Are Philips steam irons any good?

Thinking of buying a new Philips Azur or PerfectCare steam iron? First make sure you know how Philips steam irons compare with other brands, such as Tefal and Bosch. 

We’ve analysed our test lab results and surveyed hundreds of Philips steam iron owners to find out whether it's the best brand to go for.

Read on to find out how likely Philips steam irons are to have problems, whether they do well in our tough lab tests and what people really think of their own Philips steam iron.

Want to find out which Philips steam irons have impressed in our test lab? See our latest Philips steam iron reviews.

Philips steam irons: our verdict 

We've collated all of our test results for Philips steam irons into the table below, which will help you decide whether a Philips steam iron is right for you:

• Best Buys: Best Buy steam irons are the very best in our tests. Find out whether any Philips steam irons are Best Buys.
• Reliability score: This shows how likely Philips steam irons are to last without developing faults, based on our survey of owners.
• Customer rating: We surveyed Philips iron owners to find out how they rate their iron and whether they would recommend it to a friend, so you can see how impressed you’re likely to be with its performance overall.

Only logged-in Which? members can see our full verdict on Philips steam irons in the table below. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access to our table and all of our online reviews - including steam irons and steam generators.

See how Philips compares with rivals in our best steam iron brands round-up, or head straight to our best steam irons to see which models impressed us the most.  

How to choose the best Philips steam iron

Philips' range of irons is extensive and contains models to suit all budgets. Most models come with limescale cleaning functions and an anti-drip system as standard – though check this before you buy as we've seen a few models without these useful features.

For more advice on choosing the right steam iron for you, head to our guide on how to buy the best steam iron.   

Cheap Philips steam irons

Philips has a limited range of budget models, including some you can buy for under £30 that rival similar models from Tefal and Bosch. 

• Cheaper Philips steam irons tend to lack Philips' premium soleplates 
• They are often less powerful than pricier models, potentially giving out less steam.

However, we’ve found that steam power isn’t a good indicator of ironing performance, and a cheap Philips steam iron impressed us with how it handled our tough tests.

See all of our expert Philips steam iron reviews - use our filters to find out which cheap iron performed the best.

Mid-priced Philips steam irons

Philips produces many irons in the £30 to £60 price bracket. At this price point you’ll generally find: 

• More powerful models with ceramic soleplates as standard  
• A wider range of features, such as in-built limescale collectors and power cord clips. 

Philips Azur steam irons

Philips Azur models cost around £50 to £95. The Philips Azur range is generally more powerful and produces more steam than other Philips models.

• Philips Azur steam irons have continuous steam for all-over crease removal 
• Plus an ultra-powerful shot of steam or steam boost for targeting particularly deep-set creases 
• They have one of Philip’s premium titanium soleplates (‘SteamGlide’ or the most advanced 'T-ionicGlide') and glide more smoothly
•  Philips Azur steam irons also come with its ‘Quick Calc Release’ system for quickly getting rid of limescale build up.   

Read our review of the Philips GC4902/26 Azur.

Philips PerfectCare

At the top of Philips' range is its PerfectCare collection. Steam irons are priced from £85-£120, while PerfectCare steam generators cost between £150-£450. 

• These irons are big steamers 
• Philips PerfectCare steam irons don't have a temperature dial. Instead, they use a single temperature system that's safe to use on all ironable fabrics.

Read our review of the Philips PerfectCare GC3915/16 or find out more about Philips steam generators on our steam generator brand round up.

Top Philips steam iron picks - and one to avoid

Our expert testing helps us sort the top-notch Best Buy steam irons from the models that you should steer away from. 

Below, you'll find some of the highest-scoring Philips steam irons we've tested, along with one that we think you should avoid.