Rowenta DW5197 Review : Focus Steam Iron

The Rowenta DW5197 is very similar to the Rowenta DW5080. However, there are slight differences between the two Focus irons and the price too is not the same with the DW5197 being the more expensive unit. So, what makes the Rowenta DW5197 worth a buy? Is it the iron that you should get? This review will look further into this issue.

Rowenta DW5197 Review

The features of the iron include:

• 1725-watt
• Stainless steel soleplate
• Precision tip
• Anti-calc
• Anti-drip
• Vertical steam
• Burst of steam
• Auto steam
• Water spray
• Self-cleaning
• Size: 12.6″ by 7″ by 7.5″

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The Rowenta DW5197 Focus steam iron is made for fashion designers and crafters. It is dubbed the “Official Partner of Fashion” and there are a few features here that specifically caters for those who sew. The iron has 1725-watt of power and a polished stainless steel soleplate with 400 micro steam holes. The soleplate offers maximum glide for effortless ironing and the large number of steam vents gives a more efficient steam distribution for better steam penetration into the fabrics to get rid of the creases.

The precision tip helps with the tricky areas that are hard to reach. The steam level can be adjusted with an auto-steam feature that continually adjusts output to the soleplate temperature. There is also a vertical steam option for touch-ups on hanging garments and drapes. The self-cleaning and anti-calc features will help to remove impurities and keep the steam vents clean. All you need to do to get the iron steaming is to fill it with tap water and let it reached the desired temperature. The water tank for the Rowenta DW5197 can hold about 10 ounces of water.

To get a burst of steam and water spray, there are two large buttons at the top to activate them. To control the temperature, you can adjust the knob below the handle. As this iron is designed for those who sew and do crafts, there is no auto-shutoff feature. The unit’s power will never turn off while you continue with your sewing until it is unplugged from the socket.

The cord length for the Rowenta DW5197 is about 7 to 8 feet. There is no retractable cord with this model but you will have a 360-degree pivoting cord instead.

Check out this video below for a closer look at this iron:

Should You Buy The Rowenta DW5197 Focus Iron?

Pros

1. Lots of steam – This iron gives out lots of steam. Its steam jet can emit up to 180 gram/minute of steam compared to the Rowenta Pro Master which can only do 150 gram/minute. It is easy to iron with so much steam output and the results are certainly far superior to those $20 irons.
2. Heats up good – There is little waiting time for the unit to heat up once plugged in. You are ready to iron in 60 seconds or so. The stainless steel soleplate also retains heat well and smooth to iron with.
3. Sturdy – The iron has a nice weight – over 3 lbs out of the box. It is well-made with its German technology and manufacturing base. The design is more refined than a $20 iron with a pointed tip, polished soleplate, swivel cord and tougher flap for the refill hole. All in all, it should make your chore easier and faster to complete.

Cons

1. Price – We can’t really run away from this complaint seeing that the price is on the high side. It is even more expensive than the Rowenta DW6080 Eco-Intelligence which is an energy-saving iron when we wrote up this review. You will have to fork up about $100 for the DW5197, double of those $50 steam irons which have just as good ratings and reviews from buyers.
2. Hard to gauge water level – While the iron appears stylish, the water tank is too dark to easily gauge the level inside the tank.
3. Poor instructions – A few buyers have noted that the manual has more pictures than words that made the instructions difficult to decipher.

The main talking point about the Rowenta DW5197 is the lack of an auto-off feature. This will work for some but not others. For those who iron a big pile of clothes in one sitting and do sewing or quilting, having no auto-off is simply convenient. This is because you won’t have the iron shutting down on you unnecessarily. But if you have small kids at home and may forget to turn off the iron once you are done, then obviously this model is not for you.

There is also a high volume of steam output for this iron. While some people like ironing with a copious amount of steam emitting from the soleplate, others might find it to be overdone. But if you do prefer high steam volume but with an auto-off function, then you can take a look at the Rowenta DW9080 Steamium instead. The Rowenta DG5030 is also another option although this is a steam station rather than a regular iron.

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Personally, we do think that the Rowenta DW5080 is good enough compared to this DW5197. The design of the iron seems to be the same although it is a slightly less powerful iron at 1700-watt and gives out a little less steam. But it certainly qualifies as one of the best steam irons under $100 and it is selling for $20 to $30 less than the DW5197 at the time of this review. So, unless you are looking for an iron with no auto-off function for your craft work, perhaps the Rowenta DW5080 is a more worthwhile buy.