The Rowenta IB9100 just might get you to want to start ironing immediately.
Just how does it do this? Just about everything about this ironing board screams “professional”. From the giant ironing surface to the hanging rack to the steam tank shelf, it truly does feel like an upgrade to your ironing board, particularly if you’ve been working with a more traditional ironing board for a while now.
I had never tried to iron with a separate steam station detached from the steam iron, but after seeing the Rowenta IB9100 I’m re-evaluating this idea.
In this Rowenta IB9100 ironing board review, I want to walk you through some of these key features and we’ll see what other customers have to say.
XL Open/XS Closed
The Rowenta IB9100 comes with a clever built-in trick – when it’s fully open, it can be considered an “extra large” surface compared to other ironing boards. And yet, when it’s closed down, it can be considered “extra small”.
How does it pull off going from one extreme to the other?
It utilizes a small pit of surface at the base to fold over, making it shorter than other ironing boards when closed. Folding it out offers the extended ironing surface area that separates the ironing board professional from the ironing board amateur.
Steam Station Shelf
The other feature that bumps this ironing board up to “pro” level is the tank shelf. If you’re the kind of person who is spending a lot of time with clothes or bulky blankets, you know the benefits that come from having a separate water tank for your iron. The time it saves you from refilling an onboard water tank allows you to pay more attention to the garment.
With other ironing boards, you would need to position yourself next to an adjacent table or chair for a tank, or worse – take up some of your ironing space with it (and hope your board doesn’t tip over). The IB9100 comes with a sturdy under-board shelf which is perfect for stashing your tank – keeping it out of the way but also keeping it near enough that the iron can access the water for its steam.
Shelf for steam station tank. If you’re doing professional laundry or for a large family or lots of comforters and blankets, having a steam station to power through your load is very helpful, and this shelf is a great place to have the tank handy and yet keep it out of the way.
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Specifications
- Dimensions: 19.1 x 6.5 x 45.9 inches
- Item weight: 20 pounds, shipping weight: 24.4 pounds
- 54-by-18 inch ironing surface
- 10% cotton extra thick (5mm) cover and pad
- Height is adjustable from 27 inches up to 37 inches
- Stainless steel color
- Comes with hanger rack, steam station shelf, and iron rest
Pros
The IB9100 is truly a professional level ironing board. It is packed with enough features that is meant more as a centralizing ironing station where a single user is optimized for efficiency. Whether it’s laundry or quilting projects, this ironing board can add a lot of power to an ironing setup.
The cotton cover is extra thick, allowing you an additional level of control over how the fabric interacts with the iron. When you’re using it for your ironing for the first time you get a feel for just how sturdy this board is.
It is very clear that a lot of care and thought went into the design of this board.
Cons
If you feel I’ve been over enthusiastic about this ironing board so far, part of it is the price point – this is a premium ironing board after all, and it’s reasonable to expect a premium product.
Unfortunately it is at a price point where people can be easily disappointed. A pretty common theme in the online reviews is people’s expectations not quite matching the reality of the ironing board.
Another flip side of the flip-and-fold feature and the extra hanging features is that with more moving parts comes more chances to fail. It seems that you do get the occasional part failure that keeps the ironing board from being used as intended.
Additionally, some folks online report negative experiences working with the Rowenta customer support team. Rowenta is well-known for their irons, and it may be more challenging to handle support for these ironing boards, which are notorious for being difficult to troubleshoot from afar.
Backup and replacement covers also seem hard to come by – the main response in the online reviews and comments seems to be “make your own” if you end up needing a replacement.
What Do Customer Reviews Say
The Rowenta IB9100 has 60% 5-star reviews, which is a larger percentage than many other similar ironing boards.
Many people mention the high price point, however the general consensus of the reviews are that the price is worth it. “Sturdy” and “strong” are terms that come up again and again in the reviews.
It also has about 30% 1-star reviews, which is also a large percentage than many other similar ironing boards.
Perhaps this run of ironing boards had a larger defect rate than others – many of the negative reviews are mainly focused on receiving a defective product. Couple that with the aforementioned challenges with contacting customer support and it seems like purchasing this ironing board has been a frustrating experience for some.
Some reviewers mention being challenged with opening and closing this ironing board due to the non-standard leg design, however there are plenty of other reviews who chime in with some tips and tricks on how to interact with it more easily.
Conclusion
If you do a lot of quilting or sewing or if the thought of occupying a true ironing work station is appealing to you, then the Rowenta IB9100 is probably one of the best ironing boards out there, packed with features. However, you also have to roll the dice that the process of purchasing and acquiring it won’t raise any defects.
If you have the patience for any potential shipping or defect problems, and you want to upgrade your laundry area to professional levels, then give this one a shot!
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