What iron is best for quilters? Which one works well for applique? Cordless? Corded? Steam? So many options! Today we answer the question and view a few of my favorite.
The iron is a touchy topic. There are some brands that are loved, hated, put up with, drip…you name it. They can give you a lot of grief….or happiness.
Some brands work for you while others that were suggested by friends that totally love them don’t!
It is a frustration that’s for sure.
Today I thought I would share my experience with a few different brands that I have tried.
Not to try to sell you on one brand or the other, but to give you a heads up of what I have found that I really like or dislike about the ones I’ve used.
The Best Irons for Quilting~
Oliso- Check out the full line of Oliso Irons here, or here on Amazon
While this iron is one of the most expensive at $199.00 it seriously is my favorite.
The little feet on the bottom retract when you touch the handle so you never have to list this heavy guy!
The cord is plenty long — you can cover a lot of ground with it and don’t have to stand right next to the plug.
The heat on this baby is hot!
Watch out. I love the setting, the steam works fantastic and over all it is well worth the money.
Check out more information on the Oliso here!
Rowenta 
(you can purchase it here too)
I used the Rowenta iron for a long time before going to the Oliso.
I loved it. It does have a flaw of leaking, but if you don’t leave water in there all the time, you shouldn’t have a problem.
It is a heavy iron and does it’s job fantastically.
Lot’s of settings to mess with so you can quickly customize how you use it. Price is just under $100. I have heard also that the mini Rowenta is a great iron for traveling with. I might have to look into that!
Check out more information on the Rowenta here!
Cordless Irons
(you can check this one out too)
This isn’t the brand I was using– mine was an Oreck….but the idea is the same. It’s cordless!
The iron is heated by a separate stand and then you pop it off, use it– without fighting cords and then place it back on the stand when you need it heated again.
I loved, loved mine…and still occasionally use it. It was nice and hot when right off the stand. Held it’s heat well, and you can walk where ever you want with this in your hand! I found that I liked keeping the stand off of the ironing table so it gave me a more space while ironing.
Price is under $100 so not too terrible to the pocket book either.
Check out more information on Cordless Irons here!
Long, Mini Iron (you can purchase here too)
These are so great for applique projects when you have little pieces and you need a little more control. You can actually see what you are ironing / pressing.
The large iron plate is a tiny one that allows you to see everything and actually have it in place before you set the iron down. No more guessing.
Price runs from $10- 20
You can find more info about the Clover Mini Iron here.
Check out more info all about iron and iron projects~
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Homemade Spray Starch – cheaper than store bought!
Mini Iron Travel Bag Tutorial – just in case you travel with your mini!
Make your own portable iron station
Iron or Press? Which one is right for your project?
Feel free to share your opinion on the iron you have grown to love.
Becky Jorgensen is the creative quilter behind Patchwork Posse, the Patchwork Planner and her online quilt group Patchworkers Plus. You can find her patterns in books, magazines, and her quilt membership. Gather your quilting supplies, organize your sewing space, explore the process of disappearing quilt blocks, or finish a free quilt pattern. I'll help you use what you have, finish what you start and make your quilting journey fun!
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I have a little travel iron that sits on a pad right next to my sewing machine table that I press seams with. I love it and bought it at a garage sale for $2!!
I’ve been using a Rowenta, Effective comfort, 1600 watts. I really want to like this iron, but it spits, and loses its heat when on the dry settings. If I use steam then it holds its heat just fine. However, if I use steam when pressing during quilting it tends to distort my fabric and shrink it while making the blocks. I do prewash the fabric and iron it while still a little damp. I was looking up info on the Oliso, but heard that the feet break, and there is terrible service with that company. Have you had any such problems or heard of any such, as It’s an expensive iron. Thanks for your help.
I tried a Rowenta which I “thought” every quilter should have, but I found that not only was it expensive, but it didn’t last any longer than a cheap iron. I’ve been using a Tfal iron ever since and I love it. It does a great job, with no leaking.
I have my grandmother’s vintage Black and Decker Light and Easy iron from the 1980’s and it still work like it was brand new (and it’s used several times weekly.)
I purchased a newer model iron (can’t remember the model) as a back up. The dumb thing has auto shutoff so each time I get up from my sewing machine to iron something I have to wait for it to heat back up. And it has a very short cord too. I don’t have kids or pets so don’t need it to turn off. And I had to put an extension cord on the short cord which defeats the purpose of having a short cord. I hate that iron with a passion!
I am now on the hunt to find more Black and Decker Light and Easy irons as backups. Doesn’t shut off until I turn it off and has a long cord.
Between my vintage Rowenta (~1989) and the new one, I have to say I much prefer my old one! The new one shuts off too quickly for practical pressing of pieces, so I find it more time-consuming when all I want to do is finish the job quickly and get back to the sewing machine. It’s possible I don’t have the settings right. I was disappointed with the recent one purchased.
My friends complain about the weight of my Reliable but I love it. Got it about 10 years ago on sale at JoAnn Fabrics. It has never dripped or spit water, which was a big problem with both of the Rowentas I had. My only complaint, and not just with this brand, is that most of the water tanks are made of colored plastic, making it very difficult to see the water level. Some idiot man probably designed it without a thought of asking a seamstress to test the prototype. I often have to hold it up to a window to make sure I’m not overfilling it.
I bought the Panasonic about 6 months ago and really hate it. The time that it is hot enough to really press something is so short-lived! When pressing 3 yards of fabric I pre washed the thing had to reheat twice! Press a seam, sew a seam and wait for it to reheat! What a pos for a sewer much less a quilter. Liked cordless feature, hate the iron. My old Rowenta spit. Now what do I buy? The shut-off feature should be optional in my opinion.