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Nothing puts a damper on a great outfit like wrinkles do. But, wrinkled clothing is pretty much inevitable. As I’ve grown up, I’ve decided that in my adulthood I should take better care of my belongings, including my clothing. Gone are the days of the closet overflow desk chair and the getting-ready-in-a-rush-aftermath ball of clothes in my bedroom corner. Okay, they’re not gone yet, but I’m working on it. So, when I saw Nori on my Instagram feed, I knew I had to try it out.
Nori is ushering in the new age of clothing care. Traditionally, clothing care has been a bit of a production. Heavy ironing boards and leaky steamers are all too common. If you don’t want to DIY, you can expect to pay a hefty price to send your stuff off to the dry cleaners. While the fashion industry continues to evolve with new fabrics and trends the way we care for our clothing really has stayed stagnant, until now.
Nori was built on the desire to turn traditional clothing care on its head, quite literally. The name Nori spells “Iron” backwards. The brand’s hero product, the Nori Press, is an easy-to-use device that promises to press and steam items in one fell swoop.
Meeting Nori
Upon opening the box, I was immediately impressed at the quality of Nori. It’s lightweight but feels really substantial at the same time. From the thick handle for easy gripping to the two aluminum plates that let you reach the front and back of an item at the same time, everything about this product is so thoughtfully designed. There’s even a leather wrap to keep the cord together. It doesn’t hurt that the packaging and design are really nice too; they’re streamlined, minimalist, and pretty chic for an iron.
I’ve never actually ironed clothing in my life. Taking out an ironing board always seemed like a hassle, and frankly was a bit intimidating. I have used a steamer, but I find that they tend to be clunky and not worth the effort, so I’ll usually just hang up items in the bathroom while I take a hot shower to get a minimal-effort steam. Nori looks like a hair straightener, which I’m well-acquainted with, so off the bat, it felt really approachable to me and like something I’d actually be able to incorporate into my routine .
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A No-Stress Press
Nori’s design is very streamlined, with only three small buttons that are clearly labeled: power, fabric, and steam. I think any mildly tech-savvy person could get the hang of this thing without directions, it’s that easy to use. But, of course, for the purpose of this review I wanted to make sure I was doing everything right, so I followed the included directions.
Nori came to me at the perfect time, as I wanted to wear a lovely white cotton top that was laden with lines from being rolled in a ball in my suitcase...ugh. I plugged in the Nori, turned it on, and selected “cotton” from the fabric settings. Nori offers six different fabric settings: linen, denim, cotton, wool, silk, and polyester. I love this feature. One of my main qualms about caring for my clothing on my own is that I’m going to ruin it, so I appreciate that Nori tells you exactly what you can press. While Nori was heating up, I sprayed my shirt with the Fabric Facial. This isn’t a necessary step, but the solution helps Nori work even harder by removing stubborn wrinkles and I was ready to go all out. Lastly, I hung my shirt on a hanger and started Nori-ing away. Can we make that a verb?
I was impressed at how quickly and easily Nori worked. In just about 3 minutes I was able to give my blouse a total refresh. It was so much easier to use than the clunky handheld steamers I’ve dabbled with before. If you want to use Nori as a steamer, the process is very similar. Just fill the hole with the Fabric Facial (tap water will do too), tap the steam button on the side of the device, and once the icon stops blinking you’re ready to go.
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Hot Takes
The $120 price tag may seem like a lot when you can find steamers and irons for far less, but it feels like a fair price to pay for prolonging the life of your clothing by keeping it in prime condition. I like to think of this as a one time investment in your wardrobe. The portability, style, and ease of use also make this product feel like a great value. As the world opens up and getting all dressed up for events is becoming a more frequent occurrence, I know I’ll get plenty of use out of my Nori. I may even start petitioning to make Nori a verb too.
5 More Reasons To Love Nori:
- Female-founded: Real women solving real issues. Courtney, one of the brand’s founders, used to iron her clothes with a hair straightener. Knowing these clothing care conundrums firsthand, she knew there had to be a better way, so she teamed up with her co-founder Annabel and got to building.
- Subscription options: Love the Fabric Facial? Get a new bottle every month and save 20% while you do so with Nori’s subscription service.
- Travel-friendly: At just 1.5 pounds and pretty sleek, it’s easy to take Nori on the go with you. If you’re traveling for a big event where your outfit will be the main event, you’ll thank yourself for bringing Nori along.
- Fresh on the scene: Nori just launched a little over a month ago. It’s pretty cool to be one of the early adopters of a brand that’s disrupting a dated industry, no?
- Look good, feel good: A fresh, clean, wrinkle-free outfit does wonders for your confidence.
