• 1040
• April 16, 2024

Steam ironing stations in the test and comparison

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	test winner
model	Philips PerfectCare Elite GC9642 / 60	Braun CareStyle Compact IS 2043	Rowenta SILENCE STEAM DG8962	Tefal Pro Express Ultimate GV9580	Kärcher SI 4 EasyFix Premium Iron
power	2400 W	2200 W	2400 W	2600 W	2000 W
size	23.3x28.5x45.3 cm	23x21x35 cm	28x34,5x44,5 cm	42.3x25x28.9 cm	35x28x27 cm (case)
Weight of iron with station	5.1 kg	2.6 kg	6.4 kg	5.1 kg	5.5 kg
Weight of the iron	0.8 kg	1.14 kg	1,190 kg	1.08 kg	1.5 kg (including the steam hose plus plug)
water tank	1.8 l	1.3 l	1.5 l	1.9 l	0.8 l
continuous steam delivery	145 g / min	110 g / min	120 g / min	180 g / min	50 g / min
vapor pressure	Max. 7.2 bar	Max. 5 bar	Max. 7.3 bar	Max. 8 bar	Max. 3.5 bar
maximum shot of steam	490 g / min	300 g / min	460 g / min	580 g / min	110 g / min
colour	White / Gold	White / ocean blue	Black / stainless steel	Dress Blue	White
Length of the power cord	1.8 m	1.5 m	1,98 m	1.65 m	4 m
hose length	1,7 m	1.8 m	1.8 m	1.65 m	2,3 m
cable storage	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes (power cord) No (steam hose)
On / off switch	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
soleplate	T-ionicGlide	3D BackGlide	Microsteam400 Profile Laser	Durilium AirGlide Autoclean	Easy glide stainless steel sole
Automatic shutdown	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
ECO-funtion	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Price on Amazon	299,00 ?	134,99 ?	189,90 ?	292,30 ?	399,88 ?
advantages	· Makes a visually stylish, confidence-inspiring impression · Heats up quickly · Powerful and still very quiet · The iron is the lightest in comparison · The soleplate is scratch-resistant · Easy operation and cleaning · Has an efficient Easy De-Calc function	· The lightest and smallest ironing station in the test, makes a good, thoughtful impression · Pretty cheap · Heats up quickly · Bearable volume · Thanks to the rounded FreeGlide 3D soleplate you can also iron the laundry backwards. · Easy operation and cleaning	· Sleek and powerful, makes a well-made impression · Heats up quickly · Bearable volume · Scratch-resistant soleplate with precision bow tip · Easy operation and cleaning · Has a removable anti-limescale collector	· Is the most powerful steam ironing station in the test comparison, which makes a reliable impression · Heats up quickly · Bearable volume · Autoclean soleplate · Uncomplicated, almost intuitive operation and cleaning (despite a confusing manual) · Has a removable anti-limescale collector	· Has an appealing design and is color well matched · Heats up quickly · Pleasantly quiet · In spite of lower performance, the crumpled areas could also be ironed well thanks to the smooth-running stainless steel sole. · Easy operation and cleaning · A lot of accessories
disadvantage	· high purchase price · The steam ironing station is quite bulky and not very light.	· Does not have a removable water tank · Follow-up costs for anti-lime cartridges · Not only steam but also water splashes out of the soleplate? dangerous to the fingers	· No bargains · The heaviest ironing station among the competitors, needs more space	· Is not very cheap · The ironing station is heavy and bulky · The operating instructions in picture form can not be found in text form on the internet.	· The steam ironing station is relatively large and not light. · The water tank could be bigger. · The steam comes not only from the soleplate, but also from the base station. The case and everything around it gets damp. · Follow-up costs for descaling agents
The ironing result	With the Philips PerfectCare Elite we have achieved a convincing ironing result. With the turbo adjustment we have almost defeated all wrinkles on the short-sleeved shirt when ironing on the ironing board. There are only a few wrinkles left, which were extremely persistent from the outset. The vertical evaporation also surprised us positively.	The short-sleeved shirt had a few remaining, easily visible folds after ironing. But all in all, it has looked neat. The two long-sleeved shirts have also looked refreshed and maintained after the vertical vapor deposition.	The iron slid super on the short-sleeved shirt and has almost all, except the very deep wrinkles, get out.The shirt then looked much better and smoother, almost wrinkle free. Also vertically, on hanging shirts, the device was used successfully.	Even the heavily wrinkled short-sleeved shirt could be smoothed out with the device thoroughly and gently. Only very persistent linen folds have defied and are slightly lagging behind. Even with the vertical vaporization with the Tefal device, the long-sleeved shirts quickly became smooth without much effort.	The steam ironing station has achieved sufficiently good results. Although the deep wrinkles in some areas of the short-sleeved shirt have barely been removed, the shirt has, all in all, left a good, refreshed impression. The other shirts with long sleeves looked decent after the vertical straightening.
Available at Amazon	Philips PerfectCare Elite TO THE PRODUCT	Braun CareStyle Compact TO THE PRODUCT	Rowenta SILENCE STEAM TO THE PRODUCT	Tefal Pro Express Ultimate TO THE PRODUCT	Kärcher SI 4 EasyFix TO THE PRODUCT

Content of the test report

1. General information about steam ironing stations
   1. What is a steam ironing station?
   2. The advantages of an ironing station over a steam iron
   3. Disadvantages compared to steam iron
2. Trick for best results when ironing shirts
3. Important test details
4. cleaning
5. Five steam ironing stations in the comparison test
   1. Philips PerfectCare Elite steam ironing station GC9642 / 60
   2. Braun CareStyle Compact steam ironing station IS 2043
   3. Rowenta SILENCE STEAM steam ironing station DG8962
   4. Tefal Pro Express Ultimate Steam Iron Station GV9580
   5. Kärcher SC 4 EasyFix Iron-Kit Steam Cleaner
6. Our test result

General information about steam ironing stations

What is a steam ironing station?

A steam ironing station consists of an iron that is attached to a base station via a connecting hose. The water is heated in the boiler. Subsequently, the hot steam is let out of the station and passed on to the iron. When ironing the upwardly conducted water vapor is discharged through the nozzle of the heated soleplate.

The advantages of an ironing station compared to a steam iron:

• Higher steam quantity and higher steam pressure ensure better, faster ironing results.
• The reservoir of a steam ironing station is larger than the water tank of an iron. Prolonged ironing and rare refilling of the boiler will save you time and effort as well.
• Since the water tank is not integrated in the steam iron itself, but in the base station, such an iron without a water tank is often much lighter compared to a conventional steam iron.
• Without an integrated water tank, the iron of an ironing station is not so bulky.
• Most steam ironing stations do not need additional distilled water. They get along with normal tap water.
• leave no burn marks or damage

Disadvantages compared to steam iron:

• Many stations are not compact and need more space than a normal iron.
• In addition, they weigh a lot more overall.
• higher acquisition costs
• In some ironing stations you can not remove the water tank from the base station. You have to carry the whole station to the sink to empty it.
• They consume more electricity.
• If there is a strong release of steam, water accumulates under the ironing board. The water drips down and lands on the ground. At this point we have a solution for you: We recommend you an ironing board with drip tray or with suction!

Trick for best results when ironing shirts

With the shirt trick you spare your nerves and you're done with the ironing fast: To the trick

Important test details

For the testing of all steam ironing stations 3 shirts were prepared:

A heavily crumpled cotton shirt with short sleeves for normal ironingAn easy-iron cotton shirt with long sleeves for vertical steam ironingA heavy-iron cotton shirt with long sleeves for vertical steam ironing

For each device, the shirts were washed and dried in the same way before testing! When ironing vertically, the shirts were hung on a hanger. We only used the vertical ironing feature to freshen up the garments. For filling the water tank we used normal tap water. Caution: Do not let your fingers get into the steam. He is really hot!

cleaning

Sole: It is very important to periodically clean a soleplate to maintain its lubricity. That's why we wiped the soleplates of all test irons when cool with a damp cloth or a non-abrasive sponge.

Housing: You can clean the plastic parts of all devices from time to time with a soft, damp cloth.

Five steam ironing stations in the comparison test

In our steam iron station test, 5 different ironing stations were tested.The test models include: Philips PerfectCare Elite steam ironing station GC9642 / 60, Braun CareStyle Compact steam ironing station IS 2043, Rowenta SILENCE STEAM steam ironing station DG8962, Tefal Pro Express Ultimate steam ironing station GV9580 and Kärcher SC 4 EasyFix iron-kit steam cleaner. In the following paragraphs you will find our rating for each model:

Philips PerfectCare Elite steam ironing station GC9642 / 60

The Philips Steam Ironing Station GC9642 / 60 was kindly provided by the Philips GmbH Market DACH for free for this test!

details:

Price on Amazon: 299.00? Capacity of the water tank: 1.8 l; continuous steam delivery: up to 145 g / min; Pressure: max. 7.2 bar; maximum shot of steam: up to 490 g / min; Power: max. 2400 W; Weight of the iron: 0.8 kg; Weight of iron with station: 5.1 kg; Size: 23.3 x 28.5 x 45.3 cm; Length of power cord: 1.8 m; Hose length: 1.7 m; Color: white / gold

Positive features and properties:

The Philips PerfectCare Elite steam ironing station looks really stylish. The processing of the device makes a confidence-inspiring and long-lasting impression. The golden color gives the steam iron station a noble glow. Despite its extreme power, the high-pressure steam ironing station is very quiet in steam mode. It is the quietest device among all test candidates. The manual is bilingual and understandable. The device is very easy to use. The control panel has only 3 displays: the Eco button, the On / Off switch and the Easy De-Calc display. The water tank is removable from the base station. The ironing station heats up pretty quickly, and is ready in about 2 minutes. Since all two cables (the cable and the steam hose) are long enough and if your outlet is nearby, you can leave the base station on the ground quietly.

Optimal TEMP technology eliminates the need for manual temperature regulation. With just one setting for all fabrics, the iron will automatically detect which iron-on textile types are being ironed. There are different ways to iron laundry with the steam ironing station. To iron thick fabrics, you should keep the steam release permanently pressed. Then you can use the dry ironing to dry the ironing. For particularly stubborn wrinkles you can activate permanent, powerful steam ejection by making the steam trigger twice in succession. The TURBO steam mode generates even greater amounts of steam. The mode is achieved by holding the on / off switch for longer (2 seconds). Also, when refreshing a garment in vertical evaporation, it is recommended to change to the TURBO setting. When the ECO button is pressed, the eco setting becomes active with less steam. In this mode you save energy. For even lower energy consumption and a secure feeling, the ironing station will automatically switch off if it has not been used for 10 minutes.

The iron with the? T-Ionic Glide? Sole is light and comfortable to hold. With the iron you get great in all angles and corners. The soleplate is made of sturdy stainless steel and scratch-resistant thanks to its integrated titanium oxide coating. The hot soleplate you can safely park horizontally on the ironing board, without fear of damage. The ironing station also includes an efficient Easy De-Calc function. By removing the Easy De-Calc closure water flows together with the lime in the prepared vessel. A transport lock provides for easy transport: It allows a secure attachment of the iron to the heating base. Nice that this device has convenient hose storage and cable compartments, so you can hide the hose and the power cord at the bottom of the station when tidying up.

Ironing results:

With the Philips PerfectCare Elite, we have achieved a convincing ironing result. With the TURBO setting we have defeated almost all wrinkles on the short-sleeved shirt while ironing on the ironing board. There are only a few wrinkles left, which were extremely persistent from the outset. The vertical steaming, which we were initially skeptical, we were pleasantly surprised. With this feature, we were able to refresh the other two long-sleeved shirts super. With constant steam output in vertical position, slight creases were also removed.

Criticism:

The Philips PerfectCare Elite Steam Ironing Station has many positive aspects, but does not leave you without a point deduction. We have identified two disadvantages:

• It was the most expensive steam iron station in the test.
• The Philips PerfectCare Elite is quite bulky and not very light.

Braun CareStyle Compact steam ironing station IS 2043

The Braun CareStyle Compact steam ironing station IS 2043 was kindly provided by Braun for this test free of charge!

details:

Price on Amazon: 134.99? Capacity of the water tank: 1.3 l; continuous steam delivery: up to 110 g / min; Pressure: max. 5 bar; maximum shot of steam: up to 300 g / min; Power: max.2200 W; Weight of the iron: 1.14 kg; Weight of iron with station: 2.6 kg; Size: 23 x 21 x 35 cm; Length of power cord: 1.5 m; Hose length: 1.8 m; Color: white / ocean blue

Positive features and properties:

The Braun CareStyle Compact is the lightest and smallest ironing station in our test. Their color combination (white / blue) also gives the station a noticeable lightness. Generally she makes a good, thoughtful impression. The device is very clever. It also has a very satisfactory price-performance ratio.

Due to the vertical attachment of the iron to the shelf, the entire CareStyle Compact steam ironing station saves space and thanks to its compactness, can be stowed away and stored in a great way. At the ironing station, the water tank is integrated in a round base station. Their noise level is in the average range and is perfectly fine. The operating instructions are multilingual and very extensive. The device heats up quickly and is ready for use within a few minutes. In addition, it is just as easy to use. The ironing station has 5 steam settings: iCare, Eco, Turbo, an extended steam boost and vertical steaming. Thanks to the special iCare function, you avoid unnecessary pre-sorting of your laundry because this setting is suitable for most types of fabrics, such as cotton / linen, wool and polyester. For delicate textiles, the Eco setting is best. With this setting, less steam comes out of the soleplate. For thicker fabrics that are ironed with more steam, the turbo mode is suitable. But if you need more steam to fight persistent wrinkles, you can activate it for several seconds by pressing the steam activation button twice. To start vertical steaming, you should set the iron in a vertical position in iCare mode and repeatedly press the steam activation button when refreshing hanging garments. You are also free to iron without steam. But do not forget that after 10 minutes without steam emission, the automatic shutdown is activated.

Thanks to the rounded FreeGlide 3D soleplate with EloxalPlus coating, the whole iron looks not only compact, but also manoeuvrable. Thanks to her, you can iron with the Braun iron not only optimally about all buttons or pockets around, but also backwards. The iron itself is a bit heavier than the previous one from Philips, but not too big and comfortable to handle. On the ironing board you can only park it horizontally, but that's fine too. The circular station also found enough space on the shelf of the ironing board. With the power cord and the connecting hose we also had no problem in this case.

Thanks to the lock system, the attachment of the iron to the base is very easy. Such transport lock guarantees a safe lifting and carrying the ironing station to another location. The automatic switch-off offers additional security and relaxation. The practical winding avoids cable clutter from the two cables: For the hose, there is a bracket on the station, the power cord can be practically wound around the base.

Ironing results:

The Braun CareStyle Compact is not as powerful as the Philips ironing station, but in the end it has enough power to even smoothen crease cotton. It took a bit longer to achieve good results, especially in difficult areas, but the device has mastered the tasks assigned to it. The short-sleeved shirt had a few remaining, easily visible folds after ironing. But all in all, it has looked neat. The two long-sleeved shirts have also looked refreshed and looked after the vertical vapor deposition.

Criticism:

With the Braun CareStyle Compact steam ironing station, ironing is extremely effective. However, there are some criticisms of the device:

• We found it unfavorable that she does not have a removable water tank. We do not see the water filling as a problem, but rather the emptying. When refilling you can at least fill with a watering can into the water tank. When emptying you have to carry the whole device to the sink. The good thing about the whole thing is that you do not have to empty the leftover water after each ironing. Only when the ironing station has not been used for a long time (from about 1 month), the water tank should be emptied. Then it must be ensured that when used again the water filter is watered, so that good steam is created.
• Anti-lime cassettes should be replaced at some point. Which means that follow-up costs arise when purchasing such cartridges. But despite all the criticism, there is also something positive: The anti-lime cartridges are quite durable, since the cartridge should be replaced only when in principle the ironing station indicates 30 liters (which corresponds to 23 tank fillings) "ironed" water.Alternatively, you can also work permanently with demineralized water and cartridge inserted and when the reset button lights up this pressing and then simply iron on.
• When steaming comes out of the soleplate not only steam, it also spouts out water, which is not completely safe for the fingers.
• Another small drawback: no power button

Rowenta SILENCE STEAM steam ironing station DG8962

The Rowenta SILENCE STEAM DG8962 steam iron station IS 2043 was kindly provided by Groupe SEB for this test free of charge!

details:

Price on Amazon: 189.90? Capacity of the water tank: 1.5 l; continuous steam delivery: up to 120 g / min; Pressure: max. 7.3 bar; maximum shot of steam: up to 460 g / min; Power: max. 2400 W; Weight of the iron: 1,190 kg; Weight of iron with station: 6.4 kg; Size: 28 x 34.5 x 44.5 cm; Length of power cord: 1.98 m; Hose length: 1.8 m; Color: black / stainless steel

Positive features and properties:

The Rowenta Silence Steam is a sleek and powerful steam ironing station. The station makes a well-made impression. The unit makes less noise than the steam iron station of Braun, but slightly more than that of Philips. At the front of the steam generator is a large, removable water tank. The operating instructions are only in pictures. This is by no means a disadvantage, because you can quickly find the text version on the Internet. The power and steam cables are very long and flexible enough not to feel restricted in their movement. The Rowenta Silence Steam has an on / off button and heats up in minutes (not 2 minutes) after pressing the button.

The device is slightly different than the previous two ironing stations. For the Rowenta Silence Steam Steam Iron Station, it is not sufficient to set the mode before ironing. You must turn both the temperature control on the iron and the steam flow regulator on the steam generator accordingly before ironing. There are people who prefer a comfortable, automatic basic setting for all fabrics instead of a rotary knob on the iron for manually adjustable temperatures. But there are also those who do not trust the automatic or some older people who got used to the wheel on the iron. The rotary wheel on the Rowenta iron is also practical and has the right temperature for every garment. Such a wheel is no reason to complain. It's probably just a matter of habit! The steam generator has a turbo steam setting, which facilitates the ironing of very wrinkled fabrics thanks to its intensive steam output. The steam is dispensed directly by pressing a button under the iron handle. By pressing the steam button three times, the steam output can be extended. The Eco mode for lower energy consumption is also available here. The device has an additional function that allows the targeted steam emission. To activate this function you have to press the button on the iron. The concentrated shot of steam emerges at the top of the sole and is intended for the targeted ironing of stubborn places. For vertical evaporation, you have to set the two temperature and steam volume control to the maximum position and the button? Boost / vertical Steam? to press. When dry ironing you do not need to press the steam button under the handle of the steam generator.

The Rowenta iron is not as light as Philips and not as compact as Brown, but ironing is pleasant and quick with the iron. The iron can be placed horizontally directly on the ironing board or on its heat-resistant storage of the steam generator. The stainless steel soleplate is scratch-resistant and equipped with Microsteam 400 laser technology for perfect steam distribution through 400 micro-holes. Unlike its test competitors can be at the high-pressure steam ironing station Silence Steam simply push his power cord in his cable compartment. So it stays hidden in the compartment. The steam hose also has its own compartment for folding. If you want to lock the iron safely on its shelf, you should fold the lockable bar over the iron. Thanks to the anti-limescale collector, descaling the generator is child's play. It is sufficient to rinse the collected lime from the collector from time to time under running water and put it back on.

Ironing results:

The iron slid super on the short-sleeved shirt and has almost all, except the very deep wrinkles, get out. The shirt then looked much better and smoother, almost wrinkle free. Also vertically, on hanging shirts, the device was used successfully. This made it particularly uncomplicated to remove the wrinkles on the back and abdomen, and to freshen up the garments.

Criticism:

However, the Rowenta Silence Steam, like any other of our test devices, has some drawbacks:

• The steam ironing station is not a bargain.
• the heaviest machine among the competitors, needs more space
• The device has no automatic shutdown function.

Tefal Pro Express Ultimate Steam Iron Station GV9580

The Tefal Pro Express Ultimate GV9580 steam ironing station was kindly provided by Groupe SEB for this test for free!

details:

Price on Amazon: 292.30? Capacity of the water tank: 1.9 l; continuous steam delivery: up to 180 g / min; Pressure: max. 8 bar; maximum shot of steam: up to 580 g / min; Power: max. 2600 W; Weight of the iron: 1,08 kg; Weight of iron with station: 5.1 kg; Size: 42.3 x 25 x 28.9 cm; Length of power cord: 1.65 m; Hose length: 1.65 m; Color: Dress Blue

Positive features and properties:

The Tefal Pro Express Ultimate GV9580 is the most powerful steam ironing station in our test comparison, which makes a reliable impression. In addition, she looks very beautiful and has a visually appealing pattern on the edge. The color selection in dark blue and white is just as well done. Since the device is relatively strong, it is logically louder than our other four test models. Nevertheless, the burden on the sound level for the ear is in tolerable range. The removable water tank also holds more water than other competitors. Pressing the On / Off button will launch the Tefal Pro Express Ultimate. Within a short time, the steam ironing station is ready for use. The operation of the device was actually straightforward and almost intuitive, since the manual with their pictures seemed a bit strange. The individual ironing settings, depending on the laundry, are controlled by the "Mode" button on the iron. One of these settings is the Eco mode, which accounts for the lower energy consumption. In addition, there is a boost setting directly at the station. Selecting this function increases the already proper steam output even more. The boost mode at the level? Max? Perfect for vertical steaming of hanging textiles. The boost function can be activated for a maximum of 15 minutes. The steam button on the underside of the handle smoothes the laundry with steam for the duration of its operation. For a longer steam output, you should quickly press the steam button three times in succession. You can also iron your clothes without moistening them by not pressing the steam generator button.

The handle of Tefal has a comfortable weight and is not too heavy. It is not so sleek, but still agile enough and easy to run. The iron can be both upright on the ironing board stably on its rounded shape of the bottom, as well as on the practical shelf of the base. Its palladium-coated Durilium AirGlide Autoclean soleplate has a self-cleaning function that dissolves its hanging fine fibers into air by catalytic combustion. If the Tefal Pro Express Ultimate GV9580 is idle for more than 8 minutes, it will automatically turn off. Just like the Rowenta Silence Steam, this device has an anti-lime collector that collects all the lime. You can also wash it out with water and simply reintroduce it to the steam ironing station. Through a special holder, you can connect the iron firmly to the station. The power and steam cable lengths are absolutely sufficient. When cleaning up, both cables can be stowed away wonderfully on the device: The power cable can be stored in a small compartment on the right side of the base station, the steam hose can be arranged around the station. Once you have connected all the parts to the station, you can practically transport the entire steam ironing station by hand.

Ironing results:

With its 8 bar print, the Tefal Pro Express Ultimate GV9580 has done an outstanding job. Even the heavily wrinkled short-sleeved shirt could be smoothed out with the device thoroughly and gently. Only very persistent linen folds have, as with the other test competitors, defied and are slightly lagging behind. Even with the vertical vaporization with the Tefal device, the long-sleeved shirts quickly became smooth without much effort.

Criticism:

The Tefal Pro Express Ultimate GV9580 Steam Ironing Station has not only advantages, but also disadvantages:

• The device is not very cheap.
• heavy and bulky
• The instruction manual in picture form is confusing and also in the Internet in text version not to be found.

Kärcher SI 4 EasyFix Iron steam ironing station

The Kärcher SI 4 EasyFix Iron steam ironing station was kindly provided by Alfred Kärcher GmbH § Co. KG for this test free of charge!

details:

Price on Amazon: 399.88? Capacity of the water tank: 0.8 l; continuous steam delivery: up to 50 g / min; Pressure: max. 3.5 bar; maximum shot of steam: up to 110 g / min; Power: max. 2000 W; Weight of the iron (incl.the steam hose plus plug: 1.5 kg; Weight of the iron with housing: 5.5 kg; Size (housing): 35 x 28 x 27 cm; Length of power cord: 4 m; Steam hose with pistol: 2.3 m; Color white

Positive features and properties:

The steam ironing station SI 4 EasyFix Premium Iron is also not cheap, but we must not forget that we are dealing here not only with a steam ironing station, but with a usable in many areas steam cleaner with extensive accessories. All components of this complete cleaning system are clean and of high quality. But since we only use ironing stations in this test, we will only test this area with the SI 4 EasyFix. Choosing the right steam ironing station and assembling accessories is not as complicated as you would expect if you read through the instruction manual beforehand. The tutorial is simple and pretty well explained in many languages. The ironing equipment included in our delivery includes an iron with comfortable smooth-running stainless steel sole and an ironing board with a cotton and foam ironing board cover. The ironing board is equipped with an inflation function, active steam extraction and 6-level height adjustment.

The steam cleaner SC 4 EasyFix Iron has a two-tank system consisting of a removable water tank and a steam boiler (0,5l). He also has a really long 4-meter power cord. For safe storage of the power cord, the case has an integrated compartment. The separable steam hose is also long enough so that it also comfortably reaches from the floor (if your case is on the floor) to the table. The power button activates the ironing station. Heating the device does not take long. The volume generated by the SI 4 during operation is pleasantly quiet.

The steam pressure iron has a smooth-running stainless steel sole and can be effortlessly connected to the housing outlet using the steam plug. The smooth-running stainless steel sole is ideal even for heavy ironing material. The Kärcher iron is very compact and not heavy. It has a temperature controller and two steam switches (top and bottom). During ironing, you should set the temperature control according to the garment. For the interval steaming you should switch the? Steam? hold down on the bottom as long as you need it. But if you pull the lock on the top of the steam switch at the top until it snaps into place, you will have a permanent steam delivery. Dry ironing is also possible here, but the two steam switches do not have to be pressed.

If you want to turn off the iron during ironing, you can put it in a vertical position on the ironing board. Since the housing has no shelf for the iron, it would be ideal to separate the iron with plug from the housing. So you can save both the case and the iron separately to save space.

Ironing results:

According to the performance data, the Kärcher SI 4 EasyFix Iron is the weakest device compared to its test competitors. Nevertheless, the steam ironing station has not achieved perfect but sufficiently good results in both normal, horizontal and vertical ironing. Although the deep wrinkles in some areas of the short-sleeved shirt have barely been removed, the shirt has, all in all, left a good, refreshed impression. The other shirts with long sleeves looked decent after the vertical straightening.

Criticism:

The last test device from Kärcher also has its weaknesses:

• It is relatively large and not the lightest.
• His water tank could undoubtedly be bigger. Since he is comparatively not very big, you have to refill him more often.
• The SI 4 has no Eco function.
• In operation, the steam comes not only from the soleplate, but also from the base station. The case and everything around it gets damp.
• no automatic shutdown function
• For descaling the boiler, you must use the Kärcher descaling agent. This results in follow-up costs.

Our test result:

After testing all steam ironing stations, we were initially undecided on the result, since all the devices delivered a smooth result, as shown in these pictures:

Therefore, other criteria such as volume, quality, handling, etc. have been used for the freestyle test winner. After all, we were of 2 devices? the Tefal Pro Express Ultimate GV9580 and the Philips PerfectCare Elite GC9642 / 60? were equally taken. Both steam ironing stations have delivered good ironing results and impressed us with their handling. Both are not cheap, but good quality. But thanks to the low volume and automatic temperature control, without presorting the ironing, its particular lightness and the structure of your iron, the Philips steam ironing station convinced us in the end.The Philips PerfectCare Elite GC9642 / 60 is a beautifully designed and well-made device that has done a very convincing job and that one can without further doubt appoint in our test to be the overall winner!

Best Steam Iron Review | April 2024