Best Pants Press?

[ziggysnorkel]

I'm shopping for a pants press. Does anyone have any suggestions? I read a lot about Corby pants presses but I'm not familiar with any.

 

[nordicstyle]

This may be a stupid questions, but what's the advantage (I assume there is one) of a pant press compared to regular ironing?

 

[kryn13]

I have read the marketing material written by the trouser press people but I have the same question. I don't know if I should get one or not.

 

[ChriO]

A trouser press is a time saver, but:
I have a Corby (comparatively cheap ebay purchase), I don't use it any more. From time to time (even when taking care while putting my pants in) it happened that the trouser legs shifted slightly when I closed the press. The result is not one but two creases in the trouser leg, close enough together to almost blend into one. Looks sloppy and requires some work with the iron to rectify it. In the end the additional work with the iron offsets the time gained by using the Corby in the first place.

I don't rule out that the fault lays on my side, not on Corby's, but at least for me it is not worth using it. I need to get rid of it again.

A trouser press is not suited for getting creases out of the crotch area either.

 

[ManofKent]

Fine for use in hotel rooms but that's about it.

 

[alexei]

I just picked up a trouser press. It was nearly free because it was a clearance, display model. However it did not come with a manual. Obviously I can figure out how the pants go in and I can choose what type of fabric for the settings, but how long should pants stay in to be pressed?

I can select 15 minute intevals, up to 1 hour. I don't know how long to set the press on. Should I try 15 minutes, see how they turn out, then try 15 more and so on? If someone with experience using trouser presses could comment on how long they leave their pants in, I would appreciate it.

 

[fence28]

Just a first timer butting in, but can't you lookup the manual on the web for the clearance model. Not being sarcastic or anything just that nowadays you can look up anything you like either in forums or company website. I hope my suggestion helps for timing your pants press.

 

[Bounder]

Originally Posted by alexei

Obviously I can figure out how the pants go in and I can choose what type of fabric for the settings, but how long should pants stay in to be pressed?

This is one of the great things about a trouser press: It doesn't matter. Leave them in until they're done. Unlike with ironing, there is no way you can damage your pants.

You can, however, put creases/wrinkles where you don't want them if you're not careful. This is the problem with many trouser presses, especially inexpensive ones. Unless you are extremely careful to arrange your pants just so, they will come out looking worse than when they went in.

Corby claims to have some patented stretcher bar system thingy that prevents this. I've looked closely, and I can't really see what the differences are. I can, however, tell you that I've had much, much less trouble with Corbys than with any other brand. So I guess there is something to it.

It's important to keep in mind what a trouser press can and can't do. It can't remove "crotch wrinkles" -- for whatever reason, a hot topic, today. It can't (really) put in a crease where there isn't one. They also don't really work on thicker material. But they do wonders in sharpening an existing crease and eliminating "baggy knees." This isn't so important with, say, tweed but it is a very big deal with finicky materials like super 160s.

I would go so far as to say that if you're going for these kinds of suitings, your tailor ought to throw in a good trouser press with every suit. It's crazy to spend a pile of money on expensive cloth just to guarantee that your pants will look like crap after you're worn them twice.

 

[wilhelm]

I have a Corby trouser press I'm very happy with. Paid next to nothing for a used one online.

Never having to iron my trousers is very nice -- I just put my trousers in the press when coming home from work and switch to something more casual, and don't have to think about it again. My trousers look sharp and newly pressed every day because, well, they are. Skipping pressing is to me like skipping shoeshine.

 

[koolhistorian]

A good iron and an old shirt + a bowl of water! Nothing beats that!