Updated! Best Buy Steam Generator Irons Survey UK 2017

In our Best Buy Steam Generator Irons survey 2017 we decided to ask the really important people who know about these things – the existing UK owners/users of pressurised steam irons.

To date we’ve surveyed over two thousand six hundred people. However, because we wanted to bring you the best buys we’ve cut out the dross.

What you see on these pages are the results of the best buys for steam generator irons survey 2017. We surveyed 1,399 owners who’ve owned and used their steam generator for at least six weeks or more.

Which steam generator iron is best? – Help me Choose

To help you choose the right steam generator easily we’ve got two helpful pages.

Need a quick recommendation?

First, if time is of the essence and you need a quick recommendation free of clutter check out our Top 10 Steam Generator Irons page. There you will find steam generators ranked by Users’ Overall Satisfaction rating.

Prefer in-depth recommendations?

If you’d prefer some in depth recommendations then try our best buy steam generator irons page.

We’ve got the facts that users tell us make these three pressurised steam irons your best buy tips:

Users' tip	Iron	Overall Users’ Satisfaction Rating*
	Philips GC8635	9.67/10
	Tefal Gv8461	9.57/10
	Philips GC9230	9.55/10

* Overall Users’ Satisfaction Rating: Users' opinion after 6 or more weeks of use  

Compare Steam Generator Irons – At-a-glance

At Best Buys for we like to cut through the hype and puffery of marketing claims. The best way we’ve found is to ask users of a particular product to review their purchase in a structured way.

What people tell us is what matters to them - and probably you too. Things like:

• How do existing owners rate their iron?
• How long is the power cord?
• How much steam do generator irons produce, compared to other irons?
• How long before you need to top up the water tank?
• What is the length of the manufacturer’s warranty?

You’ll find these questions answered on the compare steam generator irons page.

What is a Steam Generator Iron?

A steam generator iron like the Philips GC8635 (rated 9.67/10 by owners) has two parts. First there’s the base that contains a water tank, boiler and pump. The power cable runs off this base. Then there is a conventional iron connected to the base with a steam hose.

You put water in the tank. Unlike a regular iron a steam generator water tank holds between 1-2 litres. You switch on and the base unit pump sucks water into the boiler. The water is turned into steam and pumped up the hose to the iron.

The iron part of the unit looks like and is operated in the same way as an ordinary steam iron. You can control both the heat of the sole-plate and the amount of steam coming through the sole-plate. The iron is relatively light too at around 1.25 Kg as it doesn’t have a water tank to push around.

The magic of a steam generator iron is the volume of steam produced –usually 2-3 times more than a conventional steam iron. The beauty of pressurised steam is that it’s pushed into the fabric, instantly dampening and relaxing it. There’s no need to spray bone dry items.

And that is the principle promise of a steam generator iron:

A lot of steam makes it easier to remove wrinkles and creases from fabric in one pass of the iron. Your ironing chore is completed more easily and quickly. Sound’s appealing?

The Best Buys for Steam Generator Irons Pro and Cons

Here’s the Best Buys for quick guide to the upside and downside of using a pressurised steam iron.

The Upside Pros

These irons work just like a regular steam iron

Pressurised steam means – generally – one pass over wrinkles and creases for smooth results.

Great for reducing piles of family ironing or offering an ironing service

You can complete your ironing chore in less time.

You can use tap water & refill the reservoir without switching off

Self-clean systems to avoid clogging and lime scale flecks on clothes.

The Downside Cons

The base unit and water reservoir is relatively big and heavy. It needs to be on the floor or a table/shelf by the ironing board.

Or you’ll need a bigger ironing board specifically designed for steam generators

The Iron takes 2 minutes to reach operating temperature. Not good for one or two items.

Pressurised steam means you use more water. Even a 1 litre water tank may need refilling during a 60 minute ironing session.

The base unit pump can be noisy in operation. It may annoy if you watch TV or listen to the radio while ironing.

Bigger than an ordinary iron to store

Costs more to buy than a regular steam iron

The Right Best Buy Steam Generator Iron for You

Wherever you live in Britain, we can point you to the best buy cheap steam generator irons

Use Best Buys for to match your budget and ironing needs to an easy to use, light in weight, wrinkle smoothing, and pressurised steam iron. You’ll find the UK’s top ten choices through the Best Buys for Steam Generator Irons Survey…