claims as ours soared across clothes smoothly, with only the toughest of fabrics needing a second going
over. It’s relatively lightweight, it heats up quickly and, unlike many irons, the water level is easy to read.
This iron boasts good resistance to limescale too. But it doesn’t have quite the steaminess of some of the
other irons we tried and it lacks an auto-shutoff.
Hoover TIF2601 airflow steam iron: £57.01, Amazon
Weight: 2.04kg
Tank capacity: 350ml
Cord length: 2.5m
Steam output: 45g/min
Power: 2600W
The stand-out feature with this great-value iron is a fan that provides a cooling breeze around your hand –
an inspired invention for those who are prone to getting hot and sweaty from all the steam involved in
ironing. Other advantages include impressive limescale resistance and the durable, scratch-resistant
soleplate that won’t be ruined by rogue zips. But the fan does add to the overall weight and you have to
press a bit harder than with some, especially when it comes to more stubborn crinkles.
Wilko steam iron: £10, Wilko
Weight: 1.23kg
Tank capacity: 300ml
Cord length: 2.15m