The makers of Nori, a modern, handheld steam iron, are betting on consumers ditching their WFH wardrobes and readopting their wrinkle-free lifestyles yet again. Their hero product, the $120 Nori Press, is a steam-iron hybrid anchored by a hinge and two triangular aluminum plates that sandwich and glide across fabric with a squeeze-and-slide motion.
Nori—iron spelled backward—was founded by Courtney Toll and Annabel Love, who wanted a new solution to clothing care that spoke to millennial and Gen Z clientele. After interviewing more than 500 potential consumers in their market (and finding that many relied on makeshift wrinkle-release solutions that ranged from pressing clothing between mattresses to hanging them in a steamy shower), Nori raised $1.3 million across two rounds to develop a working prototype before launch in May 2021.
Still, Nori struggles in a few areas. Steam can be activated with another tap of a button, but I had less luck there, as the machine sputtered and sprayed when I didn’t pause to tilt the unit up vertically regularly enough. Clothing that has folds, pleats, and curves is clumsy, if not impossible, to press smooth without the tapered end of an ironing board. Toll said the unit is designed to reach the center of a 22-inch shirt (or an average women’s size large) with extra wiggle room, but I wonder how a plus-size women’s or large men’s shirt would fare, as some of my more billowy mediums were crumpled in the journey to the middle. And even though it only weighs 1.4 lbs, after a few runs, my wrist and hand were tired.
“Like Away or Casper…There’s a way that exciting brands can open a ‘nothing fancy’ market and offer superior customer service, where the packaging itself is a present,” says Love. “That’s our goal—your once-dreaded chore can be a gift.”
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