The short answer is that some models seem to be, but according to Which? at least one is not. Samsung have created a new technology for washing machines called EcoBubble, which they claim, “improves wash performance, reduces energy consumption and saves money”.
How does it work and what are the main claims? In plain language, they mix air bubbles in with the water and detergent which they say gets detergent into the fabric 40% faster allowing lower temperatures to achieve good results using 70% less energy (at 40 degrees).
It sounds impressive, and clearly any figures quoted will be provable in some way, but I’m always sceptical of percentages without context. So when I see percentages quoted like this I immediately think, 70% less energy than what? And what does the 70% equate to in actual money? We all know 70% is very impressive, but 70% of a pound is nothing to get giddy about. Potentially, the implication most people may take is that it uses 70% less energy than all other washing machines, but does it?
Let’s compare a Samsung 7kg ecobubble with a normal Bosh 7Kg washing machine
The Bosh 7Kg washing machines claims to cost only £21 a year in energy to run. So if the Ecobubble was 70% cheaper than that it makes it £6.30 a year. This doesn’t seem right, surely no washing machine costs as little as £6 a year to run. According to the specs on the Ecobubble 7Kg washing machine, it costs £25 a year to run – which is more!
So 70% less energy consumption doesn’t look so impressive when I can already see a rival washing machine without the ecobubble that costs even less to run. And it was just the first one I looked at. It clearly doesn’t equate to being 70% cheaper to run per se.
Also, what does 40% faster mean in real terms? 40% faster could mean just over half a second instead of 1 second for example, which isn’t remotely significant. The point is, percentage figures are meaningless without context but they are always used to impress in adverts, so be careful what you assume from impressive looking percentages.
The ecobubble washing machine I’m currently looking at does wash 10 minutes faster than the same Bosh WAE24490GB washing machine, which is quicker, but not significantly quicker to me. However, the ecobubble takes 20 minutes longer to wash on the Time Easy Care cycle than the Bosh, so it’s only faster under specific circumstances, or maybe on just a few programmes.
Putting aside the percentage claims
Out of the 5 ecobubble washing machines reviewed by Which? so far some of them are reportedly very good at cleaning but one model was found to be so poor at cleaning that they gave it a Don’t Buy icon. To be fair it’s probably an older model, possibly one of the first.
Ultimately most of the reviews say they wash well and relatively quickly, how much of that is down to the bubbles is unclear because many washing machines without ecobubble also have fantastic cleaning results and are Best Buys, so the bubbles aren’t necessarily some new discovery set to revolutionise washing machines.
It does seem that there may be something in the bubble system. The best advice is to check out Which? reviews on any model you are interested in. I suspect the Ecobubble may mainly be useful at reducing wash times on low temperature washes. So if you are into washing at really cool temperatures it is worth looking into, but choose your model carefully. (continued below..)
In my experience and opinion, the washing machine manufactures who also make brown goods tend to rely too much on fancy “innovations” to sell washing machines. Possibly because brown goods always sell on fancy features. I’ve yet to see one that I genuinely think improves washing machines…
Samsung EcoBubble reviews
Which? have so far reviewed the following EcoBubble models –
- WF80F5E5U4W Ecobubble
- WF0704W7W Ecobubble
- WF1124XAC Ecobubble
Read Samsung reviews
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20/11/2019 SAMSUNG ECOBUBBLE 7KG. DO NOT BUY. I have this machine, it has done nothing but leak, from the beginning. I have replaced all but one rubber hose and including the door seal. I hardly use the machine, maybe one load a week, i leave the detergent drawer and door always open and I have the machine perfectly level. The hose from the water filling detergent tray was the first to go and had been rubbing on its self. The door seal had a two and half inch whole in the top right hand area, where it had been rubbing on the cement weight. I have just found that the tub filter hose and the tub air hose, which lead from the bottom of the drum to the drain pump, are peppered with holes, mostly in the flexible areas of the hoses. I was shocked the first time i had a leak, at the lack of quality of that rubber part, but now as i find that all but one of the hoses has had these problems, i cant believe it! This washing machine was the most expensive washing machine i have ever purchased, I can only think that SAMSUNG has incorporated such flimsy hoses, so that the machine fails and most people will buy a replacement i.e. keeping these parts low in quality, so that they fail prematurely and thus the leaking machine is replaced by a new machine. Not at all good for the environment but wonderful for a company selling washing machines. So far i have spent near £200 pounds on three hoses and a door seal. Luckily i am able to remove and install these parts myself, but i dread to think of the price I would have had to pay an engineer. Also we have developed a damp/condensation problem in the room where the machine is located and having found these recent newer leaking hose issues, Im now wondering if this leaking machine is the source of our problem!?* Unfortunately we dont know how long its been dribbling and eventually led to several floods of the room, before we realized all the hoses were gone! I really cannot believe my own experience and I am beyond angry… Currently waiting for the spares to arrive and contemplating where to start with dealing with the unknown water damage, below a suspended real oak floor in a very old building…
We bought a Samsung 8kg eco bubble machine in 2014 and have been generally very pleased with it except for the fact that we could not seem to register for the 5 year warranty promised when we bought it, Samsung seemed to want us to jump through so many hoops to get the 5 years that we simply gave up in the end! The machine was fine until April 2020 when it began to stop mid program and eventually would only run 1-2 mins before stopping, there seemed to be nothing wrong mechanically or with the water supply and pump out etc, it just stopped. After looking online I found this is not an uncommon fault for these machines and is a failure of the PCB (controller), As it was 6 years old and the parts and repair expensive I opted to replace with new. My wife was quite keen to have another Samsung but I was frankly disappointed with a 6 year life (rubbish) so opted for a Bosch machine like most of our other appliances. I hope the Bosch will last a few years longer and it certainly seems a nice machine so far and much quieter. I also have far more confidence in the Bosch customer service and support. Samsung appear pretty dire in this department
Hello,
So would you not recommend the latest Samsung WW80TA046AE ecobubble? (I won’t be using this function anyway). I want a basic machine that washes well and doesn’t cost a lot to run.
Even some Miele have issues with rinsing and are expensive to run according to Which?
Hello Valerie. I would check the Which? review on the latest Samsung WW80TA046AE ecobubble if they have reviewed it. Personally I don’t really rate the white goods made by any of the brown goods manufacturers. This is because I feel that they concentrate too much on fancy features, catchy tunes and unique innovations that sound good but in reality don’t seem to offer any substantial advance. Also they all have to rely on third party engineers and companies to carry out their in guarantee work instead of having their own engineers.
All of these companies make excellent brown goods and have fantastic reputations. I have no idea why they would even want to bother getting into the white goods market which is totally different. I would prefer them to concentrate on making better quality appliances than the competition, that are more reliable and more repairable.
They seem to think that the constant innovation, which works well in brown goods should work equally well in white goods but I believe the white goods trade is completely different. In the brown goods industry when you are making TVs, DVD players, and sound systems rtc. people are constantly tempted to upgrade to get newer and better and innovative features. This just does not work in washing machines and other white goods. People do not get rid of the washing machine that works perfectly all right because a new one has come out with novel features. When it comes to white goods people want good value for money and reliability and longevity. Any brand that aspires to this gets my vote.