Shopping around for the best steam iron is a bore. My strategy on the odd occasion that I’ve actually had to do it, is to buy whatever’s on offer and has the biggest reduction in price.
Besides, how much do you need a steam iron to do? They don’t need to be the latest and greatest, they just need to give you consistent performance and reduce the amount of time you spend ironing. If a steam iron ticks those two boxes, we’re already onto a winner. But they aren’t all the same of course, so to help narrow down your search, we’ve rounded up a couple of our favourites from testing over the winter. Who needs to iron bikinis after all?
Best Steam Irons
Philips Azur Performer Plus C4526/81 from £49.99
This beauty is one of the quickest irons I’ve ever used. Managing to pull off being both weighty and sleek, you will only need to run over stubborn creases a couple of times to banish them. However, it does come with a steam boost function that can be used for both vertical steaming with delicates and tackling extra tough creases. This iron has a decent filter and self-cleaning soleplate to remove limescale build-up.
- Steam 50g/min; 210g steam boost
- 300ml tank
- Safety Auto off + Anti-calc
- 2600 Watts
- Weight: 1.575kg
- Cord length 2.5m
JML Phoenix Copper Pro from £49.99
We’ve got to admit, the copper design alone makes this one stand out from the competition. As we said in the intro, we don’t need irons to do much, but if they do a good job with the basics and look great, that’s a big win. According to JML the copper-coloured ceramic-coated soleplate heats up faster and retains heat longer. In use, the Phoenix isn’t noticeably faster than anything else we’ve tested but it does retain its heat for an extended period, which is great for those moments when you think you’ve finished ironing and then discover there’s still one more shirt to do. Or when you’re doing your last mirror check and see that you missed a spot. No need to turn it on again, the Phoenix is still usably hot five minutes after powering off. Our only gripe was that the water level isn’t the clearest. Otherwise, we really like this iron.
- Steam 45g/min; 210g steam boost
- 370ml tank
- Safety Auto off + Anti-calc, Ceramic-coated soleplate
- 2200 Watts
- Weight: 1.64kg
- Cord length 2.65m
Morphy Richards Comfigrip 303127 from £38
Offering variable steam output, this iron uses unique tri-zone steam ceramic-covered soleplate. Offering regular steam output as well as steam boost and a vent for drying moisture and avoiding annoying dripping. However, this iron isn’t ideal for people who live in hard water areas as its filter does a poor job of dealing limescale and its self-cleaning function is basic at best. One for people living in soft water areas or posh types who steam their clothes with Evian.
- Steam 70g/min; 230g steam boost
- 400ml tank
- Anti-scale, Ceramic-coated soleplate
- 2800 Watts
- Weight: 1.7kg
- Cord length 2m
Russell Hobbs Easy Store Plug and Wind Iron 18617 from £20
Quick start-up (under 40 seconds), relatively lightweight and manoeuvrable, the Russel Hobbs Easy Store iron makes light work of shirt ironing. That’s because its compact size allows it to get into awkward nooks fantastically well. Cords are one of the most irritating parts of irons and this one handles them cleverly with an innovative wind-up storage system that even allows you to store the plug in its base. It’s good value for money.
- Steam 45g/min; 120g steam boost
- 300ml tank
- Ceramic soleplate
- 2400 Watts
- Weight 1.5kg
- Cord length 2m
Tefal FV5648 Turbo Pro Anti-scale Steam Iron from £46.99
The Tefal FV5648 Turbo offers some serious steam power with a huge 220g steam boost function. With Tefal’s “Durilium Airglide” auto-cleaning soleplate glides over any fabric type for swift and effortless ironing performance. Although basic in its design, the FV5648 does a great job of covering the bases and even includes a power-saving eco mode to reduce energy output.
- Steam 50g/min; 220g steam boost
- 300ml
- Patented removable scale collector
- 2600 Watts
- Weight 1.6kg
- Cord length 2m
