Best steam iron 2024: Tried and tested models for crease-free clothing

Let’s face it, most people don’t enjoy ironing and even if you do, finding the best steam iron will make life a whole lot easier. There are a lot of different irons out there, but many of them don’t work the way they should or are overpriced for what they offer. That’s where we can help. We’ve tried, tested and reviewed bundles of steam irons over the past five years, with the goal of finding the ideal one for every household.

A good steam iron will help you flatten out that crease without having to spend precious minutes going over the same areas again and again. However, that’s not the only important thing to consider. During our at-home tests, we look at everything from capacity and steam shots to budget and weight. We also consider whether you might be better off with a cordless iron, corded or even a steam generator iron, depending on your needs.

Our buying guide at the bottom of the page goes over everything you need to consider when choosing a steam iron from features to size. Alternatively, you can skip to our tested mini reviews for our verdict on the best irons.

If you already know what you’re looking for, our at-a-glance list below has quick links to our favourites from testing.

Best steam iron: At a glance

The best steam irons you can buy in 2024

1. Morphy Richards TurboGlide Steam Iron: Best overall crease reduction

Price when reviewed: £50 | Check price at Amazon

• Great for… huge water tank, quick to heat up
• Not so great for… continuous steam not as powerful as some models

The Morphy Richards iron performed excellently in my crease reduction tests. I found the soleplate incredibly smooth to use, with no sticking and creases fell out of fabrics incredibly quickly. This is despite the fact that its steam shot and continuous steam aren’t as powerful as some of the other models I tested.

The iron was also quick to heat up, with it reaching its three dot temperature in just 26 seconds. Once it’s reached the required temperature, the light switches off. The iron is nicely stable when standing up and you’ve got a lengthy cord for plenty of manoeuvrability. Most impressive of all is the size of the water tank, which is a huge 400ml. This combats the slightly less powerful steam shot, as the steam will last longer. Overall, I found the TurboGlide to be highly impressive in use and it came up top in most of my testing.

2. Tefal Easygliss Eco FV5782 Steam Iron: Best eco-friendly steam iron

Price when reviewed: £67 | Check price at Amazon

• Great for… eco-friendly, powerful steam
• Not so great for… its shorter cord

If you’re looking for a more sustainable steam iron, the Tefal Easygliss Eco is the obvious choice. It claims to use up to 30% less energy in its Eco mode, compared to Max mode and is also made from up to 35% recycled materials and is 88% recyclable. The box is also 100% recyclable. On top of its eco credentials, it’s also a powerful iron, with 2,800W power and 50g/min of steam, plus there’s a 260g boost for when you need extra steam.

I really liked the feel of this iron. It’s substantial in the hand and has a smooth action from the large soleplate. There’s also a solid stand, meaning you can put it down at any point without fear of it falling over. The big dial in the middle makes it easy to control the temperature and it got to three dots in just 28 seconds. The iron doesn’t feel too heavy either, which is great if your wrist strength is lacking. The cord is a little on the shorter side and the water tank isn’t as large as some, but this is an excellent iron with some powerful steam.

3. Tower Ceraglide Elite Steam Iron: Best budget iron

Price when reviewed: £40 | Check price at Amazon

• Great for… budget friendly, good grip on handle
• Not so great for… takes a little more effort to remove creases

Tower irons are a great choice for those on a budget, with the Ceraglide Elite usually retailing for around £30 (its RRP is £40). I like the design of the Tower with its sleek colour scheme and ergonomic handle, which helps give you a better grip on the thing.

I did find that it took a little more effort and force to remove creases compared to more expensive irons, although the results were still pretty decent. It’s of a middling weight, which most people should find easy enough to use and I felt it was particularly solid when standing up.

It takes 33 seconds to get to its three dot temperature, not awful by any means but certainly not the quickest on this list. Steam output was good, although the iron was particularly noisy while turning on. Nevertheless, it’s nice and simple to use and I particularly liked the sliding steam switch, with off, on and boost functions.

4. Russell Hobbs Colour Control Pro Ultra Steam Iron: Best lightweight iron

Price when reviewed: £48 | Check price at Argos

• Great for… very light, clever colour light system
• Not so great for… its plastic feels a little flimsy in places

The Russell Hobbs Colour Control Pro Ultra is incredibly light and ideal for those of us with smaller wrists who find many irons just too heavy for long term use. The iron uses a clever colour system to indicate the correct temperature for different fabrics – yellow is standby mode, blue is one dot, purple two dots, green three dots and red is maximum. This is all done through a digital display, with no dial to turn at all and it reaches three dots in just 29 seconds.

The steam is very effective, although I personally found the combined steam/water spray option a little fiddly and preferred the straight steam. The soleplate is fairly smooth with no sticking, but it wasn’t quite as smooth as some of the other models we tested. I loved how easy it was to use but did feel the plastic felt a little flimsy in places.

Check price at Argos

5. Beldray Precision 1 Steam Iron: Best single temperature iron

Price when reviewed: £43 | Check price at Amazon

• Great for… one temperature that adjusts automatically, effective steam shot
• Not so great for… takes a little longer on very thick fabrics

The Beldray Precision 1 is the iron for those who hate fiddling about with different temperatures and are, perhaps, not the most confident of ironers. One temperature that adjusts automatically, depending on the fabric you’re ironing, makes this an incredibly simple iron to get to grips with.

There’s no on/off button – you simply switch the iron on at the mains and a light comes on. It takes about 15 seconds to get to its initial temperature and the light adjusts from blue to red as the iron works out the material it’s dealing with. While I had no way to test how accurately it could detect different materials, I was impressed with the results on lighter fabrics. The steam shot is very effective, blasting out creases easily and the water tank is large enough to keep the steam coming as you iron. Variable steam control also allows you to adjust the power of the steam.

I really enjoyed the easiness of this iron, but did feel it wasn’t quite as effective on really thick materials and took a little longer to get creases out. But for the sheer speed and ease of using this iron, I was happy to overlook this.

6. Russell Hobbs PowerStream Ultra Steam Iron: Best for big piles of ironing

Price when reviewed: £70 | Check price at Amazon

• Great for… speedy through creases, a smooth experience
• Not so great for… weight

The Russell Hobbs PowerStream Ultra takes no prisoners when it comes to whizzing through your ironing pile. The soleplate is incredibly smooth and I found that it glided over most fabrics without catching on anything along the way. Steam is impressive, with a 210g burst that tears through creases on thicker fabrics. There’s also a 70g continuous shot of steam for cotton clothing.

I loved the soft touch handle of the iron, which made it extremely comfortable to hold in the hand. However, this one of the heavier irons on our list at 1.47kg and I did find it started to feel heavy after a long period of ironing. To put my comment here into perspective, I do have very small wrists. Those of a slightly larger build might not notice the weight.

I was particularly impressed with how quickly this iron flew through creases, making ironing a far quicker job than usual. It does take a bit longer than others to get to its three dot temperature – 47 seconds – but it has a good size water tank and comes with a little water jug that actually fits into the iron. This is a well-designed model that’s ideal for tougher jobs.

7. Tefal Ultimate Pure FV9830 Steam Iron: Best for tough jobs

Price when reviewed: £130 | Check price at Argos

• Great for… very well-made, deals with creases quickly
• Not so great for… heavy and more expensive than many other models

The Tefal Ultimate Pure is a big, imposing iron, making it ideal for heavy fabrics and tough jobs. Performance wise, it reduced creases quickly and I was hugely impressed with the steam output, which was extremely consistent. It also heats up fairly quickly, despite its size and reaches its three dot temperature in 33 seconds.

I also liked the big dial with descriptions of settings, which was easy to use and see. There’s a large water tank so you don’t need to refill too often and an impressive steam shot of 240g/min. However, I personally found this iron too heavy to use for long periods of time, although my husband found the weight fine. If you’re someone who does a lot of ironing and wants a big iron to power through jobs, the Tefal Ultimate Pure is definitely the one to consider.

Check price at Argos

How to choose the best steam iron for you

Steam iron, steam generator iron or dry iron?

If you’re wondering whether a steam generator iron might be a better choice than a steam iron, it all depends on your needs.

Many steam irons offer a surprisingly large steam output for their size. They have the water tank built into the iron itself, which often means the water tank capacity is smaller than a generator. For the majority of people, though, it’s more than enough. These irons are great at getting out most creases and can also be used as dry irons. They are lightweight and cost far less than generator irons.

A steam generator iron might be better suited to you if you iron from home for a living, iron a lot of heavy-duty items or generally find yourself constantly running out of water when using a steam iron. They have separate water tanks, which allows them to create more steam at a greater pressure, moreso if you choose a pressurised model. However, this also means they’re more bulky and can cost significantly more, up to £500 in some cases.

A dry iron differs from the above in that it doesn’t have a water tank. It also means its soleplate – the metal pad at the bottom – is completely smooth and has no holes for steam to escape. These irons are ideal for ironing on patches, applying HTV vinyl and ironing out very light creases. As most steam irons also function as dry irons, you’ll find this style is a lot harder to come by nowadays. However, if you do opt for a dry iron, they’re usually quite inexpensive.

What features do I need to consider when buying a steam iron?

Steam shot – Got a tough crease that won’t budge? A decent steam shot will give you an extra steam boost. Our tested models have steam shots ranging from 10g/min to 260g/min.

Continuous steam – A good steam iron should offer good continuous steam for effective crease removal. If you’re looking for an iron with a particularly high level of steam, we recommend one over 50g/min, but even 30g/min works for everyday creases.

Water tank capacity – The models we recommend start at 70ml and go up to as much as 400ml. There’s no right or wrong tank capacity, that all depends on the size of your ironing pile and how many crease-heavy clothes you own.

Corded or cordless – Some models we recommend are cordless, while others have extra-long cords to make ironing easier. A cordless iron offers more freedom to iron where you please, though it does require you to recharge it, which might not be for everyone.

Anti-scale and calcium – Most steam irons should have these functions to protect your iron, especially in hard-water areas. In our reviews, we highlight which steam irons are best for hard water areas due to their top-notch features.

Safety – Many mid to high-end steam irons have an auto shut-off feature, which means you don’t need to worry if you accidentally leave it on after ironing. We highlight any safety features in our reviews, so you can pick the right iron for you.

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