Design & Usability

An intuitive design makes this dryer a breeze to use.

There are two ways to control this 7.3 cubic foot beast. If you like touchscreens, you can poke and prod away at the seven inch touch screen. You can also control the dryer remotely using your smart phone. On both interfaces, menus flowed in a sensible pattern and gave us no hassles.

Still, it's not perfect. The controls are placed at the back of the machine, which led to some ergonomic issues. If you place a laundry basket on top of the machine, it blocks clear access to the controls. Put it on the floor and you have to bend down, get up, and then bend down again.

We got a few stares while doing a few deep knee bends in front of the LG DLEX6001V, but we were able to get a sense of how the size of this machine can work against it. Perhaps it would have been better to place the touch screen on the front bezel for ease of reach.

Style-wise, the LG DLEX6001V looks pretty good. However, the lines across its diamond glass door meant that it kind of looks like an oven from straight-on.

Features & Performance

Features, the LG DLEX6001V has them.

Probably the most prominent feature that this dryer has is an updated version of LG's Smart ThinQ. This year, LG added an NFC system that allows you look up cycle information on your smartphone via a laundry app. Just search for a cycle on your NFC-enabled smart phone, hold it up to the machine and the cycle will miraculously appear on the screen. From there, you can start the cycle, keep track of how much time is left, and add drying features like wrinkle care.

While it's certainly flashy, that remote functionality isn't tremendously useful. After all, that massive touchscreen is pretty comprehensive. Smart Diagnosis, on the other hand, solves some real problems for consumers.

By far the largest complaint that we hear about any appliance is the epic journey required for a repair. The updated version of Smart Diagnosis — which previously functioned like an old fashioned modem, sending an error code over a voice connection — aims to fix that.

The latest iteration of Smart Diagnosis lets you figure out what's wrong with your dryer or washer through an app on your smart phone. If the problem is known, the data will reveal what needs work and what parts are required. When the repair person comes, he or she will already know what to do, and can hit the kitchen floor running.

Conclusion

Final thoughts

In the end, the LG DLEX6001V is a dryer. Even without all the smart features, it would be fairly impressive, with its 7.3 cubic foot capacity, 14 cycles and 9 adjustable features. We'll eagerly await the day when it gets into our labs to see how well all those cycles actually dry laundry.

Although we like to stick to the fundamentals, we cannot ignore all the smart features this dryer carries. Will it make your life easier? Well, if you don't mind juggling two screens, or if your dryer is hidden away somewhere in your home, perhaps. However, if you want a touchscreen on every appliance in your home and hate waiting for a service call, you may want to check out this dryer and its accompanying washer.