Moving out seems like every Millennial’s dream—until reality kicks in. Independence comes with mortgages, bills, and the ultimate terror: household chores. Thankfully, technology has our backs. With automated cleaning gadgets and smart kitchen tools, the best home appliances now make housework quicker and easier.
We asked Singaporeans to share their best home appliance purchases that have truly transformed their daily routines.
1. Taobao FIVI Portable Dryer
Drying our clothes in humid and rainy weather is a universal challenge that most of us face living in Singapore, which is why these homeowners took it upon themselves to invest in a portable dryer that would be able to not only dry but disinfect their clothes with a 360 degree distribution of heat.
Image credit: Taobao
“I couldn’t afford the Steigen laundry drying rack, so I took my chances with this Taobao portable dryer and it has been a real life changer! For slightly under $200, this dryer lets me dry 8-10 pieces of clothing in 1-1.5 hours and 2-3 pieces of bedding in 2-3 hours. There’s even the antibacterial and anti-mite function that gives me extra peace of mind. It also is super easy to assemble, and folds down to the size of a small luggage when not in use – 10/10 all around.”
Sam, 33
2. Water dispensers
Chromium Grey Sterra S™ Tankless Water Purifier
Water dispensers have become a near necessity for new homeowners, because who doesn’t love hot and cold water dispensed in mere seconds at your whim and fancy. These homeowners voted for Sterra’s Chromium tankless water purifier as their best purchase for the following reasons.
Image credit: Sterra
“No regrets buying the Sterra water dispenser for my new home. I truly felt the drastic difference from the past, where I had to manually boil water using a kettle. Not forgetting the extra painful steps of reboiling the water when it goes cold and having to refill the kettle. For someone who drinks warm/hot water for most of the day, this really saves me loads of time since I can get warm/hot water in a matter of seconds.
Also, my favourite feature of this purifier is its UV Automated Sterilisation, which saves me time on washing this appliance. I simply just have to push the nozzle in and it cleans itself overnight. In the morning, it’ll automatically pop right out and be ready for use again. It’s easy to use and hassle free.”
Lynnette, 30
Tomal Freshdew water dispenser
Image credit: TheSmartLocal
“Water dispensers may sound like a waste of money, or that they’re a hassle to sort out the piping to the water source, but no. Now, you don’t have to worry about filling up jugs of water to put into the fridge for a few hours before they become chilled, or get the kettle to boil hot water for your coffee.”
Yoke, 57
3. Samsung QuickDrive Smart Washer Dryer Combo
A washing machine is an appliance that you will heavily use, which is why investing in the right one that is energy efficient with nifty features makes a lot of sense. For this homeowner living in an older resale with not a lot of natural sunlight, this Samsung washer dryer was a Godsend.
Image credit: Samsung
“One of the best washing machine upgrades I’ve ever made. Not only do I love how I can wash a full cycle of clothes in under 40 mins, the ‘add wash’ function and the little door on the front always helps whenever I discover a stray sock or t-shirt after I start a wash. And because I live in a 3-room flat that doesn’t get much natural sunlight, it really helps on wet, rainy days where sunning clothes outside is not an option.”
Kimberly, 31
4. Robot vacuum cleaners
Roborock S5 Max
It’s undeniable—robot vacuums are amazing at helping us keeps our homes sparkling clean, without us having to literally do anything. Program them to clean the house while you’re out at work, and come home to a sparkling clean home—it’s as simple as that. Thanks to its vacuum and mopping functions, these homeowners swear by their little helpers for making their lives so much easier.
Image credit: @roborock.japan
“It has both vacuum and mop options. Although I do vacuum and sweep every week by hand for overhaul cleaning, having the Roborock to do the everyday vacuuming does help a lot in maintaining the cleanliness of the house. Also because it’s smart, I can program it to vacuum and mop the house while I’m out so my house is clean by the time I get home.”
James, 32
Xiaomi Mijia
Image credit: @joannabloguje
“My Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaner! I don’t like to lug those heavy ones with cords around so with this, I just leave it on autopilot and it helps me vacuum and mop (although the mopping part I still have to do one more round for a proper clean).”
Jerlyn, 25
“Although it may not necessarily clean better than manual vacuums, this saves loads of time, and you can even operate it when you’re out of the house through their app system powered by their IoT technology.”
Ting, 20
5. Dyson’s cordless vacuums
You don’t need to be a Dyson fanatic to acknowledge that the brand is actually doing something right. From its ultra-light and durable design to its strong suction power and laser light tech, it’s no wonder so many homeowners are converts.
Dyson V15
Image credit: TheSmartLocal
“I like how with a few buttons and an easy-to-use interface, you can easily clean the dust off the floor, and you can even use the light function to ensure all the dust has been removed. Besides being very effective, it’s also very fun to use it to vacuum.”
Xavier, 24
Image credit: TheSmartLocal
“Since my family doesn’t own a broom, the vacuum is able to get bigger pieces of dirt and dust off the floor easily in one push. Unlike a broom, you need not worry about the collected dust falling off back into the floor, and you can dispose of it easily.”
Ying, 20
Dyson V12
Image credit: Dyson Singapore
“It’s best feature is its laser, which shows you every single speck of dust on the floor. It’s powerful and efficient too, as in you don’t have to go over the same spot several times cos it sucks everything up! Plus, it comes with a bunch of attachments as well to clean sofas, rugs, small spaces. A true blessing for pet owners too because it helps to get rid of like stubborn pet dander all over my furniture.”
Jess, 34
6. Samsung’s Bespoke Airdresser
Outside of the realm of your traditional washers and dryers, you have super cool inventions like Samsung’s bespoke airdresser. What does it do? It steams out wrinkles, sanitises to get rid of 99.9% of nasty bacteria and removes odours amongst other things!
Image credit: @jessicamagazinehk
“We all have clothes where they are too clean to be washed, but also too dirty to be put back into the wardrobe. This airdresser allows you to disinfect your clothes so you can wear them again, and it’s good especially for luxury items where you need to take extra care of the garment materials. Plus, it’s also a neat and aesthetic way of keeping them.”
Vic, 28
7. Miele gully integrated dishwasher with cutlery tray
For the uninitiated, here’s some news: dishwashers actually consume considerably less water as compared to handwashing your dishes. Yes, your ancestors were wrong about this. This is also one of the reasons why many younger homeowners are calling these wash machines a necessity—especially for those who love to cook and host!
Image credit: @miele_japan
“You may think that dishwashers consume way more energy, or that it’s simply not as effective as washing by hand. Actually, it saves a lot of energy and water. Plus, all you need to do is wipe your dishes clean with a little bit of grease on top, stack it nicely and it’ll be thoroughly soaped, jet sprayed, and you can leave it on the countertop to dry a little bit more afterwards – all while you’re relaxing away from the kitchen.”
Pam, 43
Midea Portable Dishwasher
Image credit: Midea
“My mom bought a portable dishwasher recently. It’s honestly a godsend for saving loads of time everyday on dishwashing chores. Plus, it being portable makes it easier as you need not worry about any electrical wiring work, and it’s easier to maintain if it becomes faulty.”
Matthew, 22
8. Automated drying racks
We’ve weighed the differences between the automated laundry racks and dryers, and for their competitive prices, automated dryer racks are definitely a worthy contender. It also makes sense in most HDB flats and condos since space is limited and not everyone’s service yard can accommodate two bulky machines just for the sole purpose of laundry.
Steigen Solar Ultra Automated Laundry Drying Rack
Image credit: @weenaay
“The rack makes drying your clothes much easier especially on rainy days, since it has a built-in dryer with a UV-disinfection function. You can easily build it into your laundry room at home, and you no longer have to wait for sunny weather to hang your clothes outside your window, and worry about getting them inside when the sky looks cloudy.”
Ayden, 27
Best appliances that save time on chores
Granted that there are countless products on the market to choose from, the selection for good household appliances out there can be overwhelming. What most of us would want are appliances that are not only effective, but are long-lasting enough with an affordable price tag.
To make your search easier, we’ve asked these friends and families of ours for their first-hand input on what some of the best home appliances in Singapore are. Hopefully, you’ll be able to make the best purchases once and for all, as these will be your greatest lifesavers that get you through everyday life at home.
For more tips at home:
- Best Standard Products items under $20
- Clever space-saving furniture options
- Designer dupes at Ikea
- Coolest smart home devices
Cover image adapted from: Steigen, Miele
This article was originally published on 1st February 2023, and updated on 25th February 2025.
Drop us your email so you won't miss the latest news.
