Steam Iron Review

Introduction to Steam Irons

We found some thorough and exhaustive comparison reviews for steam irons at Consumer Reports, Good Housekeeping and Slate.com. Most of them, however, date from 2006, and the majority of tested irons, including some that are highly rated, have been discontinued. So for this update, we've turned to user reviews at Amazon.com and other sites, which offer much more current data on reliability and ironing performance.

Another problem with the professional reviews is that these publications, including Consumer Reports, tested brand-new steam irons. No professional testing on new irons can predict whether an iron will still be working in a year or two. The unfortunate fact, supported by the hundreds of lackluster reviews on Amazon.com and Epinions, is that every iron will break or leak at some point. The typical lifespan seems to be two or three years. Whether it's a $140 Rowenta or a $30 Proctor-Silex iron, we found the same complaints of leaks and other breakage. Sadly, therefore, it's safe to assume you'll get about two or three years out of an iron -- a stipulation that could affect how much you ultimately want to spend. While pricier irons like the Rowenta Advancer (*est. $140) offer better control, more steam and a greater number of convenience features, they probably won't last much longer than cheaper irons.

A few steam irons are trying to offer some innovations. The Oliso Touch & Glide (*est. $95) has small retractable feet that pop out whenever it senses you've taken your hand away from the iron. The idea is that your garment is always protected, and you don't have to prop the iron up on its end. Time Magazine named it one of the best inventions back in 2006, and testers at Real Simple magazine also think it's cool. Slate magazine's Tom Bartlett calls the feature "nifty." However, while Bartlett likes the Oliso iron's features, he says it doesn't glide as well as others and notes a big problem with leakage. "When you turn the steam on, water drips everywhere. A lot of water," writes Bartlett. This conclusion is supported by the many reports of leaks from owners posting comments to Amazon.com.

We found one interesting iron that gets upgraded in one review and downgraded in another for the same feature. Slate Magazine's Bartlett gives the T-Fal Aquaspeed (*Est. $70) his highest rating, partly because "the soleplate is coated with enamel and it glides like a dream, better than any of the other irons." Ironically, The Wall Street Journal's Roberta Bernstein dislikes this model for the same reason. Bernstein and testers felt that the glide of the enamel soleplate was like "operating a race car." She does like the stable triangular base and the ability to fill the water hole straight from the tap, another feature appreciated by Slate's Bartlett. The handful of reviews we found at Amazon.com for the T-Fal Aquaspeed are excellent, but only a small number of owners have left comments. The T-Fal steam iron weighs about three pounds when empty.