1 Mar 2019
4 min.

Which iron should I buy?

Choosing an iron has never been so difficult. There you are, in a large store on a Saturday morning. You are standing in a ten-meter-long aisle, with shelves stacked four shelves high. Each shelf holds a series of irons staring back at you in various colours, shapes and sizes. What kind of iron do you choose? You considered going for that hip dark blue one with the streamlined design, if it wasn't for the fact that the price tag nearly gave you a heart attack. Yup, the struggle is real: selection stress when buying an iron. What to do? Do you call on a shop assistant who can help you in choosing the iron you need? Do you call your mom for iron advice? Or do you surf the world wide web because Google knows it all?

So many people, so many irons

Why is choosing an iron so difficult? Simple: because of the enormous choice. Times are changing. Products are changing. And so do irons. Of course, iron manufacturers and iron marketers do not do so willy-nilly though. That's why we would like to drag you through the Saturday morning-choice stress. What is essential in choosing the right iron, is considering what you yourself see as important. Think about your life: do you have a pressured and dynamic life with little time?

Do you believe the iron should really match your ironing board, so your ironing board may secretly be glamorous looking?

Let's start with the types of irons:

1. Steam iron: single or two-person household

compact
small integrated water tank
relatively inexpensive
ironing frequency: 1 to 2 times a week

2. Steam generator: daily ironing or a busy family

powerful ironing device
loose water tank
lightweight
ironing frequency: daily

3. Ironing system: busy, dynamic household or company with a lot of ironing

steam generator and ironing board in one
suction function and blower function so clothes do not shift while ironing
relatively inexpensive
ironing frequency: a few times a day

Getting closer to your choice already?

Will it be the steam iron, the steam generator or the ironing system? The iron you choose, besides type, also depends on features and functions. This is even more focussed on your needs and lifestyle:

A water tank, whether you can refill continuously with water or not;
Anti-scale system built into the iron to prevent scale formation of the water, or not;
Auto shut off or not. This is especially useful with children in the house, if you are rather clumsy, or if there is any chance you may still inadvertently leave the iron standing on your favourite blouse;
The contents of the water tank. This varies from 220 ml to 400 ml. Think about the weight in particular; if your arm tires easily, choose a small water tank. However, if you don't mind a tired arm for a little while, and you prefer just being able to continue ironing without having to fill the water tank too often? Then a large water tank with a lot of content will be fine for you.

How much steam is generated by the iron. - Yes, you also have a choice in this. This feature focuses on your wardrobe and the kind of clothing in your wardrobe. For example, if you have clothing that creases easily or that can develop many folds, we advise you to choose an iron that can generate a lot of steam. Then creases and folds disappear faster.
An iron that may or may not deliver an extra burst of steam while ironing. This feature is similar to the previous requirement of a wrinkle-sensitive wardrobe, but is something else. An extra burst of steam is great when you want to quickly remove that one persistent fold or wrinkle.
Colour. It has no effect on the performance or effectiveness of your ironing, but we do think it's important.

So the struggle is truly real when buying an iron. Eventually, of course, the intention is that you choose an iron that will iron your entire wardrobe, seamlessly.