I’m an avid sewist and quilter, which means that my iron gets more action doing crafts than actual laundry! I first learned about the Oliso Smart Iron through my Mother in Law, also a quilter. Here is my review, with both PROs and CONs of the Oliso Smart Iron TG1100 — is this iron worth $150?

Oliso Iron Review

Five years ago, my Mother in Law taught me how to quilt. She’s an award-winning quilter, works at a quilt shop and it’s her number one hobby. She gave me a list of things I needed to get, including the right sewing machine, good quality pins and the best all-cotton threads. On the list was “good iron.” I skipped over that item, because I already had an iron that I bought in college from KMart. I dislike ironing clothes, so I tend to buy sports clothing and send out for dry cleaning.

Well, you know what happened, right? That cheap iron pulled, burnt and stretched my fabric and even ruined a part of a quilt that I had spent weeks on! My seams would never line up, my blocks would turn out wonky and the fabric would discolor and become shiny from my cheap iron that was just too hot.

My Mother in Law told me about Oliso, the iron that every quilter was raving about. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine spending over $100 for an iron! But then again, I just spent $100 on fabric for the quilt that I just ruined. So I bought the Oliso TG1050 Iron in a pretty blue.

It changed my sewing…and I no longer send out for dry cleaning.

Since then, I’ve purchased another Oliso iron for downstairs laundry room. We recently had a chance to try out the latest model, Oliso Smart Iron TG1100 with 1800 watts of power.

Oliso Iron PROs

Won’t tip over

No need to set the iron on its back when not in use! The iTouch technology means that with the moment you let go of the handle of the iron, the legs lift it up and off the ironing board.

This design has won Oliso many awards: Time Magazine “Best Inventions of 2006”, Home Safety Council Award, Housewares Design Awards Finalist.

One of the reasons I hated ironing so much was because I burned myself on the arm really badly in college. I was ironing a shirt, set the iron on its back while i adjusted the sleeve, and accidentally stepped bumped my arm against the soleplate.

With Oliso’s iTouch, the iron rests flat, and is stable. The ironing board doesn’t not get burnt and the hot soleplate is safely on the bottom. Even if you knock the ironing board a bit, the iron won’t fall or tip over. My dog, Lainey, was chasing a ball and ran into the ironing board. The ironing board wobbled, but the iron stayed put.

The feet don’t get hot – and even if you set the iron down on top of your clothes, it will be just fine.

Auto Off & Other Safety Features

The iron turns itself off after 8 minutes of non-use. Turns off after 30 seconds if knocked over.

The power cord has a 360 degree swivel, to prevent tangles and the cord getting caught.

Heats up Fast!

1800 watts = super fast heating. It only took 60 seconds to be ready to iron Linen/Cotton.

Super Fine Steam

I am a steam addict. I steam everything. The Oliso has 70 steam holes – which produce the most fine mist of steam. My cheap, old iron, with only 17 steam holes, used to deposit fat globs of water along with the steam. Not this iron!

Durability

I’ve only used this new model Oliso TG1100 for a week, but I have been using my Oliso TG1050 for a few years. It’s doing very well, even after heavy use daily from quilting. The plastic parts are thick, durable. The metal is stainless steel on my TG1050 (no stains, no rust, no scratches, no residue) and the TG1100 has the same.

Other Features

Even if you hold the iron upside down, the water does not leak out of the reservoir. Holds 12 ounces of water.

Oliso Iron CONs

It’s heavy

The iron is heavy, about 4 pounds. But because you don’t have to cock your wrist to set the iron up, the weight isn’t that big of an issue. Of course, a heavier iron presses better, but it’s still heavy. The handle is thick, a little too big for my hands. I really have to make sure I have a good grip on the handle when I’m lifting the iron to move it or put away. I wish the iron had rubber, so that it would be easier to get a good grip.

Makes an indent on ironing board

This only applies to sewists and quilters: With my old cheap iron, I would set it on the metal rack that’s attached to the board. With the Oliso iron, because it doesn’t need to be set on its back, I just set it down on one end of the board. The Oliso won’t sit correctly on the metal rack. If I happen to leave the iron there for an extended period, the little foot in the front will make an indent on my ironing board. As I said, this really only applies if you are a sewist or quilter and leave the iron out and never put it away. Most people, after ironing clothes, will put the iron away.

Hard to store

When I do put my iron away, I have a shelf in my utility room. The shelf is the standard wire rack that sits above the washer and dryer. It’s not a good place for the iron, because of the feet. If you have an iron rack that hangs on the back of your door, the Oliso won’t fit in that either (because of the feet). The best place would be to store it on a flat, solid surface, like a closet shelf.

Oliso Iron Recommendations

I’d recommend the Oliso iron to avid sewists and quilters. Hands-down the best iron I’ve ever tried. Irons crisp and clean. No water dripping, no burns, no scorching. Super fast to heat up – when I go from sewing machine to ironing board, I don’t have to wait minutes before the iron is ready. I’d also recommend the Oliso iron to people who have to iron a lot of dress shirts, dress pants, expensive clothes. The quality of the ironing is unbelievable. This is also great for families with small kids or dogs who run around, knocking stuff over (mine). The iron is less likely to tip over. If you have wrist pain (carpal tunnel, tendonitis), this would be a good iron as you won’t need to cock your wrist back over and over. This is a great iron for the elderly, if you’re concerned about safety (just be aware of the weight of the unit.) Also good for clumsy people (me).

Because of the price ($99 for the TG1060 1600 watt; $150 for the TG1100 1800 watt) this iron isn’t for the casual ironer.

I can’t really tell the difference between the TG1060 1600 watt and the TG1100 1800 watt, despite the 200 watt and $50 difference. I’d recommend going with the TG1060 unit.

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Oliso Iron Giveaway

Oliso is providing one Oliso TG1100 Iron.