Oh, Oliso!
Posted on September 23, 2022 by prairiemoonquilts in ReviewsAwhile back, I received a couple of Oliso irons to use. At the time, I was actually in need of a new iron.
Not only did I receive the large version of the iron, they surprised me with the little travel iron as well, and previously, I had not ever owned a little travel iron — simply because I could not find one I liked well enough to spend the money on.
Oh, I had sampled a couple — one of them was very lightweight and had a cord so heavy that the cord kept pulling the iron off the table! Another had a reputation for the handle breaking off with normal use. Some of them don’t allow you to add water for steam (which is a feature I love to have). So I was leery, and disappointed.
But . . . let me say right now that the Oliso Mini Project Iron took all those problems away. Look how cute this is, besides!
- • It fits right in your hand without an actual handle — you just grip it across the top, and it’s super comfortable.
- • The button for steam is right there, so you don’t even have to move or adjust your grip to make it steam — just squeeze! I love steam, so I’m really glad that it has the capability to hold water for steam.
- • The cord isn’t so heavy that it interferes with using the iron.
- • It comes in four lovely colors (which makes that part a tough decision)!
- • It’s a good size and weight, with a pointy tip for optimal pressing.
- • And it comes with its own little silicone cover that snaps on, so you can carry it around easily when you need to, and have a heatproof trivet to sit it on while you’re using it. So handy!
I used to lug my large iron to retreats, but now that I have this one, it’s my retreat iron of choice and takes up much less space in my bag!
At home, I use it with my little TV-tray ironing station, and when it’s not in use, it hangs beside my ironing station, at the ready for when I need it. Yes, I can hang it on the wall because the silicone cover has an open loop on the top that works perfect for that!
As for the large Oliso iron, I had tried one before, at a retreat I attended, and I kinda fell in love with the fact that it raises itself up when you’re done with it. You just let go of the handle, and it raises itself up. When you’re ready to iron again, you grab the handle, and it goes back down!
But it wasn’t until I broke my elbow that I realized just how handy this feature is! If not for the fact that this iron raises itself up as you release the handle, I would not have been able to press anything while I had my arm in a cast. As it turns out, all I had to do was grab the handle to make it work, and release the handle to raise it up. I could do that with my broken arm, but I couldn’t perform the actual lifting of an iron, so this was the perfect iron for me! I fell in love with it even more after realizing that it actually helped me when I needed it to the most.
The Oliso ProPlus SmartIron holds water for steam, also comes in four lovely colors, has a swivel cord, and is a great weight. I like a heavier iron that does the work for me, so I don’t have to press so hard for good results, and the Oliso SmartIron is the weight I like. The controls are easy to understand and use, and adding water is a cinch!
I am still a bit leery of walking away and leaving it in the down position for very long, so when I’m done with a pressing session, I tip it back up like a regular iron. It has an automatic shut-off, so if I ignore it for too long, it takes care of that all by itself. When I’m completely done for the day, I do always un-plug it completely, just to be on the safe side, since I’m a worry wart by nature.
I know you’re probably saying to yourself, “Of course she’s gonna say nice things about the irons, because they gave her irons in exchange for a good review!” Believe me, I thought long and hard about it because I do not want to promote something that I don’t fully believe in, but truly, if you’re looking for a good iron, you won’t go wrong with this one. If you’re thinking “it’s too pricey”, I can tell you that in the long run, it’s really not. I love my Shark irons I’ve always used, but their lifespan averages about six months with me. I’ve had my Oliso for a couple of years now, and so far, it’s still going strong. So the money spent actually averages out over time.
And the main take-away here is this:
If you have arm or hand issues, such as arthritis or injuries, this iron actually helps you continue to work safely and with less pain and stress. I recently had partial elbow replacement surgery, and right now, I can barely run a rotary cutter, but I can still use my Oliso iron without pain!
And if you attend quilting retreats at all, the mini iron makes a great travel companion!
They won me over for sure . . .
For a limited time, I have been given a coupon code you can use with Oliso to buy yourself a ProPlus SmartIron at a discount. Your hardest task will be deciding on a color!
You can visit the Oliso site using this link:
When you’re ready to check out, enter the code Moon15 and you’ll get 15% off your purchase of a ProPlus SmartIron in your color choice!
The coupon code expires on September 30th, so hop on over and get yourself a new iron at a discount while you can!
I have an Oliso which i love. It is starting to have problems but i keep babying it along. Also found one at a thrift store but it has different problems but maybe time for a new one!
I too have to say I love my mini iron, in yellow. So easy for traveling retreats or open sews. I like because the iron has a swivel cord. Great for left handers. Saving up for the big one. That will be my next iron.
I, too, love my little turquoise Oliso. It was a Christmas gift from my husband so I would quit showing him pictures and ads. He is getting good at recognizing a hint! Thinking of going for a big one this year!
Thanks for this review!!!
Nice you found an iron that you can handle despite your arm/elbow issues! Whatever keeps you quilting 🙂
I love my Oliso mini-iron, as well, for all the reasons you listed. I did have the lower priced blue Oliso and it died after about 1 1/2 years. I had a few problems with it along the way but managed to figure things out and limp it along. I did love the auto-lift feature and it’s auto-shut off since, like you said, I worried about the heat constantly facing the ironing board.
After it died for good, I opted for a different brand and it is honestly the best iron I have ever had.
Ironically it has all the features we quilters love, but doesn’t seem to be a brand that is marketed toward our demographic. (They are missing a huge opportunity, let me tell you!)