Iron in Bahrain: steam, dry or garment steamer?

12 نوفمبر 2026, بقلم Switch On, 6 دقائق للقراءة

Steam iron, heavy dry iron or garment steamer? Choose an iron for your clothes, thobes and routine in Bahrain, with picks from the Switch On range.

Short answer: for most homes in Bahrain the right first iron is a steam iron of around 2000 to 2400 W with a ceramic soleplate. It handles shirts, school uniforms, trousers and bed sheets on one board. If the household presses a lot of white cotton thobes and wants a sharp, flat finish, add a heavy dry iron. If you mostly refresh abayas, dresses and shirts on the hanger, a garment steamer saves setting up the board at all.

The rest of this guide helps you choose between those three types, then pick the wattage, soleplate and features that actually make a difference. Everything mentioned is in the irons and steamers range at Switch On.

Steam iron, dry iron or garment steamer

The three do different jobs. Many families end up with two of them, usually a steam iron plus either a dry iron or a steamer.

	Steam iron	Heavy dry iron	Garment steamer
Best for	Everyday mixed laundry: shirts, uniforms, trousers, sheets	Cotton thobes, linen, heavy fabrics, sharp creases	Abayas, dresses, delicate and embroidered fabric, curtains
Needs a board	Yes	Yes	No, works on a hanger
Sharp creases	Good	Best	No, it relaxes wrinkles rather than pressing
Water tank	Yes, refill as you go	None, use a spray bottle	Yes
Typical wattage	2000 to 2400 W	1000 to 1200 W	1500 to 1800 W
Main drawback	Scale builds up in the steam vents	Slower on mixed loads, heavy to hold	Will not give a pressed finish

Choosing a steam iron

A steam iron is the all-rounder, so it is worth getting the basics right.

Wattage: higher wattage heats up faster and, more importantly, recovers its temperature between steam bursts, so the soleplate does not cool and start dripping halfway through a shirt. For a family ironing several pieces at a time, aim for 2000 W or more.
Soleplate: ceramic glides easily and spreads heat evenly, which suits mixed fabrics. Stainless steel is tough and also glides well. Plain non-stick plates are fine but scratch more easily on zips and buttons.
Steam output and steam shot: continuous steam handles everyday creases; a strong shot of steam is what flattens the deep creases in cotton that has dried hard on a washing line in the summer sun.
Self-clean or anti-scale: a self-clean function flushes mineral build-up out of the vents. With local tap water this matters more than any other feature for how long the iron keeps steaming properly.
Cord length and tank size: a longer cord helps when the board sits away from the socket, and a bigger tank means fewer trips to refill.

The Black & Decker BL-X2400 is the pick for a busy family: 2400 W with a ceramic soleplate, so it holds heat through a full basket. The Clikon CK4130 also has a ceramic soleplate and adds a self-clean function, which makes it a good choice for homes where scale has killed previous irons.

Why thobe households still buy a heavy dry iron

A heavy dry iron has no tank and no steam vents. Its weight and steady heat do the work, which is why it remains the favourite for pressing white cotton thobes and ghutras flat and crisp. There is nothing to scale up or drip, so it tends to last for years.

Lightly mist the fabric with a spray bottle, or iron while the cotton is still slightly damp, to get the same result steam would give.
Use a thin cotton press cloth on dark fabrics so the plate does not leave a shine.
Around 1200 W is plenty, because a dry iron does not have to turn water into steam.

The Clikon CK2130 is a 1200 W heavy dry iron built for exactly this job, and the Black & Decker F550 is a heavy weight dry iron from a brand many families already trust for irons.

When a garment steamer replaces the iron

A garment steamer pushes steam through fabric hanging on a hanger. It does not press, so it will not put a crease in trousers or give a thobe that flat finish, but it is quicker and gentler for anything that hangs:

Abayas, dresses and fabric with embroidery, beads or prints that an iron could damage.
Shirts you want to refresh before leaving the house, without setting up a board.
Curtains and fabric in the majlis, steamed where they hang instead of taking them down.
Freshening clothes that have been sitting in a wardrobe through the humid months.

The Clikon CK4144 is a 1600 W handheld steamer, small enough for a bedroom shelf or a suitcase. The Black & Decker GSTM2050 is the higher wattage option at 1785 W, better when you steam several pieces in one session.

Water, scale and looking after it

Scale is the most common reason a steam iron or steamer stops working well: vents clog, steam weakens and white flakes spit onto dark clothes. To keep it steaming:

Check the manual on water. Many irons accept tap water, others recommend mixing it with distilled water. Never use perfumed water or water from the AC drain or a dryer.
Empty the tank after each use, rather than leaving water sitting inside.
Run the self-clean or anti-calc function regularly, more often if you iron daily.
Let the iron cool fully on its heel before putting it away, and wrap the cord loosely.

Power and safety at home

All the irons and steamers in the range run on Bahrain's 220 V mains. A 2400 W iron draws a lot of current, so plug it straight into a wall socket instead of a multi-way adaptor shared with a kettle or heater. If children are around, an iron with automatic shut-off, which switches off when left still, is worth looking for on the product page. Store it upright and out of reach while it cools.

Fewer creases also start at the washer: a gentle spin and taking clothes out promptly cuts ironing time. Our washing machine guide covers drying options if you are choosing one.

Picks by household

Family ironing a full basket each week: Black & Decker BL-X2400 steam iron.
Homes where scale is a problem: Clikon CK4130 ceramic steam iron with self clean.
Thobes and crisp cotton: Clikon CK2130 or Black & Decker F550 heavy dry iron, alongside a steam iron for everything else.
Quick refresh and travel: Clikon CK4144 handheld garment steamer.
Abayas, dresses and curtains in quantity: Black & Decker GSTM2050 garment steamer.