On this page
We may earn a commission if you buy through links here. Brands do not pay to be listed. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Start with what you iron
A steam iron heats a metal plate and pushes steam through small holes in it. The steam relaxes the fibres in the cloth, so creases come out with fewer strokes. In an Indian home that usually means school uniforms, office shirts, cotton kurtas and sarees, often in one long session on a Sunday.
How much you iron and what you iron decides the size of iron to buy.
| What you iron | Look for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A few shirts or a uniform each day | 1250 to 1300 watts, 170 to 180 ml tank | Light, quick to heat, enough steam for daily clothes |
| A family's clothes once a week | 1600 watts or more, 200 ml or bigger tank | Fewer refills in a long session |
| Thick cotton, linen, jeans, bedsheets | 2000 watts, a steam shot (burst) | Extra steam and heat for heavy creases |
What to look for
- Watts. More watts heat the plate faster and keep it hot while steam is flowing. 1250 to 1600 watts suits most homes.
- Steam output. Shown in grams per minute (g/min). 15 to 17 g/min is normal for a home iron. A steam shot or burst gives a short, strong puff for stubborn creases.
- Tank size. 170 to 220 ml covers a normal session. A bigger tank means fewer refills but a heavier iron.
- Soleplate. Non-stick plates glide easily and are easy to wipe. Ceramic plates glide well and resist scratches. Avoid ironing over zips and buttons, which scratch any plate.
- Weight. Around 800 g to 1 kg is easy on the wrist. Heavier irons press harder but tire you out sooner.
- Safety and care features. Auto shut-off switches the iron off if you forget it. Anti-drip stops leaks at low heat. Self-clean or anti-calc helps with hard water.
- Swivel cord and warranty. A 360 degree cord lets you iron from either side without twisting it. Check how long the warranty is, and who services it in your city.
Top 5 steam irons to look at
We have not tested these. The details come from each Amazon listing, and the pros and cons are our reading of those details and of this type of product. This is a shortlist, not a ranking. We picked popular listings on Amazon.in, so the order does not mean one is better. Check the current price, warranty and reviews on Amazon.
| Product | Listed power | Steam | Tank | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philips GC1905/21 | 1300 watts | 17 g/min | 180 ml | 970 g |
| Philips DST0820/20 | 1250 watts | 15 g/min | 170 ml | 771 g |
| Bajaj MX 3 Neo | 1250 watts | Not listed | 180 ml | 1 kg |
| Havells TruSteam 1600 | 1600 watts | 15 g/min | 220 ml | 920 g |
| Morphy Richards Super Glide | 2000 watts | 11 g/min, 150 g/min shot | 350 ml | 1.4 kg |
1. Philips GC1905/21
This is Philips' long-running basic steam iron. The listing gives the model year as 2011, and it is still one of the most bought irons on Amazon.in, with over 54,000 ratings. It is aimed at a home that wants a simple, proven steam iron for daily clothes.
Key details
- Power: 1300 watts
- Steam: up to 17 g/min continuous
- Tank: 180 ml
- Soleplate: black non-stick
- Weight: 970 g
- Warranty: the listing shows both one year and two years in different places, so confirm before you buy
- The highest steam output of the four lighter irons here
- A very large number of ratings, so there is plenty of buyer feedback to read
- Under 1 kg, so it suits long sessions
- No auto shut-off, anti-drip or self-clean is listed
- An older design, with no steam shot
- The warranty wording on the listing is not consistent
Good for: A home that wants a simple, popular steam iron for everyday cotton clothes.
2. Philips DST0820/20
This is a newer, lighter Philips iron. At 771 g it is the lightest of the five. The listing adds a water spray and a multilayer non-stick soleplate, and says its "Cotton Express" setting irons cotton 25% faster with the right steam.
Key details
- Power: 1250 watts
- Steam: 15 g/min continuous, plus a water spray
- Tank: 170 ml
- Soleplate: multilayer coated non-stick
- Weight: 771 g
- In the box: the iron and a user manual
- The lightest iron here, so it is easy on the wrist
- The spray helps with dry, stubborn creases
- From the same brand as the most bought iron, with a newer design
- The smallest tank of the five
- Lower power than the Havells or Morphy Richards
- No auto shut-off or self-clean is listed
Good for: Someone who irons a few clothes daily and wants the lightest iron.
3. Bajaj MX 3 Neo
This is Bajaj's everyday steam iron. The listing highlights an anti-bacterial coated non-stick soleplate, a cool-touch body and a 360 degree swivel cord. It also says the iron works for dry ironing and vertical steaming.
Key details
- Power: 1250 watts
- Tank: 180 ml
- Soleplate: non-stick, with an anti-bacterial coating
- Cord: 360 degree swivel
- Weight: 1 kg
- Warranty: 2 years from the manufacturer
- In the box: a water measuring cup, instruction manual and warranty card
- A 2 year manufacturer warranty, stated clearly on the listing
- The swivel cord suits left and right-handed users
- It can steam hanging clothes and curtains vertically
- The listing doesn't give a steam rate in g/min
- Its rating (3.7 out of 5) is lower than the Philips irons
- No auto shut-off is listed
Good for: A buyer who wants a known Indian brand with a clear 2 year warranty.
4. Havells TruSteam 1600
This is a newer Havells iron with the most safety and care features of the five. The listing names auto shut-off, anti-drip, self-cleaning and vertical steaming, plus a see-through 220 ml tank.
Key details
- Power: 1600 watts
- Steam: 15 g/min continuous
- Tank: 220 ml, transparent
- Soleplate: PTFE non-stick
- Features: auto shut-off, anti-drip, self-cleaning, vertical steaming
- Weight: 920 g
- Warranty: 2 years, at your door, by Havells
- The only iron here that lists auto shut-off
- Anti-drip and self-clean help with leaks and hard water
- More power and a bigger tank than the Philips irons, at a similar weight
- A new listing with about 100 ratings, so there is less buyer feedback
- The steam rate is lower than the Philips GC1905
- The colour on the listing is pink, so check which colours are available
Good for: A family that irons in long sessions and wants auto shut-off for safety.
5. Morphy Richards Super Glide
This is the heavy-duty iron of the five: 2000 watts, a 350 ml tank and a steam shot of 150 g/min. The listing describes a large ceramic soleplate with 46 steam holes and an extra-long swivel cord, and says it is ISI approved.
Key details
- Power: 2000 watts
- Steam: 11 g/min continuous, 150 g/min steam shot, variable steam and spray
- Tank: 350 ml
- Soleplate: ceramic coated, extra large, 46 steam holes
- Features: vertical ironing, self-clean with anti-calc
- Weight: 1.4 kg
- Warranty: 2 years, as listed
- The biggest tank and the strongest steam shot, so suits bedsheets, linen and jeans
- A ceramic soleplate that resists scratches
- Self-clean with anti-calc helps in hard-water areas
- At 1.4 kg it is the heaviest, which tires the wrist in a long session
- 2000 watts uses more power per minute
- The continuous steam rate (11 g/min) is the lowest here, so you rely on the shot
Good for: A large family, or anyone who irons thick cotton and linen every week.
What a steam iron costs to run
An iron heats up, then switches its heater on and off to hold the temperature. These figures assume it draws full power the whole time, so your real cost is usually a little lower. They use an example rate of ₹8 per unit. Check your own bill for your rate.
| Iron | 15 minutes | 1 hour |
|---|---|---|
| 1250 watts | about 0.31 units, ₹2.50 | about 1.25 units, ₹10 |
| 1600 watts | about 0.4 units, ₹3.20 | about 1.6 units, ₹12.80 |
| 2000 watts | about 0.5 units, ₹4 | about 2 units, ₹16 |
The easy saving is to iron in one go rather than heating the iron several times a day. Start with synthetics on low heat, then turn up the heat for cotton and linen, so you never wait for the plate to cool down.
Steam iron or garment steamer?
A garment steamer puffs steam onto clothes that hang up, with no ironing board. It is quick for refreshing a shirt or a saree, but it doesn't give the sharp crease you get on trousers or a school uniform. A steam iron does both, and most of the irons above also steam vertically. If you already own an iron and want a quick touch-up, a steamer is a handy extra. If you are buying one appliance, buy the iron.
Safety and care
- Wait for the heat light to go off before you use steam, or water will drip.
- Rest the iron on its heel, never face down on the board.
- Empty the tank after each use, so water doesn't sit inside.
- Unplug it before filling the tank, and keep it away from children while it cools.
- Plug it into a wall socket, not a loose extension board.
- Wipe a cool, unplugged soleplate with a damp cloth. Don't scrape it with metal.
- In a hard-water area, run the self-clean or anti-calc every few weeks if your iron has one.
Before you buy
Think about how often you iron and what the clothes are made of. For daily shirts and kurtas, a light 1250 to 1300 watt iron is enough. For a family's weekly pile, go up to 1600 watts with auto shut-off. For thick cotton and linen, a 2000 watt iron with a steam shot saves time. Check the warranty on the listing and the ISI mark on the box when it arrives.
Read next
We read the Amazon listings, compared the details and noted what they leave out. We have not tested these products, and brands do not pay to be listed.
Common questions
Steam iron or dry iron: which is better?
A steam iron removes creases faster on cotton and linen, because the steam relaxes the fibres. A dry iron is cheaper and simpler, with no water to fill. If you iron daily cotton shirts, kurtas or sarees, steam saves time. If you mostly press synthetics, a dry iron is enough.
How much electricity does a steam iron use?
A 1300 watt iron used for 15 minutes uses about 0.33 units. At an example rate of ₹8 per unit, that is roughly ₹2.60. The iron switches its heater on and off to hold the temperature, so the real use is often a little lower.
Can I use tap water in a steam iron?
Most makers say normal tap water is fine, but hard water leaves white scale that can block the steam holes. If your water leaves white marks on taps, mix tap water with filtered water and use the self-clean or anti-calc feature if your iron has one. Check your iron's manual before using distilled water.
Why does my steam iron leak water?
Usually because steam was turned on before the soleplate was hot enough, so water drips instead of turning to steam. Wait for the light to go off before using steam, keep the iron upright when resting, and don't overfill the tank.