Philips Compact Steam Generator Iron Review

The Philips PerfectCare Compact Steam Generator Iron is lightweight, compact and powerful. It's designed to allow you to breeze through piles of laundry with ease. One of its best features is OptimalTEMP which automatically adjusts the temperature, meaning there's no need to sort laundry beforehand. In addition, OptimalTEMP does not cause burns. The soleplate is scratch resistant and is designed to facilitate and smooth glide. This steam generator iron is perfect for tackling thick fabrics and is especially good at removing tough creases.

In terms of numbers, the iron provides a continuous steam output of 120g per minute, with a steam boost of 400g or 420g per minute depending on the exact model. The iron has a large water tank with a 1.5 litre capacity. It's fitted with a ProVelocity high pressure steam pump which operates at a maximum of 6.5 bar. One feature we particularly like is the steam trigger which can be double pressed for ultra-fast steam, and doesn't need to be held down, as is the case with many other irons.

About Philips

Philips are a large electronics company. Their product categories include automotive parts, health, personal care, sound/vision, household products and more. Within their household category are blenders, juicers, water purifiers, irons, steam irons, steam generators, vacuum cleaners, and more. They have a strong reputation in the UK.

Specification

We now look at the features in more detail:

• Soleplate - The soleplate is made from a scratch resistant material and has low friction to allow for a smooth glide.
• Steam - With a 120g per minute continuous steam output, and a 400g or 420g steam boost (depending on the model), this iron is able to penetrate multiple layers of clothing, as well as remove tough creases from thick fabrics such as denim for example.
• ProVelocity - The ProVelocity steam pump gives a maximum pressure of 6.5 bar. Its most notable quality is its size, allowing such a high pressure within a relatively small space.
• OptimalTEMP - The OptimalTEMP sensor adjusts the steam output, meaning you no longer need to sort clothes before ironing. You can simply power through the washing pile quickly and efficiently.
• Easy Iron - One major feature of this iron is the double press steam trigger which automatically activates ultra-fast steam. There's therefore no need to hold the trigger for prolonged periods.
• Water Tank - The 1.5 litre capacity tank is large. Such a large capacity means that more time can be spent ironing, and less time refilling.
• In-Built Cleaning - There's an in-built cleaning and de-scaling system.

View full product specification.

Summary

In summary, the Philips PerfectCare Compact Steam Generator Iron is up to scratch. It has several extremely useful features which push it into top tier territory. OptimalTEMP is certainly the best feature, purely for convenience and not having to worry about burns or pre-sorting laundry. We particularly like the ProVelocity high pressure pump which makes good use of space, and also the double press fast steam trigger which doesn't need to be held down. We rate the iron 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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