We were really impressed with the huge amounts of steam, which was consistent and easily controlled with an on/off button. There are three settings for steam on the iron and a concentrated steam zone at the front of the iron to make it easier to remove creases. It also works as a vertical steamer, although you’ll probably still need to iron the fiddlier parts of a garment flat. We really liked the feel of this iron. It’s substantial in the hand without feeling too heavy, and it has a smooth action from the large soleplate. It also has a solid stand built right in, meaning you can put it down at any point with no fear of it falling over, and the big dial in the middle makes it easy to control the temperature. The cord is a little on the short side and the water tank isn’t as large as some, but this is an excellent iron with some powerful steam.

Soleplates are almost inevitably ceramic on modern irons and a larger plate will mean faster ironing. Of course, the bigger the plate, the larger and heavier the iron will be, so do consider this if weight is likely to be an issue for you.The anti-drip setup of your Philips steam iron gives you a chance to press sensitive clothes at low temperatures without worrying about stains from water drops. If you live in a hard water area, anti-calc and anti-scale features are a big plus, and many irons also have automatic cleaning systems. All this helps to prevent drips onto your clothes and, more importantly, prevents limescale build-up in your iron. It’s also worth considering the size of the water tank since the smaller it is, the more you’ll need to refill it. If you often need to do a lot of ironing in one go, look for a tank capacity of at least 300ml. There is a self-cleaning function in steam irons, but we can also clean them ourselves by wiping the soleplate with a paper towel. The auto steam control function removes the stress of choosing the amount of steam you need. Simply select the temperature for the clothes you are ironing and off you go. Tefal’s Easygliss Eco iron uses up to 30% less energy in Eco mode compared to the iron’s Max mode. It’s also made from up to 35% recycled materials and is 88% recyclable itself, even the box is made from 93% recycled fabrics and is 100% recyclable. If you’re looking for a more sustainable steam iron, this Tefal is the obvious choice. On top of its eco credentials, it’s also a powerful iron with 2800W and 50g/min of steam, plus there’s a 260g boost for when you need extra steam.

Philips has also launched upgraded models for better ironing work. They are called “3D Steam generating irons” as they come with over 500 micro holes. The iron can be used to steam vertically with enough capacity to remove wrinkles and refresh curtains or hanging garments like suits or silk dresses. The automatic turn-off feature turns off the appliance when it’s left unattended. If it is left on its heel rest, it will turn off in 8 minutes. When it is left on the soleplate, it just takes 30 seconds to turn off. The iron also has vertical steaming features, which means you can use this as a vertical iron for curtains and coats as well.This isn’t a machine you’d use for huge amounts of ironing as the water reservoir is tiny – it’s built into the handle and will definitely need refilling if you’re steaming multiple items – but it’s incredibly easy to fill, mainly because Tefal have had the foresight to make it removable from the main body of the steamer. The soleplate is large and smooth, and there’s even a texture brush attachment to remove any debris before ironing. Our only slight criticisms are that there’s no built-in de-calc facility – so, depending on how hard your water is, you’ll need to buy and use a descaler from time to time – and the iron is heavier than many others. Furthermore, this iron works well with tap water, and the Anti-calc feature prevents mineral build-up that maintains the performance of the iron. Micro holes produce dense steam to smooth out even the most stubborn creases from the crevices of polyester, cotton, wool, and any other fabric with dense layers beneath. The Azur Performer Plus steam iron heats up rapidly with 2400 W of power wattage and gives an incredible performance with crisp results. A 45g per minute of continuous steam is ideal for removing all wrinkles in no time.