Corby 4400 Trouser Press

Having been used to the luxury of a trouser press when I lived with my parents (and I don't mean Mum doing the ironing for me!), it is something I have been meaning to purchase for some time but, until now, there have been other demands on my finances.

I have always been the kinda guy who likes to have my trousers neatly pressed, but also the kinda guy that manages to get "tram lines" instead of a single crease when I attack ...
...them through a handkerchief so that they don’t go shiny – urgghhh! Enough!

So, I finally got round to making the purchasing decision a few weeks ago and opted for the 4400 model which is the second model in the range and was retailing at £99.00.

The main difference between the different available models falls into two areas... the type of timer and the finish of the press itself. The top of the range products are made ... more

Having been used to the luxury of a trouser press when I lived with my parents (and I don't mean Mum doing the ironing for me!), it is something I have been meaning to purchase for some time but, until now, there have been other demands on my finances.

I have always been the kinda guy who likes to have my trousers neatly pressed, but also the kinda guy that manages to get "tram lines" instead of a single crease when I attack them with an iron! Also, all that fuss of ironing them through a handkerchief so that they don’t go shiny – urgghhh! Enough!

So, I finally got round to making the purchasing decision a few weeks ago and opted for the 4400 model which is the second model in the range and was retailing at £99.00.

The main difference between the different available models falls into two areas... the type of timer and the finish of the press itself. The top of the range products are made with real wood and have digital timers with an LED countdown or a rotary dial. From what I can gather, the pressing mechanism inside is exactly the same from model to model. The 4400 has simpler controls (more of them later) and a slightly cheaper looking finish.

Trouser presses can be used on any material which you would normally iron - although some man-made fibres may require extra pressing for best results. They work by pressing in sharp creases where they should be and eliminating any crumples where there shouldn't.

FINISH
This model comes in a more limited range of "Wood effect finishes" than the other models. The available options are black ash, mahogany, oak, pine and walnut wood effects, with black trim, and white with white trim.. I opted for the walnut solely because it (almost) matches my other bedroom furniture.

There is a pull out bar at the side to hang your tie on, a tray on the top (about 1” deep) to hold loose change or cufflinks, and a hanger attachment for your jacket – they’ve thought of everything!!

GETTING STARTED
The trouser press requires "partial self assembly" when you get it home. You have the option of having it free-standing or wall mounted.

The free-standing option simply requires the sliding in of two feet to the base of the unit. When fitted correctly a gentle push will make them click into place. I did find this a little fiddly and it is important that you get them the right way round...! Having the press free-standing also means you can make use of the hanger for your jacket which fits to the back of the press with two screws.

Full instructions are given in the instruction book on how to wall mount your press. I would suggest that this is the best option, if you have the wall space, as the feet are rather large (12.5”) and make the press stick out into the room. All the necessary fixings are included for mounting the press on a solid wall. This would require the use of a drill, measuring tape and screwdriver. It is NOT possible to use the jacket hanger attachment if the press is wall mounted.

CONTROLS
The controls for this model are three simple buttons on the top - each with an indicator light to show which option you have selected. First you choose either "15 minute" or "30 minute" and then simply select the "on" button. This will start the trouser press heating up and it will operate for the selected time. The instructions state that it is not a problem to leave the trousers in the press overnight. The cycle can be stopped at anytime by a second press of the “on” button.

USAGE
The press is opened using one of two large lever arms which you pull towards you to reveal the heating pad. This is padded to accommodate different fabrics and raised seams.

The placing of the trousers is all important! You should make sure they are as smooth and flat as possible and that the creases are in line (Yes, it’s still possible to get “tramlines”!). You should ensure that the hem of the trousers goes as far into the press as possible as the bottom 75mm is specially made to adjust to the extra thickness. This is ok for me as I’m 6’ tall, but it might be a problem for someone with shorter legs than me! If your trousers are lined, you need to make sure the lining is flat too otherwise you will get crease lines showing through.

It is then a case of closing the press, again using the levers. As you do so, the bottom is gripped by the press and a stretcher bar at the top of the press gently pulls the trousers upwards to eliminate back-of-knee wrinkles. This feature is, according to Corby, unique to them.

And that’s it! Your trousers will be ready to wear in 15 or 30 minutes depending on the setting – although it is best to let them cool before wearing.

THE FINAL RESULT
Well, let’s just say my trousers are getting pressed a lot more than they used to! I find that a 15 minute press is fine for everyday wear, but the 30 minutes is better at getting rid of the back-of-knee wrinkles that occur when you are sat down for long periods.

The press produces a good clean crease without the danger of a shiny finish to the fabric. This does depend 100% on you being careful when placing the trousers in the press as mentioned above. On the downside, I have found that there is some “showing through” of the side seams on the trousers where the double thickness of material is embossed slightly on the surface. This is not so evident when using the 15 minute setting and is also lessened by removing the trousers from the press when the cycle is complete.

TO SUM UP
I am pleased I went for one of the more basic models as I think that the extra controls on the more expensive models are pretty much unnecessary on a product designed for a fairly basic task. I don’t need a digital timer counting down to the moment the trousers are ready, or the chance to select a 17 or 26 minute cycle instead of 15 or 30. I guess it may be worth paying more if you prefer a real wood finish or really need split second timing.

The results are good, with the exception of the seams showing through slightly, and I am certainly looking smarter more often than I did before!

Hope this review has helped… I wouldn’t have thought you could write so much about a trouser press until I started!!
 

...less