Thanks for taking your time to read our UK reviews on the best travel irons that are currently available on the UK market. There are quite a lot of these available on the UK market and from many different brands.
Some travel irons are high quality and others are simply a bad choice of product. The key purpose of buying a travel iron is that you can take it with you when you are away from home. We go away for many reasons such as with work, on holidays, weekend breaks, , to university and other reasons.
There are also quite a few people in the UK, who have holiday homes, mobile homes and caravans. All of the above people will probably be able to make use of a good quality travel iron. These are all about being small and compact enough for easy travel, while at the same time being able to do the job properly. Finding that combination can be difficult.
Are Travel Irons Any Good?
The reality is that your expectations may be higher than what you actually get. Travel irons are good as long as you understand they will never deliver the type of fast efficient ironing you get when using a normal steam iron. The normal steam iron at home heats up quickly, produces a lot of steam quickly and can iron your clothes quickly.
Travel irons take a lot longer to heat up, have a smaller soleplate and have small water tanks that produce steam slowly and don't last long when ironing.
The benefits of a travel iron is that they are light in weight, portable and handy to have when not at home. Rather than replying on a the place you are traveling to having some form of iron, you have your own.
Travel Iron vs Steam Iron Comparison
Travel Iron
- Have power ratings of 375-1000 watts which takes a few minutes to heat up
- Water tank sizes of 50-100 ml so need to be filled often and a tank may only last 5-7 minutes
- Travel irons weigh 625-800 grams
- Travel irons have small soleplates
Steam Iron used at home
- Have power ratings of 2400-3100 watts which takes less than 2 minutes to heat up
- Water tank sizes of 300ml-450ml which last for about 20 minutes of ironing
- Steam irons weigh 1-2 Kg
- Steam irons soleplates are twice as large as a travel one
So as you can see, travel irons are smaller and lighter and are a good choice for ironing clothes when you don't have access to a normal steam iron. The downsides are that they take longer to heat up, don't produce as much steam and you need to fill the water tank more often. If you just need to take some wrinkles out of packed clothes when away, then they are useful to have.
What to look for when buying a Travel Iron?
Dual Voltage
It is certainly worth explaining the meaning of dual voltage when it comes to buying a travel iron. The term also applies to other electrical appliances such as hair driers and kettles.
Dual voltage simply means it will work on two different voltages. The reason that is required as different countries throughout the world use different voltage ratings in their main power supplies.
- The UK and Ireland uses 230-240 Volts
- Most countries(Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa, and others) use 110 Volts
Most travel irons will have this but not all of them so be aware of that. The Duronic, Kingavon, Unibos and Camry are only suitable for use in the UK & Ireland as they are 240V only. The other brands are dual voltage so suitable for world travel. It is likely you will also need a travel adapter as in the UK & Ireland we use a 3 pin plug system, and in other countries a 2 pin system is required.
Size & Weight Matter
You should also give some consideration to both the size and the weight of a travel style iron. This is especially true if you plan on taking this on an aircraft or even on a cruise. We all know too well about weight restrictions, and a large or heavy iron will eat into your allowance. The weight will not matter so much if you want to use it in a holiday home or caravan.
Most travel irons weigh between 600-850 grams so take this into account when packing your case and with knowledge of your weight restrictions where appropriate.
Water Tank Size
This is also an important consideration. With a compact iron you are never going to get a huge water tank like you have at home. That said you want it to be big enough to be able to iron something like a couple of shirts, t-shirts, shorts and dresses.
These vary in size from as small as 50 ml to the biggest at 100ml.
Variable Temperature
The heat on the soleplate of your iron needs to change depending on which fabric or material you are ironing. Make sure your travel iron has this option. Some fabric such as cotton and linen need high temperatures 180-240 degrees Celsius whereas wool and viscose need lower 150-180 degree temperatures.
Top 8 Travel Irons at a glance
- Best selling travel iron in the UK - Russell Hobbs Steam Glide Travel Iron
- Most compact travel iron - Duronic Si2 Mini Compact Portable Home/Travel Steam Iron (Highest Rated)
- Fastest heat up time for a travel iron - Quest 34030 1000W Travel Steam Iron
- homelife for easy living 750w Travel Iron
- Most powerful travel iron and vertical steam - Beldray Compact Travel iron
- Best for travel and quilting - ANSIO Travel Iron
- Lightest travel iron - Kingavon Travel Iron
- Best with foldable handle - Severin Travel Steam Iron BA 3234
Top 8 Travel Iron Feature Comparison Table
Travel Iron Name | Watts | Dual Voltage | Temperature Control | Water Tank | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Russell Hobbs Steam Glide Travel Iron | 760 | Yes | Yes | 80 ml | 780 g |
Duronic Si2 Mini Compact Portable Home/Travel Steam Iron | 375 | Yes | Yes | 50 ml | 495 g |
Quest 34030 1000W Travel Steam Iron | 1000 | Yes | Yes | 50 ml | 640 g |
homelife for easy living 750w Travel Iron | 750 | Yes | Yes | 20 ml. | 760 g |
Beldray Compact Travel iron | 1000 | Yes | Yes | 80 ml. | 800 g |
ANSIO Travel Iron | 408 | Yes | Yes | 40 ml. | 595 g |
Kingavon Travel Iron | 700 | No | Yes | 50 ml. | 460 g |
Severin Travel Steam Iron | 1000 | Yes | Yes | 50 ml. | 770 g |
Top 8 Travel Iron Summary Reviews
1. Russell Hobbs Steam Glide Travel Iron
This is a very popular choice for many UK buyers and remains the best seller. It also happens to be the cheapest travel iron on the UK market.
It has a stainless steel soleplate, with 10 grams of continuous steam and a water spray.
It can be used as a dry iron and also has steam and a water spray.
It also has garment temperature control. (cool, warm and hot) - you only get steam on the hot temperature
The water tank is 80 ml and the cord length is 1.5 metres.
Measures 21.6 x 11.6 x 11.2 cm and weighs 780 grams.
PROS:
- Best seller and cheapest travel iron on the UK market
- Light and easy to use
CONS:
- Some UK buyers say it doesn't last long
Check Amazon UK - Price when reviewed £13.62 - 88% buyer satisfaction based on 6,000+ online buyer reviews
2. Duronic Mini Steam Iron Si2
This is a mini steam iron which is small and compact. It uses 375 watts of power and has a 50 ml capacity.
There are variable heat settings, and it comes with a water filler cup. Not only is this iron popular with travelers, but also used as a dry iron for people who make quilts and for craft work.
Measures 16.4 x 14.6 x 10 cm and weighs 495 grams.
It has a temperature range of 65-230°c.
Comes with a UK plug fitted
We think that this one is currently the best quality on the UK market.
PROS:
- Best seller and cheapest travel iron on the UK market
- Light and easy to use
CONS:
- Expensive compared to others
Check Amazon UK - Price when reviewed £24.99 - 90% buyer satisfaction based on 4,000+ online buyer reviews
3. Quest 34030 1000W Travel Steam Iron
This iron uses an amazing 1000 watts of power, for quick and efficient ironing
It has a small 50 ml water tank which is the average size
It has a non-stick soleplate and also has variable temperature control
There is a steam button for tough creases.
Measures 20 x 9 x 12 and weighs 640 grams.
It can be used as a dry iron or as a steam iron and also has a steam burst
Check Amazon UK - Price when reviewed £16.99 - 84% buyer satisfaction based on 1,500+ online buyer reviews
4. Severin Travel Steam Iron BA 3234
This is a mini steam iron that uses 1,000 watts of power.
It has a water capacity of 50 ml.
It is suitable for steam and dry ironing.
Can also be used for vertical steam.
Measures 9.2 x 20 x 11 cm and weighs 780 grams.
It is dual voltage and has a variable thermostat.
Check Amazon UK - Price when reviewed £27.99 - 86% buyer satisfaction based on 2,500+ online buyer reviews
Travel Iron Frequently Asked Questions
How Much do Travel Irons Weigh?
Travel irons weight about half of a normal steam iron. Typically a travel iron weighs about 0.5 to 0.75 kg on average. A normal steam iron weighs between 1.3-1.5 kg when not filled with water.
Are Travel Irons Any Good?
People get used to the iron they use at home, and can get frustrated when it comes to using a travel iron. It is an understandable reaction as generally speaking travel irons are smaller and less powerful than a normal steam iron that you use at home.
Normal steam irons have wattage of anything between 1200-1800 watts so they heat up quickly in under a minute in most cases. They also have water tanks between 300-400 ml, so when filled are usually enough to not need filled again too often. The soleplate on ordinary steam irons is also larger than a travel iron so they cover more material.
The problem with your normal steam iron is that it is heavy with an average weight of 1.3-1.5 kg, and they are not dual voltage. When travelling with luggage, lightness is important, and you trade that for less power, and slower ironing.
Add in the fact that no-one likes to iron on holidays, and you can see the frustration.
How Hot do Travel Irons Get?
Travel irons are just the same as a normal steam iron. They all work by using steam. Steam is created when water boils and that is at 100 degrees Celsius. So that is the minimum heat that any travel iron will have. In addition to that they have different ranges of temperature and will get as hot as 220 degrees Celsius.
How many watts does a Travel Iron use?
A travel iron uses between 700-1000 watts and it will depend on which model you decide to buy. Normal home use steam irons will use anything between 2400-3100 watts. So as you can see travel irons are much smaller and don't need as much power to heat up the smaller tanks of water. Because of the lower wattage travel irons will take a little longer to heat up. Typically they take anything between 3-5 minutes.
Why do Travel Irons drip water?
This almost always comes down to the temperature setting. Most travel irons do have variable temperature settings. In most cases, the iron only works on steam on the highest setting. If used on a lower setting, the water doesn't boil and the water just drips out of the iron.
