Samsung WW9800T (WW90T986DSH) Review

Offering exceptional cleaning, the Samsung WW9800T (WW90T986DSH) is also very smart, including app control, auto-dosing and an AI wash mode to take the hassle out of cleaning. It’s one of the more expensive washing machines you can buy, but if you want the absolute best, then this is it.

Smarter, easier and faster are the three things that we’d all want to see in any washing machine, and it’s fair to say that the Samsung WW9800T (WW90T986DSH) succeeds at delivering all three. Featuring auto dosing, integration into SmartThings and excellent efficiency, this is a quality washing machine for those who want the best. There’s no denying that it’s expensive choice, however.

Design

• Simple and unobtrusive front
• Confusing symbols and dials are replaced with a cleaner interface
• Rugged build quality

When it comes to design, there’s only so much you can do with a washing machine: after all, they’re all of a similar size with a porthole opening at the front. Nevertheless, Samsung has still managed to make the WW9800T its own, ditching the usual large control panel for a slimmer one with fewer markings on it.

The company delivers its usual build quality; this machine feels tough and well built. There are some nice touches, too. Spin the machine around, and the metal cover that gives access to the innards has a smiley face on it. You’ll never see it, but this kind of touch shows that the company has put thought into every bit of the machine.

The usual porthole opening can be found at the front, and swings open to provide easy access to the 9kg drum inside. You’ll notice the extra flap on the front, too, which is for Samsung’s AddWash: at any point in the cycle, you can open this up and add items that may have escaped the pile en route to the washing machine.

Slide open the detergent drawer, and you’ll see that there are refillable tanks for washing liquid, which gives the machine the capability to auto dispense detergent. There’s also a manual detergent tray at the back, which lets you add powder or alternative detergent, although you have to make sure that you disable the auto dispense option to use this. To be honest, for most washes, using the automatic settings with liquid is far easier.

Features

• Auto dosing does away with having to measure detergent
• Lots of wash options available
• Hooks up to the SmartThings app

Samsung has tried to make the WW9800T as easy to use as possible. Rather than selecting a wash programme by rotating the dial to the right position, the WW9800T shows you options on the LCD; you cycle through them using the dial. It makes the front of this machine far less confusing and cluttered than the competition.

Hook up the machine to Wi-Fi and you can access it through the SmartThings app, which lets you send the programme you want to use to the washing machine, including any additional options such as wash temperature, spin speed and EcoBubble (Samsung’s tech for improving stain removal).

The app brings more explanation of each programme, without having to turn to the manual – although once you know which settings you want to use, it’s quicker and easier to turn to the front dial.

That’s not to say that the app isn’t useful. Once set up, you can start a remote session, which means that you can set off a wash, say, while you’re out, so that it’s done for your return. The app will ping you once a cycle is complete, which may command your attention better than having to listen out for the short ditty the machine plays at the end.

Since the washing machine will auto dose based on the programme and weight of washing, you don’t have to worry about getting the right amount of cleaning solution lined up.

The Samsung includes all the usual programmes you’d expect, plus some special options, including the Eco 40-60 programme for compliance with the EU Ecodesign framework (designed to deliver minimum levels of efficiency), Wool, Hygiene Steam (designed to remove bacteria and odours), and a couple of drum cleaning cycles to keep the machine in its best condition.

Performance

• Superb stain removal, even at low temperatures
• Quiet in operation
• Efficient across the board

To test how good the WW9800T is, I ran a few cycles to test its stain-cleaning performance. First, I started with a regular 30ºC cotton wash, with the EcoBubble option turned on. The machine used 0.48kWh of power and just 42.9 litres of water. With the high spin speed (rated A), the WW9800T left just 0.86kg of water behind, which is 34.4% of the original dry weight. That’s lower than the quality LG V9 F4V909BTS.

The stain strip we use to run the tests – which consists of (from left to right) red wine, orange juice, ketchup, vegetable oil and gravy – proves pretty much impossible for any machine to completely remove all stains. However, the WW9800T came close, as you can see from the before and after shots below. The red wine stain looks like a very faint grease spot; the orange juice and oil have gone; and there’s a hint of ketchup remaining – but you’d have to peer to see it. Only the gravy is more visible.

Upping to a higher-temperature 40ºC wash, I used Samsung’s AI programme, designed to automatically optimise the wash for stains. This time, power consumption and water consumption almost doubled (0.8kWh and 80.3 litres), but the spin cycle was almost as efficient, with 37.5% of the clothes’ dry weight retained as water.

Stain removal was even better, with just the faint outline of each of the test stains left. And, you can only really see these if you get up-close. This makes the WW9800T the best machine for stain removal I’ve tested. The machine was impressively quick, too, taking no more than 90 minutes to complete each cycle.

To work out accurate running costs, I take the annual water and power usage figures from the EU energy label. Under the old system, the WW9800T was A+++ rated, but under the new rating scheme, it becomes an A-rated machine, which is the top available. Under the new scheme, few machines are supposed to have this rating, which gives you an idea of how efficient the Samsung WW9800T is.

To give a comparison between machines, I like to work out annual running costs based on the UK average of 274 washes per year. However, for fair comparison I work out costs based on the assumption that the machine is used to full capacity. For example, for high usage, I estimate 6kg loads on average, which works out at a total 1,644kg per year at 274 washes, which the WW9800T can complete in just 182.67 washes.

Based on these calculations, the WW9800T would have an annual cost of £34.70 for high usage, £26.02 for medium use (4.5kg loads) and £17.35 for low use (3kg loads). That’s impressively low, with considerably better running costs over the Bosch WAT286H0GB. To achieve even lower running costs you’d typically have to upgrade to an even larger machine, and use it to full capacity each time. What you get here is low running costs and, as my tests show, the WW9800T can be very efficient even with smaller test loads, such as my 3kg of washing.

It’s also impressively quiet in operation. I measured it at 51.2dB in normal use, which is hard to hear above general background noise; certainly, you could watch TV while a normal cycle was running. On a spin cycle, the machine was very stable, measuring it at 68.3dB. That’s quiet, although you may need to turn up the TV if it’s in the same room as the machine.

Should you buy it?

There’s no skirting around the fact that the Samsung WW9800T (WW90T986DSH) is quite an expensive washing machine. What you get for the money is low running costs, a decent app, super-quiet running, no-hassle cleaning with auto dosing and, most importantly, excellent stain removal across the board. If you want a washing machine that can take care of your wash quickly and efficiently, then the Samsung WW9800T is for you. If you’re after something a bit cheaper, check out my guide to the best washing machines for other recommendations.