide

Michael A. Prospero is the U.S. Editor-in-Chief for Tom’s Guide. He oversees all evergreen content and oversees the Homes, Smart Home, and Fitness/Wearables categories for the site. In his spare time, he also tests out the latest drones, electric scooters, and smart home gadgets, such as video doorbells. Before his tenure at Tom's Guide, he was the Reviews Editor for Laptop Magazine, a reporter at Fast Company, the Times of Trenton, and, many eons back, an intern at George magazine. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College, where he worked on the campus newspaper The Heights, and then attended the Columbia University school of Journalism. When he’s not testing out the latest running watch, electric scooter, or skiing or training for a marathon, he’s probably using the latest sous vide machine, smoker, or pizza oven, to the delight — or chagrin — of his family.