Whether you love or loathe ironing, we can all agree that anything that makes the job easier is a good thing.
Having the right tool for the job will save you from hours of slaving over a hot ironing board wondering why on earth you can't just wear a tracksuit to work.
When it comes to de-creasing your clothes, there are three options: a traditional iron, a steam station, or a garment steamer.
Which one is right for you will depend on factors like how frequently you iron, what kind of fabrics you wear, what your budget is, and how much of a stickler you are for wrinkle-free rayon and creases in your culottes.
We'll explain the pros and cons of each type of ironing appliance and share stories from real-life wrinkle fighters. Plus, we'll share our expert laundry hacks to make your clothes easier to iron.
On this page:
- Why buy a steam station?
- Why buy a traditional steam iron?
- Why buy a garment steamer?
- Can a garment steamer replace your iron?
- Hacks to help make ironing easier
Why buy a steam station?
If you're a fan of crisp collars and perfectly pressed pants, you might be interested in a steam station.
Essentially a turbo-charged steam iron, they have an extra-large water reservoir so they can produce lots of steam, smoothing out creases faster and with less manual effort than a traditional iron.
They're a serious commitment, though. They can be quite bulky and you need a specific type of ironing board to use them so you often need to leave them set up rather than packed away out of sight. Plus, they generally cost more than regular irons.
The models in our steam station review range in price from $142 all the way up to $1399, but some of the top performers cost less than $300 – so it is possible to get a dream steam without spending a fortune.
Best for: Serious ironing enthusiasts; households with lots of laundry that needs ironing; people who are particular about how their clothes look; linen lovers.
This Laurastar steam station retails for $1399.
Rebecca: Sucker for a steam station
A commitment to crease-free clothes is in Rebecca's blood: "My mum had the original Laurastar, the first of the steam stations, so I got used to it when I was still living at home," she says.
"When I moved out I got one too. I could never go back to a regular iron now."
The steam station makes ironing a pleasure, Rebecca says.
"People think I'm weird but I'll let my ironing build up and then put on a movie and get it done. It's probably the only chore I actually don't mind doing."
Why buy a traditional steam iron?
Unless you're allergic to ironing, chances are you already have one of these at home.
They have a much smaller footprint than steam stations, both in terms of physical space and the impact on your wallet.
Their much smaller water reservoir means they don't produce as much steam as a steam station, and you'll need to refill them more often.
They don't tend to be as effective as steam stations, but as long as you buy a decent iron, it'll do a good (or good-enough) job of making your clothes wrinkle-free.
You can pick one up for as little as $7.50; the most expensive iron we've tested costs $300. But you don't need to spend a lot to get the best press: about half of the irons our experts recommend cost less than $100, and none of the recommended models cost more than $200.
Best for: Infrequent ironers; people who don't want to spend a fortune; households with limited storage space.
This Kmart Anko iron costs just $7.50.
Susie: Old-school ironer
Fashion-forward parent Susie has a well-curated wardrobe full of lovely items that she likes to keep looking their best.
She also has three children – and the associated mountain of washing that small humans create – so her laundry list is quite long.
In an attempt to reduce the load, she trialled a garment steamer.
"My husband spent hours researching the perfect iron and ended up with an expensive handheld garment steamer that doubles as an iron," she says.
"But I found it annoying to operate and frustrating because it didn't seem to do either job that well.
"I ended up buying a cheap traditional iron from Kmart and I'm much happier with it!"
Why buy a garment steamer?
Do you hate dragging out the ironing board every time you need to de-crease your clothes? A garment steamer sounds like the answer to your woes: just point it at the offending wrinkles and it'll steam them out. Magic!
Unfortunately for the ironing-averse, the reality isn't quite so simple. While they're great for delicate and vintage items and can be used to refresh upholstery and soft furnishings, they don't work as well as traditional irons and steam stations for fabrics like cotton, denim, linen and organza.
They're good for tidying up already-ironed clothes that might have been crushed if you're travelling, for instance, or if you just want your business shirt to look its best before you head off to a job interview.
They don't work as well as traditional irons and steam stations for fabrics like cotton, denim, linen and organza
Some are better than others, of course. We test garment steamers on a range of fabrics, including silk, wool, linen, denim and curtains – check our garment steamers review to see how each model performs on your most-ironed fabrics so you know which one is best for your needs.
You can spend as little as $39 on a handheld Kmart garment steamer or as much as $600 on a high-end model. The more expensive options often have an ironing board component that you can use vertically or horizontally to really get those stubborn creases out.
Best for: Fashionistas who favour vintage or delicate fabrics; keen cleaners who want to spruce up their soft furnishings; those who aren't too fussed about perfectly-pressed clothes; travellers needing a handheld solution to freshen up clothes.
Small handheld garment steamers can be useful when you're travelling.
Pru: Garment steamer groupie
A self-professed iron avoider, Pru does everything she can to dodge this dreary chore.
"I purposely wear clothes that don't need ironing," she says.
"I use my garment steamer to tidy up a silk shirt or linen tank, and it's perfectly adequate for getting wrinkles out of them – it does a good-enough job, which is all I'm after."
Her husband uses a traditional steam iron for his business shirts, but he'll sometimes give them a once-over with the steamer if they've been crushed in the wardrobe.
But for Pru, the less contact she has with an iron, the better: "There is no way I'd buy an iron again".
Can a garment steamer replace your iron?
If you're trying to minimise your interactions with irons, you might be wondering if a garment steamer will save you from having to haul your ironing board out every time you need to put on a proper shirt.
The answer is yes – and no.
Our experts say that garment steamers generally aren't a substitute for an iron. They can struggle to smooth out deep creases and some fabrics just need the weight of an iron or steam station hotplate to take care of stubborn wrinkles.
Our experts say that garment steamers generally aren't a substitute for an iron
However, it depends on how committed you are to crease-free clothes. If, like Pru, you don't wear many clothes that need ironing or you're not too fussed if the results aren't perfect, then you may be perfectly happy with a garment steamer.
Whichever ironing method you choose, the most important thing is to do your research before you buy. If you choose poorly, you could end up with an expensive dud – and then you'll really have steam coming out of your ears!
Make sure you check our steam iron reviews, steam station reviews and garment steamer reviews before you hit the shops (or the sites).
Hacks to help make ironing easier
Our experts have conquered endless piles of laundry to assess how well laundry appliances perform. In the process, they've perfected the art of laundry so they know how to get the best results from your wash.
Here are their tips for getting your clothes as 'iron ready' as possible so you don't need to work as hard.
- Turn your washing machine's spin speed down. This will be gentler on your clothes so they won't get as creased. Some washing machines also have a steam function, which relaxes the fabric fibres and reduces wrinkles.
- Hang your washing ASAP! The longer it sits in the machine, the deeper the wrinkles will set.
- Use clothes hangers rather than pegs for shirts and dresses. Give them a shake before hanging to help smooth out the wrinkles.
- For particularly stubborn wrinkles, spray water on the fabric to help your iron beat the crease. You can use the iron's spray function if it has one, or a spray bottle filled with water so you don't have to refill your iron so often.
- Fabric softener may not actually help make your clothes easier to iron. Some fabrics such as synthetics don't absorb the softener well, so they won't make much of a difference. (Our experts don't recommend using fabric softeners.)
- Popping your clothes in the dryer can help remove creases. The heat and movement will relax the fabric fibres. Use a low or medium heat setting with added moisture or your dryer's steam refresh cycle (if it has one) for best results.
- Switch your cotton shirts for non-iron ones. They're usually a poly/cotton blend labelled 'easy care', 'non iron' or similar. They won't necessarily be perfectly wrinkle-free, but they'll be good enough not to need an iron.
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