My Thoughts on Irons
A very sad thing happened earlier today when I was almost finished piecing a quilt top: my iron died.
Since I have been quilting for a while, of course I have a backup. But of course my sewing room looks like it has been ransacked and I can't find it which made me think back on all of the irons I have used over the years and what I look for when buying a new iron.
Most Important Feature: Heat.
I like a very, very hot iron and that is the feature that is most important to me. I just ignore those settings on the dial and turn the iron all the way up. I have found it helps my seams to sit flatter, especially those bulky HST seams.
Other Important Features
- Weight. When you are quilting, you do a lot of rotation with your wrist and using an iron that isn't too heavy is important. There are irons that can be set down flat and they lift themselves up. Without naming specific brands, I will say that these can be convenient, but they are expensive and the mechanism that lifts themselves up tends to break. They also have a tendency to die after a few years (like mine did). If you absolutely need something that will be easier on your wrist, I think this is a worthwhile purchase but otherwise it is not worth the cost.
- Auto off feature. Most irons have some sort of timer that turns them off. I always try to remember to unplug my iron when I am done using it, but I am not always successful so this feature is important. However, I don't like it if the iron turns off too quickly.
- Smooth plate. I do not like irons that catch on my seams when pressing. This was an issue with my most recent iron and it drove me crazy. I just want a nice, flat seam.
I have used everything from a $20 iron up to a $200 iron and I think spending between $50-100 will get you the most bang for your buck. The iron that I just ordered is this Chi Iron. I previously had the version with the non-retractable cord and loved it, but I had been trying out a different iron for the past little while until it failed on me.
The Chi iron is hot, reasonably priced, and easy to use. Do you have a favorite iron? I would love more recommendations.
Mrs. Plum on
I abhor irons with the temperature control under the handle. Why do manufacturers even think that’s a good idea? My current iron is a Chi with a retractable cord, which I like. I’ve had it about a year a quarter, and so far, so good.
Robbie on
I recently purchased a dry iron on amazon based on a recommendation on Cynthia Beaver’s blog (A not so dramatic life). It’s smaller than a standard iron, a bit bigger than a travel one and super hot. Panasonic NI-A66-K. It’s a Japanese iron and there are no English instructions. My shoulder and wrist are much happier now.
Li on
Go around before last I had an iron with a switch to turn off auto-off. I really liked it because the beeping after 30 seconds on the present model is annoying. It is a Proctor/Silex 1500W because could not find any model with a switch anymore. Usually like the stainless steel soleplate. Tried an Oliso once but the acrid odor never abated so it was returned. Disappointing. It seems like they all burn out after a year. Last one lasted two years. Try not plug it in unless absolutely necessary. To take out a fabric crease before cutting a spritz of water or a spritz and the weight of a unplugged iron is a quick fix. Unplug it after every use. Don’t ever want it heating up in the the event that it gets knocked over.