It does not matter if you have a basic wardrobe or one filled with exotic styles and delicate fabrics – the wrong iron can destroy your clothing and make you look rumpled and unkempt. The last thing you want, when you are trying to look your best!
Here are the current three bestselling models courtesy of Amazon.com.au (our own full list is below).
You might be wondering why a specific iron matters, as they all get the wrinkles out, right? Each iron has pros and cons and unique settings, so when shopping for an iron, you’ll want to think about what type of iron will work for your particular wardrobe.
Top 3 Best Irons in Australia, 2022
- Product Type: Home
- Convenient steam modes: DynamiQ, MAX, ECO and OFF
- DynamiQ mode, intelligent steam release for perfect results
- Quick Calc Release in 15s for long-lasting steam performance
- Exclusive 2-in-1 micro-calc filter: delivers 100% filtered steam to stop calc stains on the Linen
- The most powerful steam iron by Tefal
- Powerful steam boost for the toughest wrinkles
- Powerful continuous steam output to make crease removal easy
- Durilium air glide auto clean soleplate: the fastest and easiest glide
- Exclusive calc collector catches calc particles to ensure long lasting steam performance
- 2800W for fast heat up and powerful steam performance
- 55 g/min steam output for high efficiency ironing, with 230 g/min steam boost for the most stubborn creases
- Durilium Autoclean soleplate stays clean over time, delivers superior glide and ensures maximum steam distribution
How We Picked
Not all irons are the same, and not all fabrics can handle the same heat. I’ve been ironing for years with the same old iron, never realizing that choosing a better product could have saved me time and saved my clothes. After reviewing different irons and consulting Homemuse.com.au and Finder.com.au, I can tell you that I had no idea what I was missing. To find the best iron for your clothing, you should consider some of the following things:
What to Look For
Spray
All steam irons can shoot a fine spray of water from the tank. This spray, in addition to the steam of the iron, helps you tackle difficult areas and is essential for dry cotton ironing. Even though all steam irons have this feature, some spray better than others.
Safety Features
If you have a busy family or if work keeps you always on the go, safety features are essential. The best irons have an automatic shut-off feature. If the iron is left in a horizontal position for a certain amount of time, it will just turn off. This is a critical feature to prevent injury to pets or curious children (and to prevent fires).
Multiple Heat Settings
While fabrics like cotton can handle higher heat settings, other materials like nylon can’t hold up under the high temperature. Essentially, each fabric will have different ironing needs. If your wardrobe is filled with all sorts of materials, it is a good idea to have an iron that can adjust the heat setting (almost all can). It is a good idea to go through your clothing and check what type of heat setting the iron should be on before purchasing one.
Vertical Steam
The vertical steam setting is not a standard feature for irons to have. However, it is a nice feature to have if you have clothing that is better suited to steam hanging and allowing gravity to help get the wrinkles out. Specifically, very delicate fabrics may not be able to withstand the direct touch of an iron, so it would be better to steam hang them.
Cord Swivel
This is not an essential feature, but it is perfect for convenience, utility, and safety. Irons with cords that can swivel reduce stress on the cord and actually increase the lifespan of the cable. It also allows you to move the iron more freely as you need it.
Steam Burst/Surge
This means that when you encounter particularly stubborn wrinkles, you can send out an intense burst of steam. If you have heavy-duty fabrics with wrinkles that just refuse to come out, you may want to consider an iron that has a strong steam burst.
Wattage
At a minimum, you will want an iron that has at least 1000 watts to do your essential ironing. But for most people, you will want an iron that has a wattage capacity of somewhere between 1800-2400 watts. This means that the iron will be able to effectively iron a range of materials and will not be slow in heating up.
Also, the higher the wattage, the better the iron will be able to produce steam.
Top Pick: Philips Azur Elite Steam Iron
The Philips Azur Elite steam iron has OptimalTEMP technology that allows you to go from ironing heavy type materials to delicate fabrics without needing to adjust the temperature. It also has a DynamiQ motion sensor so that the steam output is efficient.
The Azure Elite also has an automatic switch-off feature, so if the iron is left resting on the soleplate for 2 minutes or on the heel for 8 minutes, it will switch off.
The downsides? This iron is a bit on the heavy side, so if you have a lot of ironing to do, this may not be the best option for you. Also, the Azure Elite can also use up the water in the tank fairly quickly, depending on what type of materials you are ironing.
Runner Up: Tefal Ultimate Fv9715 Iron
This iron is high powered, at 2400w, but can be very gentle on even the most delicate of fabrics. The Tefal Ultimate Fv9715 has a 300ml water tank (about 10 oz.), which will allow you oodles of water to complete all of your ironing. It also has a 220g/min steam shot (7.8 oz. /min) for those stubborn wrinkles.
The 2400w power makes it so that you can have the iron at just the right temperature for every fabric. It has an excellent safety feature in that once you unplug the iron, it quickly cools down.
However (and again), the Tefal iron is a bit on the heavy side. If you have a lot of ironing to do at once, this may not be the iron for you. Unfortunately, because this iron is the top of its class, it is costly. In addition, irons that are high-performance tend to have a shorter lifespan. So this may mean that you are buying an iron more often than you'd like to be.
Other Options
Tefal Ultimate Anti Calc Steam Iron
The Tefal Ultimate Anti Calc Steam Iron has a continuous steam output of 55g/min (1.9 oz. /min) and a steam boost of 230g/min (8 oz. /min). The water tank can hold 350ml of water (12 oz.), so you can get through quite a bit of ironing before needing to fill up again.
This iron also feds limescale buildup directly into an Anti-Calc System and placed in a removable drawer so that you can dispose of it with ease.
Philips PowerLife Steam Iron
The Philips PowerLife Steam Iron is one of Philips' top-of-the-line models, at a hefty price point which matches its quality.
It has a variety of power features, including a continuous rate of steam at 45g/min (1.5 oz. /min) and a steam boost of up to 180g (6.3 oz.). The non-stick Soleplate can be cleaned very easily.
The downsides to this iron includes some reviews that suggest it's built a reputation for dripping over time, which isn't great for a top-of-the-line model (dripping water is not good for delicate fabrics). In addition, if you need an iron that heats up quickly, this may not be the one for you, since the PowerLife Steam Iron supposedly gets to temperature slowly.
Philips EasySpeed Plus Steam Iron
Braun TexStyle 9 Steam Iron
Braun is a brand that is well known in the laundry industry for producing a good product. In this case, the TexStyle 9 iron has a good size water tank of 400 mg (0.4 g) of water that will allow you to get all your ironing done at once.
It also allows you to adjust how much steam is being emitted, from 0-50g/min (0-1.8 oz. /min), and the iron can produce a steam shot of 170g/min (6 oz. /min). The Eloxal soleplate is easy to clean.
But the TexStyle 9 iron takes a bit of time to get up to heat, and as the water tank gets low, the steam output, steam shot, and general reliability of the iron goes down. Despite the fact that the soleplate is easy to clean, you need to do it often to prevent the plate from sticking to the fabric.
Sunbeam Verve 62 Urban Steam Iron
The Verve 62 Urban iron is a fairly simple iron without many bells and whistles. If you are a person that only irons the most important items, then this might be the right type of iron for you.
The Sunbeam Verve 62 Urban iron has a 2400w power ability. This makes it so that this iron comes to temperature quite quickly. The water tank has a capacity of 300ml (10 oz.) which means you should be able to get the job done without filling up over and over.
Sunbeam has a reputation for making products that last a long time. The Verve 62 Urban has an automatic cord roll-up feature, which makes it very easy for storage.
The reported problem with this iron is that you cannot adjust the 38g/min (1.3 oz. /min) steam output. Plus, even though you can roll up the cord automatically, it has a very short cord, only 2.5m (8 ft) in length. Some repoted that the Verve 62 Urban iron can also be hard to fill with water.
Russell Hobbs Steam Glide Iron
The last iron on the list is the Russell Hobbs Steam Glide Iron. This iron is a good value if you know that it will work for you and your clothing. However, it lacks the ability to adjust the steam shot and output. This makes this iron limited when it comes to the fabrics it can iron well.
The water tank has a 385ml water (13 oz.) capacity, which makes it great for getting all your ironing done at once. The ceramic soleplate is easy to clean. The cord is 3.3m long (10 ft), giving you plenty of maneuverability with the iron. The most unexpected feature of the Russell Hobbs Steam Glide Iron is that is has a vertical steam option.
One unfortunate thing about the Steal Glide Iron is that the 90g/min (3 oz. /min) steam shot is feeble. The 35g/min (1.2 oz. /min) steam output option is not very good and non-adjustable, as mentioned above.
Should I buy an Iron or Garment Steamer?
Once again, before you go out and buy an iron, you need to consider what your needs are. If you have only delicate fabrics and do not want to place them on an ironing board, then you may want to consider buying a garment steamer instead of an iron.
However, if you have deep-set wrinkles or want to get a crisp, fresh look, then you will want to have a steam iron in your home. Irons are the easiest, most compact and easy-to-use method for making heavier materials look fresh.
The Bottom Line
If you have a lot of ironing, you want one that will get the job done quickly and efficiently – so the Philips Azur Elite Steam Iron is our pick for the best iron you’ll buy in Australia.
Photo by Filip Mroz on Unsplash
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