I, for one, hate folding laundry. Nothing feels extra futile: I fold garments just for it to get worn, washed, after which thrown again within the basket to be folded once more. On repeat. Endlessly and ever. Plus, cloth is inconceivable to seize, and I all the time find yourself scratching myself once I’m in a rush. So, a folding laundry robotic must be my dream, proper?
You wager it’s. If I may plop one in my house, hand it my laundry, and are available again on the finish of the day to search out all of it folded, I’d be ecstatic. However there are two catches: it must be one thing I may really afford, and it must work fairly properly by itself.
Enter Weave’s Isaac 0. Bother is, it prices $7999 plus a $250 deposit (!!), can’t deal with massive blankets, inside-out garments, or sheets, and nonetheless wants a human operator for tough folds. In different phrases, it’s a robotic that folds laundry… so long as you’re keen to babysit it.
The Promise vs. the Actuality of Folding Laundry Robots
I don’t suppose I’m the one one who would love an automation trick for folding laundry. That’s why the promise of a folding laundry robotic is so interesting. For households with out common in-home assist, that point could possibly be spent on so many different issues.
That’s why, when LG launched its CLOiD, a laundry-folding robotic, at CES 2026—it acquired appreciable consideration. CLOiD may additionally deal with mild kitchen work and function home equipment. Journalists, nevertheless, famous that its folds had been a bit sloppy and actions painstakingly sluggish.
Weave is coming into the identical market with its Isaac 0. In contrast to CLOiD, Isaac 0 is a stationary robotic that folds laundry solely. You possibly can set it up by yourself over a weekend, plug it into a daily outlet and let it sort out your washed garments.
It folds gadgets like t‑shirts, lengthy sleeves, sweaters, pants, and towels.
Sounds nice, proper? However earlier than you image robotic arms effortlessly gliding via piles of laundry whilst you sip espresso, there are a number of essential caveats to concentrate on.
It Takes a Whereas — and Nonetheless Wants Human Assist
The truth is that Isaac 0 takes round 30–90 minutes to fold a single load of laundry. I’ll be sincere with you, my children are quicker. And I solely should pay them in spare change and ice cream. So in case you normally spend quarter-hour folding a load your self, you would possibly really be ready longer for a robotic with a desktop physique and twin arms to do it.
And that’s not all. Whereas Weave says Isaac 0 “runs autonomously as a lot as attainable,” the robotic doesn’t all the time handle tough folds by itself. If it will get to a garment it doesn’t but know how one can deal with, a Weave specialist can soar in remotely for a fast 5–10‑second correction earlier than handing management again to the robotic.
Meaning this so‑referred to as autonomous folding laundry robotic is, at occasions, teleoperated by a human watching via its cameras. It’s an operation idea just like what we noticed from the X1 Neo, which debuted in fall 2025. It’s mainly bringing somebody into your house to wash it, which can make you increase an eyebrow about privateness and practicality.
What Isaac 0 Can and Can’t Do
Let’s be clear: Isaac 0 folds a spread of on a regular basis gadgets, together with shirts, pants, sweaters, and towels. It additionally learns from each correction the robotic’s operators make, so it should enhance over time.
However right here’s the place my desires of outsourcing folding hit a snag:
- It might’t fold massive blankets or mattress sheets.
- It struggles with inside‑out garments proper from the washer.
- You continue to want to position the garments in its workspace your self—this isn’t a robotic that brings the basket to itself.
There’s additionally actual‑world commentary from early sightings that it might not produce the crispest folds—some sources even joked that the outcomes look “pretty dangerous” in contrast with human folding.
So what you’re spending practically eight grand on isn’t a magical laundry elf that zaps your chores away. It’s a large, tethered folding machine with AI and a few occasional human assist. And the outcomes may not be that nice.
Who Is This For, Actually?
It’s no secret that this robotic isn’t low-cost. With a hefty upfront value and restricted launch area (solely Bay Space residents can order initially), that is clearly geared toward early adopters with additional money and a style for slicing‑edge tech, not abnormal households.
If you have already got assist at house—like a component‑time housekeeper or an adolescent—these options are nonetheless cheaper and quicker than a robotic that takes as much as 90 minutes per load.
One other use case I can see is business laundry companies in flats with many occupants. Individuals may drop off their laundry to be washed, ironed, and folded and choose it up on the finish of the day. Possibly it’s a futuristic dream, although.
Regardless of the way you have a look at it, the concept of a robotic folding laundry—for the value—looks like shopping for a sports activities automotive to drive to the grocery retailer.
It’s a Step Towards the Future—However Not the Future It Guarantees
I respect what Weave is attempting to do. The concept of house robots that scale back day by day drudgery is price pursuing (it’s an enormous client ache level), and Isaac 0 represents an actual product transition from analysis and prototypes to one thing that really reveals up in individuals’s houses.
Weave has been testing associated robots in business settings, like laundromats, the place they’ve gathered actual‑world information and improved their methods over time. This effort reveals that folding laundry with robots is technically attainable, and that have will completely inform future, higher variations.
However I can’t assist considering: we’re in a “beta model” of the long run proper now. If a robotic that folds laundry takes virtually so long as a human and nonetheless wants corrections from time to time, we’re a number of generations away from one thing actually transformative.
The Privateness Angle (Sure, It Issues)
One a part of the teleoperation setup that doesn’t get sufficient consideration is the privateness side. As a result of the robotic could need assistance from a human operator, somebody will see your house by way of its cameras when that occurs.
For many individuals, that’s an odd commerce‑off: pay $8k for a robotic that typically folds your garments whereas letting a distant particular person peek into your house for a number of seconds per tough shirt fold. It’s a element you’ll wish to take into consideration in case you’re critically contemplating this type of know-how in your residing house.
So… Is It Value It?
Right here’s my brutally sincere verdict: No, I wouldn’t spend $7,999 on a folding laundry robotic proper now.
Is it cool? Sure. And it’s spectacular that persons are even attempting this. However for many of us, the associated fee, limitations, and tempo of efficiency make it extra of a novelty than a necessity.
For those who hate folding laundry half as a lot as I do, you would possibly briefly flirt with the concept of dropping eight grand on robotic assist. However the sensible worth simply isn’t there but. My children are nonetheless cheaper, quicker, and admittedly extra dependable. So are part-time cleaners and drop-off laundry companies.
That stated, I’ll be curious to look at the place this know-how goes. If Weave finally ships a model of Isaac 0 that tackles your complete laundry course of—and even expands to different chores like tidying up or dish stacking—then possibly I’ll begin saving up. However for now? My laundry basket can wait just a bit bit longer.
