So long, rumpled, crumpled laundry.
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Irons are not as much of a laundry-room staple as they once were, but if you're a fan of crisp collars and cuffs, they are a key clothing tool, able to press, finish and de-wrinkle like none other. Today's models (paired with a sturdy ironing board) are fast workers, intuitively designed, light to hold and very nimble. So if you're tired of stubborn wrinkles, go with the tried and true and invest in a great iron.
What's the best steam iron? After months of testing irons in the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, we named the CHI Steam Iron our best overall pick. A Lab favorite, it smoothed stubborn wrinkles and has an easy-fill water chamber, retractable cord and scratch-resistant soleplate. For a budget pick, we loved the Black+Decker Vitessa Advanced Steam Iron, which tied for the top spot in our wrinkle removal tests.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, we test thousands of new appliances and gadgets each year, including washing machines, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, robot vacuums and, of course, steam irons. To find the best irons, we spent over four months testing irons and garment steamers in our Lab and considered feedback from our at-home consumer testers. Our tests included categories such as wrinkle removal, heat-up time and amount of steam produced, among other pressing factors.
At the end of this guide, learn about our testing process and how to find the best iron for your household, plus advice on extending its lifespan.
Maybe you know the CHI name from its curling irons, hair straighteners, curling wands and other beauty products. The brand has applied its top-notch heating and pressing technology to its line of irons too. In our Lab, this model not only expertly pressed linen and heavy cotton, but it also had the most powerful burst of steam in our tests.
The CHI is comfortable in the hand, and when you dial the fabric selection, the illuminated display confirms your choice. The large water tank's lid swivels out to fill, and a retractable cord means tidy, safe storage (no tripping over a dangling cord). The scratch-resistant ceramic soleplate glides beautifully.
This is such a Lab favorite that when a staffer comes in to borrow an iron — to freshen up GH lab coats for a photo shoot or press table linens for events in our Good Housekeeping dining room — we hide this one away, lest it disappear on us! But take note, we did find the CHI prone to tipping.
The Black+Decker Vitessa was among our top performers for wrinkle removal and is available at a third of the cost of our top pick. We love the six different temperature settings for more customized ironing. The nonstick soleplate glides evenly and we didn't experience any snagging. This light model (only 2 pounds) handily removed wrinkles from all of our test fabrics — linen, heavy cotton, light cotton, wool, silk and polyester and did a very good job producing steam.
To store, just push a button to retract the cord. It took a little longer to heat up, but once it picks up steam, it’s a cinch to maneuver. We appreciate its clear water tank that allows you to easily see how much water you have left. Overall, it's a great budget buy.
We named this handy iron with its own dock the best overall pick in our most recent cordless iron test — and over 1,050 five-star reviews on Amazon back us up. The Panasonic 360º Freestyle Cordless has a pointed tip at each end of the soleplate, so the whole surface is functional in any direction. Holes in the perimeter allow it to emit steam all around. You can speedily de-wrinkle larger items without the flat end of an iron scrunching up what you've already gone over.
You have to set it back on the base to reheat as you reposition your ironing. When we tested a similar cordless model, we never waited long for it to get back to full temperature. There's no cord to wrinkle what you’ve already pressed and you can move around to touch up bedding and other fabrics that are far from an outlet. With an easy-clean ceramic soleplate, this is a favorite portable option for sewers and quilters. It has a carrying case and removable tank to fill at the sink, plus steam, spray and temperature controls right on the handle. We like the deep groove that runs around the soleplate so you can glide around a button, zipper or snap. Although bulky, the base automatically shuts off if no movement is sensed after 10 minutes.
The Conair ExtremeSteam Pro heats up in under 60 seconds, even to the highest heat setting, and was a top steam producer in our tests. This model also impressively flattened persistent wrinkles on cotton, wool, silk and linen. Rubber feet make it less likely to topple, but it was a little bulky to maneuver. We found that keeping the water tank full to the max line helped prevent drips as we steamed.
This Good Housekeeping Seal-holder resists corrosion with a calcium collector and self-cleaning function. It has adjustable temperature settings, continuous vertical steam that doesn't spit and a misting function that doesn't drench fabric.
The Rowenta Smart Temp Steam model is designed to iron all fabrics at optimal heat, without any temperature dials. We didn't test this exact model in our Lab yet, but did evaluate a similar Rowenta with the same smart temperature function. It finished in a three-way tie for best wrinkle remover (with CHI and Black+Decker) and came in second in Lab performance tests.
With a 4.1-star Amazon rating, we aren't the only ones loving this. One reviewer said, "I am most impressed with the amount of steam generated." A stainless-steel soleplate and anti-calc system help the iron work and look like new for years. One pain point is the dark water tank which makes it hard to see how much water is inside. You have to lift the iron and jiggle it to gauge the water level.
We also like the Rowenta brand's Professional Steam Station with a 57-ounce removable water tank, fabric steamer and garment steamer. But it is an investment at almost $200.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab's most recent iron-off, we dedicated a minimum of 10 hours to testing each iron. For the 15 irons in this round, we wrinkled, pressed and graded 90 fabric swatches and conducted nearly 400 performance and ease-of-use evaluations over a total of 150 hours.
When we test irons, we grade them in 14 categories, including the amount of steam they produce and at what rate. We gauge the temperature of the soleplate at various settings and the temperature swings (highs and lows), using heat sensors attached to the bottom. We also check how hot the handle and body of the iron get, for safety.
We weigh the irons (ease of lifting is important) and time how long each takes to heat up. We assess how user-friendly the controls and sprays are and how easy the water tank is to fill. Using a force gauge, we record how many pounds it takes to tip each iron over if placed on a wobbly board.
Finally, we wrinkle and ball up cotton, linen, wool, silk, nylon and other synthetic fabrics and allow the creases to set overnight. The next day, we iron each swatch and rate it on a smoothness scale of one to five, using standard visual guides employed by the textiles industry.
Read up with this quick study guide ahead of time, whether shopping in-store or online.
✔️ Size: Get an iron that is right-sized for you. For safety, be sure it is comfortable to lift and handle. Our picks range from 2 pounds (Black+Decker) to 4.94 pounds (Panasonic, including carrying case). To cover more surface area in a single pass, choose an iron with a larger soleplate. If you plan on long ironing sessions, scope out a larger water tank that can go the distance, especially one that's transparent, so you can see how much water you have left.
✔️ Steam Power: Generally, we've found that the best irons have 1,700 to 1,800 watts of power. Steam is your friend when tackling tough wrinkles. An iron with a stronger, longer stream of steam will press fabrics better (and faster).
✔️ Safety Features: Most irons today automatically shut off when tipped. We prefer those that turn off quickly when landing in any direction, not just onto the soleplate. The CHI iron automatically shuts off in 60 seconds if it lands on either its side or the soleplate but stays on for 30 minutes if positioned on its heel, which quilters and sewers appreciate when going back and forth to the ironing board.
✔️ Ironing Needs: For wrinkled linen, heavy cotton or denim, use the steam burst and spray features. Vertical steam works well for drapes, bed skirts and other home furnishings. A steam station with a large water tank, vertical steam and a sturdy base to hold the iron when not in use is good for quilting, sewing and handling big batches of rumpled garments. But for flawlessly crisp shirts, the best strategy is still to use a steam iron on a flat ironing board.
Tap water is usually fine in your iron unless your home has hard water, meaning it contains higher levels of dissolved calcium and magnesium. According to the use and care manual for our top pick, the CHI Steam Iron, the water reservoir should be filled to the max line with untreated tap water, except if you have extremely hard water. Then the company suggests mixing 50 percent untreated tap water with 50 percent distilled water instead. That way, you won't end up with mineral deposits inside your iron.
An iron can outshine a clothes steamer when it comes to perfectly crisp dress shirts and pleats. Irons are also better at de-rumpling tablecloths, napkins, curtains and any big swaths of fabric that are more easily laid flat on an ironing board than hung to vertically steam. Maneuvering a steamer over an area that large would be awkward and tiring. Sewers and quilters prefer irons for their handiwork because pattern pieces should be crease-free before being stitched into place.
With proper handling, an iron can last for years and years. Make sure to keep the soleplate clean, empty the water tank after each use and flush or self-clean the iron every few months to ensure the holes in the plate are open and clear. Poor maintenance can lead to a shorter lifespan, and some irons break when accidentally knocked over. To avoid this, purchase a stable and sturdy ironing board so your iron is still standing even if you or your pet happen to bump into the board.
Carolyn Forté has tested dozens of steam irons and steamers in over 40 years of experience researching, testing and writing about appliances like washers, dryers and vacuums. As the executive director of the Cleaning Lab, she oversees all testing done by our reviews analysts, including the most recent tests of steam irons and steamers.
Contributing writer Alice Garbarini Hurley has written about home, food and style for more than 40 years for Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, Coastal Living and other magazines. She still has the ironing board her friend's mother gave her as a bridal shower gift, and Alice loves the short story she first read in college called "I Stand Here Ironing," published by busy mother Tillie Olsen in 1956.
Carolyn Forté brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Using deep analytical testing and writing expertise in appliances, cleaning, textiles and organizational products, she produces cleaning and home care advice for GH, has authored numerous books and bookazines for the brand and partners with the American Cleaning Institute to co-produce the Discover Cleaning Summits. She holds a bachelor's degree in family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York.
Alice Garbarini Hurley has been a lifestyle and consumer writer since a pizza parlor taste test for the Dumont High School Periscope. She wrote about prom dresses and mascara at Seventeen, then about everything that matters at Good Housekeeping as a senior lifestyle writer for 10 years and as a GH freelancer for 10 more. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Coastal Living and InStyle. She has published essays and has blogged at Truth and Beauty since 2010. Writing keeps Alice calm and focused while raising a teenage girl. She loves bluebells and daffodils, Cape Cod, accessories, cream in her coffee and reading cookbooks cover to cover.
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