What's the Russell Hobbs Travel Iron like to pack and travel with?
At 645g, this iron strikes a good balance between design and weight. Its compact size means it packs easily into a suitcase or hand luggage. However, Alison noted that for air travel when weight is at a premium for hold luggage, she would probably opt for an extra pair of flip flops or bottle of shampoo over a travel iron like this one.
For UK travel, if you're catching a train and want to look your best at the other end, this iron is up to the job and will make sure your clothing doesn't give away the fact that it's been in a suitcase for hours on end.
As it's a mini steam iron, you need to add water to use this travel iron. It's difficult to completely empty it of water once used, and Alison did find it dripped a bit, and would have liked a waterproof travel bag to keep it from getting any of your other luggage damp in transit.
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How well does the Russell Hobbs Travel Iron perform?
While it can't hold a candle to the Tefal Express Vision Steam Generator Iron Alison recently reviewed, for £16 and such a compact size, the iron will make your clothing look smart and smooth out creases while you're travelling.
With an 80ml water tank and soleplate surface area, the iron performs well on smaller clothing items - Alison tested it on a pair of walking trousers, dungarees, 4 t-shirts, a hoodie, 2 pillowcases and some pyjama bottoms.
It's well designed, making it easy to hold and manoeuvre. With a 360° dial to adjust the iron's temperature, Alison thought a switch between high and low might be more user-friendly.
With a generous 1.5m power cord, it's well-suited to whichever set up you find yourself in, whether tiny hotel room or Airbnb with plug sockets in odd places. While it's quite difficult to see how full the water tank is while filling and using this iron, overall it does the job of de-crumpling clothing and you'll be happy you brought it with you when you want to look smart and put together.
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Does the Russell Hobbs Travel Iron offer good value for money?
At £16, this is one of the most affordable travel irons on the market. From a trusted and highly-recommended brand (Russell Hobbs make Mumsnet's favourite steam iron, the Powersteam Ultra), it offers a mini-size, mini-price steam iron you can use anywhere.
While you'll still find an iron in many hotel rooms, they're getting less common. If you're heading somewhere you know you'll want to look your best, it makes sense to carry a compact iron you can depend on in your luggage.