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. Ceaselessly and ever. Plus, cloth is inconceivable to seize, and I at all times find yourself scratching myself after 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 dwelling, 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 effectively by itself.
Enter Weave’s Isaac 0. Hassle is, it prices $7999 plus a $250 deposit (!!), can’t deal with giant 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 assume 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 bought appreciable consideration. CLOiD may additionally deal with mild kitchen work and function home equipment. Journalists, nevertheless, famous that its folds have been a bit sloppy and actions painstakingly gradual.
Weave is coming into the identical market with its Isaac 0. Not like 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 an everyday outlet and let it deal with your washed garments.
It folds objects like t‑shirts, lengthy sleeves, sweaters, pants, and towels.
Sounds nice, proper? However earlier than you image robotic arms effortlessly gliding by way of piles of laundry when you sip espresso, there are just a few 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 trustworthy with you, my youngsters are sooner. And I solely must pay them in spare change and ice cream. So if you happen to 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 at all times handle tough folds by itself. If it will get to a garment it doesn’t but know the right way to deal with, a Weave specialist can soar in remotely for a fast 5–10‑second correction earlier than handing management again to the robotic.
Which means this so‑known as autonomous folding laundry robotic is, at instances, teleoperated by a human watching by way of its cameras. It’s an operation idea much like what we noticed from the X1 Neo, which debuted in fall 2025. It’s mainly bringing somebody into your property to scrub it, which can make you elevate an eyebrow about privateness and practicality.
What Isaac 0 Can and Can’t Do
Let’s be clear: Isaac 0 folds a variety of on a regular basis objects, together with shirts, pants, sweaters, and towels. It additionally learns from each correction the robotic’s operators make, so it’s going to enhance over time.
However right here’s the place my desires of outsourcing folding hit a snag:
- It could possibly’t fold giant 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 could not produce the crispest folds—some sources even joked that the outcomes look “pretty unhealthy” 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 an enormous, tethered folding machine with AI and a few occasional human assist. And the outcomes won’t be that nice.
Who Is This For, Actually?
It’s no secret that this robotic isn’t low-cost. With a hefty upfront price 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 chopping‑edge tech, not bizarre households.
If you have already got assist at dwelling—like a component‑time housekeeper or a young person—these options are nonetheless cheaper and sooner than a robotic that takes as much as 90 minutes per load.
One other use case I can see is industrial laundry companies in residences with many occupants. Individuals may drop off their laundry to be washed, ironed, and folded and decide it up on the finish of the day. Perhaps it’s a futuristic dream, although.
Irrespective of the way you have a look at it, the thought 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 recognize what Weave is making an attempt to do. The concept of dwelling robots that cut back each day drudgery is value 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 exhibits up in folks’s houses.
Weave has been testing associated robots in industrial settings, like laundromats, the place they’ve gathered actual‑world knowledge and improved their techniques over time. This effort exhibits that folding laundry with robots is technically attainable, and that have will completely inform future, higher variations.
However I can’t assist pondering: 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 every now and then, we’re just a few 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 facet. As a result of the robotic could need assistance from a human operator, somebody will see your property by way of its cameras when that occurs.
For many individuals, that’s a wierd commerce‑off: pay $8k for a robotic that typically folds your garments whereas letting a distant individual peek into your property for just a few seconds per tough shirt fold. It’s a element you’ll need to take into consideration if you happen to’re significantly contemplating this kind of know-how in your dwelling area.
So… Is It Value It?
Right here’s my brutally trustworthy 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 making an attempt this. However for many of us, the fee, limitations, and tempo of efficiency make it extra of a novelty than a necessity.
If you happen to hate folding laundry half as a lot as I do, you would possibly briefly flirt with the thought of dropping eight grand on robotic assist. However the sensible worth simply isn’t there but. My youngsters are nonetheless cheaper, sooner, and admittedly extra dependable. So are part-time cleaners and drop-off laundry companies.
That mentioned, I’ll be curious to observe the place this know-how goes. If Weave in the end ships a model of Isaac 0 that tackles your entire 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.
