WHAT IT IS
Think of the LG Styler as a steam- and dry-cleaning closet or cabinet for apparel, soft toys and bedding.
It can take three garments on the hanging rack, and a pair of pants on the inside of the door.
The middle shelf comes off to accommodate long dresses. The styler also deodorises and there’s a holder for scented sheets, so everything smells great.
HOW IT WORKS
The programs
Called cycles, Refresh, Sanitise and Gentle Dry use a combination of heating, steaming and drying. Refresh and Sanitise involve all three; Gentle Dry only dries.
The functions
The LG Styler comes with a chart of recommended cycles for different fabrics. These range from 20min for a light Refresh to 150min for delicates on Gentle Dry. Use Refresh to spruce up clothes like cardigans and jackets, Sanitise to freshen soft toys and duvets, and Gentle Dry to dry damp towels. The hanging rack vibrates quickly to shake out creases and dust.
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The add-on cycles
You can download more programs – like Air Fresh for silk, which uses a lower temperature than Gentle Dry – from the LG Smart Styler app (free on Google Play) onto an NFC-enabled smartphone (sorry, iPhone users). Just tap your phone on the styler’s door to transfer the programs. It stores up to two downloaded cycles, and dumps older ones.
USING IT
I placed my things in the closet, tapped the touchscreen to choose the cycle and load (from light to heavy), then pressed play to start.
For the Refresh and Sanitise cycles, I had to fill the water tank (good for three to four sessions) to generate the steam.
I usually emptied the drainage tank at the same time.
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WHAT I LIKED
1. It removed the musty odour from my office cardi well. The vibrating hanger smoothed most of the wrinkles from casual wear, but I still had to iron work shirts.
2. I I loved the Sanitise function. It sterilised my stuffed toys, duvet, bags, winter wear, and even a yoga mat. My toys and sweater came out softer and fluffier, too.
3. The Gentle Dry function was a spa treat for my towels. It made them all soft and luxurious.
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WHAT COULD BE BETTER
A. Indicators to let me know I needed to refill water or clear the drainage tank would have made this friendlier to use. Cycles would stop midway when the tank ran out of water.
B. A more informative touchscreen and intuitive app would have been great, too. It showed only Download 1 and Download 2 instead of the actual functions. I had to check my phone.
VERDICT
It’s no substitute for your iron, but it’s great for refreshing not-too-dirty suits and delicate wear (less dry-cleaning), and sanitising bedding.
LG Styler, $2,999, is available at Harvey Norman, Courts, Best Denki and Gain City.