Making ironing that little bit easier

Looking at the Philips website, there doesn't seem to be much difference between the GC4444 and its younger brother/sister the GC4340, which has scored very well in Amazon consumer reviews. They both have the same automatic shut-off, double active calc and steam boost functions, however the GC4444 is more expensive and it also has a slightly smaller water tank (335ml as opposed to the 350ml one in the GC4340).

Where the GC4444 scores over its sibling is in the addition of 2 further technologies, the first being the Steamglide soleplate, which has two sets of steam vents to assist in smoother gliding. The other is a system called Ionic DeepSteam, which atomises the steam from the plate, supposedly making for more effective crease removal. The iron does glide over clothes with ease although I can't say whether this is the soleplate in action or is typical for all Philips irons. The Ionic DeepSteam system, on the other hand, is a real marvel and extremely effective, with the ability to remove stubborn creases that would leave other irons struggling. Putting creases into clothes is equally easy and once done they look crisp and distinct. It's true that neither of these technologies would ever make ironing a joy but anything that can help the process should be welcomed and both these definitely do help, the Ionic DeepSteam in particular.

The GC4444 feels comfortable in the hand, not too heavy and better made than pretty much all others I've used. It does seem a bit 'plasticky' although I appreciate that there aren't too many materials an iron could be made from, and the Philips does seem one of the sturdiest. It heats up extremely quickly and retains that heat for a long time, so Philips include a protective plate cover you insert the iron into after use rather than leaving it to stand and cool (and burn yourself on).

The GC4444 is a well-equipped, sturdy iron with additions over the GC4340 that I feel are more than worth the extra money. If you've seen its sibling and like the look of it, give this one serious consideration as for only £18 more you'd be getting the premium Philips iron with a host of useful technologies.

don't buy

This is made of cheap plastic. The power level knob is loose. It feels like it will come off on its own. I retuned the item the same they it arrived.

My ironing board has been waiting for YOU!!!

This is suprisingly a great little iron for such a cheap price, I initially bought it as a spare in case mine broke down.........decided to use it as hubby had lent my main one to a neighbour and have not changed back.it glides smoothly without burning or sticking, it steams very well without leaving yukky stains on your clothes easy to fill and temperature control is spot on, all in all a great little iron

Best Travel Iron by far

I am replacing my old voyager, due to rough handling, (bit of the back has chipped off when it fell n the floor, still works tho.) This great value little iron works just as well as my regular iron. I think its a snip at less than a tenner!

steaming

Two years ago my 20 odd year old Rowenta steam iron gave in. Obviously not built to last ! Since then I have been trying to find a steam iron just as good and have failed miserably until now. I have been through 6 irons in two years so you will appreciate my joy when this product arrived today and I used it for the first time. Easy to set up, use and irons like a dream. Constant flow of steam if required which tackled my most difficuly items with ease. Although the iron itself is light, the steam flow more than compensates with a terrific finish. Hope it continues as long as the old one. Oh, and it is red and white, the colours of my favourite football team of 50 years, Sheffield United, so all in all a good days work. Mike ( a man of 55 years )

Wizz through ironing

I bought this iron about a year ago and it really makes light work of ironing clothes.

The large water reservoir ensures you don't have to take unnecessary breaks to fill it up. Some other models require you to wait until the iron has cooled down before you can refill the reservoir - not with this model.

I've never used the 3 steam setting option as I always have it on 'maximum'.

It's important that you use this with a mesh type ironing board (as opposed to the cheaper wooden boards) which allows the steam to pass right through the clothes you are ironing.

Make sure you change the water filters regularly - I change mine every 4 months based on my usage and water hardness. The filters cost around £9 for 5 from Morphy Richards's website.

I'm very happy with this iron especially since I paid around £60 in a sale for it. So happy that I bought another one for a friend!

Buy one - you won't regret it.

A Very Nice Little Iron!!

Not only is this iron very very pretty, but it works really well too! I am pleased with it. I have had it for about 7 months now and I have had no problems with it. It heats up really quickly and makes a"click" sound to indicate it's ready, which I can hear from the next room. It also makes the same sound even when it's unplugged I can only assume to indicate it has cooled down enought to put away. It holds a lot of water and doesn't need refilling for ages, weeks, and I always use it on a hot setting every day! It feels lightweight and glides easily. The only issue I would say is that when I have ironed a couple of garments on the hot setting some residue of the fabric has stuck onto the iron plate and transfered onto the next garment, but to be honest I think that's my fault for using a setting too hot for the fabric! A very nice little iron!! :)

Perfectly decent.

I know it's a bit sad writing a review of an iron, but here goes...

I bought this iron after my ancient one finally gave up the ghost. I wanted something mid-price range, and this fits the bill - not too expensive, but pricey enough to suggest some longevity. At the time of writing I have only owned it a week, so can't comment on its service life.

Great steam, nice and heavy without being unwieldy, gets hot very quickly and stays hot. makes the ironing a breeze. In fact it made me realise just how rubbish my old iron was.

Great Value Iron

This is the first steam generator iron I have used, but I am very impressed. It makes really light work of sheets, linen tablcloths, denims, even t shirts that have stretched out of shape. Heats up quickly - under 2 minutes. Decent size water tank does at least 4 baskets of ironing before needing refilling. I was worried that it was only a steel base plate and not one of these fancy teflon ones, but with the steam generated this makes no difference, it glides beautifully. Not had it long enough to assess reliability but certainly no problems so far.I've had it 3 weeks and usually get a basket of ironing a day. Highly recommended!

Don't buy this!

I filled it with water half way to max and the water just pours out the bottom and out the holes on the face of the iron. Before it did that, it somehow managed to melt some embroidery on a shirt that I have had for a long time and have ironed previously on the highest setting with other irons. Needless to say the shirt is ruined. I thought i'd give it a second chance, so I ironed a pair of trousers. It has put a shine on the polyester trousers. I have ironed these trousers many times before without problems. After 4 uses, it is in the bin.