A good iron will banish unwanted creases from our clothes, but a great iron will make this a stress-free and efficient process, and we’re here to find the best that can help you achieve this. It’s hard to know what we need when picking up a handheld iron; maybe we know what parts it should have, but what is the optimal continuous steam flow or how big should your water tank be?
Here we’re going to "iron" out all the most important questions so that you will know which ones to go for. From budget to professional options, to lightweight and cordless varieties. Plus, we’ll be looking at the most trusted brands in the game like Morphy Richards and Breville to buy online in the UK from Amazon, Argos, John Lewis, and ASDA to get you and your fabrics looking fresh and crinkle-free in no time.
Quick List - Top Steam Irons
Russell Hobbs
Light, Effortless to Use and Even Doubles as a Vertical Steamer
Tower
Lightweight and Cable-Free With Surprisingly Strong Power
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Table of Contents
First and foremost, consider the continuous steam rate. This system measures how much steam is continuously released by the iron, and it's an essential indicator as to how speedy you will be able to get through your pile.
Having a good amount of intensity and 'oomph' will make ironing that little bit more pleasant. When picking one we’d recommend that you go for something around 50 g/per min. This should easily handle most household fabrics with little fuss.
However, if you know you’re going to be ironing fabrics that are a little more robust then we would recommend picking up an iron that is equal to or above 60 g/per min. This extra power will see that you still glide through these materials with relative ease.
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Stainless steel is great as they are non-stick, and therefore provide excellent glide and a generally smoother experience. They also allow for more steam holes, and as we discussed more steam = more crease-crushing power. Stainless steel options are also greatly durable and won't be as prone to dents or dinks.
The main problem with stainless steel is that it's not as efficient at conducting heat as other metals, so you can expect to wait longer for the iron to be hot. Even when stainless steel does heat up, it won't be as conductive as their ceramic or aluminium counterparts, which could lead to you re-visiting spots you thought you’d already pressed.
Ceramic soleplates are born as either aluminium or plastic, and have ceramic baked or bonded on to them. Unlike stainless steel, these have great even heat distribution and also prevent static, which is ideal when ironing synthetics. They’re also extremely smooth and have reliable non-stick qualities.
The disadvantage of ceramic is that they’re known to wear down over time. This could see you peeling ceramic coating from your soleplate, or worse, from your clothes, sending you back to the shop sooner than you would have liked.
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If you’re wanting to get this chore as over as quickly as possible then it is worth considering an aluminium soleplate. These conduct heat exceedingly well, so will reach top heat quicker and have a brilliant distribution across the whole plate.
The issue is that this is not the toughest of materials and it is known to scratch easily, and has a tendency to form bumps. This can affect the effectiveness of the iron, as well as possibly damaging fabrics.
When you reluctantly get around to picking up your iron and tackling that small hillside that has gathered itself into a pile, the last thing you want to do is continually need to fill up the water, which will undoubtedly adds extra time to the job.
That’s why we recommend picking up an iron that has around 300-350ml of space. Anything smaller and you’ll find you’re in the situation we mentioned above, whilst anything larger may make it more difficult to effectively take on the pile you have due to the heaviness. If you’re on the stronger side, by all means, go for a product that holds more, but 300-350ml should have you covered.
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There are many additional functions one should think about when shopping for an iron such as:
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Russell Hobbs One Temperature Steam Iron|25090 | ![]() | Light, Effortless to Use and Even Doubles as a Vertical Steamer | |
2 | Bosch Sensixx'x DA30|TDA3022GB | ![]() | An Intuitive Model That's Comfortable and Easy to Hold | |
3 | Philips Azur |GC4567/86 | ![]() | Features a Smooth, Scratch-Resistant Soleplate to Glide Over Any Fabric | |
4 | Tower CeraGlide Cordless Steam Iron|T22008 | ![]() | Lightweight and Cable-Free With Surprisingly Strong Power | |
5 | Russell Hobbs Powersteam Ultra|20630 | ![]() | Well-Balanced, Easy to Use and Very Stylish | |
6 | Morphy Richards Saturn Steam|305003 | ![]() | The Ideal Compromise Between Compact and Steam Generator Iron | |
7 | Morphy Richards Cordless Steam Iron easyCHARGE 360|303250 | ![]() | A Cordless Iron That Allows You to Move Freely | |
8 | Braun TexStyle 7|TS745A | ![]() | Perfect for Those Often Tackling a Big Pile | |
9 | Breville PressXpress|VIN407 | ![]() | Excellent for Tougher Creases Thanks to a Powerful Steam Rate | |
10 | Tefal Smart Protect Steam Iron|FV4980 | ![]() | A Straightforward Smart Iron That Heats Quickly |
This Russell Hobbs product is incredibly clear-cut and simple with its one temperature technology that allows you to just focus on getting the job done. It has a ceramic soleplate that allows you to sail over your fabrics with supreme smoothness. This model also allows you to vertically iron which is ideal for shirts, suits, blouses and evening gowns.
Additionally, it has an auto shut off that will kick in after being left plate down for 30 seconds without use, which is great for those that are a little forgetful. Plus, it has anti-scale and self-cleaning features that should mean that this will stick around with you for a long time. We think this iron is great, and certainly the best value for money, and that's why it takes our number 1 spot!
This offering from Bosch is just brilliantly straightforward to use. It comes with a beneficial 3-metre cord, a good-sized and clear water tank, and a soft-grip handle that is ergonomically designed with a thumb rest for your comfort and convenience.
Most importantly though, it's fantastic at removing creases. Its Ceranium Glissée soleplate has excellent heat distribution and smoothly glides through all fabrics, making your experience painless and dare we say it, pleasant.
For a mid-range iron, this offering from Philips certainly packs a punch with its 250g steam boost, a feature normally reserved for more premium irons. It also has a very respectable 50g/per min continuous steam flow, so you should have no problem taking on the heaviest and most stubborn creases.
Along with this comes the SteamGlide soleplate, a stainless steel coated in titanium, which has no issues gliding smoothly across all fabrics. Furthermore, this added layer makes the soleplate even tougher, so you don't have to worry if you're going over zippers or buttons. On top of all this, it comes with an auto shut off and easy to clean functions.
To prevent annoying battles with a cord that can slow down your ironing, this lightweight and cordless iron from Tower could be your answer. A short 30 seconds heat-up time is all it needs to give you 35 seconds of usage for a vigorous ironing experience.
Simply recharge the iron by placing it back on the base for 15-20 seconds between usage and you're good to go. The generous tank capacity allows you to glide through a whole basket of laundry with just one fill, helping you to save even more time and fuss. For a cordless, lightweight option that gets the job done, this is our pick.
Firstly, we really like the aesthetic of this iron; it looks like something Bruce Wayne would use to iron his Batsuit - which is to say it's very modern and sleek looking. Luckily, it also has a bunch of great features, such as the optimal water tank and anti-scale features which see that it doesn't need too much attention after use. Additionally, it heats up pretty quickly too.
Now you might be thinking the steam flow is sub-par, which would be correct, but reviewers have found that the sufficient 210 g steam boost function more than makes up for this, helping you out wrestle those relentless rumples.
This product from Morphy Richards is perfect if you always wanted a steam generator iron but just don't have the space, as it has 1.5 bar pressurised pump so you'll be getting a strong constant steam flow. It also has handy anti-scale and self-cleaning technology, so you don't have to worry about it getting clogged up any time soon.
It also comes with a nifty crease light that enables you clear vision in those difficult to see rumple situations. We just wish they'd put a light in the water tank, as it can be rather tricky to see the water level through the container.
Morphy Richards is taking us into the 21st Century with a cordless steam iron that makes for hassle-free glide and manoeuvrability. The iron can be easily docked on its easyCHARGE 360 degree charging base whenever it's not in use, or in between ironing to maximize its performance.
The ceramic soleplate means that it will glide smoothly over all types of fabrics. With quick reheat time and powerful steam, plus a variety of controls means you can maximise the potential of your iron according to your needs. Plus, there are self-clean and auto-shut off functions too.
If you've got a huge jumble to get through regularly then this iron could be right up your street. Firstly, it has an excellent glide, allowing you to swiftly run over the most robust of creases. Secondly, it has accurate temperature control that provides very little dripping, which, we don't know about you, but can be something that drives us a little bonkers.
We do have some disputes, however, mainly that the steam boost function can only be used when you are using the iron at higher temperatures, so not ideal if you have tough creases on synthetic goods. Also, the 400 ml tank can make this surprisingly heavy to lift - it could help save on gym membership though?
Breville has created a crease crushing monster with the PressXpress. It has a huge continuous steam flow of 60 g/per min which should see you breezing through the most resilient of materials with relative ease. And if you do hit a snag, then its 180 g steam boost should compound those crinkles for good.
This beauty also comes with terrific auto shut off, anti-scale, self-clean and anti-drip function so you can rest assured that you and your clothes are in the safest possible hands. Yes, it's a little on the heavy side with the 400 ml water tank, but we think the high steam flow makes it 100% worth it.
This product is as straightforward as they come, with its one temperature technology that identifies the fabric that you're ironing and rightly self alters the temperature for quick crease removal. Quick tip: save yourself time by arranging the ironing pile in order of materials for even faster completion.
This would have been right up there with the best on this list if it wasn't for a couple of minor issues. Firstly, again, the continuous steam output is less than we would recommend and secondly, the water tank is just short of what we recommend to be ideal. It's a real shame because this machine is brilliant otherwise.
No. 1: Russell Hobbs|One Temperature Steam Iron|25090
No. 2: Bosch|Sensixx'x DA30|TDA3022GB
No. 3: Philips|Azur |GC4567/86
No. 4: Tower|CeraGlide Cordless Steam Iron|T22008
No. 5: Russell Hobbs|Powersteam Ultra|20630
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