Rowenta Irons

I'm wary of buying one after reading all the horror stories warning about they leak and break down. Yet, I also keep hearing that they're the best irons on the market and how others swear that they will last for years. There seems to be no middle ground- they're either the best iron and worth every penny or a total waste of money where a $10 Wal-Mart iron would be a better option.

Is there a particular Rowenta model that I should look for or avoid? Or, is it just random luck that some people have no problems with their rowenta iron while the same rowenta model will be a lemon for other people?

Did anybody still have problems with their Rowenta even if they followed all the directions- using the recommended type of water, dumping out the water after you were done ironing, etc?

Maybe it's because of different models.

Or maybe the glowing reviews are from the masses who think more expensive==better, like Samsonite, Jos A Bank MSRP, etc..

I'm obsessive about wrinkles and iron my clothes every day. A few months ago I bought the Black and Decker Digital Advantage iron and it is awesome. Resonably priced, heats up super fast and has different digital settings for different materials. Was also rated #1 in Consumer Reports. Rowenta is over priced in my opinion.

I have a Rowenta Steam Generator, and I will never buy a standard iron again. The steam generator makes ironing so much easier.

The rowenta i bought went in the trash after 6mo. Total piece of garbage, from day 1 it never steamed correctly, it drip water onto the garment. After only 6mo the switch failed and the steam tank wouldnt heat up anymore.

I switched to a velocity steam iron, which puts out perfect steam everytime and heats up quickly. It also cost alot less and doesn't have an external water tank. Its over 6mo and still going strong, holds enough water to steam a couple pair of pants and a couple shirts without refill.

I recently went through the whole iron decision process and came up wiht this: Based on lots of reading, absolutely decided that I wanted a unit with a seperate steam-generator. Yes, these are more expensive than traditional hand-held steam irons, but it seems almost universal that even a low end iron+steam-generator is better than the best hand-held steam iron. Plus, for me, if I'm going to spend the time to do it myself I want it done right and I don't want fighting with crappy tools to get in the way... I came to really like the Reliable brand which has most of it's history in commercial and only some in consumer. All their consumer stuff seems to be based on commercial heavy-duty stuff. Unfortunately, it costs more. Their lowest priced iron+steam generator - the i300 - is about $399. Rowenta, has only recently (in the past year?) come out with some similar units, which seem to get mostly positive reviews. They are also less expensive than the Reliable but are really geared more towards at-home consumers (think ~5-10 hours a week instead of 40+). I was able to find their DG5030 for about $170 locally at Bloomingdales (note: Macy's carries the same unit for $100 more - wtf?). I've only used it twice for about 1 dozen shirts but it seems to do a great job - little to no water dribble and lots of high pressure relatively "dry" steam. There's a slightly higher version - I believe the DG8030 - that has a larger water tank than the 5030 that allows you see the water level and you can replenish water without having to powerdown (unlike the 5030). I haven't seen that below $299 but, if it goes on sale, I'm 50% going to return my 5030 and upgrade to it One other thing I learned in my iron quest is that your ironing board is a big part of your success. Definitely get an extra wide one, but more importantly - if you're going to do lots of steaming - a board with a vacuum and a blower (yep, an actual motor in the board that pulls or pushes air through the board) will make your steaming even more effective since you'll use less of the hot plate to dry out what you just steamed into your clothes. Those tend to be "professional" level items though and I haven't seen one anywhere for consumers. Reliable has one for about $300 that I'm thinking about getting, but so far I'm doing OK with my standard board. Here's hoping this helps you or some other reader

I recently bought another Rowenta iron that is called the Steamion (or something like that). It's a bit heavy but otherwise is working out well. I do not leave water in it after use as I did with previous irons. I hope this will prevent it from leaking in the future as my other Rowentas eventually did.

Originally Posted by rebel222

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I have a Rowenta Steam Generator, and I will never buy a standard iron again. The steam generator makes ironing so much easier.

Couldn't agree more. I got mine a few months back and couldn't be happier. =)

J

Originally Posted by SkinnyGoomba

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The rowenta i bought went in the trash after 6mo. Total piece of garbage, from day 1 it never steamed correctly, it drip water onto the garment. After only 6mo the switch failed and the steam tank wouldnt heat up anymore.

I switched to a velocity steam iron, which puts out perfect steam everytime and heats up quickly. It also cost alot less and doesn't have an external water tank. Its over 6mo and still going strong, holds enough water to steam a couple pair of pants and a couple shirts without refill.

+1, Rowenta is horrible, a waste of $200.

I bought a fully featured one two weeks ago at Big Lots, remanufactured. $20, love it so far.

Originally Posted by edmorel

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+1, Rowenta is horrible, a waste of $200.
I paid about $100 with the help of a store coupon. I looked at several other irons but ended up going back to Rowenta because of the new model. I'm hoping I won't have the leaking problem this time around which was the main problem I'd had with the brand previously.

Originally Posted by JayJay

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I paid about $100 with the help of a store coupon. I looked at several other irons but ended up going back to Rowenta because of the new model. I'm hoping I won't have the leaking problem this time around which was the main problem I'd had with the brand previously.

So, how long did your Rowentas last before they started leaking? And, if you've had problems with Rowenta before, why would you buy another Rowenta? Was it because that before those problems, the Rowenta really delievered a superior performance?

Setting aside all the fancy bells and whistles the Rowenta has, is there ultimately any difference between using a spray bottle of water to wet a piece of clothing and then moving a hot iron over that it vs. using a rowenta with its steam capability?

Good bargain gravity feed:

http://store.atlantathread.com/pastpsgrfeir.html

We're on our second Rowenta. After the first on died after about 3 1/2 year (it did get a ton of almost daily use) I decided to be frugal and buy a cheaper brand that had very similar features. We ended up not liking it and gave it to the mother in law. That said I would not pay full retail for one. You can usually find them on sale at Target or Kohls.

Originally Posted by esquire.

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So, how long did your Rowentas last before they started leaking? And, if you've had problems with Rowenta before, why would you buy another Rowenta? Was it because that before those problems, the Rowenta really delievered a superior performance?

Setting aside all the fancy bells and whistles the Rowenta has, is there ultimately any difference between using a spray bottle of water to wet a piece of clothing and then moving a hot iron over that it vs. using a rowenta with its steam capability?
The last one lasted a couple of years. I like Rowenta irons for the heat and amount of steam they produce. I was looking for a different brand but ended up giving the new model a try, especially since I could get it on discount. I like it so far.