Philips GC5039/30 Azur Elite Steam Iron, 0.35 Litre, 3000 W, Black

I like the Idea it has auto temp control so nothing will stick

Amazing for quick ironing but it does steam the room up and needs water filling often.

Amazing, this iron is great. So easy to use, never burns, glides easily. A little heavy though.

very smooth and easy to use on any clothing material.

We had old model of this b4 and just wanna upgrade but it didn’t make any change for not a small price. So we got now 2 irons doing same job.

Felt heavier than I would have liked but used to it now. Very good iron, worth the money.

This is a great iron but it’s abit on the heavy side could give you arm ache

I have used other model of optimal temp.but this model is strongly recommended. It can handle any garments. Its IQ function doest a good job.

A good iron, definitely worth the buy. No issues with it at all.

The best iron I have ever owned and worth paying the extra for it. The only issue I have is that it does take a while to warm up, but the job it does once warm makes you forgive it for that.

This is a great iron, possibly the best I’ve had because it doesn’t adversely mark clothes like normal hot plate irons. It irons mainly by steam. My minor, very minor criticism is that it takes longer to heat up than a normal iron (I’d say another 30 seconds).

Absolutely love this iron. I do a lot of ironing with lots of different types of material & I don’t have to worry about waiting for the iron to cool down for certain types of material. It glides over clothing & bedding, etc with great ease & the steam output is brilliant. I highly recommend this iron.

I cannot believe I am excited over an iron but this is truly the best iron I’ve ever owned. It has cut my ironing time down and does an amazing job.

I Brought this iron for my husband! THATS RIGHT .. he never ever ironed before he used his now he ENJOYS doing it! Ladies if this is what it takes to get your husband to do the ironing it’s well worth the money!
Jokes aside it’s a very good iron – we’ve brought so many cheap irons over the years and I wish we had spent a bit more in the first place because this is the perfect iron very easy to use!

This is an iron with a lot of great features, especially the fact that you don’t have to be checking which setting you need for different items. It does glide across my clothes and seems to be the correct temperature. It does take some getting used to as you need to move slowly over tough creases to get more steam but if you stop moving the steam will stop. It stands up on its end on the ironing board, heats up quickly and has a decent sized water tank. My main problem is that I am used to an iron with a steam generator which is far lighter than this iron – this one is a heavyweight iron over 2kg which I find rather unwieldy.

This is a feature-packed iron, but extremely simple to get going with straight out of the box. Despite the bags of functionality, most of the clever stuff is included as automated / smart features, so there’s really very little to worry about in terms of settings.

The plate is impressive, in smooth, gliding stainless steel, and ample outlets for steam. The turbo steam pump itself is really something special, and you can feel it working when you hold your thumb down and power away. Going extra slowly over crumpled fabric increases the steam flow, which is great on crease-ridden shirts – especially thicker cotton ones (Oxford shirts etc.). There’s a big 350ml tank capacity, although it can pump steam like a locomotive, so it needs to be big! There’s also a steam turbo burst trigger for even more help when you need it.

There’s some peace of mind with the easy calc removal system that your iron will last a bit longer and not calc up to the point of breakdown. This comes in the shape of a yellow hatch on the back which allows for really easy decalcification and cleaning. The iron will even tell you when it’s ready for you to empty it.

It’s pretty feature-packed (utility and safety, like auto shutoff, are all catered for). But it’s nicely nicely designed, too – it’s very comfortable to hold and push in the hand. The cord is *very* long, so it should suit most workspaces. Lastly, it may not be the most important consideration, but it looks the part as well, in funky dark purple with flashy LED displays. Ideal for an up-to-date kitchen / utility area!

Not our first iron from Philips, and certainly not our last – we continue to be impressed at design, features and ease of use. A power steam machine in a compact unit!

The Philips GC5039/30 Elite Steam Iron is a stylish device.

Now I’m an expert when wielding an iron, and anything that can save me time and energy ironing my wife’s designed blouses with their odd angles, fitted cuffs and other attached bits and pieces would be very welcome.

One huge benefit is how the iron adapts to your ironing. The IQ feature where it adjusts the steam as you iron is clever, but not perfect. It has its moments where it need to catch up to what you are doing,

There is no need to adjust the temperature, just pick up the iron and start ironing. It senses how you are ironing and adjusts itself accordingly and it can blast out a good amount of steam that almost rivals irons with steam generators.

However there are downsides to what is a clever piece of kit.

My wife said it is too heavy, and while I have no problems using it, 2.34kg without the water isn’t ideal if you have a slight build. It can turn into a workout. This I feel makes it less manoeuvrable on the board even when taking the IQ technology into account.

My wife did try ironing with it and quickly changed over to our older iron which is over a kilo lighter.

Then there is the cost, for half the price I can buy and iron that performs as well but without the IQ technology. It is no real hardship to adjust the temperature setting after all. In fact I can buy a branded iron for around 18 and have some change and it will still do the job of an iron.

It is a stylish, feature rich and competent iron that performs well but it will be too heavy for some.

While the technology packed into the iron and two year warranty does go some way into justifying the cost, I could buy two branded irons and take the family out for a decent meal for the same price.

Quite simply in my experience of reviewing irons (which I estimate is around twenty or so different modules and manufacturers) Philips’ PerfectCare (Steam Generator range) are the best. In terms of technology, results and ease of use they are unbeatable. The only downside is that SG irons require a bit of space, can be cumbersome to move around and, as such may not be as practical for some people’s requirements.

Essentially what you have here is Philips answer to that: they have managed to cram many of the technology and advantages of their SG Perfectare irons into this ‘conventional’ style iron. And by and large they have succeeded (but there are notable trade offs).

The dynamic IQ feature (which essentially calculates how much steam is automatically delivered based on how much the iron moves) works well enough: you just set it to this mode and basically let the iron do the rest (in terms of temperature settings irrrespective of the fabric). The great thing about this is that you do not have to keep placing the iron upright on its backplate each time you reposition the item you’re ironing: just leave it face down on the ironing board (or indeed on the clothes themselves if you want: they will not scorch). While there’s no question this iron produces masses of steam some of it I found to be wasted i.e. after moving the iron over clothing and placing it on the ironing board to reposition your clothing item, the iron remains actively, producing the steam for another second or so until it ‘realises’ you’ve stopped (at which point it cuts out, waiting for it t be triggered again by moving it: which it does instantaneously).

Generally speaking though the iron operates very effectively and it has a range of modes that actually surpasses Philips’ SG range-topper (namely a setting for ‘ionic’ mode ironing: which claims to infuse silver irons into the clothes making them more hygienic). Most people will probably opt for the Dynamic IQ mode though but – where extra steam is required – this can be achieved via the manual trigger under the handle/index finger (which produces an impressive ‘woof’ of additional steam)

The other trade-offs I mentioned earlier are however significant, The first is that potential purchasers should be aware that this is a big iron (bigger, in fact, than any iron I have previously tried). It is also very weighty at more than 2kg. True, it glides smoothly but those with joint pain etc should consider whether this iiron would be suitable for them (and by way of contrast SG irons are half this weight or less – but then again they are not encumbered by all gubbins this iron requires on the unit – including water tank- as they housed in the ‘base unit’). The economy consideration is that the water tank rapidly depletes -and you will find you will need to replenish it possibly several times over the course of an ironing session (which is irritating). In a sense this is the inevitable byproduct of this iron being able to produce masses of steam.

In conclusion, if you’re short o space and/or need to do your ironing in a number of locations (but still want many of the significant features and advantages of Philips’ Perfectare system) then this could be the ideal solution. There are a couple off drawbacks (as mentioned) but if these are not a concern then it would justify serious consideration. On the other hand, if space and portability are not a concern then my general advice would be to buy one of Philips steam generator irons (for not much more financial outlay at the bottom end of their range).

Really like using this iron as I am someone who burns clothes unintentionally!
Not sure how, but this iron really does adjust to the right temperature to iron your clothes without you having to change any temperatures.
Even though I like this iron, my biggest concern is that it is really heavy! Feels like I’m lifting 3/4kg weights. Great if you want to tone your arms whilst ironing, but would definitely not recommended the use of this for an older person or someone who has weak wrists or arms.

It is also quite a big iron, so will need more storage space. I liked that the lead which was long, heavy and a rope design.
This iron looks quite basic, considering its optimal temp technology which boasts to iron everything from jeans to silk without burning.
I ironed t-shirts heavy and light materials, and found that as advertised, the iron adjusted with ease.

So I really like this iron, mainly as I don’t have to worry about checking the tempreture, but I do find it heavy, so I’ll be looking not to be ironing for too long at one time.

Really not recommended if you are looking for an iron that is light, and small to store.

The iron comes in a glossy cardboard box covered with I formation with only one plastic sheet wrapped around the base plate and handle so mostly recyclable. There is an instruction leaflet with pictures and a couple of pages written in English and a large plastic measuring cup which holds 350ml (12 fl.oz.)..
The iron is a very good weight and very easy to hold, it has a non-stick base with lots of steam holes and a nicely pointed front that gets into the corners of sleeves. It has a 3 metre electric cord and a 3 pin plug with 13 amp fuse. There are no dials to mess around with, the only thing you have to do is press a button on top of the iron to select the steam setting ‘Maximum (Jean/Linen/Heavy cotton etc) ; Eco (Minimum steam for less creased clothes and more delicate ones such as silk, this is also energy saving); Ionic (delivers steam rich with silver ions that helps sterilize clothing – ideal for baby clothes). There is also a setting that allows you to iron without steam. The only problem I have with the iron is that the symbols are difficult to see – they only have a very faint light on the handle.
There is a cut-out on the back of the iron that allows the cable attached to the iron to sit flat when stood on its end (Great idea makes the iron more stable). The iron automatically turns off the steam when stood up, this and the 350ml water reservoir means you are not having to fill it with water every two seconds and the steam on Eco lasts through around 5 or 6 shirts.
There is also an automatic shut off that senses when the iron isn’t being used and it switches the iron off after 2 minutes when its resting on the sole plate and after 8 minutes when stood up (Love this feature I’m always worried that I forgot to turn the iron off). You only have to move the iron again to switch it back on..
There is a ‘Calc release collector) on the back of the iron which automatically collects loose scale particles during ironing (stops white bits getting on your clothes – another brilliant idea) After 1 to 3 months use, the Calc-clean reminder flashes to reminds you to use the quick calc release and clean the iron of build up. (This iron won’t start unless this is cleaned) It’s a good idea to clean this regularly in hard water areas.
I love this iron it makes ironing so much easier and there are no pesky dials to keep tuning for different materials. The weight is really good and it is very well designed. The steam settings are easy you only have to tilt the iron slightly to change the settings. I also love that the steam stops as soon as you stand the iron up and doesn’t need filling with water as often as my other iron. Expensive but well worth the money.

This review concerns the Philips GC4938/20 Azur Advanced Steam Iron, Ceramic, 3000 W, price at review 120.00.

Featuring a longer than usual power lead this very attractive looking iron sits towards the top of the manufacturers ‘G’ range.

Offering up to 3000W the SteamGlide Plus soleplate provides more than adequate pressure for even the most stubborn of creases.

The supplied plastic jug facilitates easy refilling of the larger than average water compartment.

The surface and design of the sole plate enables easy, speedy coverage over all surfaces.

At the review price I consider it somewhat expensive, but the build quality and specification are certainly above average and what would be expected from Phillips.

Makes ironing a pleasure!