NOW CLOSED: Philips PerfectCare Xpress Iron Feedback review thread PLUS your chance to win your own one (RRP £120)

[AnnMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the 20 MNers recruited to take part in the product test for the new Philips PerfectCare Xpress - Philips say this is "the World's first pressurised steam iron, with "revolutionary OptimalTEMP technology and compact steam generator, it's built for powerful crease removal and is faster than any other steam iron, as tested by independent institute, DWI, June 2011".

"PerfectCare Xpress has no settings, just one perfect temperature that's safe on all ironable fabrics, even delicates. Iron from jeans to silk, to linen, to cotton, to cashmere...in any order, without having to adjust the temperature, it's 100% scorch proof! Plus with an automatic motion steam sensor inside ironing has never been easier. Compact and convenient for storage it's perfect for ironing small loads, every day"

Seeing as this was a very popular product test and so many of you applied - as well as it being nearly Christmas, we twisted the arm of the Philips team and are pleased to say we have another one up for grabs! if you're not a tester, all you need to do to be in with a chance of winning one is - on this thread - pass on your best ever ironing tip or share your worst ironing disaster. Everyone who does will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a PerfectCare Xpress iron of their own (RRP £120).

If you are a tester, please answer the following questions and share with the MN community your thoughts on the iron.
Please also add a review here.

~ Firstly - what is your general opinion of ironing?
~ First impressions - what did you think? How easy to follow were the instructions?
~ First use - what did you try it on? A mountain or did you ease it in slowly? How did it handle the first few items?
~ Did you have to adjust how you iron at all? How did you find not changing the settings?
~ Any comments on ease of use? Including size, weight, storage etc?
~ Any one else in the family used it? What did they think?
~ Is this an iron you think you'd recommend to other people (should the conversation arise)?
~ How would you rate the value for money?
~ Any other comments on the product?

thanks
MNHQ

Best ever ironing tip - get DH to do it.

Worst ever ironing disaster - Thinking that ironing a bit I missed on my jumper was a good idea.....while I was wearing it. I burned my stomach :( (I was only 14)

My best ever ironing tip - dry everything in the tumble dryer and get it out and fold it when still hot. Saves you actually having to iron anything

I don't enjoy ironing and I'm not very good at ironing - however, I'm also not very good at remembering my washing is in the tumble dryer and being quick enough to get it out so that it doesn't need ironing. I have tried to not iron clothes but just can't bring myself to wear, or put my children in unironed clothes - so ironing is a necessary evil in life.
I tend to iron once a week for a couple of hours at a time, so have a mountain to do at once but I find this less effort than pulling the ironing board out etc every day. If there is something half decent on tv its not too bad.
I have now done 3 mountains with my new Philips iron and I am genuinly very pleased with it - it is certainly much easier to use than my old one.

It is a nice size, comfortable to handle and not heavy (I have pathetic wrists and struggle with anything heavy). The electric cord is a good length which means I can use it in my favourite 'ironing place' without an extension cable - bonus!

The most impressive thing so far is it really doesn't leave shiny marks on clothes. I was a bit hesitant to try this out but ironed 2 pairs of black suit trousers on the outsides and was amazed that it didn't make them shiney! Fantastic not to have to iron things inside out and then go over the seams with a tea-towel to get the creases the right way round.

The only negative so far is how frequently the water chamber needs to be filled. I think I will need to start keeping a bigger jug of water at the side of me when ironing as I am back and forth to tap in kitchen much more frequently than with my old iron.

At £120 RRP it is probably about double what I would normally spend on an iron but I am so impressed that I can iron without making things shiney that I think it is well worth the money.

Best ever tip... if you leave it long enough MiL will take pity on DH looking a state and take his shirts home to iron

Worst ironing disaster... when I was a student and couldn't find the ironing board, decided to iron my jeans on the carpet, was fine at home on mums wool carpet on a low heat, but not on acrylic. I melted my jeans to the carpet, both the carpet and the jeans had to be replaced . Everyone loves ribbing me about that one .

~ Firstly - what is your general opinion of ironing?
I hate ironing, I'm rubbish at it and tend to give everything worse creases and white marks on black clothes etc. I generally only ever ironed school uniform and saw ironing as a necessary evil

~ First impressions - what did you think? How easy to follow were the instructions?
I was surprised at how heavy the iron was, it could be difficult for some people to use. the instructions were pretty simple and easy to understand

~ First use - what did you try it on? A mountain or did you ease it in slowly? How did it handle the first few items?
I eased it in slowly and ironed a couple of DS1's school trousers. I was stunned, it made ironing almost a delight and certainly halved the time it would normally take. The steam really cuts down the time required and makes it far less likely i will iron in further creases/ create shiney marks from too hot a setting Plus I loved the blue light, I'm a sucker for shiny flashy things

~ Did you have to adjust how you iron at all? How did you find not changing the settings? I have a much lighter touch with the iron as the iron itself is so heavy ( I know what I mean). It toook me a few goes before I stopped automatically reaching for the non existant setting switch and I was pretty nervous when it came to ironing my beloved Asos skater dress. It handled everything just fine and I love the vertical steam function for giving things a quick refresh when hanging up or for really really delicate fabrics that you wouldn't want to actually touch with the iron maybe?

~ Any comments on ease of use? Including size, weight, storage etc?
It's a big beast of an iron weight wise not massively too big size wise though. Mine lives in the airing cupboard so no probs storage wise

~ Any one else in the family used it? What did they think?
Yes, my husband tried it and was very impressed as well

~ Is this an iron you think you'd recommend to other people (should the conversation arise)?
I have already evangelised about this iron to anyone who'll listen. My friends and family are bemused by my new found ironing love

~ How would you rate the value for money?
Hmm, as someone who'd never spent more than £30 on an iron before I was quite surprised at the price to be honest. £120 is a lot of money for an iron but maybe you get what you pay for. I certainly wouldn't part with it now but I'm not sure if I could ever have justified paying that much for it.

~ Any other comments on the product?
I absolutely love it with all my heart

I will give you my initial feedback based on one big session I did last week. I have another huge pile to go through, so I will refine my feedback when I have gone through it.

What is your general opinion of ironing?
I do not mind ironing. I iron just about everything including bedding and cotton underwear (I know, I know, i should get a life!).

I typically do it once a week and have a big ironing session which lasts 1.5 - 2 hours or so, whilst watching TV.

First impressions - what did you think? How easy to follow were the instructions?
I thought the iron was heavy (or heavier than my old iron anyway). It is also bigger but that is not an issue.

The instructions were straightforward and simple (so is the use of the iron). I read them as well as the ironing booklet that came with the iron. I do not think I would need to read them again.

First use - what did you try it on? A mountain or did you ease it in slowly? How did it handle the first few items?
I tried it on a huge pile, which I had accumulated whilst waiting for the iron to arrive. I ironed for about 1.5 hours and stopped: I still had more to iron but left some for another session. There was no issue as to how the iron handled the items. There are a couple of reasons why I only ironed about 2/3 of my pile:

1. The iron guzzles water like a parched camel which has just completed a 200 mile trek without drinking. I think I filled it up 5 times (when I would fill my old iron only 2 or 3 times max.).
   
   The problem I had was that the steam generated by the iron excessively raised the humidity levels in my lounge. It was tropical: the walls were really humid. I already have a slight humidity problem in my house, and I do not really want to add to it. One way to combat this would be to iron with the window open but at this time of year, it is not ideal.
   I think it might be better for me to iron more frequently and smaller piles of clothes to minimise this problem.

2. My back was aching. I am not particularly muscular anyway but I found the iron a little bit too heavy for me. It might get easier when I get used to it.

Did you have to adjust how you iron at all? How did you find not changing the settings?
I did not really adjust how I iron. Ironing was more efficient as I did not have to change the settings and organise the order of the clothes to be ironed. I ironed woollens between doing jeans and then cotton sheets.
I think this iron was also more effective at removing creases quickly without my needing to go back and forth over the same area.

Any comments on ease of use? Including size, weight, storage etc?
It is easy to use. It goes through a lot of water, as mentioned above. I have no issue with the size. I have not stored it yet; it is still in my lounge but I don't think storage will be an issue. I think it is possibly a bit too heavy e.g. if it is used by older women/people, young teenagers or people like me, with no biceps to speak of.

Any one else in the family used it? What did they think?
Nobody else used it apart from me.

Is this an iron you think you'd recommend to other people (should the conversation arise)?
It is obviously a fine piece of technology. It works well and simplifies ironing (as no adjustments need to be made depending on the fabric) so it is fairly fool-proof. If I were recommending it to a friend, I would highlight the humidity issue and recommend that the ironing is done in a well-ventilated room.

How would you rate the value for money?
£120 is a lot for an iron, in my view, so I would never spend that much money on one.

My previous iron is old (15 years plus) so this was a technological leap for me, and I cannot tell whether the Philips PerfectCare Xpress iron is much better than any of the other quality irons that are now available.

If I had not had to contend with the humidity issue, I might have said that it is value for money; because of it, I would say it is not.

Any other comments on the product?
No other comment at this stage, but I will provide a bit more feedback once I have had another session!

I rarely iron so I have no helpful tips and it is difficult to decide which is my worst ironing disaster ironing a skirt while wearing it and seriously burning myself or doing exactly what kellestar did and melted the carpet to my clothes

Actually I think it was the time I knocked the iron off the ironing board resulting in both a burnt leg and damaged carpet! This is why I rarely iron I'm a danger to myself and my house!

I have very, very hard water, and I can get through steam irons (as well as kettles), like you would not believe.
Rather than bankrupt myself via steam iron replacement, I use a cheap garden spray to finely spray water, and just use a normal iron.

~ Firstly - what is your general opinion of ironing?
Put it off for as long as I can - find I get a sore back and it is just so boring!

~ First impressions - what did you think? How easy to follow were the instructions?
First impression were that it was a quality iron and well made. Instructions were very straightforward as there are few controls on the iron. I do think the science behind the iron needs more explaining in the instructions or the sole cover slip. I took me a while to "trust" the iron and I googled it to get a but more info as to how it works. Now I understand that the plate doesn't actually get that hot and the work is done by the steam, I trust it enough to use on more delicate fabrics. Philips can correct me if I am wrong! I do think this needs to be articulated more clearly so as to inspire confidence!

~ First use - what did you try it on? A mountain or did you ease it in slowly? How did it handle the first few items? I eased in slowly, but I am not one for marathon ironing sessions. It was surprisingly heavy at first, but I found that if you let it glide over the clothes and don't wrestle with it it was better.

~ Did you have to adjust how you iron at all? How did you find not changing the settings? It is a bit strange at first, you are used to letting the iron cool down to a lower temp before tackling things like school trousers. After a few days I got used to it and just cracked on with things.

~ Any comments on ease of use? Including size, weight, storage etc? Size is a fine, as I said already it is heavy, but that is because it is a steam generator too and, if you work with, rather than against it it is fine.

~ Any one else in the family used it? What did they think? My husband has used it as he does his own shirts. He has found it much better at getting creases out than our old iron and shirts are quicker to do.

~ Is this an iron you think you'd recommend to other people (should the conversation arise)? Yes I would but I would probably have been more confident doing so if I had more knowledge about how it actually works!

~ How would you rate the value for money? The iron is expensive and is in the price bracket that is competing directly against the irons with a separate steam generator. Therefore I feel the strengths need to be stressed more - no separate units, less cumbersome. If I was in the market for a steam machine type iron I probably would have considered this iron too but, it would need to be marketed in such a way that I would know it was in the same product market in order for me to find it in the first place.

~ Any other comments on the product Just a couple of points:
I often get wet spots on the garments I am ironing,
I find that I need to use the steam boost a lot, particularly on crushed cotton shirts,
sometimes I think a hot setting on top of the steam would be useful,
I am constantly running out of water and not knowing it apart from the fact the iron starts to make a clicky sound - would have been better if the iron told you by flashing or something like that.

My worst ironing disaster was when I was about 19 and offered to iron for a friend who had just had a baby. I had the heat too high and sadly singed the front of a lovely expensive pink woolly baby's jacket Not the sort of help she was looking for but she was actually very decent about it to my face

Best ironing tip - always iron with a tea towel over your clothes, I've scorched too many by now. Worst ironing tip - don't iron your fringe - disaster for both hair and face!!

best ironing tip i live in a very hard water area and tap water ruins an iron and my clothes in 6 months. I was spending a small fortune in vaporesse for steam ironing. I've just started doing my ironing as soon as I bring the washing in from the garden. I no longer need to spend money on ironing water, and everything presses so much more easily.

Best ever ironing tip is to always iron shirts when they are still slightly damp as they will steam iron and it's much easier to get rid of creases! Works every time - they just hang them in a warm, dry place on coat hangers to air and totally dry out ;-)!

No ironing tips as I'm useless at it but biggest ironing disaster has to be ironing my top for the day in my bra..........whilst 9months pregnant burnt a lovely stripe across my poor tummy!

~ Firstly - what is your general opinion of ironing?

Im not keen in ironing at all, I have only recently learnt how to do shirts and I only do what really needs doing

~ First impressions - what did you think? How easy to follow were the instructions?

instructions were very easy to follow, I found it interesting to use the hard water strip test. Aside from that it was almost just plug it in and go! It is larger than my previous iron and heavier but still manageable.

~ First use - what did you try it on? A mountain or did you ease it in slowly? How did it handle the first few items?

I first used it on a general weekly ironing session so that's 5 shirts, work trousers, a few tshirts, school uniform and a couple of pairs of very creased jeans. It handled them all very well, it was nice not to have to worry about changing any settings (because I was never very sure what it all meant on my last iron!) and it felt smooth to use. My jeans had been tumble dried (which they hate) so were incredibly creased, my old iron could not cope with this but the Philips iron got all the creases out easily.

~ Did you have to adjust how you iron at all? How did you find not changing the settings?

I did not have to press as hard with the Philips iron, I think perhaps due to its weight it seemed to be easier. I loved not changing the settings, as a novice ironer I liked knowing that I couldn't go wrong

~ Any comments on ease of use? Including size, weight, storage etc?

this iron needs its water refilling at a very fast rate, I'd only done 2 shirts before it needed refilling. I also found the iron quite noisy, my husband was quite distracted whie I was ironing in the same room (the water bubbling sound and hissing, much louder than any iron I've used before). I've commented previously in the weight, size wise it was average but the point was less slim than I was used to which was slightly more difficult to get into nooks and crannies. It fits onto my wall iron storer with no problems and the cord is a lovely length.

~ Any one else in the family used it? What did they think?

I'll come back to this when my husband has had a chance to have a turn

~ Is this an iron you think you'd recommend to other people (should the conversation arise)?

I would recommend this to other people, it was easy to use and did a good job.

~ How would you rate the value for money?

Personally I could never justify spending so much on an iron. It's a difficult question because it does work well, but the niggles I've mentioned above would need considering for that price. Having said that I do really like the iron, the positives outweigh the negatives. I realise that this is a really contradictory answer!

Any other comments?

we're even taking this iron on holiday with us as we like it so much!

• Firstly - what is your general opinion of ironing?

I do it, but I neither love nor hate it.

~ First impressions - what did you think? How easy to follow were the instructions?
Very heavy, gave me backache and condensation formed on my windows. Easy to follow instructions, having never used a steam iron it was very easy to understand. Very noisy, didn't like the fact it kept on producing steam when I wasn't actually ironing clothes. Would be impossible to watch TV and iron at the same time.

~ First use - what did you try it on? A mountain or did you ease it in slowly? How did it handle the first few items?
I tried it on a mixed load of items, jeans, tshirts and school uniforms. It ironed the clothes beautifully.

~ Did you have to adjust how you iron at all? How did you find not changing the settings?
I found it strange not having to adjust the settings, but that was a major benefit of this iron, somehow it just knew what you were ironing.

~ Any comments on ease of use? Including size, weight, storage etc?
Bulky, very heavy and very noisy. DD1, 6, said it was far too noisy. But she liked the flashing lights.

~ Any one else in the family used it? What did they think?
Its only me who irons, so no-one can comment.

~ Is this an iron you think you'd recommend to other people (should the conversation arise)?
No, too heavy and noisy.
~ How would you rate the value for money?
6/10 - did a fair job, but for noise and weight it gets less.

~ Any other comments on the product?
No, but thankyou for letting me try it.

My best ironing tip is iron your close inside out and you won't get the shiny line mark on the clothes .
My worst ironing disaster was when ironing my daughter's top just before we were meant to go and burn the lining and ruin the top, not only I had to iron another top I had to clean the iron which still has the black residue left on it and transfered to the new one. And no need to say we late due to all the ironing and cleaning

Best ironing tip - iron linen straight from the washer while it is wet.
Worst disaster - letting my Mum "help". ?200 shirt from Paris nice and flat. Shame it was a chemically crinkled silk. Once ironed it looked like a badly cut blouse from BHS. The only consolation was it took her over an hour.

My best ironing tip is to put some music on and get it done quickly

My worst ironing disaster was burning a massive hole in my favourite duvet cover as I got distracted when the phone rang and wandered off. Needed a new iron and ironing board cover after that magnificent show of stupidity!

what is your general opinion of ironing?

I don't really like it, I only do it as it is something that has to be done. I don't think I could be a person that doesn't iron anything. Lots of things I don't iron like bedding that others do! I have used it twice now

First impressions - what did you think? How easy to follow were the instructions?

It's HUGE!! Also noticeably heavier. I did the hard water test and happy to find I can just use normal tap water

First use - what did you try it on? A mountain or did you ease it in slowly? How did it handle the first few items?

I just tend to do my ironing once a week on a Sunday. There would have been 4/5 school blouses, about 3 pairs of jeans, school trousers and about 10 tops. It was very odd at first not having a dial to turn but I quickly got used to it. It does use up the water a lot but I used to use a spray bottle so, probably about the same amount of water overall being used.

I like the stopper for the water container, it seems very secure. It is a bit noiser but I love the extra shot of steam and getting a green flashing light!!

Did you have to adjust how you iron at all? How did you find not changing the settings?

I haven't changed how I iron really, it is good not having to sort out the ironing pile in order and I can just work through it in the order I have put it in the basket

Any comments on ease of use? Including size, weight, storage etc?

Very easy to use, like I have said, a bit heavy but not too heavy for me to use. I store my iron on the floor in my boiler cupboard, so no issues there. The cord is a good length and looks strong

Any one else in the family used it? What did they think?

No-one else has used it yet, no I fib! My daughter wanted to give it a little go on Sunday (she is 15) and she ironed a top. She doesn't do ironing normally but found it really easy to use, comfortable and confident to use it again. I would be happy (very happy!) for her to do more ironing, as there is no worry about items being burnt

Is this an iron you think you'd recommend to other people (should the conversation arise)?

yes, it does a very good job

How would you rate the value for money?

I could never afford this iron, I normally spend about £30 on an iron. I guess it is worth the money with all the technology involved in it

Any other comments on the product?

I do enjoy ironing a little bit more, seems to be done quicker (well hard to say as I often get distracted watching TV etc and stop and start it!)

I am thinking of giving it a name, either Jeremy or Ivor!!

sorry, some of my bolds didn't work!

and thanks very much for letting me give it a try!

Best ever ironing tip is more of a bit of general knowledge and that is that ironing historically was used for two purposes to flatten garments but more critically to kill bugs due to the higher temperature of the iron than washing water. I quite like the idea of steam ironing for this purpose, killing all the bugs and bacteria in garments especially in this energy conscious age of washing at hand warm temperatures.

Worst ironing disaster was DS2's first day at school. We were between houses and crashing at either my now husbands house or sleeping in my parents caravan they'd sighted near the houseI was trying to buy. I wanted DS to look really smart so borrowed the iron to press them. Turned it up way to high and melted the hem. Poor little guy had to go to school with a shiny melted hem.

Best ironing tip, keep it filled with water steam is your friend.

Worst tip is still when I was young and was ironing I decided to do some of my dolls clothes, including their bibs. Yes the plastic backed ones, but I decided to iron on the back

My tip would be do it a little at a time, iron after every wash instead of leaving it in a huge pile like I do - especially if you hate ironing!

My ironing disaster has to be ironing DH's brand new white shirt, immediately after ironing over the front of a plasticky transfer on one of DD's t-shirts.....you can guess the rest