This machine will fold your laundry for you

Hiding in one of the halls at CES 2019 is the Foldimate laundry-folder, and it may just do what smart washing machines have failed to do so far – make cleaning your clothes fun.

You manually insert items of clothing into the Foldimate by clipping them in, but that's all you'll need to do. About five seconds later the machine spits them out at the bottom and makes a bell noise when it's complete.

The company estimates you can fold a whole load of washing in just five minutes.

We saw a demonstration at CES 2019 where a t-shirt was folded in around five seconds. For a t-shirt, you have to clip the two shoulders and the machine does the rest of the work.

We only saw t-shirts being folded but the company claims it can also do shirts, trousers and some sizes of towel.

A 2019 launch?

This isn't the first time we've heard about the Foldimate, but it's the first time the machine has been fully demonstrated at a tech show. That's because you'll hopefully be able to buy one by the end of the year.

The Foldimate we saw is still a prototype, but the company is hoping for a "late 2019" launch date. Unfortunately this laundry luxury won't come cheap though, at an eye-watering $980 (about £770, AU$1370).

It's not for everyone, but if you're sick of folding your clothes it's difficult to think of a better automatic solution. For those not wanting to drop close to a thousand dollars on this machine, however, you can always take some of the laundry life hacks in the video below:

  • Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2019 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.  
TOPICS
James Peckham

James is the Editor-in-Chief at Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.

Latest in Small Appliances
Sage Oracle Jet coffee machine with cup of coffee and milk pitcher on kitchen counter
I tested the Sage Oracle Jet for a month, and it delivers top-notch espresso with minimal effort
The De'Longhi Magnifica Evo on a pink background with text saying Lowest Price.
The stylish De'Longhi Magnifica Evo is down to its lowest-ever price at Amazon
Person using Dyson V8 vacuum
Dyson vacuums have one big problem and I don't understand why
Shark TurboBlade fan
The new Shark fan can blast blades of air in any direction, and it's set to make summer far more bearable
Three photos of the Dyson Supersonic r hair dryer
Dyson just released a consumer version of its best pro hair dryer, and I can't wait to get my hands on one
Jura J10 coffee maker on kitchen counter
I wasn't a fan of syrup in coffee until I tried the Jura J10 espresso machine – here's why
Latest in News
Panos Panay and Alexa Plus
Amazon's Panos Panay teases future Alexa+ devices from speakers to possible wearables
Metroid Prime 4
I reckon the Nintendo Switch 2 could launch with Metroid Prime 4 – here’s why
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
New rumors predict a foldable iPhone will launch next year – and cost almost twice as much as the iPhone 16 Pro Max
Pebble smartwatch countdown
Pebble confirms its smartwatch announcement is just hours away
Logo of YouTube Shorts
Is YouTube auto-playing Shorts when you open the app? Well, you’re not alone - here’s how to fix it
Google DeepMind panel discussion
“More sovereignty and protection” - Google goes all-in on UK AI with data residency, upskilling projects, and startup investments