Whether you’re hunting for the best iron, steam generator or handheld steamer, T3 has you covered. If we're being honest, ironing isn’t anyone’s favourite chore, but if you don’t want to look like you’ve just rolled out of bed, it’s worth getting it done properly. The right iron or steamer can make the task faster, easier and even a little satisfying.
Modern irons aren’t just about heat and steam anymore. Sleek, powerful and packed with clever features, they can tackle everything from delicate silks to heavy cottons, often automatically adjusting temperature or steam for you. Handheld steamers, meanwhile, are perfect for travel or those mornings when you just don’t have time to haul out the full ironing board.
From top brands including Philips and Tefal, here’s our pick of the best irons, steam generators and handheld steamers to keep your clothes wrinkle-free and ready to wear – whether you’re at home or living straight from your best suitcase.
Lizzie is T3’s Home Staff Writer, also covering Style, Living and Wellness. She specialises in appliances that make everyday life easier, so irons and steamers naturally fall under her remit. Not surprisingly, she strives to keep her wardrobe always looking pressed and polished.
This guide hasn’t been updated in a while, so it’s now had a full refresh with the market’s best options. We’re currently reviewing many of the new additions, and we’ll link to those reviews as soon as they’re ready.
The top three
The best overall iron
Technically a handheld steam iron, the Tefal AeroSteam DT9814 still outperforms everything else on this list. With its combination of steam and suction for single-stroke efficiency, your clothes will have never looked sharper.
The best affordable iron
The Russell Hobbs Supreme Steam has been around as long as we can remember, but it’s still one of the top performers out there. At this price, it’s hard to beat and remains a go-to for many.
The best premium iron
The Laurastar Lift Xtra Aluminium is as premium as it gets, delivering both professional-level steaming and ironing. It’s the kind of appliance that feels seriously high-end, and you can tell it’s built to last.
Best irons ranking 2025
The best overall iron
The Tefal AeroSteam DT9814 is our top option because it makes ironing and steaming feel almost effortless – and it doesn't get much better than that. Its clever combination of steam and suction draws fabric gently against the heated soleplate, smoothing out wrinkles in a single pass, which perfect if you’re short on time or just don’t enjoy spending ages on laundry.
Speed is another major advantage, as it heats up in about 30 seconds and is said to steam up to 50% faster than traditional handheld models. The AeroSteam also adapts with three mode settings – steam only, soft suction and turbo suction – which gives its user tailored result every time. The mono‑temperature soleplate is safe for all ironable fabrics, and features like automatic shut-off make it worry-free to use.
For anyone who wants fast, versatile and reliable results, the AeroSteam DT9814 really earns its top spot.
The best affordable iron
The Russell Hobbs Supreme Steam is a great standard issue iron that not only comes in a couple of funky colours, it works a treat too. There’s a stainless steel soleplate, which makes it nice and solid to use, whilst 2400 watts of power gives it plenty of operating muscle.
In terms of the quality of the ironing, this model turns out to be very good, with 40g continuous steam and a 110g shot of steam when you need it. The fact that it is anti-drip is also very helpful, especially when it comes to saving splashes on your favourite garments. The feature set includes Dry, Steam and Spray and Burst, which covers most bases while the 300ml water tab means you only need to refill occasionally.
Things are rounded out with a neat, practical design, which features a soft touch handle and dial. Admittedly, the 2-metre cord could to with being a little longer for some ironing scenarios. However, for general day-to-day use on a standard ironing board it’s absolutely fine.
The best premium iron
From the moment you unpack it, you can tell the Laurastar Lift Xtra Aluminium is as premium as it gets. It doesn’t just look the part – it performs way beyond what most standard irons can do.
Thanks to Laurastar’s Dry Microfine Steam technology, it delivers steam that’s ultra-fine yet practically dry, so you’re far less likely to damage delicate fabrics. It even claims to disinfect textiles, which is something you won’t find in many other models on the market.
You can use it for traditional ironing on a board or steam garments directly on the hanger, making it super versatile for everything from shirts to curtains. It also features automatic temperature regulation and a three-minute heat-up time, making it a machine that's built for people who want speed, convenience and luxury performance.
The best leak-free iron
If you’re tired of leaving the house in a freshly ironed (but somehow still damp) shirt, this could be the one for you. The Ultimate Pure is fitted with a MicroScale filter that traps 100% of limescale in the steam chamber before it reaches the soleplate, resulting in spotless, dry clothes and a calmer you. We like that – a lot.
The Ultimate Pure also boats some serious performance, including 60g/min of continuous steam, a 260g/min steam boost and a 350ml water tank with a generously sized filling hole. Its Durilium Airglide soleplate also features a Palladium coating that supposedly offers 33% more glide than a lot of competitors.
As for usability, it’s got the classic sliding temperature control ranging from low heat for delicates to scorchingly hot for stubborn linen. Whatever we threw at it, it handled with the flattening power of a steamroller. Our reviewer found it be on the heavy side, so if your arms tire easily, maybe consider another option.
The best travel iron
When it comes to travel steamers, the Philips 5000 Series Handheld Steamer strikes a rare balance between portability and performance. It’s compact enough to slip into a weekend bag, yet powerful enough to make a noticeable difference to creased clothes – which isn’t always the case with smaller models.
Heating up in around 35 seconds, it’s ready to go almost instantly, and the design feels practical with a comfortable grip and a detachable water tank that’s easy to fill from a hotel sink. It works both vertically and horizontally, so whether your shirt’s on a hanger or spread out on a bed, you can get through wrinkles without much fuss.
Despite its small size, the 5000 Series still delivers an impressive continuous steam output of up to 24g/min, which helps it glide through everyday fabrics like cotton and viscose with ease. It’s not built for heavy-duty steaming, but it still makes a difference, hence why it's the best travel option in the list.
The best versatile iron
The Philips PerfectCare Elite is all about versatility. With its powerful steam output and clever design, it adapts effortlessly to whatever fabric you throw at it, without any need to tweak settings. Its 1.8-litre removable water tank keeps the steam flowing for longer sessions, delivering a steady 135 g/min of continuous steam and a hefty 470 g boost when you need to tackle tougher creases.
The iron itself is impressively light and glides across fabrics with ease, whilst the base station provides all the power. Thanks to Philips’ OptimalTEMP technology, you don’t have to worry about burning fabrics or fiddling with dials as it automatically finds the right balance.
The Easy De-Calc Plus system keeps limescale at bay, meaning you’ve got a steam generator that’s just as reliable for everyday clothes as it is for trickier jobs around the home. If you want one machine that does it all, the PerfectCare Elite is hard to beat.
The best time-saving iron
The Russell Hobbs Steam Genie VacuSteam uses a clever combo of suction and steam, holding the fabric firmly against a heated plate whilst the steam works out the wrinkles. This makes it much quicker to use than some other options on the list, which is perfect if you’re after a time-saving solution.
It’s quite similar in style to the Tefal AeroSteam DT9814, which tops our list, but the Steam Genie comes in a little cheaper. That makes it a great alternative if you want most of the AeroSteam’s convenience without spending quite as much.
The Steam Genie also heats up in around 35 seconds, and its 200 ml water tank gives roughly seven minutes of continuous steam – all of which adds up to a genuinely fast, fuss-free steaming experience.
The best iron with accessories
This portable hand steamer really shines when it comes to the accessories it includes, making it perfect for travelling professionals. The kit comes with a flat plastic collar stiffener, a collapsible clothes hanger, a soft fabric guard for delicates, and even a velvet pouch to keep everything together. There’s also a clever space-saving adapter that lets you use any standard plastic drinks bottle as a water source instead of the main tank.
All these extras mean you can tackle everything without worrying about marks, burns or juggling awkward hotel furniture. The Fridja F10 warms up in just 45 seconds and delivers up to 14 minutes of continuous steaming, so you can refresh multiple garments quickly.
How to choose the best iron
Ironing is rarely anyone’s favourite chore, but picking the right iron can make a huge difference.
First off, think about what you iron most often. Are you pressing shirts and blouses every week, or do you occasionally smooth out table linens and heavier fabrics? If it’s just a few shirts, a lighter, simpler model will probably do. However, if you’re dealing with thicker cottons, linen or even tailoring, you’ll want something with more steam power and a sturdier build.
Next, you need to decide what type of iron works best for you. There are three main options – a classic steam iron, a handheld garment steamer or a steam generator iron. A standard steam iron is versatile and easy to store, great for occasional use. Handheld steamers are lighter, quicker and perfect for travel or delicate fabrics, but they may struggle on thick linen or heavy cotton. Steam generator irons, meanwhile, have large water tanks and higher steam pressure, so they’re ideal for tackling big piles of laundry efficiently. Choosing the right type depends on your wardrobe, your storage space and how much ironing you actually do.
Check the soleplate and steam performance next. The material of the soleplate affects how smoothly the iron glides and how long it lasts. Good steam output and even distribution help tackle wrinkles faster. Bonus features to look out for include a sharp pointy nose for collars and seams, a large water tank (if it’s a steam iron) and a comfortable handle so your wrist doesn’t protest by the end.
Finally, don’t ignore ergonomics, safety and maintenance. A heavier iron might press better, but if it tires you out, it’s no fun to use. Look for auto shut-off features to prevent accidents and consider anti-scale or self-cleaning systems if you live in an area with hard water.
How we test the best irons
Testing an iron isn’t just about plugging it in and seeing if it gets hot. We take a more practical, real-world approach to figure out how well it actually performs on the clothes you’ll be wearing. First, we look at heat-up time, because who wants to wait five minutes whilst a pile of laundry sits there judging you? A good iron should be ready almost immediately, so you can get to work without delay.
Next, we check steam output and distribution. We try the iron on a variety of fabrics, from delicate silks to tough cotton and linen, to see if it glides easily and handles wrinkles efficiently. We pay attention to whether the steam is consistent, how well the iron penetrates thick fabrics, and whether it leaves any damp spots or scorch marks.
We also consider ergonomics and ease of use. This includes weight, handle comfort, and how easy it is to control temperature and steam settings. Features like anti-drip systems, self-cleaning and anti-scale functions get tested too.
Best Iron FAQs
1. What’s the difference between a steam iron and a steam generator iron?
Steam irons are usually compact machines with a built-in water tank, and they're ideal if you only have a few garments to press at a time.
On the other hand, a steam generator has a separate, larger water tank and produces higher steam pressure. This allows for longer ironing sessions and faster results, especially on thick fabrics like linen or heavy cotton.
2. Can I use my iron on delicate fabrics?
Modern irons allow you to adjust both temperature and steam, making them safe for silks, synthetics or wool. Some high-end models, like the Laurastar Lift or Tefal Ultimate Pure, use technologies that automatically regulate temperature, so you can glide over any fabric without risk of burning. Always check fabric labels, but with the right iron, delicate garments can be ironed safely and efficiently.
3. How often should I clean my iron?
Cleaning depends on use and water type. If you notice reduced steam output, white residue on clothes or spitting, it’s time to clean. Many irons have self-cleaning or anti-scale functions, but otherwise, use distilled water and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Regular cleaning prevents limescale buildup and keeps the soleplate smooth, ensuring efficient ironing and prolonging the iron’s lifespan.
