Samsung Series 5+ WW90T554DAN/S1 AddWash™ 9kg Washing Machine Review

Overall star rating: 4.5/5

Price: RRP £499 | Buy now from John Lewis

Our verdict on the Samsung Series 5+ WW90T554DAN/S1 AddWash™ washing machine

The Samsung Series 5+ WW90T554DAN/S1 AddWash™ Washing Machine is an energy efficient, AI-powered appliance that cleans, rinses and dries large loads well. It has an easy-to-use touch-screen panel and is app-compatible, which means that it can be controlled and monitored remotely via the Samsung SmartThings app.

This washing machine doesn’t have a drying option, but its spin cycle is effective and the AddWash™ drawer is an invaluable addition that allows you to add extra items after a wash has begun.

What we like

'A' energy rating
AddWash™ drawer for adding items after a wash has started
22 different cycles, including Baby Care, Hygiene Steam and Delicates
Quick wash time - 15 minutes for 2kg of laundry
ecobubble™ technology for a deeper and quicker clean
Compatible with the Samsung SmartThings app
Quiet Mark certified
StayClean drawer to rinse away any detergent build-up

What we don’t like

Lower rpm spin cycle (400) leaves clothes a little damp
Can initially be tricky to connect to the app
Lengthy and annoying tune that notifies you when a wash has ended

Key specs

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How we tested the Samsung Series 5+ WW90T554DAN/S1 AddWash™ washing machine

One year of use
Used twice a week on average
Tested in a family household

The Samsung Series 5+ WW90T554DAN/S1 AddWash™ 9kg washing machine has been put through its paces in my family home for the past year. I use it on average twice per week, mostly to keep on top of my toddler’s soiled baby clothes, and have also connected this AI-powered washing machine to the Samsung SmartThings app. This has allowed me to set cycles and monitor energy usage, carbon dioxide emissions and cost for every cycle I run.

To paint an accurate picture of how the Samsung WW90T554DAN/S1 washing machine performs in a family home, I looked at a number of different factors including overall cleaning, stain removal, rinse and spin effectiveness, ease of use, programme length, noisiness and energy consumption.

Samsung Series 5+ WW90T554DAN/S1 AddWash™ washing machine: how does it look?

Sleek, modern and available to buy in white and graphite, the Samsung Series 5+ WW90T554DAN/S1 AddWash™ washing machine has a neutral design that will suit all home interiors.

It’s installed in my kitchen as I don’t have a separate utility room, but the machine blends in seamlessly with my countertops and other kitchen appliances, including kettle, toaster and microwave. The stylish touch-screen LED display only adds to the washing machine’s minimalist aesthetic.

How easy is the Samsung Series 5+ WW90T554DAN/S1 AddWash™ washing machine to set up?

It took me around 30 minutes to set this washing machine up. While it was a little tricky to move into the correct position under the countertop and to get the drain hose connected behind the work surface (which is solely to do with the way our kitchen is designed, not the washing machine itself), all in all this washing machine was fairly simple to install.

It comes with a full user guide and you can also find installation videos online or contact Samsung’s support team should you need extra help.

How well does the Samsung Series 5+ WW90T554DAN/S1 clean, rinse and spin?

The Samsung Series 5+ WW90T554DAN/S1 washing machine boasts 22 different cycles to suit different laundry needs, with varying run times from 15 to over 200 minutes. The cycles are: Quick Wash, Mixed Load, Activewear, Baby Care, Bedding, Cloudy Day (for a more powerful spin), Colours, Cotton, Delicates, Denim, Drain/Spin, Drum Clean, Eco 40-60, Hygiene Steam, Intense Cold, Outdoor, Rinse + Spin, Shirts, Silent Wash, Synthetics, Towels and Wool.

While it’s great that there are so many cycle options to choose from, 22 is a lot so, for me, most of these cycles actually go unused. I mostly use three cycles regularly: Eco, which washes up to 9kg at the optimal temperature to help you save on energy consumption and cost, Mixed Load (at 30 degrees), which washes clothes in around an hour, and Quick Wash, which washes up to 2kg in as little as 15 minutes depending on the spin cycle you choose.

If your family, like mine, is prone to eczema and allergies, the machine also has a Hygiene Steam function which deep cleans your clothes to get rid of bacteria, pollen and dust mites, gaining a Seal of Approval from the British Allergy Foundation.

I like the fact that the Mixed Load cycle washes larger 5kg loads in as little as 59 minutes if I’m running short of time or need an item for the next day, although admittedly it’s not the most energy-efficient of the 22 cycles. It does, however, use ecobubble™ technology to mix air, water and detergent to create bubbles that wash your clothes at cooler temperatures, which helps to reduce energy usage and cost.

Generally, I find the Mixed Load cycle very effective at removing all manner of stains, especially on my toddler’s clothes, but there is a special Baby Care cycle that washes at a much higher temperature if I want to tackle anything particularly stubborn. You can add a 30-minute bubble soak to your wash to loosen stubborn stains too.

The beauty of this washing machine is that it senses the weight of your clothes to work out how much water and time it needs to wash the load effectively. If you like, you can also set the number of times your washing is rinsed - anywhere from no rinse to five rinses (rinsing effectiveness for this machine is marked at 5g per kg) - and there are six spin cycles to choose from.

Because the Samsung WW90T554DAN/S1 isn't a washer dryer, it doesn’t have a drying function, so I tend to use the 1,400rpm spin cycle. This rinses out enough water to ensure that my load will be fully dry the next day when hung on the clothesline - although the machine’s actual spin rating is unfortunately marked only at a B when compared to other washing machines on the market, with 44% of water remaining after a spin cycle.

Is it energy-efficient and how much does it cost to run?

The energy you use will depend on the cycles you choose but, overall, the Samsung Samsung Series 5+ WW90T554DAN/S1 washing machine has been given an 'A' rating for energy efficiency.

With an average energy consumption of 49 kWh for 100 cycles and average water consumption of 50 litres per cycle, it’s one of the most energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly washing machines on the market - great news if, like me, you want to do your bit for the planet as well as keep on top of your energy bills.

The SmartThings app uses AI to conveniently monitor energy consumption and cost so that I can see exactly what I’m spending. As an example, a 26-minute Quick Wash at 30°C with three rinses and a spin speed of 1,200 rpm used 0.20 kWh of energy and cost me 7p to run. It also emitted 54g of carbon emissions, which is at the lower end of the scale compared to most washing machines.

What's the Samsung Series 5+ WW90T554DAN/S1 AddWash™ like to use day-to-day?

For my family of three, the Samsung Series 5+ washing machine is very easy to use day-to-day. The machine is simple to load and unload - so much so that my toddler regularly likes to help - and the detergent drawer is easy to fill.

I especially like the LED control panel, which clearly marks out what each cycle is for should I ever be unsure, as well as the touch-screen buttons and main control dial to switch between different settings. There is also a time remaining indicator, which lets me know how long a cycle has left. I can pause a cycle midway through if I need to and set a delay timer of up to 24 hours on the app.

My favourite feature, though, is the AddWash™ drawer, which lets me add any items I’ve missed (whether that's a forgotten sock or underwear) midway through a cycle. While the drawer is a bit temperamental to open, it’s revolutionised laundry days for my family.

Is it noisy?

With an 'A' rating for noise emission, which factors in a spin noise level of 72dB and a wash noise level of 53dB, the Samsung WW90T554DAN/S1 washing machine is Quiet Mark-certified.

As I work from my kitchen, the spin cycle has felt noisier than I would have liked when a wash has been running during a work day, but that’s partly due to my proximity to the washing machine and the level of focus I need for working - not the machine itself.

The main annoyance for me though is the tune that plays after a wash has ended. While my toddler enjoys it, for me it lasts way too long.

What is the app like?

One of the benefits of the Samsung WW90T554DAN/S1 is that it is compatible with the Samsung SmartThings app for smart WiFi connectivity, whether your phone is powered by Android or iOS.

While I don’t use the app for every wash, and my washing machine needs to be turned on to start a cycle via the app, I find the app most useful for checking energy consumption and costs.

The SmartThings app is limited, but it works well if you have multiple Samsung devices. When it comes to laundry, you can customise and save your favourite laundry programmes, monitor energy trends every month, and receive maintenance advice and laundry tips. You can also use the Laundry Recipes tool to select the clothes category, colour option and soil level of your load to tell you the best cycle to use before starting a wash.

Samsung washing machine detergent drawer

Is the Samsung Series 5+ WW90T554DAN/S1 washing machine easy to clean?

Yes! The Samsung WW90T554DAN/S1 tells you when a drum clean is needed on the control panel, usually after around 40 washes. The Drum Clean cycle uses a combination of soaking, pulsating and high speed spinning to clean your washing machine, removing up to 99.9% of bacteria according to Samsung (based on testing by Intertek).

The StayClean drawer is a handy addition for automatically rinsing away detergent residue but I found it didn’t wash away Vanish stain removal powder in its entirety. It should be noted though that I didn’t mix the powder with my regular laundry detergent, which may have contributed to the build-up.

Read next: The best washing machine cleaners

Is the Samsung Series 5+ WW90T554DAN/S1 AddWash™ washing machine good value for money?

Absolutely. For the features offered as well as app-compatibility, the Samsung Series 5+ WW90T554DAN/S1 AddWash™ is a great buy.

Retailing at £499, it sits around the midway mark for a decent washing machine. While it’s not the latest model in the range - the Series 7 retails at £629 and has extra features including Auto Dose, which is technology that knows how to calculate the right laundry detergent dose for your load - the Series 5+ is the more affordable option for families.

The large drum size is more than enough for a family of three or four, but you can also purchase the 10.5kg option if you need a larger capacity.

Highlights? The AddWash drawer is worth the cost alone in my opinion, particularly as I regularly add extra items to my washes after a cycle has begun. The fact that I can monitor energy use and cost in the current climate is an invaluable bonus too.

About the author

Laura Westerman is an editor, writer and Deputy Head of Editorial Content at Mumsnet. Mum to a one-year-old, she is fully invested in finding the best and most affordable products for families.

With over seven years' experience as a full-time editor, five of which have been spent writing, commissioning and editing product reviews and round-ups, Laura has a keen eye for what parents love and likes nothing more than putting together honest reviews to make parents' lives that little bit easier.

In addition to her work as a writer and editor, she has also appeared in a number of product review videos for Mumsnet's YouTube channel.

About Mumsnet Reviews

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