Which iron to choose: TOP-5 models on the market

Philips PowerLife GC 2907

Buying household appliances whose capabilities exceed real needs in the foreseeable future is not always the right strategy. Even such a simple (at first glance) device as an iron is becoming obsolete. Philips GC 2907 is designed primarily for those who iron a little. An iron can easily cope with a couple of blouses and a set of bed linen , but for a large family it is better to look for a "performant" unit.

The design of the model is classic, with a large solid stable heel – you can put it on the ironing board in one motion.

The temperature controller is located on the body, the pointer arrow will be closer to the ironing board, which at the stage of habituation can be misleading if the previous iron was the opposite. The buttons for feeding an increased portion of steam and spraying water are on the handle. For a right–handed person, the layout of the buttons may seem strange - it is more convenient to press the left button with your thumb, and it is responsible for the spraying function. The steam supply volume switch has four positions, one of them turns off steam, the second (without fixing) is used for descaling.

The coating of the sole is ceramic, SteamGlide, but the number of holes for releasing steam is not enough, and they are located mainly along its edges.

Philips GC 2907 has a special shape of the sole – the spout is narrow enough that allows you to smooth out small details of clothing (this iron compares favorably with the rest of the participants in today's rating).

The power of 2000 watts is a psychological threshold separating "toy" road irons from "real" everyday ones. Only one of the models presented in the rating has a similar indicator.

The water tank is closed with a large enough decorative lid, in fact, the opening for the bay is narrow, with a seal, so you should not be afraid of splashing out during ironing. The exhaust nozzle of the sprayer is located at a considerable height, which guarantees a solid area of moistening of the fabric. The two-metre cord is fixed in the housing in a rotating hinge, which allows you to iron, and not think about how to deploy the iron so that the wire does not interfere.

Tefal Supergliss FV 3830

Visually, the Tefal FV 3830 iron stands out from a number of competitors due to the heel design. It is not solid, but is a hollow triangle fixed on the handle. Because of this, there is an impression of instability, but it is deceptive – the centre of gravity is low, the iron stands very firmly.

Two buttons – the sprinkler and the release of an additional portion of steam (the supply increases approximately four times for a short time) – are located on the handle, the temperature controller is located on the housing. The steam volume switch is three-position.

The water filling hole is closed with a decorative lid. It is wide enough, but the demineralization system located under it (a removable rod-a reusable inhibitor with a holder) can cause a spill if you pour water too quickly.

The cord goes through the heel (there is a wide groove for it), the vertical hinge is located on the body. The designers provided for the possibility to wind the wire on the housing for easy storage between ironing.

The power consumption of 2200 watts guarantees reasonable electricity consumption and fast heating of the sole. It is metal-ceramic, coated with Ultragliss Diffusion, scratch-resistant.

The holes for releasing steam are located on most of the surface of the sole, on the spout, for better smoothing, their number is increased.

The manufacturer expected that tap water would be poured into the iron, which should reduce operating costs.However, in our water supply system, the norms for the content of dissolved minerals are more liberal, so it is better to pour at least boiled water and regularly carry out the descaling procedure.

Braun TexStyle 5 TS 525 A

Although the power consumption of the Braun TexStyle 5 525 is not a record – 2000 watts – the iron uses it very effectively thanks to the aluminium sole with Eloxal coating, which according to some tests is twice more resistant to small scratches than ordinary stainless steel . It heats up quickly and gives the right amount of steam, easily coping even with crumpled linen fabrics.

For ironing fabrics that require careful treatment, a nozzle on the sole of the Textile Protector is included. It skips steam and is installed literally in one click. In fact, you get two irons – a more powerful one, for a simple material, and a delicate one, for silk, wool or fine synthetics.

The control is implemented traditionally – two buttons (sprayer and steamer), wheels for adjusting the temperature and amount of steam. The steam release button is on the right, pay attention to this when buying. The temperature controller is partially closed by the protrusion of the housing, which protects it from accidental rotation during ironing.

The steam supply regulator is smooth, without fixed positions, for dry ironing it needs to be sunk into the housing.

The holder of the decalcifying rod (reusable) is connected to the steam supply control wheel – nothing prevents water filling. The tank of this model is the largest among the participants of today's rating (with the exception of the Tefal GV 5240 steam generator).

The handle connects to the body only in the front of the iron. This design allows you to quickly and easily wind the wire for storage.

Braun TexStyle 5 525 is equipped with an auto-off system that de-energizes the iron after 30 seconds of immobility in a horizontal position or eight minutes in a vertical position, on the heel. This not only protects the owners from fire, but also saves electricity.

If the price is not confusing, Braun TexStyle 5 525 from the popular German brand of household appliances will be an excellent assistant for fans of pressed clothes and underwear.

Philips Azur GC 4870

The Philips GC 4870 design is classic, not only plastic is used for finishing, but also rubberized inserts – this contributes to a comfortable hold during operation. The case is the heaviest of those presented in the rating: 1.6 kg without water. On the one hand, this is good, since it is almost not necessary to press the iron to smooth out crumpled fabrics, but on the other hand, vertical steaming turns into an occupation for real men.

A load of 2600 watts can cause problems for old electrical wiring, check before buying whether your fuses can withstand a current of 16 A.

But this model has the most powerful steam supply – up to 200 g / min (in steam shock mode) and high–speed heating - a little more than a minute.

A distinctive feature of the Philips GC 4870 is the Ionic DeepSteam steam ionization function. It is turned on by a button on the case and creates a characteristic crackling of an electric discharge when working. In the process of ionization, vapor molecules should penetrate better into the fabric, but not all users notice this effect: it all depends on the type of fabric, the temperature of the sole and the manner of ironing.

Steam vents are concentrated along the edges of the sole, including at the spout and at the stern, but there are many of them and, taking into account performance, there are no problems even with over-dried and crumpled fabric.

The ceramic coating of the Steamglide Plus sole provides excellent gliding even on rough fabric. The pointed steam spout Steam Tip will allow you to get even to hard-to-reach parts of clothing, especially children's.

The arrangement of the controls is classic, there are two additional buttons (steam ionization, with a light indicator, and descaling). The nebulizer button is on the right. The steam quantity regulator is seven-position, slider.

A long, 2.5-metre cord is attached to a ball joint. After using the iron, it can be wound on the body and secured with a clip.

If the family is large and there is a lot of ironing, and clothes and underwear are mainly made of natural, i.e. crumpled, fabrics, you can't do without a serious iron in the household. Philips GC 4870 is one of these.

Tefal Easy Pressing GV 5240

An iron with an external steam generator is the highest league among devices for individual ironing. If, in the usual design, the heating element works both to heat the sole and to form steam, then steam is formed in the boiler, from its own heater. Such a system has three undeniable advantages.

Firstly, steam is generated constantly and enters the iron at a pressure four to five times higher than atmospheric. For safe use, the boiler is equipped with a valve that releases excess steam.

Secondly, the capacity of the water tank is enough for long-term ironing . Tefal GV 5240 has this indicator at least three times better than other participants in today's rating.

Thirdly, since the water is far from the sole, and only steam enters the iron, there are no leaks that occur when the temperature drops even in the highest quality models, steam generators do not happen. However because of this there is no water spraying function, but with such indicators it is needed only in very rare cases.

Tefal GV 5240 is made according to the usual scheme for steam generators: the iron is connected to the base by a long hose through which steam and electricity are supplied. In the non-working position, the design is quite compact, the iron is fixed on the base by means of a plastic loop.

Only a thermostat and a steam supply button are placed on the iron body, its quantity is set by a wheel on the base. Unlike a regular iron, this model has a power button.

The holes for the release of steam are located fairly evenly over the entire area of the sole, which is protected by a metal-ceramic coating Ultragliss Diffusion.

The use of a steam generator is somewhat different from ironing with a conventional iron – for example, you can not add water to this model during ironing, you need to wait for cooling. It takes time – about seven minutes – before a sufficient amount of steam is formed before starting work.

If you are seriously fond of sewing or several generations of a large and friendly family live in the house, Tefal GV 5240 will become an indispensable assistant.