Russell Hobbs Colour Control Pro Ultra steam iron review: Easy to use and wonderfully lightweight

The Russell Hobbs Colour Control Pro Ultra is a fantastic steam iron for longer use. As someone with small wrists, I find many irons simply too heavy to use for long periods of time, but the Russell Hobbs gave me no trouble whatsoever. And that’s despite the decent-sized water tank.

The clever colour-coded temperature selection demystifies the process of setting the correct heat level – indeed, this is one of the most straightforward irons I’ve ever used. It also happens to be one of the most effective.

Let’s take a closer look at the iron that earned the title of best lightweight iron in our roundup of the best steam irons.

Russell Hobbs Colour Control Pro Ultra steam iron review: What do you get for the money?

With a sleek purple and black design, the Russell Hobbs Colour Control Pro Ultra looks good in the hand and is very easy to use. At 1.04kg without water, it’s the lightest iron I’ve tested, and I really appreciated this streamlined design. The comfortable handle and low weight mean this is an iron that’s easy to use for longer periods of time.

Unlike more traditional designs, there’s no central dial with the Russell Hobbs to control temperature. Instead, the iron uses a clever digital display and colour system to indicate the correct temperature for different fabrics – yellow for standby, blue for one dot, purple two dots, green three dots and red for maximum. You do still have the traditional steam and spray buttons on the front of the handle though, with the water tank below. That tank is generously sized at 380ml, meaning you’ll be able to get through a large amount of ironing before needing to refill. Of course, this is still just a normal domestic iron – if you want a larger water tank, you’ll need to invest in one of the best steam generator irons instead.

Steam output is an impressive 195g/min and you’ll get a 50g/min shot of steam. Auto shut off automatically turns off your iron when it’s not in use, or if it gets knocked over, and anti-scale and self-clean features help keep the iron free of limescale and other build ups.

Russell Hobbs Colour Control Pro Ultra steam iron review: What is it like to use?

I’ll give the Russell Hobbs top marks for comfort – it was incredibly easy to hold and move about for extended periods of time without getting any wrist ache, which is a common problem for me with smaller wrists. And I also really rated how easy the iron was to use. The colour coding system means you always know exactly what temperature setting your iron is on and there’s no dial to accidentally knock mid-iron.

In my tests, the iron heated up to three dots in 29 seconds, which was one of the quicker results from the range of irons I tested. Steam output is very impressive at 195g/min and there’s also that 50g/min steam shot to power through creases. I gave the Russell Hobbs 4/5 for crease removal, feeling the iron did a really good job on a variety of fabrics – the pointed plate was also particularly effective at pleating.

As mentioned above, the iron has a generously sized water tank at 380ml, giving it an impressive continuous steam output. This makes the Colour Control Pro Ultra well suited to dealing with larger laundry piles. There’s a nice wide opening to the water tank as well, which makes it easier to fill without spilling water everywhere. Speaking of water, the Russell Hobbs also has an effective water spray that doesn’t dribble when you use it – you’d be surprised by how often this isn’t the case with irons.

There’s also a vertical steaming option and a 3m long cord, meaning it’s easy to move the iron around the house to where it’s needed. Overall, the Russell Hobbs iron does a stellar job of decreasing and de-creasing your laundry pile.

Russell Hobbs Colour Control Pro Ultra steam iron review: What could be better?

Like all the irons I’ve included in the best steam iron roundup, the Russell Hobbs doesn’t have any major flaws. However, I should note a few small niggles.

Compared to some other irons, the plastic exterior of the Russell Hobbs is a little flimsy, which in my mind is the price you pay for keeping the weight low. Whilst I personally didn’t find it an issue, I am aware that it could, over a longer period of time, make the iron a little more fragile.

It’s also worth me pointing out that the soleplate wasn’t the smoothest of the bunch – not bad, by any stretch, but not quite as effortless in operation as certain other models. It’s also a bit tricky to check water levels, as the tank on the model I tested is a dark colour.

And finally – the Colour Control Pro Ultra beeps loudly when it reaches the chosen temperature. Suffice it to say that the novelty of this feature wore off pretty fast. You get used to it.

Russell Hobbs Colour Control Pro Ultra steam iron Review: Should you buy it?

If you’re looking for an iron that’s lightweight but still packs a punch on the ironing front, the Russell Hobbs Colour Control Pro Ultra is an excellent choice. I really appreciated the lightweight design, combined with a comfortable handle that meant I never got any wrist ache from using it.

The large water tank means that you should get through a decent pile of laundry without any need for visits to the tap for refills; I was particularly impressed with the amount and consistency of the steam produced.

The colour coding light system makes the iron extremely easy to use and you’ll always know exactly what temperature your iron is on. I found the digital display easy to use, plus it gives the iron a sleek and streamlined look that you don’t get with those irons sporting a traditional central dial. This is an iron with much to recommend it.