Customer Reviews

Reliable J490A IronMaven Home Ironing System with CSS and Anti-Calc Warning System

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I sew quite a bit and ironing large pieces of fabric can be VERY tedious, so after owning several Rowenta irons (their top of the line) I decided to give this one a try and all I can say is wow!It generates an incredible amount of steam and cuts ironing time way down as well as doing a much better job of removing wrinkles from the fabric. Even if you don't sew it is worth the investment if you would prefer to remove wrinkles from your clothing in one pass as opposed to going over the fabric several times and still getting inferior results.

If you like to iron and especially if you like to iron with a great steam setting, then this is the iron for you. It is the most expensive iron I have owned but it is worth every penny. It will get every last wrinkle out of your clothing and put the 'fun' in ironing. The iron generates sufficient steam so you can get through you full load of laundry. The clear water container lets you see when you need to refill ( takes tap water). It does take a little while to warm up and is noisy so I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.

I bought this iron because it looked very much like the Laura Star I wanted but could not afford. Unfortunately it did not live up to expectations. The iron was very heavy for my liking, it had spray holes only at the point of the iron sole and the spray button, actually two, were badly located and did not help towards a smooth operation. Also, the handle of the iron was not ergonomically designed. It made ironing hard work and tiring.
I was expecting great things from this iron, especially considering its price, but I was disappointed enough to return it. As always, Amazon was very good and helpful in advising how to return this iron.

Thought about this ironing system a lot before purchasing. Have had many irons in the past including several Rowentas as well as a Black & Decker. Every one of them LEAKED !!! Maddening ! However, I was troubled about the size of the system thinking that it would take up so much room. But then I discussed it with my husband. After looking it over, he encouraged me to buy it figuring it would cost less in the long run than buying so many cheaper irons that always end up leaking, and he said we would find a place for it. Finally decided to take the plunge, and am glad I did.
We did find a place for it where it can be out of the way when I'm not using it but handy enough for when I need it. Happily, this iron does NOT leak !!! I cannot say that about any other iron. The steam is very forceful though, so you do have to be careful and it takes a little getting used to. However, I quickly found that I could easily control the force of the steam and keep it on as long or little as I want. Sometimes it doesn't quite get out ALL the wrinkles. I just put a little water on the wrinkle, use the iron dry, and it gets the wrinkle(s) out.
So far so good.

Today I unpacked my J490A with a great deal of excitement. I had used a Rowenta that did not last and thought by upgrading to a Reliable product I would get a higher quality iron with greater longevity. Unfortunately that is not the case.

The iron shut off with a red lite and alarm after 3-4 minutes of ironing. To get it to work I had to turn it off and then on again and it would go for an additional 3-5 minutes before repeating. This went on for 30 minutes of alarm, off/on, etc. Instructions say if this happens iron is defective, so it is being returned.

But aside from that which may be an uncommon occurrance, the iron has severe deficiencies. It drags on the fabric (I was working with cotton and linen), creating wrinkles. The design of the base has the cords coming from the wrong side, making them get in the way for a right handed person. The cord from the base to the iron when put on the upright support is not long enough to allow for ironing fabric that is uncut. And finally despite an abundance of steam and a setting on linen or cotton, the wrinkles simply did not come out. I am accustomed to the Rowenta leaving a smooth finish that is easy to achieve.

The handle is a straight design and is awkward on the wrist. The upper buttons to press the steam are not as ergonomically designed as a trigger pull. It became tiring to continuously push the button. The noise the generator made surprised me. It would not be possible to have a normal conversation while the iron was on and the noise was constant. After a few minutes it was quite grating on the nerves. There was rumbling and it shook the ironing table. I iron on one of the JoAnn's cutting tables with the ironing cover because I am working with large pieces of fabric. This has never been a problem before.

In summary, I would use caution before purchasing this iron. Even though Rowenta has it's problems, they are not as compromising as the J490A.

I told my husband about an iron I was told about that, would cut ironing time almost in half and wanted one. He did some research and purchased this one for me and I can say I am totally satisfied.

I iron everything (my mother taught me this!) and can say it has made ironing so much easier and faster - I would recommend this iron to anyone.

This is a fabulous iron, once you get used to it. Using this rather than a conventional steam iron, gets the job done in half the time,
but you have to get used to ironing with a much stronger flow of steam. I burned myself a couple of times.
Especially when you iron sheets and other linens, or jeans, this iron works wonderful and much faster.
It was harder to find on Amazon, but I am so glad I did.

This iron is great. It has an adjustable steam setting. The fact that it's a steam generator means that the iron can be used in the upright position. One thing I appreciate is the anti-calc warning since I live in an area in So. California that has hard water. It truly makes ironing a breeze. You may have to wait a little longer than usual before ironing for the boiler to heat up but it's worth it.

After having used nothing but the usual household iron for years I opted to upgrade to something better, I wish I had done it sooner. One of these systems is nothing like the usual iron, where when you push the steam button you get a mini "psst", this iron billows out steam. We don't remove the reservoir to fill it we simply open the cap and pour in more water. I've been pressing my wool suits, ironing cotton shirts. My wife started ironing place mats and linen clothing that she had never been able to do previously. The only thing I would have done differently is rather than buying the C60 ironing board I should have gone for the C81 with the vacuum. I figure if we were missing something with the regular iron, there may be something to a vacuum board. This might not be a Laura Starr but it sure is the best iron I've ever owned, and it makes ironing doable - turn a show on the TV that you don't need to see the screen or turn on some music and have at it. :)

My iron broke after only a few uses. Not very good and too heavy. Customer support was not very helpful either. Dont buy this iron.