Haier X Series 11 smart washing machine review

Haier X Series 11 washing machine

• Capacity:
• Energy rating: A-40% energy rating

Earlier this year, Hoover Limited signalled its intentions by changing its name to Haier Smart Home but, more importantly than that – for a smart home website like The Ambient, at least – is that the company announced that all of its products will be connected by the end of 2025.

Haier already already had a bunch of smart tech across its range, powered by the hOn app, but the rebranding was part of a huge push from the company to “become the undisputed leader in the smart home in the UK and Ireland.”

Front and center of the initial push in that direction is the new flagship Haier X Series 11 washing machine and its namesake tumble dryer.

I’ve had the X11 washing machine in use for the past few weeks for this review, read on to find out if it’s right for you.

Design and components

• Up to 1400 RPM
• Massive 11kg drum

Can a washing machine look slick? I don’t think I ever considered it before but, with the X Series 11, there’s definitely an element of cool aesthetics and a futuristic feel.

It doesn’t quite have the touchscreen tablet-esque feel of the Roborock Zeo One, but with a clear TFT display backed up with some touch buttons, it certainly looks more stylish than most washing machines I’ve come across.

On the right hand side is the power button and a dial to scroll through modes and the play/pause button. Next to those are the main TFT display with buttons underneath indicated by lights, and on the end are a row of icon buttons for various modes and features.

However, the one of the first (of very few, it has to be said) downsides of the new Haier flagship washer is the receptiveness of those buttons. More often than not, especially for the play/pause button, the initial touch isn’t registered. Sometimes I have found myself touching a button five or six times before my press is registered.

The icon buttons light up when selected, which is handy when you’ve got a wash going and you want to see what extra features – such as auto-dispense, Ultra Fresh Air or remote control – that you have selected.

Below the controls is the main event – a spacious 11kg drum which boasts pillow-shaped pads so as your clothes slip gently over the surface as the drum spins, alleviating catches and snags.

When the door is open and the machine is powered up, the drum is illuminated, giving off a nice futuristic glow and you can simply turn the main dial mid-spin to turn the light back on to check on the contents inside.

Haier uses Direct Motion Motor technology on its moving parts for the X Series 11 – it doesn’t use the a belt and pulley system. With the motor attached directly to the drum, this means significantly less noise, vibrations and energy consumption compared to rivals.

It’s easily the quietest washing machine I’ve come across, even for that final spin all you hear is a gentle hum.

11kg of washing space is a lot, handling large loads for big families or larger items, such as bedding and duvets with ease.

Features

• Ultra Fresh Air tech
• hOn smart app
• Auto-dosing detergent and fabric softener
• AI detection

When it comes to selecting the type of cycle you want, you use the dial (or the app, more on that in a bit) to choose from one of the 16 programs on offer.

These programs are just starting points though as you can further customize; changing the temperature, the amount of spins, the spin speed and more using those light buttons below the main TFT display.

You can also choose to make use of the X11’s two standout features: Ultra Fresh Air mode and the the AutoDose function.

Starting with the latter, this allows you to use Haier’s Smart Dosing tech, which calculates the exact amount of detergent and fabric softener required for your wash based on the weight of the load, meaning less waste.

So, no more adding detergent and conditioner every time you start a wash, you can simply load up the tanks up top and forget about it until you get a warning to refill.

We actually use pods in our house rather than detergent, and that’s still supported on the X Series 11 as you can simply choose to have AutoDose as conditioner only. I found that I’m saving around 40-50% on conditioner compared to my old Hoover 10kg machine, and clothes still come out smelling great.

If you do want to use the AutoDose rather than pods for detergent, you have the choice of liquid or powder; both of which can be loaded in the pull-out tray.

The Ultra Fresh Air mode is really the star of the show in our house though as, with two young kids, we often forget we’ve done a wash and, in the time before the X11 arrived, this meant re-doing if our clothes had sat long enough to start to go cold, damp and smelly.

With Ultra Fresh Air mode on, the X11 draws fresh air into the machine at the end of cycle, through vents above the door, gently circulating it within the drum and removing humidity, before releasing it out again to prevent the formation of mould, bacteria and bad odours.

The continuous drum rotation also prevents clothes from becoming creased and can function up to 12 hours at the end of the cycle. It’s not available on the eco-mode, for obvious reasons, but every other mode supports it.

My wife is super, super fussy about bad smells in clean clothes and she’ll happily leave a wash done in the Haier for a few hours now before hanging up to dry and has marvelled at what a game changer this is, not just in time saved but also in energy conserved.

The app and connectivity

With Haier’s rebranding as a smart home focused company, I have high hopes that the hOn app would also get a revamp.

Not so… yet, at least.

I’m familiar with the hOn app as, as mentioned, we had a Hoover washing machine in place as well as a Hoover tumble dryer.

And I’ve always considered the hOn app overly complex and bloated. Sadly, I still do. (There’s no need to add a default virtual wine celler to an app Hoover/Haier, absolutely no need!)

With the X Series 11 the app is a bit more useful than it is for my ageing dumb-but-connected Hoover duo but I’d still like to see it refined a bit.

It’s also still very buggy, as it always was – for example I kept getting a warning that the fabric softener compartment was empty when it wasn’t and it also just says ‘Loading’ for ages on app when a wash has started.

However, it is useful for a couple of new features such as the new snapping a photo of a garment’s washing label to decode and ensure they get the perfect wash cycle. You can save specific items in the virtual wardrobe too.

Also, remember how I said the X11 has 16 programs? In fact, it has 58 if you choose from the app, with a lot of the cutomization on offer already pre-selected for your convenience.

It is a touch clunky to operate via the app though as you have to to remember to turn the remote option on, on the machine itself (and yo can’t turn on mid-cycle). This is pretty much a standard safety feature for all smart washing machines though.

Even without the remote control option on, you can always see the status of a current cycle though and you’ll get notifications when a cycle ends too.

Pairing the app and the X11 is a straightforward process, you simply scan a QR code inside the door. Be sure to disable 5GHz on your phone or router first though as it’s 2.4GHz only.

Performance

So it’s got all the bells and whistles, but how does it clean? Really, really well indeed is the answer. We’ve noticed a huge increase in the quality of washing in our household; especially on white washes and washes where we’ve added clothes with stubborn stains.

For the latter there are specific programs and modes on offer to help you tackle specific stains, but we’ve found that the Smart AI mode pretty much handles any type of wash we throw at it.

This mode uses AI smarts to not only weigh the load and asses how much detergent and conditioner is needed, but it also recognizes fabric types, optimising cycles for the best treatment and maximum efficiency.

With all modes, except eco which is pretty much locked down for maximum energy efficieny, you are able to tinker with temperature (0-60 degrees), RPM (1,000 – 1,400), amount of spins and rinses and whether you want to use steam diffusion.

If you start a cycle and find you’ve forgotten a sock or not put the pod in then you can pause it and open the door immediately (temperature and water level permitting, of course.)

The X11 also features Smart Dual Spray, an automatic cleaning system that activates during the rinse cycle, spraying water into the porthole gasket and door window to prevent dirt and soap residue from collecting.

With an A-40% energy rating, this means the X Series 11 is 40% more efficient than most equivalent A-rated 11kg models on the market.

Final thoughts

The Haier X Series 11 washing machine impresses with its excellent performance, quiet operation, and the flexibility provided by its Ultra Fresh Air technology.

The 11kg drum size, energy efficiency, and smart features like AI clothing detection and auto-dosing make it a strong contender in the premium market.

Although the hOn app leaves something to be desired, the machine’s overall capabilities and range of dedicated washing modes ensure it remains one of the best choices for those looking for a high-end, reliable smart washing machine.

How we test

When we publish our reviews, you can rest assured that they are the result of “living with” long term tests.

Smart washing machines usually live within an ecosystem, or a range of products that – supposedly – all work in harmony. And they are designed to offer a range of different cleaning options. Therefore, it’s impossible to use a machine for a week and deliver a verdict.

Because we’re testing smart home kit all day, everyday, we know what matters and how a particular smart cleaning machine compares to alternatives that you might also be considering.

Our reviews are comprehensive, objective and fair and, of course, we are never paid directly to review a device.

Read our guide on how we test to learn more.

Haier X Series 11 washing machine: Specifications