Welcome to DingTech's Home Appliance Buying Tips. Last time, we talked about "washer-dryer combos" and touched on some aspects of standalone dryers. Let's recap the key points: whether it's a washer-dryer combo or a standalone dryer in a wash-dry set, they mainly come in three types: vented, condenser, and heat pump. Vented dryers excel in price, heat pump dryers excel in performance, while condenser dryers are somewhere in between but may be less convenient for daily maintenance. If you're opting for a combo, it's recommended to go for a heat pump model. If price is a concern, standalone vented dryers offer clear advantages. When choosing a washer-dryer combo, try to select one with washing and drying capacities that match. Some products have differences in these capacities, with the drying capacity being smaller.
Our friend Lao Yuan mentioned, "Even the heat pump washer-dryer combos are not cheap, and the others don't seem quite up to par. The thing is, I also want to replace my washing machine, but buying a set takes up space and requires planning. Is there a solution?"
A few years ago, there wasn't one, but in the past couple of years, the washing machine market has introduced a "new species" - the washer-dryer integration machine (also branded as wash-dry care machines). Let's delve into that this time.
The difference between "integrated" and "all-in-one" is quite significant when it comes to products.
You can easily perceive the distinction in appearance: a washer-dryer combo, typically a single-chamber single-drum product, conducts both washing and drying within the same chamber; whereas an integrated washer-dryer usually consists of dual chambers and dual drums, with drying taking place in the upper drum and washing in the lower drum.
However, there's a type of "dual-drum partition washing" washer-dryer combo that, at first glance, might be mistaken for an integrated washer-dryer, but it's not too difficult to distinguish: the dual drums in the "dual-drum partition washing" washer-dryer combo have different diameters and capacities, typically with the upper drum designed for washing undergarments and the lower drum for washing outer garments; additionally, in terms of usage, the washing and drying functions are not strictly confined to separate drums.
Based on our experience and understanding at Ding Technology, integrated washer-dryers have certain advantages over washer-dryer combos and washer-dryer sets (or "wash-only and dry-only" setups).
As mentioned earlier, with washer-dryer combos, washing and drying cannot be done simultaneously; the individual washing and drying effects may be average, especially with long drying times, as the washing capacity of some products may exceed the drying capacity.
As for washer-dryer sets, or "wash-only and dry-only" setups, although they can achieve dedicated drum usage, performing professional tasks with professional products, they still have limitations, primarily in terms of: occupying a large bedroom space, which may affect aesthetics; lacking integrated operation, making frequent interaction inconvenient; lacking integrated installation, standalone dryers still require space allocation, making installation unfriendly; additionally, stacking may lead to inconvenient access to and retrieval of clothes, as well as potentially pronounced noise and vibration issues; and they are relatively expensive, especially washer-dryer sets, often considered the "nobility" among washing machine products.
Achieving dedicated drum usage, integrated operation, and space friendliness simultaneously is the upgrade direction needed for washing and drying products.
The emergence of integrated washer-dryers aims to address the aforementioned issues.
Firstly, regarding dedicated drum usage, as mentioned earlier, no further elaboration is needed.
Secondly, concerning integrated operation, features like single-screen operation for washing and drying functions, one-touch wash-dry linkage, etc., are basically standard for these products, with washing in the upper drum and drying in the lower drum, allowing for minimal time gaps in operation.
As for space friendliness, in contrast to the dual-drum assembly or stacking of washer-dryer sets, integrated washer-dryers have a more compact body, with a reduced height, occupying less vertical space and being more user-friendly, especially for female users; furthermore, as a product of the new development stage of washing machines, they are also influenced by embeddedness and slimming trends, resulting in a more compact footprint; simultaneously, due to their compact design and balanced structure, they theoretically offer better stability than stacked setups.
Currently, brands like Haier, TCL, etc., are actively expanding into the integrated washer-dryer market, making this category a new direction for revitalizing the washing machine market.
Of course, a considerable portion of these products still exist as high-end products within the industry, with an average industry price ranging from 7500 to 10000 CNY, similar to that of washer-dryer sets. Here, I introduce TCL's T10 integrated washer-dryer for reference because its market reference price is 4599 CNY, which is close to the price of a washer-dryer combo, yet it offers solid dedicated drum usage capabilities as an integrated washer-dryer, making it an affordable option in the integrated washer-dryer category. (Thanks to more friends for sharing, also please indicate "Ding Technology".)
