The 6 Best Steam Irons To Meet Your Needs

My friend Diana asked me to research the best steam irons. That crazy lady bought new bed sheets that need to be ironed. Of course, I told her to return them. But she wasn’t having it. In all fairness, my grandmother used to iron her sheets. Luckily, today’s irons are nothing like my grandma’s.

The best steam irons now feature electronic controls, heat up quickly, maintain a specific and safe temperature to keep a variety of fabrics from scorching, and they steam without dripping. In addition, steam irons can be used without steam for garments that require dry ironing, such as silk and satin.

As long as I was researching steam irons, I figured I would pare down the lot for everyone. The result is a list of the six best, most recommended steam irons to meet your needs — from the best overall for daily ironing to a mini iron for travel.

Personally, I do not enjoy ironing. I prefer to steam my clothes while they hang. So, if you’re in the market for a good fabric steamer and not an iron, please see my post: Garment Steamers ~ A Great Alternative to Clothes Irons.

Features to Look For

• Soleplate – The bottom of the iron is called a soleplate. Look for a steam iron with a scratch-resistant stainless steel, ceramic-coated or titanium soleplate that will glide over garments without snagging.
  • An iron with a large soleplate will cover a lot of surface area with each pass, which will be helpful if you’re ironing sheets, for instance (Diana).
  • Look for a soleplate with a lot of evenly placed holes. More holes mean more steam, and that means faster, easier ironing.
• Precision Tip – A soleplate with a pointed, precision tip is helpful when ironing tricky areas, such as collars, around buttons, and in between pleats.
• Steam – Look for models that offer a steam burst and a spray/mist feature, especially if you’ll be ironing a lot of linen, cotton or denim garments.
  • Consider a steam iron that can double as a vertical steamer if you want to rid bed skirts or drapes of wrinkles.
  • Look for a no-drip feature.
• Water Tank – Look for a see-through, removable water tank for easy refilling. A larger water tank will provide more continuous steam and require fewer refills, but it will be heavier to work with. A consideration if you’ll be using the iron as a vertical steamer.
• Weight – The heavier the iron, the better it will be at smoothing wrinkles and pressing seams. But a lighter iron will be easier to handle and reduce fatigue, especially if you also plan to use it as a vertical steamer.
• Controls – Digital controls are easier to see. Most irons have multiple heat settings for a variety of fabrics but check to be sure.
• Auto Shut-Off – Most steam irons will automatically shut off if left horizontally on the soleplate, knocked over, or left upright without being moved for a period of time. Therefore, consider the auto shut-off time based on your needs. For instance, quilters might want an iron with a longer auto shut-off time since they press and sew in intervals.
• Power Cord – An iron with a power cord that swivels or is located high on the iron is helpful so the cord doesn’t get in the way while ironing.
  • A retractable cord is a nice feature for easy storage.
• Wattage – The higher the wattage, the more powerful the steam. Based on my research, testers said the best-performing irons were 1700 to 1800 watts.
• Self-Cleaning – A nice feature that will make your life easier and extend the life of your iron.

Best, Most Recommended Steam Irons

After reading lots of reviews from great test labs like Consumer Reports, GearLab, Good Housekeeping and others, coupled with reviews from fashion editors, I pared down the best, most recommended steam irons and found them for you at the best prices.

Best Overall Steam Irons: Rowenta SteamForce Digital Display Professional Iron and CHI Steam Electronic Retractable Iron

Best Value Steam Iron: Black + Decker Vitessa Advanced Steam Iron

Best Cordless Steam Irons: Panasonic Cordless Contoured Steam/Dry Iron and Panasonic Cordless Multi-Directional Steam/Dry Iron

Best Steam Iron for Travel: Steamfast Mini Steam Iron with Dual Voltage

Best Overall Steam Irons

It was a tie between the Rowenta SteamForce Digital Display Professional Iron & the CHI Steam Electronic Retractable Iron. Both were at the top of almost every list. The biggest difference between the two irons is the soleplate; the Rowenta has a stainless-steel soleplate while the CHI’s is titanium-infused ceramic.

Rowenta SteamForce Digital Display Professional Iron (DW9280)

The Rowenta SteamForce was at the top of almost every list and tested as well as the CHI iron, below. The SteamForce is also popular on Amazon where it has a 4.3 rating from over 7,000 reviews.

Why You Want It:

• A smooth gliding stainless-steel soleplate with a precision tip nose for accurate work around buttons, collars and pleats.
• The iron’s 400 strategically placed steam holes produce a whopping 69 grams of steam per minute.
• An extra large 10-ounce water tank that’s easy to fill.
• The SteamForce features a steam shot that provides a burst of steam to help smooth stubborn wrinkles as well as a spray/mist button.
• There’s a smart steam motion sensor that automatically cuts off the steam output when the iron stops moving to help save water and electricity. A very nice feature.
• The LED Ready-Temp system indicates when the soleplate has reached the appropriate temperature for the selected fabric, such as linen, wool or silk.
• It doubles as an upright steamer.
• The anti-drip system prevents spitting and leaking.
• It can be used dry or with steam.
• This 1800-watt iron weighs 3.8 pounds, so it will press out wrinkles with fewer passes.
• The 3-way auto shut-off will automatically turn the iron off after 30 seconds if the iron is left on its soleplate or tips over, and after 8 minutes if the iron is left sitting upright.
• It is self-cleaning and has an integrated anti-calcium system to extend the life of the iron.

What You Might Not Like:

• The 7-foot power cord is a bit short and does not retract. But there is a convex curve at the base of the iron to securely wrap the power cord for storage.
• There’s no Off switch so you must unplug the iron or wait for it to automatically shut off after 8 minutes.
• The high price tag…Rowenta’s Steamforce is one of the more expensive models.

Where to Get It:

The best price is with a 20% off coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond,. The next best price is on Amazon.

CHI Steam Electronic Retractable Iron (13102)

The CHI Steam Electronic Retractable Iron is highly recommended on almost every list. The company is best known for its great hair styling tools and now they bring that technology to their clothing irons. And why not…if their titanium-infused ceramic plates can safely straighten our hair, I have to believe they can safely iron wrinkles from our clothes. The CHI Steam has a 4.6 rating from over 1,900 reviews on Amazon.

Why You Want It:

• The extra-large, scratch-resistant titanium-infused ceramic soleplate glides effortlessly over fabrics and heats up quickly.
• Over 400 evenly spaced steam holes provide a generous 55 grams per minute of powerful steam.
• There is a fine mist spray and a blast steam button that helps rid clothes of wrinkles.
• It doubles as an upright steamer.
• It can be used dry or with steam.
• The iron has an ergonomic textured grip making it comfortable and easy to control.
• The CHI Steam is a “smart” iron sporting a digital control panel with a fabric guide that automatically adjusts the steam and temperature for each selection.
• The control panel swivels open for easy filling of the water tank.
• Weighing in at 3.5 pounds, the 1700-watt CHI presses out wrinkles with fewer passes.
• The 3-way auto shut-off will automatically turn off the iron in 1 minute if the iron is left on the soleplate or on its side, and in 30 minutes if left resting upright. In online reviews, the 30-minute shut-off time was appreciated by quilters that regularly alternate between ironing and sewing.
• It’s self-cleaning.
• An 8-foot retractable power cord for convenient storage.

What You Might Not Like:

• Some found the water tank difficult to fill due to “a little flap inside the fill hole that frequently gets in the way of the water stream and causes a good amount of spillage.”
• There’s no Off switch so you must unplug the iron or wait for it to automatically shut off after 30 minutes.

Where to Get It:

The best price is at CHI, Amazon, Best Buy and Home Depot.

Best Value Steam Iron

Black + Decker Vitessa Advanced Steam Iron (ICR2020)

Don’t let the lower price of the Vitessa fool you, this iron performed just as well in wrinkle removal tests as other more expensive irons. The Vitessa has 4.5 stars from over 3,200 ratings on Amazon.

Why You Want It:

• The Vitessa features Black + Decker’s TrueGlide nonstick, even steam soleplate that glides smoothly over garments while delivering a steady flow of steam.
• Six temperature settings allow for customized ironing.
• With one dial, the SmartSteam Technology ensures the soleplate temperature and steam level are ideal for every garment.
• An extra-large, easy-to-fill water tank.
• Buttons offering a burst of steam or a gentle mist.
• An anti-drip feature prevents water from escaping.
• The iron doubles as a vertical steamer.
• It can be used dry or with steam.
• This 1200-watt iron weighs only 2 pounds.
• The 3-way auto shut-off will automatically turn off the iron if is not in use and left upright for 8 minutes and after 30 seconds if left horizontal or it’s tipped over.
• It is self-cleaning.
• The 8-foot retractable, spring-loaded cord makes storage as easy as pushing a button.
• One test lab called it a “powerhouse” for its price point.

What You Might Not Like:

• It takes a little longer to heat up than other irons.
• May require several passes to remove wrinkles because of its light weight.

Where to Get It:

The best price is at Home Depot, Amazon and Walmart.

Best Cordless Steam Irons

Panasonic NI-L70SRW Cordless Contoured Steam/Dry Iron or Panasonic NI-WL600 Cordless Multi-Directional Steam/Dry Iron

If you like the idea of being cord-free, especially when vertical steaming drapes and the like, you need a cordless iron. These sister steamers by Panasonic are identical except for their shape and color. The green and white NI-L70SRW Contoured Iron has a traditional triangular shape, while the gray NI-WL600 Multi-Directional Iron is pointed on both ends, like a football (pretty cool). Both irons performed well in test labs and are well-reviewed on Amazon where they have 4.6 stars from over 5,500 reviews.

The following specs are the same for both irons, the only differences are their shape and color.

Why You Want It:

• Stainless-steel soleplate glides smoothly over fabrics.
• The iron charges on the included heat-resistant base.
• A matching lightweight, heat-resistant carrying case snaps onto the iron and power base for easy portability and storage.
• It doubles as a vertical iron.
• The iron can be used dry or with steam.
• Three heat settings on the handle make it easy to adjust the temperature.
• An anti-drip system with adjustable steam settings, plus buttons for a burst of steam and a spray mist.
• A detachable water tank for easy refilling and no spills.
• An impressive 1500-watts of power and weighs 3 pounds with a full water tank.
• It automatically turns off if left idle for 10 minutes.
• The self-cleaning, anti-calcium system prevents holes from clogging
• A retractable power cord for easy storage.

What You Might Not Like:

• It might need recharging if you’re doing a lot of ironing.
• Some testers experienced water leaking.

Where to Get It:

The best price for the NI-L70SRW Contoured (triangle) Iron is on Amazon and at Walmart. The best price for the NI-WL600 Multi-Directional (almond) Iron is on Amazon.

Best Steam Iron for Travel

Steamfast Mini Steam Iron with Dual Voltage (SF-717)

The small but mighty Steamfast Mini is ideal for travel. It’s lightweight, dual voltage, easy to use, and affordable. The Steamfast is an Amazon fan favorite with 4.6 stars from almost 21,000 reviews!

Why You Want It:

• The small non-stick soleplate heats up in 15 seconds.
• An anti-slip handle for a comfortable grip.
• Three temperature settings for different fabrics and one touch steam control.
• The Steamfast comes with a measuring cup for filling the 1.4-ounce water tank.
• It can be used dry or with steam.
• The iron is dual voltage for overseas travel and can be used with either 100 or 240-volt outlets.
• The Mini weighs just under 1 pound and has 420-watts of power.
• A 7.5-foot power cord.
• It comes with a protective bag for travel and storage.

What You Might Not Like:

• It’s not as powerful as a regular iron so you may have to work a little harder to remove stubborn wrinkles. But remember, this mini iron is intended for travel, not daily use. Although some quilters and crafters really like it for that purpose.
• There is no auto-off feature or power switch, you must unplug it to turn it off.
• There is no steam spray or blast.

Where to Get It:

The best price is on Amazon and at Home Depot.

Please let me know if you get one of the above steam irons and how you like it!

All items are in stock (unless noted otherwise) at time of publication.