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These irons may be cheap but they don’t compromise on performance

You don’t have to splash the cash to get a high quality steam iron. While many of the best steam irons do come with a hefty price tag, our Good Housekeeping Institute experts have found plenty on the market that can perform just as well for less.

Ideal for a student tackling an ironing pile for the first time, or if you only dust your iron off for the odd special occasion, affordable models can still offer a high tank capacity and deliver excellent crease removal. We've put them to the test to find the very best budget irons money can buy.

We’ve rounded up our top-scoring budget irons for under £35:

If you’re on a budget, a traditional steam iron is a better buy than a bigger steam generator iron. These more compact, cheaper designs have built-in water tanks – as opposed to their counterpart’s separate one – while the steam the tank creates relaxes the fabric to get rid of creases from your clothes.

A high tank capacity of around 300ml will help you get through your laundry pile in one go. Similarly, the higher the steam output of the iron, the more powerful it will be when it comes to banishing creases.

As well as the size of the tank, there are a few other features worth considering when shopping around for a new iron. Here are the main ones to consider:

Wattage: A higher wattage often means the iron will be ready to use in around a minute, as the temperature of the soleplate heats up quicker.

Soleplate: Whether it be ceramic, stainless steel or coated material, it’s a good idea to find a tapered soleplate so it can reach smaller areas around buttons or inside pleats. A smooth soleplate allows the iron to glide easily across fabrics too, so your iron and the fabric both remain intact.

Steam: There are two ways these irons generate steam - as a continuous flow while you iron or as a powerful shot when you need extra help getting rid of deep-set creases. The higher the steam rate and shot, the more effective the iron tends to be. For the continuous steam pressure, anything over 50g/minute is considered high.

Cord length: A long cord length (usually 2m or more) means you can set up your ironing station away from plug sockets and every corner of the ironing board can be reached.

Auto switch-off: If you’re ever worried about whether you’ve forgotten to switch your iron off, then this function will appeal as it turns the iron off after a set amount of time if left unused. It’s ideal for peace of mind, especially if you have children in the house.

Self-cleaning system: If you live in a hard water area, it’s worth buying an iron with a self-cleaning system to get rid of any limescale build-up. Not all basic models will include this feature but as the steam your iron produces can cause a build-up of limescale, and possibly damage your iron, it’s worth considering.

At the Good Housekeeping Institute, we’ve put over 50 steam irons to the test. We test how efficient they are at crease removal and how accurate the temperature is. We also assess ease of use, design and instructions. We consider how easy it is to clean too, as well as how much it weighs when full, and if the handle is comfortable to hold.

With an all-round high performance during testing, this is a great starting place for anyone new to buying a steam iron. Our testers liked the large inlet hole, as it made it easy to fill the water tank, and it’s quick to heat up. It’s brilliant at crease removal too, especially on lighter fabrics, and it didn’t drip when in use.

Testers were pleased with the long three-metre power cable but, annoyingly, it sticks up at the back of the handle and can catch on your arm while ironing. On test, it only lasted for just over 10 minutes of steam ironing with the steam boost pressed every five seconds, so if you have a big pile of laundry to get through, you may want to consider another one of our recommendations.

Key specifications Weight: 1.41kg Tank capacity: 350ml Steam rate: 50g Steam shot: 210g Wattage: 2600w

This iron performed just as well as much pricier models we’ve tested. We found it heated up quickly and kept a consistent temperature. Creases disappeared with ease too, while it wasn’t too heavy to manoeuvre, even when full.

Its casing did feel a bit budget and those with bigger hands also found that there wasn’t quite enough room around the handle to hold the iron comfortably, but this aside, it impressed.

Key specifications Weight: 1.21kg Tank capacity: 265ml Steam rate: 40g Steam shot: 150g Wattage: 3100w

This one’s best if you want an accurate temperature reading, as it scored top marks for this in our tests. It performed well too, proving responsive and effective at removing creases and wrinkles.

It glided well across fabrics including linen and silk, although there was some resistance when used on satin. Testers also liked its long two-metre power cord, while the 315ml water tank was also enough to keep us ironing for 22 minutes straight. The accompanying jug to fill up the tank is small though.

Key specifications Weight: 1.46kg Tank capacity: 315ml Steam rate: 40g Steam shot: 150g Wattage: 2600w

Intricate clothing is no problem for this iron thanks to its well-designed soleplate. It also has a three-metre cable so you can move it around the ironing board with ease. Its non-drip feature effectively prevented any water marking our garments during testing too, and we appreciated the auto switch-off function.

It has a powerful steam boost function too, which made up for some of the temperature readings being a bit low. Testers did also find it heavy when full, and it didn’t always glide easily, especially on the three dot setting.

Key specifications Weight: 1.6kg Tank capacity: 350ml Steam rate: 45g Steam shot: 210g Wattage: 3100w

This iron is designed for quick tank refills, with a large opening eliminating any spillages. The pointed soleplate also makes it easy to navigate tricky design details on clothing and the built-in anti-scale agent impressed testers.

We found the markings on the iron too small to read easily and the soleplate, while scratch-resistant, did drag over cotton. It also didn’t reach the expected temperatures for each dot setting, but its steam boost was powerful and removed stubborn creases well.

Key specifications Weight: 1.68kg Tank capacity: 320ml Steam rate: 50g Steam shot: 150g Wattage: 2400w

This Tefal model removed creases well on all settings – including the steam-free setting – as well as on all fabrics. It also features an anti-calc valve, which helps prevent limescale build-up, making it a smart choice if you live in a hard water area.

Testers were surprised at just how well it performed based on the price, gliding well across all fabrics. They also found it lightweight even when full, but the tank is smaller than the others on this list, with it needing to be refilled after about nine minutes on test. There’s no auto switch-off safety feature either, but overall it’s a decent basic model that tackles ironing well.

Key specifications Weight: 1.18kg Tank capacity: 270ml Steam rate: 35g Steam shot: 100g Wattage: 2400w