I’m a total garment care nerd. I love my clothing and I take care of it so it lasts. I hang dry a lot of my wardrobe and that results in lots of ironing and steaming. I ditched my old iron years ago when I learned about Rowenta steamers. However for garments like dress shirts and pants I really, really missed that crisp feeling and look an iron provides. I tried for many years with a steamer but I just can’t replicate that look. Last year, I broke down and bought a shitty cheap iron for pants and shirts. It wasn’t that good but it was sufficient.

I attended the TFI New Labels Contest this year and I sat at a table with folks from TNT and Reliable Corporation. I knew who TNT was so I proceeded to find more information about Reliable from my seatmate, Kimberly. They are a long time sponsor of the TFI and the company specializes in professional and commercial steam cleaning products as well as sewing and fabric care products. Kimberly mentioned their technology briefly and how they’ve brought it down to the consumer level. So, just how good is a Reliable iron I asked Kimberly. I will never forget her face. She looked at me, smiled and said our products are very special. Two words are quite an endorsement. I needed to get my hands on one. Before the night was out, Kimberly handed me the Velocity V50 and told me to report back to her.

The iron being very special is a fucking understatement. THIS IS THE BEST IRON I’VE EVER USED!!!! I can’t imagine using another brand ever! The Velocity V50 is much heavier than the standard iron and I didn’t understand why until I turned it on. I went over the computer to check email or twitter or something and I heard this rumbling coming out of the iron, then a continuous jet of stream began pouring forcefully out the soleplate. I was confused, no iron had ever done this before. Thankfully I wasn’t standing in front of the damn thing when it went off. Turns out I had pressed the steam activation button inadvertently.

The atented continuous steam technology pre-heats the water in its internal heating chamber and this results in continuous steam even at low temperatures. I tested this out by setting the iron to one bar and the steam was as consistent as if it was on high. AMAZING! With the internal heating chamber this iron doesn’t drip, spit or leak all over your clothing. Woolmark has approved this iron stating that it’s safe to use on all types of delicate wool fabrics.

Using the Velocity V50 is a dream. I know, I know, I have a strange fetish with garment care. It’s the ultimate iron I didn’t even know I needed until it presented itself to me. Shirts and pants are ironed with precision for the perfectionist in me and it also takes less time. If you have a complete obsession with your clothes and their presentation this is the iron for you. The Velocity V50 is the base model of the commercial irons at Reliable and retails for $99. You can order the iron online at reliablecorporation.com with free shippig. You should also take a look at the other Reliable iron that has me salivating and thinking upgrade, the Digital Velocity V100.

images: reliablecorporation.com