Philips PerfectCare Aqua Steam Station Iron: Product Review

Philips provided me with a PerfectCare Aqua Steam Station iron for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

When I think about what I'd like to buy when I have money to spend, generally household appliances are not at the top of my list. I have fairly limited experience with irons and have always used budget models, so to receive a top of the range Philips PerfectCare Aqua Steam Station to review was not a chore in the least. In fact, it was pretty exciting!

I've been reading a few product reviews lately as I've just made a purchase of another type of household appliance, and I know that I like the info in short, sharp and easily digestible bites. So here are the details: my list of pros, cons and who I think would benefit from buying a steam station iron.

Pros:

• Lightweight hand unit. All the other important stuff like water is kept in the base unit, so the hand unit is lovely and light.
• Continuous steam or steam burst options. 
• Auto adjust heat setting. You don't have to change a dial or anything to adjust the temperature for different fabrics.
• Lock feature to keep the hand unit in place when you are moving it, emptying water and increases safety. Strong enough that you can use the hand unit as a carry handle for the steam station when you are moving it.
• The sole plate is made of something that makes it glide. It cruises around the fabric like butter.
• Quick ironing - I used this to prepare some stock the evening before I had a market stall. I was able to press everything very quickly and with minimal effort so it looked great on my stall the next day.
• Electrical cord storage - the base unit has an easy to use storage compartment for the cords which keeps the steam station very neat and tidy.

Cons:

• Large unit that requires a sizeable space for storage.
• Unit is heavy when full of water.
• Unit is too big to keep on the ironing board, especially if you need to press a large item like a quilt top. You need to set up somewhere where there is an additional surface to place the base unit.
• The steam is HOT and I wouldn't recommend using it around children. Which is fine but it means I can only use it in the evenings once the kids are in bed.
• Not quite powerful enough for bolt fold creases. If anyone knows the magic formula to get rid of these stubborn creases, please share it with me!
• Price. $400AU is standard for great quality appliances like this, but my family budget wouldn't normally allow me to consider an iron in this price range.

People who would love the Philips PerfectCare Aqua Steam Station:

• Professional / semi professional seamstresses and tailors.
• People who sew with a variety of delicate and high quality fabrics.
• Small scale sewing business owners, for example, ladies who sew for craft fairs and markets. 
• People who have wrist / hand /arm problems. The lightweight hand unit is lovely to use for people with arthritic hands and wrists. 
• People who invest in high quality fashion labels and expensive clothing. 
• Those who prefer to purchase top of the range appliances.

If you'd like to find out more about the PerfectCare Aqua Steam Station, you can check it out on the Philips website here.


What type of iron do you use for all your sewing projects?