One of the most forgettable notions in the sewing and quilting world, the iron can often fall by the wayside and be taken for granted.

Since irons just live in our lives normally regardless of any sewing and quilting hobbies, to get started cheap using the iron you already have is a natural option. 

Why buy something new what you already own one? At least that was my opinion on the matter. 

And here we are years and years later, still using that trusty Walmart iron we bought freshman year of college. 

A good quality iron can make a world of a difference when you are constantly ironing yards and yards of fabric. 

So when the college iron finally needs to get upgraded, finding one that will help you finish your yardage ironing quicker and more efficiently is a must. 

But there are so many options! Today we’re going over the 7 best irons for quilting to look at for your next upgrade so you can finish your ironing quicker and get back to creating faster.

Do you really need an iron to quilt?

Using an iron to press quilt pieces is an important step when making a quilt that should not be skipped if possible. 

The more accurate your pieces are cut and sewn, the easier the quilt top will assemble. Step number one to cutting the most accurately sized pieces is making sure that your fabric lays as flat as possible. 

When you have wrinkles in your fabric, it doesn’t lay flat which means you are likely to end up with less accurate cuts where the wrinkles added caused you to have more fabric than you intended. 

Trying to assemble a quilt without ironing is possible, however takes much more effort than you might otherwise need with an iron. 

When your fabric and seams lay flat and crisp, it is significantly easier to match up your quilt pieces for a perfect fit. 

Your corners look sharper and your points match up easier. Without an iron, there is a lot more wiggle room for error making precision in your design much harder to achieve. 

So while you do not NEED an iron in order to successfully make a quilt, they are highly recommended for a cleaner (and easier) finish. 

Related:
Are wool pressing mats worth it?
The Best wool pressing mats for quilters
How to DIY a wide ironing board for quilting

Types of Irons

Depending on what you are looking to use it for, there are irons for every purpose under the sun! 

Here are a few of the best types of irons for quilting you might find helpful in the sewing room:

• Mini irons
• Inexpensive irons
• Cordless irons
• Auto lift irons
• Smart irons
• Sealing irons
• Professional Ironing systems

As you can see, the complexity, and specialty features of each type range from no bells and whistles to ALL the bells and whistles. 

It’s important to know what features you are buying in an iron so you can avoid overpaying for something you don’t need, or simply won’t like. 

If you find yourself ironing constantly, a cordless iron that charges might not be the ideal fit if it runs out of battery before you’ve finished your task. But a professional ironing system might be the perfect fit with a large reservoir of water so you never run out of steam. 

What to look for when buying an iron for quilting

Who knew something as simple as an iron could have so many features to consider when buying! 

Although not quite as complicated as buying a car, there are a few things you should consider and compare when deciding on the best iron for quilting. 

Here are a few of the features that could potential help make your life much easier when ironing:

• steam power
• type of iron
• heat settings
• durability and safety
• weight
• quick heat up time
• water capacity

Steam Power

Regardless of whether you prewash or not, you’ll often end up with large wrinkles in your fabric that need to get removed before you start cutting. 

The more steam you have, the easier and quicker you can remove those stubborn wrinkles before it has a chance to haunt you later. 

Type of Iron

Are you looking for full size? Or mini? What about cordless vs. non-cordless? No matter the type you are looking for, the choices are endless.

Starting off by identifying the main things you want in an iron will help you narrow down the options significantly to avoid getting overwhelmed with options. 

Heat Settings

Did you know that not all materials can handle max heat settings? 

If you’ve checked out my post about wool ironing mats, it might not surprise you to learn that these awesome ironing mats simply can’t handle the highest settings and will actually scorch the fibers when the heat is too hot. 

When you look for an iron, be sure to find one with not only the hottest setting, but a range of heat settings by material type so you can always be sure to avoid burning or melting your projects. 

Safety

An auto shut-off is a dream in the sewing room. 

You aren’t always standing right at the ironing board, but it also doesn’t make sense to turn it off and wait for it to heat back up between seams. 

So for those times that you get distracted and leave the sewing room forgetting its still plugged in, an auto shut off will make sure any kids, husbands, or pets don’t get hurt accidentally. 

Weight

Weight can help and hurt you when it comes to an iron.

You’ll want to tip toe the line between so heavy it actually hurts your wrist to use after a while, and heavy enough to push the wrinkles out. Weight and steam together will work those wrinkles out, but too much weight will become uncomfortable after a while. 

Finding your happy medium will help you stay super efficient in the sewing room while avoiding carpal tunnel at the same time. 

Quick Heat Up Time

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Maybe I’m by myself in this, but I usually get so excited to sew that I forget to turn the iron on to heat up ahead of time. 

I’ll finish my last seam, turn to the iron and realize I never plugged it in. Now I have to wait. 

If that sounds at all familiar to you, a quick heat-up time will quickly become your favorite feature. No more standing around and waiting. 

Water Capacity

Typically I only use steam when I am ironing my initial yardage before cutting, but this often means that I have 4+ yards of fabric I’m ironing for just one fabric. Water runs out quick! 

Having a larger water reservoir will keep you from having to run for more water every few minutes, helping get your ironing done that much faster. 

The best iron could be different depending on what you are looking to use it for. I went and rounded up some of the most common categories of irons and found the best of the best for each.

Best Small Iron

Oliso

Oliso far and wide seems to be the most popular brand of quilting irons available on the market. With a wide array of features that help make ironing quick, painless, and mistake free, its not hard to see why. 

Not to mention they are definitely some of the cutest designed irons on the market. Pastel colors that make you think of candy, the Oliso mini irons definitely have the marketing and cute packaging down. 

The concern with mini irons is they just don’t have the oomph to heat up as hot as a standard iron however the Oliso mini iron does not have any problems heating up. In fact, some people claim that it actually heats up too well, making the handle warm to hold. 

Although you typically are paying for the Oliso name, the Oliso mini irons are high quality and generally priced to match. 

Shop Oliso Mini Irons

Steamfast

Since Oliso is comparably on the more expensive end, I decided to bring in the second best, potentially replacing Oliso entirely for this category. 

The Steamfast mini iron. 

With over 20,000 Amazon reviews (yes you read that right), and a near perfect star rating, Steamfast mini iron has the high performance qualities of the Oliso, at only 1/3 the cost. 

Although not quite as fun as the pastel candy colored Oliso, for any other performance quality you might look for, steamfast hits the nail on the head. 

The only downside that this iron seams to have is that the cord does not have any type of swivel feature which means it may be prone to getting knocked over in-between passes by the weight of the cord. 

As long as you take some time to get to know how it will react, this mini iron is a home run. 

Shop Steamfast Mini Irons Here

Best inexpensive iron (under $40)

Black and Decker

While it’s nice to have the option of bells and whistles, you honestly don’t NEED them in order to make a quilt. All you need is a hot plate on the bottom and maybe a little steam. 

All things that standard run of the mill Target finds can supply. 

The Black and Decker iron is a great example of this. 

For a classic, off-to-college, inexpensive iron, this iron does everything an iron should. It heats up and gets rid of wrinkles. It even has auto shut off. 

Does it have some of the smarter options that exist out there? No, but not every quilter will bother using half of those features any way. 

If you just want something cheap, easy, and reliable, at over 11,000 positive reviews, this Black and Decker iron is your best option. 

Best cordless iron

Panasonic

Maybe you don’t have an outlet near your ideal ironing station, or maybe you just hate manipulating an iron’s cord as you get those wrinkles out of your fabric. 

Cordless is a great way to go to avoid those inconveniences. Store it on the other side of the room to charge, and grab it when you need it. No cord required. 

Panasonic makes a great iron that is getting a lot of attention and at over 5000 positive reviews its tough to argue with it. 

It comes in two shapes, a traditional triangular shape or a more football shaped version that gives you more precision and speed in your ironing. 

With all the regular heat, steam, and dry settings you’re used to on the traditional irons, you aren’t missing much with this option. 

The one downside that does appear with this one is that it is better for small quicker jobs, and isn’t as great for longer jobs. Some people found that they were going back to the base multiple times to reheat the iron when ironing large amounts of yardage. 

For smaller job especially small quilt pieces next to the sewing machine, this one is a great option. 

Shop Panasonic Cordless Irons Here

Best Auto Lift Smart Iron

Oliso TG1600 Pro Plus Smart Iron

If you are looking for the Ferrari of irons, Oliso has you covered with the Oliso Pro Plus Smart Iron. 

It has a smart iron auto lift feature that automatically lifts off the ironing surface when you take your hand off of it. When you grab the handle again, the lift retracts and sets the iron back down on the surface to allow you to keep ironing. 

Why is this so useful? You will avoid most situations where your iron would scorch your fabric because it won’t allow you to forget about it sitting on the garment or fabric. Additionally, it allows you to always store your iron horizontally instead of vertically. 

If you have ever had a cat that likes to jump on the ironing board like mine. Since an iron is top heavy when stood vertically, this feature will give you a bit of piece of mind that a pet won’t knock it off the board by accident potentially hurting them, your iron, or your floor. 

With a Diamond ceramic mineral infused soleplate, you’ll find it heats the most evenly and glides effortlessly across any fabric you iron with it. 

While this price of this one is relatively expensive compared to other irons, the amount of features that were designed specifically for sewing and quilting doesn’t compare to other irons made for simple laundering. 

If you are looking for the ideal iron for sewing and quilting, this is the one. 

Shop the Oliso Pro Plus Smart Iron Here

Best Sealing Iron

Clover mini iron II

Did you know these super small sealing irons exist? 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to press seams open on a tiny block with my normal iron just to find out that I ironed over nearby seams pushing them the opposite way. 

Having a sealing iron like the Clover Mini Iron II would be perfect for ironing open those little seams with ease and comfort without having to worry about ruining any other seams around it. 

This Clover mini iron is a fantastic option for those tiny spaces where a big iron is just too clumsy. 

And with multiple attachment heads, this iron is not only useful for quilting, but any other sewing crafts you might also dabble in. 

See more details on the Clover Mini Iron II here

Award for All Around Best Iron for Quilting

Oliso Pro Plus Smart Iron

If you are just trying to get wrinkles out of yardage, any old iron will do. When it comes to quilting and getting the flattest seams, with the least amount of damage, the Oliso Pro Plus Smart Iron is the all around best option. 

This is the only iron on this list that was designed specifically with sewing and quilting in mind. 

A few of its features include:

• Diamond infused non-stick plate 
• Auto-lift smart feature to avoid scorching fabrics 
• Extended auto-shut off at 30 minutes instead of 10 – ideal for quilting
• Anti-drip and anti-scale system keeps it working in top shape longer than other irons
• Store horizontally for increased safety factor and more ergonomic for your wrists
• 1800 watts to remove any stubborn wrinkles you might find. 

With more features than we even mentioned here, with the Oliso Pro Plus Smart Iron, you’ll be done with the ironing quicker and finishing quilt projects faster. 

And with different fun pastel colors, you can even find one that matches your decor instead of giving that very practical utilitarian look that most irons have. 

If you are looking to upgrade your iron and want something that will decrease your ironing time and (dare I say it) make ironing fun, the Oliso Pro Plus is hands down the best iron for quilting. 

Shop Oliso Irons on Amazon here.

Common FAQs on best Irons for Quilting

Which iron is better for quilters, steam or dry?

The best irons for quilters are the ones that can run as a steam iron as well as a dry iron. 

You will find yourself wanting steam for certain situations like ironing full yardage out of the washing machine, and other situation where you want to avoid steam like ironing fabric cut on the bias making it prone to stretching. 

Many irons on the market have a steam shut off feature where you can run the iron dry, or you can run it at full steam at the flick of a switch. 

Having the best of both worlds will give you the most efficient work flow possible in the sewing room, all while keeping your iron investment as low as possible. 

Irons can be expensive enough, don’t go out and buy two when you can buy a single all-in-one option instead. 

Can a steam iron be used without water?

Absolutely, just be sure to set it steam setting to dry, if you want you can also empty the water out of the reservoir to ensure it doesn’t make any steam. 

Steam is not needed by the iron to function appropriately, it is simply an added feature that is highly effective at working out wrinkles when use with a hot iron. 

So go for it, use the iron dry, or with steam, the decision is up to you!

Why does my iron leak?

There are a few potential reasons why your iron may leak checking these would be a good place to start:

• Is the reservoir cap closed? 
• Was it filled past the MAX line?
• Is your iron hot enough?
• There may be hard water built up inside

Your reservoir cap may not be closed tightly

The reservoir cap is an easy one to spot. If the reservoir is not closed, it would not be surprising to see water leak from it. Make sure the reservoir cap is clicked in place to avoid leaking. 

Check to be sure it wasn’t overfilled

When the iron is filled past the max line, the water has the potential to spill past the reservoir and out of any crack that might exist at the top of the iron, likely leaking through the plate. 

Double check to see if the reservoir is over filled, and dump some out if necessary. 

The iron may not be hot enough yet

Did you know the heat from the plate is what turns the water into steam? 

If your iron is not yet hot enough before you attempt to use the steam, you will likely see water leaking out of the holes in the plate instead of steam. Causing leaks all over your ironing board. 

If this is is the case, wait a few minutes longer for your iron to heat up fully before trying to iron with steam again. 

You may have hard water build up inside

If none of these other options seem to be the issue, it may be that you have hard water build up on the inside of your iron that is causing blockages in your iron forcing water to leak. 

If this is the case for your iron, a good cleaning is in order to work it all out of the system. 

How do I clean my iron?

The process for cleaning your iron is short, sweet, and to the point. 

Some irons will have a self-cleaning functionality to them, if yours does, refer to the owners manual for your brand to run a self-cleaning cycle. 

If yours doesn’t try following these manual cleaning steps.

Fill the reservoir with tap water and turn the iron on to its hottest setting with full steam. 

Important: although you are trying to remove hard water build up, only use water, NOT vinegar. Vinegar has the potential to ruin clothes and fabric if it doesn’t get removed entirely from the inside of the iron.

Push the steam burst button on the iron for force any blockages out with the pressure. 

If you don’t use the steam burst option very often you may notice that it has a sputtering feeling to it. This is likely because of hard water build up. 

You may even notice blackened debris getting pushed out on the ironing board with the steam. 

Repeat pushing the steam burst button until you have emptied the reservoir of water and it is a clean healthy burst of steam exiting the iron.

If necessary you can repeat the process by refilling the reservoir.

Once the inside is cleaned out of as much lime build up as possible, turn the iron off and wait for it to cool down.

Dip a rag or paper towel in vinegar (either white or apple) and clean the exterior of the iron focusing on any hard water stains on the plate. 

Once the stains and debris have been removed, give a quick wipe with water to remove any excess vinegar on the surface and you’re all done!