The right steam press iron has the potential to cut your ironing time by half. However, there are a lot of important factors that must be carefully considered before you can purchase one. If you’ve read this buying guide carefully, you are getting the information you need to know in order to make the best choice for you when it comes to pressing irons.
Features
Janome is a leading sewing brand committed to manufacturing machines that inspire innovation and creativity. They want to encourage this with easy-to-use, affordable sewing machines. Recently, Janome adopted the Artistic brand which focuses on digital software for embroidery, sewing and crafting. They also make quilting products, digital cutters and press irons.
The Janome Artistic Heat Press will alter the way you iron clothes forever! With an ironing time cut in half you’ll have tons more spare time to spend as you wish. This press iron has been designed to be ideal for quilting and crafting, with an ironing surface that’s 10x bigger than a standard iron. You can press up to 8 layers of material, even while sitting, thanks to the 100lbs of pressure exerted, compared to the 20lbs from a regular iron. Constructed with 11 layers of Baltic Birch wood, this iron is sturdy, durable and will absorb excess humidity. If you’re worried about safety, don’t be! There’s an automatic shut-off after the press has been closed for 10 seconds.
Let’s say we took an opinion poll now and asked different people what their most boring household chore was. What do you think would be the answer? Between cooking, cleaning, ironing, washing dishes, and gardening, it’s already obvious which chore would top the poll. Okay, let’s focus on you for a minute. On the scale of moderately boring to time-crawling and mood-dampening boring, where would you rank ironing? Regardless of your answer, we can all agree that ironing is at least a little boring.
Now that we've established how boring ironing can be, we've brought you an appliance that could reduce ironing time by half and free up time for other activities. It’s not a robot nor is it a magical invention. It is known as a steam press iron.
Conventional irons are great and still hold their place as helpful household tools. However, if you want something a little more convenient, you should check out steam press irons. Steam press irons have larger heating plates and can conveniently remove the crease and wrinkles on a fabric with just one press. Quite unbelievable, but it is true. It is also a safer way to iron because it reduces the risk of fabric damage due to scorching or shining.
Just as there are different ironing board sizes, there are different steam press irons based on the size and surface area of the heating plate. A small steam press would conveniently press one dress at a time. But if you're using it for industrial ironing or ironing larger fabrics like draperies, a larger steam press would be more suitable, like the
Sienna Empressa Digital Steam Press. It has a large surface area of 34 x 12-inches, much more than regular home press irons. However, it would cost more money than a smaller steam press.
You may already have
a fabric steamer in your arsenal of clothes-cleaning tools, so you probably know how wonderful they are. Steam press irons are really tools that combine the effectiveness of the fabric steamer and the iron.
Steam press irons are gradually replacing fabric steamers and irons. It is now the smarter way of ironing because it saves a whole lot of time, and it is safer. So, here’s the million-dollar question – would you rather spend all day ironing and complaining or get a steam press iron and join the growing number of smart home owners?
Price
The price of a steam press iron is usually affected by the brand, features, and performance. Steam press irons from popular brands tend to cost more than those from less popular brands. When it comes to features, a steam press iron with a high-quality board and a safety switch off feature will definitely cost more than one without. The ability of the iron to remove creases or wrinkles properly will determine its price as well.
With all these factors stated above, you would not be wrong to think that the price of a steam press iron would be exorbitant. However, that’s far from the truth. A good steam press iron with appropriate features, capable of delivering optimum performance costs between $150 and $300. During this review research, we came across several cheap steam press irons. We advise you to stay away from such because you could end up destroying your clothes in a bid to save money.
Features
Apart from generally reducing ironing time, a good steam press iron can also be used on delicate fabrics without risking damage to them. To be able to get the best out of a steam press iron, there are key features that should be present. These key features include:
- Heating Plate
- Energy Consumption
- Safety Features
- Steam Press Controls
- Size and Specification
Construction and Design
One of the major differences between the heating plate of a conventional iron and a steam press iron is the heating plate and surface area. Overtime, the heating plate of a conventional iron snags or sticks to the fabric that is being ironed, but, in the case of a steam press iron, it doesn’t. This is because a stainless steel plate—which can also be described as non-stick—is used in the manufacturing of most steam press irons. This type of plate is also durable and can withstand exposure to chemicals and moisture. Aside from stainless steel, platinum plates are also used. Heating plates made from platinum do not rust easily and are highly durable. When considering heating plates, prevention of dust particle entry and passage of steam through vents should also be factored in.
The energy consumption of steam press irons varies from brand to brand. The most important thing to note is that they usually consume quite a large quantity of power, and this adversely leads to huge electrical bills. The power ratings on steam presses can be larger than 1500 watts or lower. If the steam press iron is to be used for industrial purposes, an iron with a higher power rating would be more suitable than one with a lower power rating. However, if it is to be used for domestic purposes, a steam press with a lower power rating would be advisable.
Most steam press irons are user-friendly and come with controls that can be easily understood by the intended user. Before purchasing a steam press, ensure that the control knobs are color-coded or that the buttons are largely displayed. Some steam press irons come with assistive images on the control panel which are quite explanatory and obvious to the user. Also, it is important for the steam press iron to offer suitable options that enable the intended user to press different fabric types with ease. For example, the temperature needed for pressing cotton may damage silk or may not be enough to remove the crease lines from linen.
Performance and Ease of Use
The size and specification of a steam press iron plays so many important roles. Firstly, the size determines how easily portable it is. There are steam press irons that weigh as much as 30 pounds while others weigh less than 15 pounds. If the steam press iron would be left in one location, the weight might not be considered. But if the idea is to move it from room to room, then those weighing 15 pounds or less should be considered first.
As with any appliance that uses a huge amount of power and yields equal amount of heat, the risk of injury to the user is highly increased. Therefore, several safety measures must be adopted to prevent damage to the user and appliance. To avoid such unwanted episodes, it’s best to get a steam press iron with a means to either turn itself off when left unattended to or alert the user to the increasing temperature being generated.
Now you've gone ahead and looked through five of the best brands for steam press irons; you should be better equipped to make your decision. So, go right ahead and pick your favorite and never dread laundry day again!
