[Korea Consumer Agency]
[Korea Consumer Agency]

Korea Consumer Agency compares clothing care machines from Samsung, LG and Coway

Products score well overall on wrinkle removal, odor elimination — each with distinct strengths

Coway records lowest operating noise at 44 dB or below, expanding its rental appliance lineup

Coway is carving out a growing presence in the clothing care machine market long dominated by Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics. A Korea Consumer Agency comparison of products from all three companies found that Coway's machine performed well across key clothing care functions — including wrinkle removal and odor elimination — and was the quietest of the three models tested.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency on Thursday, a quality and safety evaluation of three top-selling clothing care machines found that performance differences among the products were either minimal or varied by category, with each model showing its own strengths.

The three models tested were Coway's Four-Season Clothing Care Machine Double Care (FAD-02S), Samsung Electronics' Bespoke AI AirDresser and LG Electronics' All New Styler. All three received favorable ratings for wrinkle removal, and all met benchmark standards for odor elimination and harmful bacteria removal — core functions of clothing care machines. Differences among the brands emerged, however, in detailed measures related to everyday usability.

Coway earned the highest marks for noise. Its Four-Season Clothing Care Machine Double Care recorded operating noise at or below 44 dB, the lowest among the tested products. Clothing care machines are typically used for extended periods in living spaces such as dressing rooms and bedrooms, making noise level one of the factors consumers tend to notice most.

For the standard clothing care cycle, LG Electronics' product was relatively faster, while Samsung Electronics' product performed better in drying time for wet garments.

The domestic clothing care machine market took shape after LG Electronics pioneered the category with its Styler, followed by Samsung Electronics' launch of the AirDresser, with growth driven largely by major home appliance makers. The segment is considered one where large integrated appliance companies hold a relative advantage, as many consumers purchase clothing care machines alongside major home appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and dryers.

Coway, by contrast, built its business around rental and environmental appliances — water purifiers, air purifiers and bidets. The company has been broadening its rental product lineup into mattresses and massage chairs, extending its reach across consumers' living spaces. Clothing care machines are one pillar of that portfolio expansion strategy.

Coway's key advantage lies in its existing rental customer base. While Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics target the clothing care market through their large home appliance sales networks, Coway can offer additional products to customers already renting its water purifiers and air purifiers. Rather than acquiring new customers from scratch, the company can grow its account base by increasing the number of products each existing customer uses.

The importance of so-called multi-product accounts — where a single customer rents several items — has been growing across the rental industry. Expanding a customer's usage from a single water purifier to include air purifiers, bidets and mattresses raises revenue per customer while also securing long-term relationships.

"Clothing care machines are a category where major appliance makers established the market early, making it difficult for latecomers to break in," an industry official said. "For a rental company, the key to expanding in this market will be how effectively it can generate additional demand by leveraging its existing customer base and maintenance service network."


hong@heraldcorp.com