Rowenta Focus Excel Steam Iron for Clothes, Anti-Drip Protection, Iron Steamer for Clothes, 1725 Watts, DW5280, Grey

After reading numerous reviews on Amazon and other sites, it became clear that the only real way to find a good iron is to try one yourself. The iron arrived in one of Amazon’s paper shipping bags, and as a result, the product box was badly damaged. While everything appears to be in working order, I do suspect it may have been a returned item. With the box in such poor condition, it’s difficult to tell for sure. That said, I decided to keep it. So far, the iron performs well overall. The soleplate appears to be stainless steel, though it has a dull, slightly textured finish rather than a polished one. My previous Rowenta iron had a mirror-finish soleplate, which I really liked because it glided effortlessly across all fabrics. This one initially concerned me, but after ironing several garments, I found that it still glides smoothly and performs well in practice. The iron has a decent weight to it—substantial but not overly heavy. It produces plenty of steam, although it seems like the first two steam settings deliver similar output, while the higher settings also feel nearly identical to each other. One drawback is the limited clearance between the temperature selector and the handle. I constantly knock the selector wheel out of position while using the iron, which unintentionally changes the temperature. This is quite frustrating and something I hope is improved in future designs. Overall, I’m satisfied with the iron and plan to keep it.

This review is for the 1725 watt iron, without the cordreel, in the blue and white color, and it was purchased in November 2022. Overall, it's fine, but be aware of the following things: the different steam settings, having some common sense, the poorly-described self-clean "function", and the sole plate. The iron is simple to use: fill it with water, plug it in, set the temperature, and wait for it to heat. Once it's ready (i.e., the pilot light goes off), set the desired steam level, and start ironing. You've got three options for steam: off, "Eco", and max, and the switch has four positions. If you've got it set to steam, but nothing comes out, press the steam button. That'll clear out whatever might be clogging the holes in the plate. Then try ironing. Now for the steam switch: the first two are positions are basically off, and no steam will come out. The 'Eco' setting only kicks in at the third 'click' of the switch, and takes a second for steam to come out once the iron is horizontal and moving. The fourth position (all the way to the right) is max steam, which is exactly what it sounds like: a lot of steam for as long as the iron can sustain, before it needs to heat up again. Once the pilot light turns back on, don't press your luck, or else you might get water dribbling out toward the end of the cycle; set the iron upright and wait. Also, don't expect a lot of steam (or any at all) to come out at lower temperatures: expecting that just doesn't make sense. If you want to iron at low temperatures, and need moisture, use the built-in spray function before pressing your clothes. A lot of the "water leaks out!!" reviews probably don't realize that yes, if you've got the steam switch wide open, there's a valve that will let water through, and yes, that water (in liquid form) will dribble out of the sole plate because they've got a low temperature selected. About the self-clean "function": it's not a function, or a dial setting, or anything like that at all. It's a sequence of things you do, and the procedure is described toward the end of the manual. Lastly, the sole plate isn't smooth-shiny like my old Rowenta. I assume the new one is stainless steel just like the old one, but the new one has a matte and slightly textured surface that drags ever so slightly. It's not a big deal, but if you're expecting a mirror finish on the sole plate, this iron isn't it. The actual ironing performance: it works fine and gets the wrinkles out. For heavy and deep creases, no iron alone will solve that problem. Summary: The iron works well if you have some common sense about when to expect steam at high versus low temperatures, and exercise awareness with the steam switch; the self-cleaning function isn't really a function at all, but just a series of steps; and the sole plate has a slight texture. I iron at least once a week, so if this iron doesn't last, I'll update the review. May 2022 update: It's still working fine. If it doesn't start steaming right away after the iron is back in the horizontal position (and the steam switch is in the third or fourth position), I'll hit the "steam burst" button. Also, if you haven't ironed in a while, hit the button anyway but do it over a rag or towel so you don't spew mineral crud over what you actually want to iron. October 2023 update: Still going strong after weekly use. With semi-regular maintenance (the cleaning feature) and using the steam burst function to blow out any mineral build-up, this thing is working great. Looks like it's currently $80 which is a huge amount cheaper than what I bought it. Like Leonard from Community, I rate this a "buy".

Love these iron built quality and solid. Work great all the time. Value for the money

If anyone can design an iron that doesn’t spit I’ll be first in line. Rowenta is a good brand; this is my second. I sew custom drapes and the iron is fine in that the steam function is powerful. The water receptacle is a decent size and it’s not terribly heavy like my gravity feed iron. So all good there-but it spits. I have to exercise caution when using it on costly drapery fabric. As you can see from the photo, the iron left a brown residue on the cream colored fabric I’m using to make Roman shades. 😡 I don’t have time to try a bunch of irons to find one that doesn’t spit so I’ll keep this Rowenta, but I’ll only use it for ironing clothes

I got it in 2023, and It leaked, I got an orange rest pad, and it should always stay horizontal as you iron or resting on the pad unless you are adding water. Always wait until the light goes out on the left side to know the water is ready to make steam. I use filtered or distilled water. After ironing always drain the water out of the iron. My AI friend Gemini suggested the above and now I have a great iron

Juste wow ! On apprécie facilement sa qualité ! Je recommande ce produit à qui veut un bon fer à repasser.

قلة الحرارة وعدم ضخ البخار بعد 5 أشهر

Excited about this product. It has an excellent weight with a narrow front tip which is great getting into narrow spaces. Steam is on call as needed. Wait for the red light to indicate ready.

Bought this one because of the heat rating and the size. It works great, but it is heavy. Used for quilting only.

heavy duty and great German product (i think)