Are you confused about choosing the right steam iron? Are you finding it difficult to choose the steam iron which will fulfill all your needs? If yes, it is the time that you check the steam iron features before choosing one.
Rather than just looking at the brands, it is a much better idea to prepare a checklist of the features which you should look for in the steam iron. Once you compare the different steam iron models on these features, it will become easier for you to select the right one.
Many people are even confused about the fact whether they should opt for the steam iron or whether they should opt for a normal iron.
Why Should You Opt for a Steam Iron?
The steam iron can help you in removing the wrinkles even from the most stubborn wrinkled fabric. This ensures that you are able to get the commercial grade ironing done at home. This is the reason why you should opt for steam iron rather than the normal one. The versatility of the steam iron ensures that you are able to iron any kind of garment quite easily.
We will now delve into the features you should look for when choosing the steam iron.
Which are the Features to Look for in a Steam Iron?
You need to keep in mind that each of the features which we highlight will help you in choosing a steam iron which is more versatile and useful for you.
Cord Design of The Steam Iron
You need to keep in mind that it is not necessary that you will always be placing the ironing board near the electrical socket. This is the reason why you need to look at the length of the cord. You need to also make sure that it can be moved by 360 so that you are able to use the iron in whichever position it is more comfortable for you. Most of the steam irons also come along with retractable cords.
This is the reason why you should look at the design of the cord before opting for the steam iron. If you’re looking for steam irons with retractable cords, some of the options which you can go for include Hamilton Beach Steam Iron with Retractable Cord, Sunbeam Steam Master GCSBSP-201-FFP steam iron.
Related to read: How to choose an Ironing Board
Weight and Size of The Steam Iron
You need to keep in mind that there are chances that you will be using the steam iron almost on a daily basis. Moreover, if the number of garments which you need to iron is more, you will be using it for a long period of time. This is the reason why you need to choose steams iron which is smaller in size and lighter in weight.
This will ensure that you are able to use the steam iron for a longer period of time quite comfortably. When you are specifically looking for a lighter and smaller steam iron, you can go for the models like Utopia Home Steam Iron with Nonstick Soleplate or the Zoyer 1200-Watt Compact Steam Iron.
Ability to Generate Vertical Steam
You need to specifically choose the steam irons which can generate vertical steam. This ensures that you are able to easily iron garments like curtains while they are in their place. One such iron is the Rowenta DW5080 Focus 1700-Watt Micro Steam Iron which comes with a 400-watt design which helps you in generating more than enough steam to iron the curtains as well as other fabrics which are hanging vertically. You can also go with vertical steaming irons like Viasonic Executive Steam Iron which have anti-drip design and stainless steel soleplate and can generate steam while being held vertically.
The capacity of The Water Tank
The larger the capacity of the water tank, the less frequently you will have to fill it. This will also ensure that steam can be produced for a longer period of time as the water which will be present in the iron will be on the higher side. This is the reason why when you choose the steaming iron, you should always choose the one which provides you with a higher capacity.
One of the best options which you can choose when you’re looking for a higher capacity steaming iron is the Westinghouse Professional Steam Iron. It has a water tank capacity of 9.5 ounces. This ensures that you are able to easily iron multiple clothes without worrying about the iron running out of steam.
Auto Shutdown Feature
This is a safety feature which is present in many of the steaming irons like BLACK+DECKER Digital Advantage Professional Steam Iron, Hamilton Beach Steam Iron, Hamilton Beach Steam Iron with Retractable Cord. This feature ensures that whenever the steaming iron is stationary for a longer period of time, it will shut down on its own. Some of the steam irons have an auto shutdown feature activated when they are standing on their base.
On the other hand, some of the steam irons come with the auto shutdown feature when they are on their soleplate or on their side. There are also steaming irons which shut down when left stationary for a longer period of time in all the 3 positions. This ensures that there is no wastage of energy and there is no chance of any accident occurring.
The wattage of The Steam Iron
The higher the wattage of the steam iron the better will be the heat generation. The better the heat generation, the higher will be the amount of steam which is generated. Moreover, higher wattage also ensures that the temperature of the ironing soleplate increases at a faster pace.
The 1700 watt, Rowenta DW5080 Focus 1700-Watt Micro Steam Iron is one of the perfect options for you when it comes to higher wattage steam irons. This is one of the most important steam iron features which you should always look for. The higher the wattage rating the better will be the generation of heat which will help you in ironing even the heavy fabrics.
Time to Heat Up
Ideally, you should choose a steam iron which is able to heat up to the right temperature within 2 to 3 minutes. This will ensure that you do not have to wait for a longer period of time for the iron to heat up. The Rowenta DW5080 Focus 1700-Watt Micro Steam Iron again is the appropriate steaming iron when just deciding on this parameter. It can easily heat up within a couple of minutes.
Moreover, it is able to produce steam quite quickly as well. It provides you with a steam burst as well which ensures that you are able to not only iron quickly but utilize all the features of the iron within a short period of time.
Amount of Steam Produced
Another important feature which you have to keep in mind is the amount of steam produced by the steam iron. You need to opt for the iron which can produce the maximum amount of steam. This ensures that you are able to steam iron even the heavier garments quite easily. With the steam output of 30 g/min, you cannot go wrong with the Rowenta DW5080 Focus 1700-Watt Micro Steam Iron.
This steam iron not only has a high capacity but also can produce a significant amount of steam per minute. The unique 400 holes design ensures that you are able to use the steam iron against any kind of thick fabric quite easily.
Soleplate
You have to also look into the material of the soleplate before taking a call. Ideally, the material which is used in the soleplate should be nonstick in nature. This ensures that even when you’re using it on delicate fabrics, there is no problem at all. The ideal materials of the soleplate should be stainless steel or ceramic. Both of these material options are good enough for the steaming iron.
The Rowenta DW8080 Pro Master is a prime example of a steam iron with stainless steel soleplate. It has a 400 holes soleplate which ensures that the steam can be produced over the entirety of the soleplate. Moreover, it has a variable steam setting which ensures that you are able to decide the amount of steam which will be produced by the steaming iron.
Anti-limescale Design
When you use the iron on a consistent basis, the calcium carbonate in the water leads to limescale deposits. The problem is that if there is an extensive limescale deposit and, the amount of steam which can be generated by the iron is severely limited. That is why you will have to clean the iron from time to time. However, if you do not want to manually clean the iron from time to time, it is a much better idea to opt for the iron which has an anti-limescale feature incorporated in it.
This ensures that it will not allow the deposition of lime scales. Thus, the amount of steam which will be produced by the iron will not be hampered at all. Some of the irons which have this anti-limescale feature incorporated are Rowenta DW7180 Everlast 1750-Watt Anti-Calc Steam Iron, Viasonic Executive Steam Iron 1600W, SINGER Expert Finish 1700 Watt Anti-Drip Steam Electronic Flat Iron.
Anti-drip Design
Nothing irritates more than consistently dripping water on your clothing from the steam iron. This is the reason why you have to always choose an iron which has an anti-drip feature. This ensures that even if the tank is entirely full, there will be no spilling of water from the steam. Neither, will the water droplets be leaking from any corner of the steam iron.
This is the reason why you should opt for anti-drip steam irons. Some of the steam irons which have this anti-drip design are T-fal FV2640U0 Powerglide, Sunbeam Steam Master GCSBSP, and T-fal FV4017 Ultraglide iron. This ensures that you are able to use the iron without any problems for a long period of time quite easily.
Variable Steam
Steam irons like Sunbeam Steam Master GCSBSP-201-FFP, BLACK+DECKER Digital Advantage Professional Steam Iron, Sunbeam Steam Master score highly on this parameter. If you’re looking for a steam iron, it is necessary to have the ability to control the amount of steam which is produced. The reason for this is that if the maximum amount of steam is produced even when you’re working on delicate fabric garments, it can easily spoil the garment. On the other hand, if the medium level of steam is produced for heavier garments, it will not remove the wrinkles at all.
This is the reason why customization of steam generation is always needed. With the help of steam variations, you can also make the single refill of the tank last for a longer period of time. This will eliminate the need for filling the tank again and again. This will also provide you with proper efficiency while using the iron. This is the reason why you should only choose the steam irons which allow you to control the amount of steam produced. Even though we have mentioned this feature in the end but it is one of the most important steam iron features which you should look out for.
Conclusion
Instead of getting confused between the different steam iron features, it is a much better idea to go along with a checklist which we have mentioned above. With the help of this checklist, you will be able to compare different steam irons. In most of the cases, when you compare on these parameters you will find that there are only a handful of steam irons which stand strong against all of these requirements. This is the reason why you should always compare the steam irons based on these parameters.
With the help of these parameters, you will not only be able to choose a superior steam iron but also, you will choose the steam iron which meets all your requirements. This will automatically help you in ironing each and every type of fabric which you come across. Moreover, such steam irons will be heavy duty in nature which ensures that you will be able to use them for commercial ironing occasionally as well.
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