How to choose a modern iron for home use?

Working surface

The first and most important element of the design is the outsole of the equipment. There is a lot to talk about, but the main criteria for its selection is the material, shape and number of holes for steam release. Consider how to choose an iron on the sole and which is better for household needs.

Material of manufacture

There are working surfaces made of aluminum, stainless steel, ceramics, teflon coating and titanium. For the house one of the first three options is most often chosen. To your attention the review of advantages and disadvantages of each material:

1. Aluminum. The cheapest version of the sole, which has a high thermal conductivity. The aluminum surface quickly heats up and at the same time cools rapidly. Another plus is a small full weight of the product, which, depending on the application, can make it a winning option. As for the shortcomings, the main thing is the vulnerability to scratches - with prolonged use, aluminum becomes less smooth, which worsens the sliding, and, accordingly, the ironing process.
2. Stainless steel. The exact opposite of aluminum in stainless steel properties. It is much heavier, which is not always convenient. In addition, it heats up and cools longer, which is more related to the lack of material. Advantage and surface of stainless steel - it is not afraid of scratches and other damages, which positively affects the service life. If you want to choose an iron for the house with a sole made of stainless steel, give preference to the improved option - stainless steel with chrome plated. This type of working surface is easier to clean and even better glides when ironing.
3. Ceramics. Ceramic sole has the easiest slip, which is its main advantage. Cleaning of such a material is not difficult - just wipe it with a wet cloth with liquid soap. Another plus of the coating is scratch resistance, so the iron sliding will be good even after several years of operation. As for the shortcomings, the most important are the high cost of ceramics, as well as its fragility. At the thematic forums, you can see a lot of feedback that on the ceramic coating, especially in the spout, the chips are formed at the slightest damage, so the strength problem reduces the demand for choosing this option.
4. Teflon. The modern material for the manufacture of the sole is Teflon coating. Its advantage is that at a low temperature of heating sliding on clothes will be good enough, which can not be said for aluminum or stainless steel. At the same time, Teflon, like ceramics, has low strength, therefore, when striking metal buttons, chips and cracks may form.
5. Titanium. Another of the modern materials - titanium coating, which is applied to the steel sole. Advantages of this combination - increased strength and good glide during ironing. At the same time, the disadvantages are a high price and a long time of heating the working surface( and, correspondingly, cooling).

When choosing a household iron on the sole we recommend buying ceramic or stainless steel. Give preference to the one that is more suitable for the field of application. If you need to iron a thick and too crumpled fabric, we recommend choosing a heavier unit with stainless steel, for the usual conditions, it is advisable to use a ceramic surface.

Form

As for the shape of the working surface, there are not so many nuances here that you should be aware of when choosing a technique. The first and most important nuance is the shape of the spout. The sharper it is, the easier it will be to iron things with buttons, collars and other uncomfortable zones, especially children's things.

The second, not less important point - the surface area. The more you choose the sole, the faster ironing will occur, but at the same time it will be more difficult to climb to uncomfortable places. Small irons are easier to use, but in order to iron the same shirt it will take more time.

Holes

Well, the last criterion by which you need to choose the soleplate of an iron is the quantity and quality of the holes for the steam exit. Here it is impossible to say with certain precision how many normal holes should be and what size they should have. Each manufacturer in its own way increases the efficiency of the use of technology. Some make about 100 small holes, some 50, but of increased size. The main thing is to choose such an embodiment, in which the holes are located on the entire working surface.

Power

A very important point during the purchase is that you need to choose the right iron for power. If you buy an insufficiently powerful technique, the ironing process will be difficult, and some wrinkles will not work out at all. At the same time, a super-powerful machine may not be needed if you iron a small number of things. To date, modern firms, leading the world market, produce models with a capacity of 1.5 to 2.5 kilowatts for domestic use. The more power, the more the energy consumption and the weight of the product. It is believed that for the house the most appropriate option would be to choose a model of not more than 2 kW, but not less than 1.7.

By the way, the more the power of the technology, the faster the working surface heats up, and, therefore, you can start the process of ironing things faster!

Design

Ironically, but when buying an iron, you need to pay due attention to its design. Modern models can have rubberized handles with a finger rest, convenient positioning of the controls, stylish appearance, etc. All these little things are really very important, becausedirectly affect the cost of the purchase, which you decided to choose. For example, why overpay extra money only for the fact that the case is a little rounded, if there is a similar, but more rigorous model?

A very common design problem that buyers encounter is the palm-shaped handle. In fact, this model is more suitable for right-handers, for a person who writes with his left hand this option will be completely inconvenient, as evidenced by many negative reviews on the forums!

Useful trifles

Above we provided the most basic criteria for the correct choice of electric iron in 2016.You should pay attention to these criteria first of all, but this is far from being all. In order for the equipment to last a long time, it allowed to comfortably iron things and besides it was inexpensive, we recommend paying attention to the following additional parameters:

1. There are models with a steam generator that make the ironing process more convenient, quick and qualitative. For such an option you will pay more money, but at the same time, if you have a weekly large volume of things that need to be ironed, it is better to be generous and choose an electric box with a steam generator.
2. Instead of the steam generator, a tank with water can be installed in the body of the unit - a steamer. A cheaper option for sprinkling steam on the surface of things. For home use, this option is more preferable, becausecosts an order of magnitude less, so we recommend it. There are also products with vertical steaming, which allows you to iron the curtains thanks to a useful function - a steam stroke. In addition, the steam stroke effectively smoothens the jammed parts of things that the spout of the sole can not handle. As for the volume of the water tank, it must be at least 250 ml, so that the ironing process does not interrupt for frequent refilling of the liquid.
3. Very important function for the safe use of technology - automatic shutdown. In the event that you put the iron on the ironing board and forgot, the heating will immediately stop after a few seconds of inactivity. Also, some firms create an original technology of the sole with autolift - the outgoing legs( shown in the photo), which prevent the heater from touching the fabric when not in use for a few seconds.
4. When selecting a modern iron of good quality, pay attention to the temperature regulator. The larger the temperature range, the easier it will be to iron the wool, synthetic and other delicate fabrics.
5. New models of technology include anti-limestone rods( see photo below), which are inserted into the body. Their purpose is to fight the scum on the TEN.It is scum is the main reason for the failure of the device, so it is better to choose and buy a version of the product in which anti-limestone rods are installed. An alternative way to deal with hard water is to use built-in filters that more effectively cope with the problem. If you have not found a suitable model with this addition, immediately recommend that you read the tips for repairing your iron yourself, where you can find ways to clean the heater of scale.
6. The electrical cord for connection to the outlet also has special requirements. You need to choose an iron so that the cord is with a cloth coating that does not wear out so quickly. In addition, pay attention to the length of the cord, it should be no less than 2 meters, which is enough for convenient ironing. Otherwise, you have to connect through an extension cable, which will be confused under your feet and only interfere. With frequent use, the cord is bent and can break, which is also a popular cause of equipment failure. To solve this problem, we recommend that you select a cord that can be scrolled 360o at the point of entry into the case. This version of the design will not be much more expensive, but it is several times more convenient! By the way, there are modern wireless models of irons, in which the sole is heated on a special stand. The disadvantage of this option is that the working surface will quickly cool down, and for small convenience you will pay for frequent heating, which is torn off from ironing.
7. Well, the last of the useful functions that must be present in the new iron is the anti-drip system. If you iron things at low temperatures, steam can not quickly form, and as a result, when you press the release of steam, water will pour out of the holes, leaving spots on things. To prevent this from happening, manufacturers have invented special anti-drip systems, which prevent the release of water from the holes.

That's all, the important parameters that you should pay attention to if you decide to choose a reliable iron in 2015-2016.Decide for yourself, what functions you need to buy the most suitable model at the best price and good quality.

Rating of manufacturers and models of

We would like to conclude our recommendations with an answer to the question which producer of irons is better to choose from among many existing companies. According to experts in the category of "price quality" in 2016, the following companies proved to be the best:

• Philips
• Tefal
• Tefal
• Braun
• Rowenta
• Scarlett
• Bosch
• Maxwell
• Moulinex
• Zelmer
• Gorenje
• AEG

These brands are world-class leaders and a benchmark for reliability, durability and functionality. As for the best models of equipment, according to buyers' opinions in the rating of 2016, the top sales are closed by the following 10 devices:

Philips GC 1029 .The first line of our rating is the model from Philips. All that is needed for home use of iron is in this device: auto shutdown, vertical steaming, anti-drip system and the possibility of self-cleaning. If you want to choose an inexpensive iron for the house, then after spending only 2500 rubles you can buy a functional device for ironing things.

VITEK VT-1234. A cheaper, but no less qualitative analogue in which there are all important functions and even protection against scale. At the thematic forums, we did not find not one weighty drawback of this model. The best investment is two thousand rubles.

Braun TexStyle TS535TP. If you want to choose an iron with an aluminum sole( in this case it is made according to the original Eloxal technology), pay attention to this version. A convenient handle, the presence of an additional nozzle for delicate fabrics and an acceptable price. The only drawback is there is no auto shutdown.

REDMOND RI-S220. The company Redmond, which is also one of the best manufacturers of multivarieties, has released a fairly good budget model of the device for ironing things. In short: stylish, light, powerful enough and, equally importantly, cheap.

Bosch TDS 373117 P. Have decided to choose an iron with a steamer in 2016?We recommend that you familiarize yourself with this model. At a relatively low price( 17 thousand rubles) it has everything you need for home use. The only drawback is high power, but there is an economical mode.

Panasonic NI-W920. Among Panasonic's one of the best in its price category is this device. Judging by the reviews, this iron is easy to use, it iron well and besides it quickly heats up to the right temperature. It should be noted only that you need to get used to the slightly unusual shape of the sole.

Scarlett SC-SI30E02. We return to the budget technique and want to bring to your attention one more worthy competitor. At a price of 1500 rubles, it has a whole important set of functions. There is nothing superfluous and, in addition, a metal-ceramic sole.

Delonghi VVX ​​1420. The second iron with a steam generator, which we recommend to choose, is the brainchild of the popular company Delonghi. Although the model is relatively old, it still has the basic functions that are needed for home use. In addition, an attractive price of 13,000 rubles, which is another reason to buy the Delonghi VVX ​​1420.

Philips GC 2965. Another Philips that got into our rating for many reasons: multifunctional, safe, easy to use, stylish, lightweight and besidesrelatively inexpensive. For such a price( 5000 rubles), criticizing it makes no sense.

Tefal FV9920E0 .Well and closes our TOP-10 modern model, which we also recommend paying attention to in 2016.The advantage of this device is that it is wireless, convenient, well-smoothes things in hard-to-reach places and also has an attractive design.

We recommend also to see the rating of the most popular devices 2014-2015 on the video example:

Here we have provided advice on how to choose an iron for the house in 2016 by power, manufacturer and functions. We hope that this information was interesting for you and now you know which firm and the outsole of the devices is better for home use!

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