Do you iron only occasionally or do you frequently plough through full loads for a large household? Do you press a lot of delicate fabrics, or perhaps require vertical steaming for curtains? Do you have enough room to set up a permanent ironing station or would you prefer a compact iron and a board that flips down from the wall?
Love it or loathe it, ironing is an unavoidable job for most of us. But you can make this task less of a chore by choosing an appliance that suits your needs.
“If you do less than an hour per week, a regular steam iron would probably offer the best value,” says Lilian Sun assistant product manager in garment care at Philips.
“If you want to cut ironing time or give your garments a top-quality treatment, a steam-generator system produces great results and can be a huge time-saver”, she says.
You’ll find a wide array of features on the market. Knowing beforehand which extras do you need, and which you can live without will save both time and money.
Here are other factors to consider in choosing your iron:
POWER. This determines how much heat the iron produces and is measured in watts. Manufacturers are now offering up to 2800W in new models.
SOLEPLATE MATERIAL. This determines how smoothly the iron glides over fabrics, and its resistance to marks and scratches.
STEAM FLOW. This is measured in grams per minute, typically 30-45g per minute for a regular iron and 120g for a steam generator. More steam means faster and easier ironing.
WATER CAPACITY. The larger the tank, the less time you’ll send refilling it. Sizes range from 60ml for travel irons to 300-400ml for steam irons and as much as 1.8L for steam generators.
EASE OF REFILLING. The size and position of water funnel will affect how easy is to fill up the tank.
While heavier irons tend to be better at removing stubborn creases from fabrics, they can be tiring after a while. Always test the weight and feel of the iron in your hand before you commit to buying.