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I hate ironing so tested two-in-one gadgets that claim to steam & iron at same time – the best was cheap as chips


WHILE many believe conventional irons can get outfits looking their best – especially when it comes to shirts and pleats – others see steaming as a quick and simple solution to transform crumpled clothes.

But you don’t have to choose between them, with a host of two-in-one steam irons on the market.

Woman steaming a brown shirt on a clothing rack.
David Cummings

Abby McHale tested five two-in-one steam irons on the market[/caption]

Deputy Fashion Editor Abby McHale tests out five, ranging in price from under £20 to almost £200, and scores each out of five.

Tefal Express Protect anti-scale steam generator iron, was £279.99, now £199.99, tefal.co.uk

Tefal Express Pro steam iron station.
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At £199.99 the Tefal steam generator iron was the most expensive we tested[/caption]

WHILE this is the most expensive of the bunch, the Tefal steam generator iron was the easiest to use.

It switched on straight away and worked well in both functions – producing steam immediately on the upright steaming setting and gliding effortlessly when switched to ironing.

Handily, you can remove the reservoir from the base unit which the iron sits on – meaning you don’t need to lug the entire thing to the sink to fill it with water.

My two complaints are how bulky it is – because in my relatively small flat, I’d have nowhere to store it – and the price seems high.

I think I would probably rather spend the extra money on other things.

Rating: 4/5

Tower CeraGlide digital steam generator iron, £59.99, The Range

Tower Ceraglide steam iron.
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This Tower steam generator iron wasn’t the easiest to navigate[/caption]

LIKE the Tefal model, this Tower steam generator iron also has a large water compartment but you have to take the whole thing with you to the sink to fill.

At one point I tipped it forward and water dripped out.

It also wasn’t the easiest to navigate.

For instance, the power sign is green when heating up but red when ready – which I would expect to be the other way around.

However, it was smaller than the Tefal and once I got the hang of it, it did steam. It just wasn’t as easy as some of the others.

The iron function was more straightforward but I had to make sure it was turned to maximum to get the hardest creases out.

Rating: 3/5


Phillips Series 7000 SteamGlide Elite, was £100, now £80, Argos

Philips Azur 7000 Series iron.
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It took four people to figure out how to work the Phillips model[/caption]

RESEMBLING a normal iron, but with a steamer function attached,
this took FOUR people to figure out how to make it work.

At one point I was squirted in the eye with – thankfully cold – water.

Hilarious, but it would also have been fairly dangerous if this had been steam or hot water.

After taking time to heat up, the steam function releases short, sharp bursts of steam.

It also became slightly temperamental, giving out sprays of water, and I found it was quite tricky to use.

But ironing was a breeze – and it was probably the best of the lot I tested.

It’s clear ironing is this gadget’s main job, with a side hustle in steaming, so I have to deduct marks.

Rating: 2/5

Cosicosy 2-In-1 handheld clothes steamer and steam iron, £16.99 down from £19.99, Amazon

Cosicosy handheld garment steamer in use.
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The Cosicosy steam iron is marketed as a travel iron and steamer two in one[/caption]

THE cheapest of the lot that I put through their paces, the Cosicosy steam iron is marketed as a travel iron and steamer two in one.

It’s compact and comes with a heat pad to rest on plus a handy glove so you don’t burn yourself.

The iron function was good and glided through most creases, banishing them with ease.

However, when it came to steaming, it failed to impress.

While heating up on the steam function, it produced an odd noise that I felt was almost akin to a techno rave.

It took ages to get hot enough to produce steam and when it finally did, the plumes were so feeble it was simply not worth the wait.

Rating: 2/5

2-in-1 iron & garment steamer, £32.99, Beldray

Black handheld garment steamer.
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This Beldray offering was really easy to use and is a great price[/caption]

SMALL and compact, this Beldray offering was really easy to use – a pleasant surprise after the disappointing Cosicosy.

It took less than a minute to heat up on steamer setting.

Then you press one button and a constant stream of steam comes out – super simple.

And when it came to ironing, it was also fairly easy to operate.

While it does not have as many settings as the others, the aim is to get rid of creases and that is exactly what this did.

There was a tiny bit of spitting when steaming and it did dribble slightly, so bear that in mind.

But for the price, you really can’t go wrong with this.

Rating: 4/5

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