Yes, a Laundry-Folding Robot Actually Exists

We’d be lying if we said we’ve never worn a pair of jeans or our favorite t-shirt past their prime just to put off doing laundry for a few extra days. Up there with vacuuming, unloading the dishwasher, and deep cleaning the bathroom, folding ranks pretty high on our most-hated chores list: It’s tedious, inconvenient, and time consuming. But, apparently, the end of our folding days is on the horizon.

Meet FoldiMate: a laundry-folding robot that aims to take the misery out of folding clothes by sorting your clothes into neat piles for you. Per Designboom, the company recently made its chore-shattering debut at CES 2018—an annual electronics and technology trade show in Las Vegas—where it both wowed and confused the public with its unusual solution and decidedly steep price tag. Set to start shipping at the end of 2019, FoldiMate will cost a cool $980.

But before we jump to conclusions, let’s consider the pros and cons. Pro? For those among us who have too much money on our hands or just really, really hate the monotony of folding each individual item, then FoldiMate is what laundry dreams are made of. Let’s face it, we don’t all have a Marie Kondo hidden somewhere deep down inside us.

Con? While the machine promises to fold all of your things in under four minutes, you still have to feed each item into it—meaning you’re definitely not saving any time and still can’t multitask while your clothes essentially “fold themselves.” While the company claims that the machine “takes the work out of laundry folding,” we beg to differ.

Pro? FoldiMate hopes to make doing laundry more fun for little ones, thus lightening the chore load for Mom and Dad. Also, we have to admit, it’s pretty satisfying to watch. Just see for yourself:

The machine does have its limitations. While it can fold shirts, blouses, and pants, like a breeze, FoldiMate cannot yet handle very small items like baby clothes, socks, or undergarments. The same rings true for anything on the bulkier side, such as hoodies or sheets. So, unfortunately, some things will just have to be folded the old-fashioned way.

Despite the fact that FoldiMate obviously doesn’t neatly put your belongings away for you when all is said and done (or the fact that it’s fax machine-like design makes it look like it belongs in an office rather as opposed to the laundry room), we appreciate the effort for trying to make something that’s widely regarded as a pain in the butt a bit more enjoyable.

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