Robot that irons clothes: what you can buy, what failed, what is coming

No robot that irons clothes is on sale in the US. The closest thing you can buy is a steam closet like the LG Styler, at about $2,200, which refreshes clothes but does not press them. Effie, an ironing machine shown in 2017, never reached US stores, and ironing humanoids exist only in research labs.

Researched by Riley Hart · updated Oct 28, 2026 · How we research

Short answer

As of October 28, 2026, you cannot buy a robot that irons clothes in the US. The closest product is a steam closet such as the LG Styler, about $2,200 at major appliance stores, which steams five hangers of clothes to relax wrinkles but does not press them flat. Effie, a UK ironing machine with a £699 early bird price in 2017, never showed up in US stores. Humanoids have ironed shirts only in university labs, and no home humanoid on preorder lists ironing as a chore.

Option	Price	Status (Oct 28, 2026)	What it does	Catch
LG Styler SC5MAR4G	$2,217 at Town Appliance (list $2,639)	On sale	Steams 5 hangers plus 1 pants hanger; QuickRefresh about 22 minutes (maker claim)	Refreshes and relaxes wrinkles; does not press
LG Studio Styler SC5GMR80H	$2,198.97 at P.C. Richard (regular $2,799.97)	On sale	Same idea plus a built in handheld steamer	A buyer review says Single Shirt mode missed some wrinkles
Effie	£699 early bird (about $913) in 2017	Prototype in 2017; no US sale found	Hang up to 12 damp items; about 3 minutes per item (maker claim)	We found no sign it reached US buyers
TEO humanoid (UC3M)	Not for sale	Research demo, 2017	Irons with a normal iron and board after a 3D scan of wrinkles	Lab project only
Columbia ironing robot	Not for sale	Research, 2016	Scans a garment with a Kinect sensor and irons wrinkled areas	Lead author called it too slow and costly
1X NEO	$20,000 or $499/mo	Preorder; US deliveries promised in 2026	General humanoid	Ironing not listed as a chore
Weave Isaac 1	$7,999	Preorder; California first, fall 2026	Laundry folding and bed making (maker claim)	Ironing not listed

Prices and status from store pages, maker pages and press sources listed below, checked October 28, 2026. Speeds and abilities are maker claims unless a reviewer is named.

Robots in this guide: price and status

Humanoids · 1X NEO Best for Early adopters who want the first legged home humanoid and are comfortable with remote operators in their home $20,000 Check price →Full profile

Humanoids · Weave Robotics Isaac 1 Best for California households that mainly want laundry pickup, folding and daily tidying $7,999 Check price →Full profile

The short answer: nothing presses shirts for you yet

Ironing is one of the hardest chores for a robot. Fabric bends, folds and slides. A hot iron needs the right pressure in the right spot, and a mistake can scorch a shirt. That is why no company sells a home robot that picks up an iron today.

What you can buy are machines that remove wrinkles with steam and air. They save time, but they do not give you a crisp, pressed collar. If you want a true ironing robot, you will have to wait, and nobody has given a firm date.

The closest thing on sale: a steam closet

A steam closet looks like a slim wardrobe. You hang clothes inside, close the door and pick a cycle. LG's Styler is the best known model in the US.

Town Appliance lists the LG Styler SC5MAR4G at $2,217, down from a $2,639 list price. It holds five hangers plus one pants hanger. LG says the hangers move clothes through steam using six motions, and that the QuickRefresh cycle takes about 22 minutes. It plugs into a normal outlet and needs no plumbing. It also has a pants press that LG says keeps creases in place.

P.C. Richard lists the LG Studio Styler SC5GMR80H at $2,198.97, down from $2,799.97. It adds a built in handheld steamer for touch ups. Buyer reviews on that page say the Refresh cycles and steamer reduce wrinkles, but one reviewer said Single Shirt mode did not get every wrinkle out.

Think of a steam closet as a fancy steamer. It is good for suits, dresses and knits you wear more than once. It is not a substitute for pressing a cotton dress shirt.

Effie: the ironing machine that never arrived

Effie was the most talked about home ironing machine. New Atlas covered it in October 2017. You would hang damp clothes straight from the washer on up to 12 hangers, press Start, and the machine would dry and press them. The makers said it handled polyester, cotton, silk, viscose and denim at about three minutes per item.

The early bird price was £699, about $913 at the time, with preorders planned for the following spring. A trade report from the same month described Effie as being in the prototype stage and aimed at hotels and serviced apartments.

We found no evidence that Effie ever reached US buyers. Treat any listing that uses the Effie name with care, and check who the seller is.

Robots that iron only in labs

Researchers have shown that a robot can iron, slowly. In 2016, Columbia University researchers showed a robot that picks up a garment, turns it so a Kinect sensor can scan it, and irons the wrinkled areas. The Robot Report quoted lead author Yinxiao Li saying the robot was still too slow and costly to be practical.

In June 2017, the Robotics Lab at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid showed its TEO humanoid ironing with an ordinary household iron and board. It built a 3D model of the garment, picked the paths that would remove the most wrinkles, and repeated until the creases were gone. The lab called it a first step toward a household companion robot.

Neither project became a product. Both are useful mostly as proof that the problem is hard.

What humanoid makers promise

The new wave of home humanoids focuses on laundry folding, tidying and dishes, not ironing. The 1X NEO is on preorder for $20,000 or $499 a month, and 1X says US deliveries start in 2026. Its order page gives only examples like getting the door and laundry. For tasks NEO does not know, 1X says an expert can remotely supervise it at scheduled times.

Weave's Isaac 1 costs $7,999 and, per Yanko Design, is due in California in fall 2026 with wider US availability in 2027. Weave claims it folds laundry, makes beds and returns clutter to its place. Ironing is not on the list. If a humanoid maker adds ironing later, expect it to arrive as a software skill, with remote human help in the early days.

How to spend less time ironing today

Buy a steam closet only if you wear suits or delicate clothes often. At about $2,200, it is a big spend for wrinkle relief.
Ask what a steam closet cannot do. It does not press crisp creases into cotton shirts.
Check the cycle time. LG claims about 22 minutes for QuickRefresh on the SC5MAR4G.
Count the hangers. The two LG Styler models above hold five hangers plus one for pants.
Be wary of old ironing machine listings. Effie was a 2017 prototype, and we found no sign it shipped in the US.
Watch for humanoid chore lists, not demos. No preorder humanoid lists ironing today.

Who should buy now and who should wait

If wrinkles on work clothes are the problem, a steam closet is the only machine you can buy today that does some of the job hands free. If you want shirts pressed by a robot, wait. No maker has announced a home ironing robot with a price and date. For the broader picture of home helpers, see our list of every home humanoid on sale or preorder and our guide to the robot that folds laundry.

Questions people ask

Is there a robot that irons clothes?

Not one you can buy. As of October 28, 2026, no home robot that irons clothes is on sale in the US. Steam closets like the LG Styler relax wrinkles but do not press.

How much does a clothes ironing machine cost?

The LG Styler SC5MAR4G steam closet is $2,217 at Town Appliance and the Studio Styler SC5GMR80H is $2,198.97 at P.C. Richard. Effie had a £699 early bird price in 2017 but never reached US stores.

What happened to the Effie ironing machine?

Effie was shown in 2017 as a machine that dries and presses up to 12 items. Reports at the time called it a prototype. We found no sign that it was ever sold in the US.

Does an LG Styler replace an iron?

Not fully. It steams and refreshes clothes on hangers, and a buyer review says Single Shirt mode missed some wrinkles. You still need an iron for crisp cotton shirts.

Can a humanoid robot iron clothes?

Only in research. Columbia University showed an ironing robot in 2016 and UC3M's TEO humanoid ironed in 2017. No humanoid on preorder lists ironing as a chore.