Rowenta
German small-household-appliance brand owned by French Groupe SEB.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Rowenta is a German small-household-appliance brand whose roots lie in the company founded by Robert Ferdinand August Weintraud in 1884 in Offenbach am Main, Hesse. The Rowenta name was trademarked in December 1909. It was formed from elements of Weintraud's full name and became the commercial identity used for the company's consumer appliances. The business developed in Germany during the expansion of domestic electrical goods, initially producing and selling household and hospitality equipment before building a broader portfolio of appliances for cooking, garment care, floor care, and personal care. The brand's product history includes an electric iron introduced in 1919, an electric coffee maker for restaurants in 1926, a thermostat-equipped iron using ceramic heating elements in 1949, and a steam iron in 1957. During the following decades Rowenta extended into personal care and cleaning appliances, introducing a hair-drying bonnet in 1967, the KG-22 Filtermatic coffee maker in 1971, and its first vacuum cleaner in 1974. Later product developments included the Infinium bagless vacuum cleaner in 2001 and a hair straightener marketed as intelligent beauty in 2005. These launches helped establish Rowenta as a diversified appliance brand rather than a company focused solely on irons. Rowenta became part of the French Groupe SEB in 1988. Following the acquisition, the German business operated as Rowenta Werke GmbH within Groupe SEB Deutschland, while the brand became part of Groupe SEB's international portfolio of small-appliance names. The ownership change connected Rowenta with a multinational group whose activities span household and personal-care appliances, but Rowenta retained its German brand identity and association with engineering-oriented appliance design. Manufacturing and administrative operations changed over time. Rowenta's original industrial base was in Offenbach, where the company had been established and where its headquarters were located near the Kaiserlei industrial area. In 1997 the Offenbach factory closed, with headquarters and production shifted to the Groupe SEB facility in Erbach im Odenwald. That facility, which had opened in 1959, closed in 2022. The closure ended a significant phase of Rowenta's German manufacturing history, although the brand continued as an active Groupe SEB brand. Rowenta's communications have used a succession of German and international slogans. Early messaging included “Muss heute eine Rowenta sein,” followed by “Fortschritt mit Herz und Verstand” from 1971. Later slogans included “Rowenta, for those who don't settle” from 1985, “Rowenta for life” through 1993, “Immer besser!” from 1995, and “Enjoy Technology” from 2014. Across these periods, the brand has generally positioned itself around practical innovation, product performance, and design-led improvements in everyday domestic tasks. Its known categories include irons and steam irons, vacuum cleaners, fans, coffee makers, hair dryers, hair-drying appliances, and hair straighteners.
History
Rowenta's corporate origins date to 1884, when Robert Ferdinand August Weintraud founded Robert Weintraud GmbH & Co. KG in Offenbach am Main, in the German state of Hesse. The company's first factory was built in Offenbach, the city with which the brand remained closely associated for more than a century. In December 1909 Weintraud trademarked the name Rowenta, created as an amalgamation of elements of his full name. The trademark supplied a recognizable consumer identity for the company's later household-appliance activities. Rowenta's development followed the growth of electric appliances in homes, commercial kitchens, and hospitality businesses. Its documented product chronology begins with an electric iron in 1919 and an electric coffee maker for restaurants in 1926. In 1949 the company introduced an iron with a thermostat and ceramic heating elements, followed by a steam iron in 1957. These products established garment care as one of the brand's central areas while its coffee-making equipment gave it a presence in food and beverage preparation. The brand continued to broaden its scope during the postwar consumer-appliance expansion. A hair-drying bonnet appeared in 1967, the KG-22 Filtermatic coffee maker was introduced in 1971, and Rowenta entered the vacuum-cleaner category in 1974. Its slogans also changed over time, moving from the early “Muss heute eine Rowenta sein” to “Fortschritt mit Herz und Verstand” in 1971 and “Rowenta, for those who don't settle” in 1985. These messages linked the brand with product improvement and consumer expectations of dependable technology. A decisive ownership change occurred in 1988, when Rowenta was acquired by French Groupe SEB. After the acquisition, the German operation traded as Rowenta Werke GmbH and formed part of Groupe SEB Deutschland. Rowenta thereby became a German-origin brand within a larger international appliance group. The acquisition did not eliminate the brand's separate identity; instead, Rowenta continued to be used for selected household and personal-care appliances. The company's German industrial footprint was subsequently consolidated. The Offenbach factory closed in 1997, and headquarters and production moved to Erbach im Odenwald, a facility that had opened in 1959. Erbach remained an important Rowenta location until it closed in 2022. The manufacturing closure marked the end of Rowenta's documented production presence at that site, while the brand itself continued under Groupe SEB ownership. Rowenta's later product history includes the Infinium bagless vacuum cleaner in 2001 and a hair straightener described as intelligent beauty in 2005. The brand's communications later adopted “Immer besser!” in 1995 and “Enjoy Technology” from 2014. Taken together, its history shows a transition from a German electrical-goods company with a strong iron and coffee-maker heritage into a multi-category small-appliance brand covering floor care, garment care, air movement, food preparation, and personal care. Current headquarters details, current manufacturing arrangements, and a complete list of present-day markets are not established by the supplied reference material.
- 2022
Erbach facility closed
[1]The Erbach facility, opened in 1959 and used for Rowenta operations after the Offenbach closure, closed.
- 2001
Infinium bagless vacuum cleaner introduced
[1]Rowenta introduced its first bagless vacuum cleaner, the Infinium.
- 1997
Offenbach factory closed
[1]The Offenbach factory closed and headquarters and production shifted to Erbach im Odenwald.
- 1988
Acquired by Groupe SEB
[1]French Groupe SEB acquired Rowenta, bringing the German brand into its international appliance portfolio.
- 1974
Entry into vacuum cleaners
[1]Rowenta introduced its first vacuum cleaner.
- 1957
First steam iron
[1]Rowenta introduced its first steam iron.
- 1949
Thermostatic iron introduced
[1]Rowenta introduced an iron with a thermostat and ceramic heating elements.
- 1926
Restaurant coffee maker introduced
[1]The company introduced its first electric coffee maker for restaurants.
- 1919
First electric iron
[1]Rowenta introduced its first electric iron.
- 1909
Rowenta trademark registered
[1]The Rowenta brand name was trademarked in December 1909 as an amalgamation of elements of Weintraud's full name.
Products and positioning
A German engineering-oriented household-appliance brand positioned around practical innovation, appliance performance, and technology for everyday home and personal-care routines.
Garment care · 1919
Irons and steam irons
Garment care is one of Rowenta's oldest and most identifiable product areas. The brand's documented sequence began with an electric iron in 1919, followed by a thermostat-equipped iron with ceramic heating elements in 1949 and a steam iron in 1957. These introductions reflect Rowenta's historical emphasis on applying electrical and heating technology to routine clothing care.
Food preparation · 1926
Coffee makers
Rowenta entered coffee equipment with an electric coffee maker for restaurants in 1926. The category later included the KG-22 Filtermatic coffee maker, introduced in 1971. Coffee makers form part of the brand's historical expansion beyond garment care into beverage preparation for domestic and commercial users.
Floor care · 1974
Vacuum cleaners
Rowenta introduced its first vacuum cleaner in 1974, establishing a significant floor-care line. The brand later introduced the Infinium in 2001, identified as its first bagless vacuum cleaner. This category represents Rowenta's move into larger and more technologically varied household-cleaning appliances.
Personal care · 1967
Hair-drying appliances
Rowenta introduced a hair-drying bonnet in 1967, marking an early expansion into personal-care appliances. The product demonstrated the brand's use of electrically powered heat and airflow outside the household cleaning and garment-care categories.
Personal care · 2005
Hair straighteners
Rowenta's documented personal-care development includes a hair straightener marketed as intelligent beauty, introduced in 2005. The product extended the brand's technology and styling-appliance presence into heated hair-care tools.
Air treatment
Fans
Fans are identified as part of Rowenta's household-appliance assortment. The supplied reference material does not specify the date of the first fan, individual models, or current product availability.
Marketing campaigns
- 2014Enjoy Technology
Rowenta adopted “Enjoy Technology” as a later brand slogan, presenting its appliances through a message focused on the positive experience of household technology.
Outcome. Used as a brand slogan from 2014.
Sources1 sources
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