Source: CHEAA-run China Appliance magazine
Since March 2025, a wave of “three-drum washing machine wish lists” has swept across online platforms. Social media users have been eagerly sharing their vision of the ideal washer — one that separates baby clothes from adults’, keeps underwear apart from outerwear, and tailors cycles to different fabrics. These discussions highlight a rising demand for healthier, more precise laundry care. Remarkably, within just over a month, the concept moved from online sketches to product designs and then to commercial launch. The triple-drum washer has rapidly transformed from a consumer aspiration into a smart appliance delivering customized care.
This “lightning-speed” rollout not only underscores companies’ sharp responsiveness to consumer demand, but also reflects a broader industry shift: health has become the central driver, accelerating the evolution of washing machines toward multi-functionality, compartment washing, and smart features. Behind this trend is a new model of consumer–enterprise interaction, as brands delve deeper into user needs and actively respond to the wave of consumption upgrading.
User-Driven Innovation: The Road to the Three-Drum Washer
In today’s user-centered era, “listening” has become a critical strategy for brands to accurately align with consumer needs and win market favor. Rather than relying solely on traditional R&D processes, companies are attuned to real-life usage scenarios, turning consumer voices into a driving force for innovation. The rapid rollout of the three-drum washer—from concept to launch—offers a vivid example of this shift.
On March 8, a user commented on Haier’s Douyin account, asking the company to create a washing machine for lazy users that could separately wash underwear, socks, shoes, and clothes — even posting a sketch of the ideal design. Just three days later, on March 11, Haier announced on Weibo that its Leader three-drum washing machine would launch for pre-sale on JD.com on March 15. Featuring one large drum and two smaller ones arranged in a Mickey Mouse–like shape, the product enables “separate washing” for healthier laundry care: the small drums for underwear and socks, the large drum for coats, pants, and bedding. (At launch, none of the drums included drying functions.)
As consumers have become more health-conscious, the shortcomings of traditional single-drum machines have become harder to ignore. Mixing different types of clothing can lead to cross-contamination: underwear washed with outerwear may carry bacteria, children’s clothing washed with adults’ can pick up allergens, and socks can spread fungi. Even twin-drum machines fall short for many households. The demand for true physical separation — different compartments for separate washing — was clear.
Soon after, Hisense and Little Swan introduced their own triple-drum solutions. Unlike Haier’s all-in-one design, these brands offered modular approaches: a main washing machine plus stackable mini twin-drum units, allowing consumers to configure “one large + multiple small” setups, meeting the need for compartment washing. Other brands are reportedly developing similar products for launch later this year.
Each solution has its advantages. Integrated three-drum washers are more compact and visually cohesive, but still taller than standard machines, which can limit installation in already furnished homes. Modular systems offer greater flexibility: consumers can add as many mini drums as needed, stack them on top of the main washer, place them on countertops, or even wall-mount them. This approach also allows households to upgrade to a three-drum system without replacing their existing washing machine.
Regardless of format, the three-drum design makes it possible to tailor cycles for different fabrics, combining efficiency with health. Equipped with smart sensors and AI algorithms, these machines can automatically adjust wash settings based on fabric type and weight, making healthy laundry care both scientific and precise.
The advent of the triple-drum washer marks a new era for compartment washing. Since its debut at AWE 2025, it has frequently trended online, solidifying its position as a star product in the washing machine industry.
Technology Meets Demand: Health-First Innovation
The “wish list boom” reminded brands that true innovation starts with real-life user needs. But turning those ideas into actual products required deep technical reserves. Companies like Haier, Hisense, and Little Swan drew on years of R&D to translate user voices into functioning machines.
The growing demand for healthier laundry is driving the washing machine industry to embrace multiple-drum designs — not just through physical separation, but also via innovative technologies. The triple-drum washer, born from this health-conscious trend, tackles key laundry challenges in a systematic and effective way.
For example, Haier’s Leader model addressed cross-contamination head-on. Its two small drums feature UV sterilization and silver-ion antibacterial technology, achieving 99.99% disinfection rates. The large drum uses dual-spray cleaning to eliminate detergent residue and mold at the source.
Little Swan has also stepped up its focus on hygiene, integrating high-temperature washing, UV sterilization, and silver-ion treatment into its triple-drum models. The machine not only earned medical-grade certification for underwear care, but also introduced an innovative honeycomb anti-foam design, tackling long-standing detergent-related issues and achieving a dual breakthrough in both health performance and user experience.
Hisense’s “Cotton Candy Ultra” family washer employs patented “moving water” technology, processing wash water through four stages — purification, softening, health enhancement, and activation. This achieves over 90% removal of hair and impurities, more than 93% scale prevention, 99.99% fungal elimination, and a 22% improvement in stain removal, leaving clothes softer, cleaner, and healthier.
For consumers, the rise of triple-drum washers is not just about improving laundry efficiency — it represents a tangible step toward a healthier lifestyle. Enabled by technology, health concerns that once existed only at the conceptual level are now translated into measurable indicators such as sterilization rates and cleanliness, making every wash a precise safeguard for well-being.
Yet, what seems like a simple triple-drum design involves significant engineering challenges. Transitioning from a traditional single drum to a three-drum structure requires addressing not only spatial layout, but also vibration and noise when multiple drums operate simultaneously. To tackle this, Haier developed AI-powered dynamic balance technology, ensuring that all three drums remain stable even at high-speed rotation. When developing its triple-drum washer, Hisense made it clear that compartment washing must be achieved without compromising user experience, while also addressing space constraints and varied drying needs. To meet these goals, the company developed the proprietary Zeus integrated heat-pump drying system, seamlessly combining washer and dryer functionality within a standard-size unit. The dual mini drums also support independent wash and dry cycles, balancing space efficiency with expanded functionality.
In fact, driven by the demand for healthier laundry, compartment washing has long become a key solution in the washing machine industry. The market now offers a range of products, from technically mature and widely popular stacked twin-drum washers, to standard-size “one large, one small” dual-compartment machines led by brands like Xiaomi, as well as niche offerings such as mini washers and shoe washers, all contributing to comprehensive healthy laundry solutions. In addition, China Appliance journalists learned that some companies are currently developing four-drum washing machines.
A Case Study in User-Led R&D
The success of the three-drum washing machine is more than a product milestone; it represents a shift in how the entire home appliance industry thinks about innovation.
Traditionally, companies relied on surveys and trend forecasts to shape product development — methods that captured broad trends but often missed detailed user needs and required long cycles. The three-drum washer, by contrast, moved from user suggestion to market launch in mere weeks, pioneering a “user co-creation” model.
This model doesn’t just accelerate R&D; it redefines the relationship between brands and consumers. Going forward, competition in the washing machine industry will hinge not only on technology but also on who can listen fastest and most accurately to user health demands.
The market response underscores this. Haier’s Leader three-drum washer drew more than 88,000 pre-sale reservations soon after launch, showing how well the concept resonated with consumers.
More importantly, the three-drum case offers a template for other appliance categories. It suggests that the future of the industry lies in shifting from “company-led innovation” to “user-driven co-creation,” opening new growth opportunities even in saturated markets.