Which Laurastar Is Right for Me?

• All three Laurastar product categories, covering ironing systems, steam stations, and garment steamers, use the same Swiss DMS technology at 3.5 bars of steam pressure. The difference between them is form factor and use case, not quality.
• Ironing systems suit high-volume households, buyers who employ in-home help, and those with a significant formal wardrobe. The integrated active board, 19 kg frame, and full DMS technology stack are built for daily use.
• Steam stations are a 3-in-1 solution: they iron on a standard ironing board, steam vertically, and purify fabrics of allergens, bacteria, and dust mites. At 5.5 kg with no permanent setup required, they suit a wide range of homes and buyers who want versatility without a fixed laundry space.
• Garment steamers suit buyers whose wardrobes live on hangers. The IZZI Plus runs the same DMS technology at 3.5 bars as the ironing system range, heats up in 2.5 minutes, and works entirely without an ironing board.

You’ve found Laurastar. You know the technology is worth considering. The question now is which product actually belongs in your home. Prices across the range run from $1,199 to $4,399, and the three categories look quite different at first glance.

What questions actually matter before you choose?

The questions below are the same ones we work through with every customer in the Laurastar showrooms. They’re not a quiz to score. They’re the differences that separate one category from another.

What fabrics make up most of what you care for? High-volume dress shirts, suits, and structured linen respond best to board pressure from an ironing system. Knitwear, jersey, and hanging garments that crease in the wardrobe are the natural territory of a steamer. Delicates like silk and cashmere are well served across all three categories, because DMS steam at 3.5 bars is gentle enough for fine fibres regardless of the product.

How often do you iron, and in what volume? Working through multiple loads per week across a household is where an ironing system earns its place. Occasional ironing, or a wardrobe that lives mostly on hangers, points toward a steam station or steamer.

Do you have a dedicated ironing space? Ironing systems weigh 19 kg and need a permanent or semi-permanent spot. Steam stations and steamers weigh between 4.9 kg and 5.5 kg and fit in a cupboard.

Do you currently own an iron? Buyers who have avoided ironing entirely are usually better served by a steamer. The setup is faster, the wand weighs 650g, and there’s no ironing board involved.

Does anyone in your household have allergies, asthma, or skin sensitivities? This question changes the decision more than most buyers expect. According to tests carried out by independent scientific laboratories to the ISO 17025 standard, Laurastar DMS steam eliminates 100% of dust mites, bedbugs, lice, moths, and nits, and up to more than 99.999% of bacteria, viruses, and fungi including Candida albicans. It is equally effective against odours and animal allergens. For allergy households, this is a functional benefit, not a marketing claim.

Are you buying for yourself, or equipping someone who helps with the household ironing? In-home help routes toward ironing systems. A housekeeper ironing formal shirts daily needs an integrated, professional-grade system with a proper board.

Is this a gift? A steam station’s 3-in-1 versatility or a steamer’s easy-setup design make them safer gift choices than an ironing system for a buyer who is not certain of the recipient’s home setup.

Are you replacing an existing Laurastar? Returning owners likely already know which category suits them. The question for an upgrader is what has changed in the technology, not which category to buy.

Is a Laurastar ironing system right for you?

An ironing system is a complete, integrated unit: the steam generator, the iron, and the active board in one system. At 19 kg with a 125 x 42 cm board surface, six adjustable height positions, and 3.5 bars of constant DMS steam pressure, it is built for volume and built to stay put.

There are three models in the range:

• Smart U ($4,399 RRP): The flagship. Sensteam technology, pulsed steam, Active 3D aluminium soleplate, Bluetooth app connectivity, no temperature settings required, retractable power lead, 10-minute auto stop. This is the full DMS technology stack.
• Smart I ($3,699 RRP): App connected, no temperature settings required, but without Sensteam, pulsed steam, or the Active 3D soleplate. The right choice for buyers who want app control without the full flagship specification.
• S Pure ($3,299 RRP): Entry-level ironing system with DMS steam and an active board. Temperature settings are required, and the limescale system uses filter granules rather than an antiscale cartridge. The right choice for buyers who want an integrated active board at a lower entry price and are comfortable managing settings manually.

An ironing system is the right choice if…

Your household irons multiple loads per week. You have a laundry room or dedicated utility space. Your wardrobe runs to formal shirts, suits, tailored trousers, or structured garments that need board pressure to hold a crease.

It’s also the right choice if you employ someone to help with the household. A housekeeper ironing daily deserves a professional-grade tool, and an ironing system is exactly that.

Returning Laurastar owners are worth a specific mention. If you’ve had a Laurastar ironing system for 15 to 20 years and you’re looking at an upgrade, your instinct is correct. The current Smart range adds Sensteam technology, Bluetooth app connectivity, and the Active 3D aluminium soleplate to the original platform. At $4,399 over a 10-year lifespan, the Smart U works out to approximately $439 per year.

If you’re still working through whether that investment stacks up, our Is a Laurastar Worth the Money? guide covers that calculation in full.

This probably isn’t the right choice if…

You iron occasionally, live in an apartment, or have a wardrobe that is primarily knitwear and hanging garments. A 19 kg integrated system is over-specified for that situation. You’d be paying for capacity and permanence you won’t use. The steam station or steamer sections below are more likely to suit you.

Is a Laurastar steam station right for you?

A steam station is a 3-in-1 appliance. It irons on a standard board, steams garments vertically, and purifies fabrics of allergens, bacteria, and mites. It is not a smaller version of an ironing system. It is a different tool for a different use case.

At 5.5 kg with no integrated board and no permanent setup required, the Lift Xtra fits wherever your home allows. It stores in a cupboard, moves between rooms, and works equally well with a standard ironing board or without one for vertical steaming. For buyers who have never had the space for a full ironing system, it’s not a compromise, it’s the right specification for how they live.

There are two tiers in the range:

• Lift Xtra Titan or Aluminium ($1,499 RRP): No temperature settings required, pulsed steam, Active 3D aluminium soleplate, automatic cable roll-up. The Titan and Aluminium are identical in specification, different in colour.
• Lift Original Red or Pure White ($1,199 RRP): Temperature settings required, standard soleplate, no automatic cable roll-up. The right choice for buyers who want DMS at the entry steam station price and are comfortable managing temperature manually.

This is the right choice if…

Your home doesn’t have a dedicated ironing space, or ironing happens in the bedroom or living area rather than a fixed laundry room. You want one appliance that handles both board ironing and vertical steaming without switching between tools. Your wardrobe has variety: some garments that need an ironing board, others that are better steamed on the hanger.

The hygiene story is also worth weighing here. Independent laboratories testing to the ISO 17025 standard confirm Laurastar DMS steam eliminates 100% of dust mites and up to more than 99.999% of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. If someone in your household has asthma, hay fever, or a dust mite allergy, the Lift Xtra’s steam function is doing meaningful work on your fabrics every time you use it, not just making them look better.

For a gift buyer: the steam station’s 3-in-1 design makes it a more considered gift than a full ironing system, because it works with or without an ironing board and suits a wider range of home setups.

This probably isn’t the right choice if…

You’re ironing high volumes of formal shirts daily. The ironing system’s integrated board, full-length surface, and 19 kg frame are more efficient for that volume of structured ironing. The steam station suits a different household, not a lesser one.

Is a Laurastar steamer right for you?

A garment steamer suits buyers who want professional fabric care without an ironing board. That includes buyers who have never owned an iron, those who find a board impractical for their wardrobe type, and those whose garments live on hangers and crease in storage rather than in the wash.

The primary comparison most steamer buyers are making is against premium handheld steamers from other brands at lower price points. The difference comes down to steam specification. The IZZI Plus runs at 3.5 bars of steam pressure at 104 km/h, the same pressure as the ironing system and steam station ranges. Most handheld steamers in the sub-$500 range produce lower-pressure steam that sits on fabric rather than penetrating it. On knitwear, jersey, and synthetic blends, the result is noticeably different.

There are two main options:

• IZZI Plus ($1,399 RRP): 3.5 bars, 104 km/h steam speed, 2.5-minute heat-up, 4.9 kg device with a 650g wand. The primary recommendation for most steamer buyers. The IZZI Plus and Cart Bundle ($1,798) adds a rolling stand for vertical steaming without holding the unit.
• Aura Plus ($1,999 RRP): Red Dot Winner 2025, iF Design Award 2025, and the only Laurastar product to carry the ECARF allergy endorsement from the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation. For allergy households weighing up the two steamer options, that certification is worth the price difference.

This is the right choice if…

You don’t own an ironing board and you’re not planning to get one. Your wardrobe is predominantly knitwear, jersey, linen, or hanging garments that crease from storage. You want a fast routine: 2.5 minutes to heat up, pick up the 650g wand, and you’re done.

Longevity is worth factoring in. A cheap handheld steamer typically runs for months before the pump degrades or the steam quality drops. A Laurastar steamer is built to the same engineering standards as the rest of the range. Over three to five years, the cost per use shifts considerably.

For allergy households, the Aura Plus carries the only independent ECARF allergy endorsement in the Laurastar range, on top of the DMS hygiene certification that applies across all products.

This probably isn’t the right choice if…

Formal dress shirts, heavy linen, or structured tailored garments are the core of what you wear. A steamer refreshes and de-wrinkles. It does not replicate what a heated iron on a flat board does for a collar, cuff, or trouser crease. If your wardrobe depends on that result, a steam station is the right tool.

Comparison at a Glance

Every Laurastar across all three categories uses the same Swiss-engineered DMS technology at 3.5 bars of steam pressure. What changes is how and where you use it.

Still not sure? Here’s how to decide

If ironing is a daily task in your household and you have the space for a dedicated system, the ironing system is built for that.

A steam station makes sense when you want one appliance that irons, steams, and purifies, but a permanent laundry setup isn’t practical or necessary. Portability and versatility are the point.

If you’ve never owned an iron and have no plans to start, the IZZI Plus gives you DMS results without a board. Pick up the wand, you’re done in minutes.

If the question you’re really sitting with is whether any Laurastar is worth the investment at its price point, we’ve answered that separately in Is a Laurastar Worth the Money?

Every Laurastar is on demonstration at our showrooms in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. If you want to see DMS technology on your specific fabric type before you commit, a showroom visit will resolve the decision faster than any guide can.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Laurastar ironing system and a steam station?

An ironing system is a complete integrated unit: steam generator, iron, and active board in one 19 kg system, designed for high-volume household ironing with a permanent setup. A steam station is a portable 3-in-1 appliance that irons on a standard ironing board, steams vertically, and purifies fabrics, weighing 5.5 kg and storing in a cupboard. Both use DMS technology at 3.5 bars of steam pressure.

Is the Laurastar steamer as capable as the ironing system?

The steamer runs the same DMS technology at 3.5 bars and 104 km/h steam speed, so the steam quality is comparable. The difference is form: the steamer works handheld or on a cart without a board, making it the right tool for knitwear and hanging garments, but not for structured garments that need board pressure to hold a crease.

Which Laurastar is best for silk and delicate fabrics?

All three categories handle silk and delicate fabrics well. DMS steam at 3.5 bars is dry, pressurised, and micro-fine, which means it penetrates fabric rather than sitting on it and does not leave water marks. For delicates on a hanger, the IZZI Plus is the most practical choice. For delicates that also need pressing on a board, the Lift Xtra or a Smart range ironing system with the protective soleplate accessory covers both.

Can I use a Laurastar steamer for formal shirts?

A Laurastar steamer will refresh a formal shirt and remove light creasing, but it will not replicate the result of an iron on a flat board for collars, cuffs, and shirt fronts. If formal shirts are a regular part of your wardrobe, a steam station or ironing system will give you a sharper result.

What does the purify function on Laurastar products do?

According to tests carried out by independent scientific laboratories to the ISO 17025 standard, Laurastar DMS steam eliminates 100% of dust mites, bedbugs, lice, moths, and nits, and up to more than 99.999% of bacteria, viruses, and fungi including Candida albicans. It is equally effective against odours and animal allergens. Laurastar’s steam is also certified to the NF-T72-110 standard, covering virucidal, bactericidal, mycobactericidal, and yeasticidal activity. These results apply across the entire Laurastar range. The Aura Plus also holds the ECARF allergy endorsement from the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation.

Which Laurastar is best for a small apartment?

The Lift Xtra steam station (5.5 kg) or IZZI Plus steamer (4.9 kg) are the right choices for smaller homes. Neither requires a permanent setup, both store in a cupboard, and both deliver full DMS technology. The ironing system’s 19 kg integrated frame and dedicated space requirement make it less suited to apartment living.

What is the difference between the Laurastar Smart U and Smart I?

Both include Bluetooth app connectivity and operate without temperature settings. The Smart U ($4,399) adds Sensteam technology, pulsed steam, and the Active 3D aluminium soleplate. The Smart I ($3,699) has the professional iron and active board without those additions. For buyers who want the full technology stack, the Smart U is the right choice. For buyers who want app connectivity at a lower price point, the Smart I delivers that.

What is the difference between the Laurastar Lift Xtra and Lift Original?

The Lift Xtra ($1,499) operates without temperature settings, includes pulsed steam, the Active 3D aluminium soleplate, and automatic cable roll-up. The Lift Original ($1,199) requires temperature settings, uses a standard soleplate, and does not have automatic cable roll-up. Both use DMS technology at 3.5 bars. The Lift Xtra is the stronger choice for buyers who want the closest experience to an ironing system in a portable format.

What is the price range for Laurastar products in Australia?

Laurastar products in Australia range from $1,199 to $4,399 RRP. Steam stations run from $1,199 to $1,499 RRP. Steamers run from $1,399 to $1,999 RRP. Ironing systems run from $3,299 to $4,399 RRP. Current pricing is available at laurastar.com.au.

Which Laurastar is best for someone with allergies or asthma?

All Laurastar products carry the same hygiene benefit via DMS technology. According to tests by independent scientific laboratories to the ISO 17025 standard, Laurastar steam eliminates 100% of dust mites and is equally effective against odours and animal allergens, alongside up to more than 99.999% elimination of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The steam is also certified to the NF-T72-110 standard. For allergy households specifically, the Aura Plus steamer ($1,999) is the only Laurastar product with an additional ECARF allergy endorsement from the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation, making it the strongest choice where allergy management is the primary driver.

I had a Laurastar ironing system years ago. Which model is the current equivalent?

It depends on which range you owned. If you had a steam station such as the G1 First, G2 Steamax, G4 Steamup, G5 Evolution, or G7 Evolution, the comparable range today is the Lift and Lift Xtra. If you had a full ironing system such as the Magic S4, Magic S5, Magic S6, Magic S7, or Pulse, the comparable models today are the S Pure and the Smart range. The core DMS steam technology has carried through every generation. What has changed is the surrounding system: Bluetooth app connectivity, Sensteam technology, and the Active 3D soleplate are all additions since those earlier models.