This blog post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products that I personally use. Thanks for your support!
I built the ironing table of my dreams, and I wondered about upgrading my actual iron, too! So, I reached out to Oliso and shared my DIY Convertible Cut & Press Table design.
Now I had seen Oliso irons everywhere in insta-quiltland, so I knew they were popular. I knew they could raise themselves up and set themselves down by your touch. If I'm honest, I kinda thought that little trick was just a gimmick...and the price of them always kept me from getting too interested.
But let me back up. The folks at Oliso loved my table design and agreed that it needed a new iron to really finish it off! So they sent me a ProPlus smart iron, each color of the M3Pro project irons, and 4 wool Multimats!
So I've been testing them all out for a few weeks so I could tell you what I think of them, and whether they're worth the splurge.
Read below to find out what I think of them, or if you're ready to join the Oliso club, you can take 15% off through the month of September (2024) by using this link and the code Sew15. Enjoy!
ProPlus Smart Iron
Ok, so first of all, this thing is purple. And you KNOW I love purple. So, let's just admit my bias for that right out of the gate! :) They actually call it "orchid" which come on...that's just so elegant! I love it!
The ProPlus Smart Iron is "reinvented for quilters" and the autolift is certainly the crowning feature. Now, like I said before, before I got my hands on one of these, I didn't really get what the benefit was of the autolift. But once I did, my hands literally let me know...the autolift saves you from repeatedly straining your wrist to set the iron up on it's end. And we all know that repeated motions like that are exactly the ones that lead to joint pain, carpal tunnel, and other issues. So hear me in the back: the autolift is a big, big deal!
Other than the autolift, I love the little spout that opens out of the water tank to help pour water in without spilling. The soleplate has Diamond Ceramic Flow, a feature that makes it glide effortlessly and makes it non-stick, helping to clean up after using fusibles. Genious.
The 30-minute auto shutoff is wonderful for quilters. My old Rowenta had, I don't know, like a 3 minute auto shutoff? Which I guess makes sense if you are ironing clothes. But when you're quilting, you need to iron between piecing meaning you'll be leaving the iron for several minutes at a time. Honestly, this feature is right up there with the autolift for me. I used to have to unplug my Rowenta and plug it back in over and over and over again, so this 30 minute auto shutoff is actually saving my back from all that bending over to the outlet!
M3Pro Project Iron
Ok, don't let the small size of the M3Pro Project Iron fool you! This little iron has several of the larger ProPlus's features. It has the same Diamond Ceramic flow soleplate, 30 minute auto shutoff, and they both have a fabric selector.
What's different is that the M3Pro does not have the autolift, but they've still solved for the wrist problem! The M3Pro includes a silicone Solemate--think of it like a little hotpad for your iron, so you can set it down on its plate rather than cranking your wrist to set it up. It's also handy for hanging it from the Solemate!
One feature on the M3Pro that the ProPlus does not have is a light! I never would've thought I needed a light on an iron, but this is actually my favorite thing about it! It reveals even the slightest wrinkles ahead.
Colors
Both irons come in several different colors. As quilters, we all love color. I'm really happy they recognize the love at Oliso and provided such a pretty palette to choose from!
The ProPlus smart iron comes in Orchid, Butterscotch, Rosé, and Turquoise.
The M3Pro project iron comes in Pistachio, Coral, and Aqua.
Multimats
Now beyond irons, Oliso has a wonderful wool pressing mat system called Multimats. They're purchased individually and can be connected in various configurations to fit what you're pressing. I think of them like little Tetris shapes! Arrange them to fit the job you're working on.
Try just 1 for small piecing like HSTs (Half Square Triangles) or FPP (Foudation Paper Piecing). Or use 2 to 3 in a row to press strips or binding. And go for a big 2x2 square for large blocks or other projects like pillow tops.
National Sewing Month Sale!
Now I admitted that the price of Oliso irons kept me from trying them out for a long time. But now that I've had an opportunity to test them, I can tell you--while they certainly are an investment, they're truly an investment in the health of your wrists and your ability to keep sewing and quilting! So, I'm really excited that Oliso is offering my readers a 15% discount this month!
You can get all the products mentioned above (ProPlus Smart Iron, M3Pro Project Iron, Multimats) plus felt carrying cases for both iron sizes at 15% off for National Sewing Month with my code Sew15 through the month of September 2024.
And finally to answer the question I asked in the title...yes, they are worth the splurge! (But saving 15% certainly helps!)
Enjoy! Your wrists will thank you, and your space will be so pretty, too!
Thank you to Oliso for providing the irons and multimats for review, and especially for the discount!
Related: Check out my DIY Convertible Cut & Press Table design and get the FREE building plans! No building experience or fancy tools required.