CHI Steam Titanium Review

The Titanium performed admirably across all our metrics and was most impressive in ironing performance and steam output. Read on to learn all the nitty-gritty details.

Performance Comparison

Ironing Performance

We took the time to test each steam iron on many different kinds of fabric, from silk and cotton to synthetics, like polyester. The CHI Steam Titanium performed well with all of them, particularly on cotton and linen.

The Titanium requires very few passes and no additional steam on both cotton and linen. It takes roughly two passes to smooth over both materials completely, and there was no issue with deep-set wrinkles created by long-term folding or compression of the garment. While this steam iron leaves a few small moisture drips on materials that require additional steam, it is still an efficient option. The Titanium rids hard-to-work-with materials like silk of most wrinkles, leaving no watermarks behind.

Polyester can be difficult to work with because, like many synthetics, the risk of it melting if the iron reaches a high enough temperature is eminent. The CHI Titanium takes a few extra swipes to get the ball rolling, but there aren't many wrinkles that it can't handle once the steam gets flowing.

The water spray emits in the form of a fine mist, which helps keep from soaking the fabric underneath while still offering enough moisture to release deep-set wrinkles. The Titanium navigates buttons, collars, and pleats easily, but it is rather heavy, which requires the user to put a little extra effort into their steam ironing. The nose is plenty pointed, but the taper is slightly less aggressive compared to some of the higher-performing models in our test suite. We do not find this an issue with most garments, but it is important to note for those seeking the highest level of precision.

Steam Output

It is no surprise that steam is what sets a steam iron apart from a regular iron, which is why this is a vital metric. The addition of hot moisture allows for efficient wrinkle-reducing and helps the user avoid burning their garments. We were extremely pleased with the results of the Titanium in this metric.

On average, the CHI Titanium emits a whopping 55 grams per minute, which is well above the average in our test suite.

The soleplate has over 400 steam holes strategically placed to ensure that the maximum amount of steam is being released at any given time.

Ease of Use

The Titanium performs above average in this metric as well. During our hands-on testing, we considered the cord design, handle ergonomics, and ease of filling. While this iron was a bit of a struggle to fill, overall, this iron is a pleasure to use.

A retractable eight-foot cord allows for a quick and easy clean-up, even if the iron is still hot. An eight-foot cord also makes it easier to iron larger fabrics, like bedsheets.

The nose of the soleplate tapers in a way that makes navigating pleats, buttons, and collars a breeze, although it is not quite as tapered as some other steam irons we experienced.

We have just two issues with the Titanium. The metal accents are slick, which makes holding the appliance a little slippery when wet. The second is that there is no way to move the small flap in the fill hole, making it difficult to fill without making a mess.

Heating

While ironing performance and ease of use are important, a steam iron wouldn't be much of an iron if it didn't pack some heat. The Titanium performs admirably, but there is a little room for improvement here.

After roughly five minutes, the average heat across the soleplate was 304 degrees Fahrenheit. We discovered a little inconsistency across the soleplate during our testing, but nothing too dramatic.

The iron stayed above 300 degrees with a difference of 54 degrees from the coolest to the hottest spots. This inconsistency is pretty average and did not affect the overall performance.

Should You Buy the CHI Steam Titanium?

This above-average performing steam iron is a great purchase. It falls somewhere between our most and least expensive options, and we feel it's a great investment. The CHI Titanium is a great option if you are looking for specific features like a retractable cord and a mist-like water spray. If those features don't give you butterflies, you could save a few bucks by going with one of the cheaper options in our test suite.

What Other Steam Irons Should You Consider?

With a retractable cord, over 400 steam holes, and an ergonomic soleplate, it's hard to go wrong with the CHI Steam Titanium. Only the award-winning Rowenta DW9280 SteamForce outperforms this model regarding ironing performance and steam output. Even though it earns an above-average score across nearly all of our testing metrics, it is notably out-performed by the value-minded Black+Decker D3030 Allure in our heating metric. This factor should be more heavily considered if you often iron heavier-weight fabrics like cotton.