Like washers and dryers, a reliable iron is a laundry room essential. Designed to tackle wrinkles in everything from bed linens to dress shirts, the best clothing irons warm up quickly and distribute heat evenly, all without damaging fabrics. For most people, we recommend the Rowenta Pro Master X-Cel, a high-powered iron with a generous water tank and precision tip that can help you tackle wrinkles in hard-to-reach areas.
The best clothing irons have a smooth, nonstick surface and multiple temperature settings.
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While irons differ in power, fabric settings and steam output, the most promising models “are not overly heavy, heat up quickly and have a super smooth ironing surface,” says Patric Richardson, laundry expert and author of Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore. It’s also smart to take a close look at a model’s safety features—in particular, automatic shut-off—to give you peace of mind. Lastly, if you want the ability to iron your clothes anywhere in your house (or even on the go), seek out a cordless or portable model that’s easy to tote around. Below, find our favorite clothing irons in 2025.
Best Clothing Iron Overall: Rowenta Pro Master X-Cel
Best Budget Clothing Iron: Black + Decker Vitessa Advanced Steam Iron
Best Upgrade Clothing Iron: Rowenta Steamforce Pro
Best Clothing Iron For Travel: The Nori Press
Best Cordless Clothing Iron: Panasonic Cordless Steam/Dry Iron
Power: 1,775 watts | Special features: Precision tip,430 steam holes, anti-calc collector | Weight: 3.3 pounds | Water tank capacity: 10.5 ounces | Auto shut-off: Yes
What you’ll love:
Vertical steaming capabilities
Continuous steam output
Anti-calc system removes limescale from hard water
Keep in mind:
Anti-calc feature needs cleaned every two months
The Rowenta Pro Master is a powerful, versatile iron that delivers professional results. Equipped with a stainless steel soleplate with over 430 holes, it offers fast, top-notch steam distribution and can be used on most fabrics, including rayon and silk. It also has a pointed precision tip, which makes it easy to iron around buttons and collars, as well as a large water tank and an anti-calc system that captures mineral deposits. (Just make sure to descale the iron every two months or so.) One more perk: This iron’s steam feature works vertically, allowing you to use this lightweight model on curtains and hanging garments.
Power: 1,200 watts | Special features: Nonstick soleplate, retractable power cord, anti-calc system |Weight: 2.5 pounds |Water tank capacity: 10.8 ounces |Auto shut-off: Yes
What you’ll love:
Affordable
Vertical steam capabilities
Lightweight for easy portability
Keep in mind:
Not as powerful as some others
Some reviewers say it can be leaky
If you’re on a budget, the Black + Decker Vitessa is a basic yet reliable pick. Featuring a nonstick soleplate, this model offers six temperature settings to handle a wide variety of fabrics, plus it’s equipped with technology that optimizes the amount of steam to release based on the selected setting. And like our top pick overall, this model has a strong continuous steam output for taming harsh wrinkles and can be used vertically as a steamer. Just note that this model is very lightweight, which you might appreciate when carrying it to your ironing board or taking it down from a high shelf, but heavier irons tend to be more effective at smoothing set-in wrinkles.
Power: 1,850 watts |Special features: Digital display,continuous steam | Weight: 4.8 pounds |Water tank capacity: 11.8 ounces |Auto shut-off: Yes
What you’ll love:
Generous water tank
LED display
Heavy construction helps lift wrinkles with ease
Keep in mind:
Some users may find the extra features unnecessary
Doesn’t offer vertical steaming
While we believe Rowenta’s Pro Master X-Cel is the clothing iron that’s best suited for most people’s needs, the brand’s high-power Steamforce Pro is worth the upgrade if you take ironing very seriously and are willing to spend a little more. This 1,850-watt model is built for long ironing sessions, thanks to its extra-large water tank and continuous steam output, and it has five adjustable presets for specific fabrics and two steam levels. And on the top of the iron is a digital screen, which can indicate your setting or notify you when it’s time to run the calc cleaning program to remove scale from the steam chamber. The anti-drip technology, too, is a plus, as it keeps water stains off of your clothes and linens. Lastly, don’t fear this model’s heavier build—it feels balanced in the hand, and the extra weight helps it smooth wrinkles away in no time.
Power: 450 watts | Special features: Six heat settings | Weight: 1.4 pounds |Water tank capacity: 1 ounce |Auto shut-off: Yes
What you’ll love:
Very lightweight
Dual-sided for low-effort pressing
Six heat settings
Keep in mind:
Small water reservoir
Not especially powerful
If you need the ability to iron your clothes while you’re on the go, The Nori Press is a compact and lightweight pick you can toss in your weekender bag (or even a tote bag). Similar in design to a hair straightener, this device weighs just over a pound and has settings for polyester, cotton, linen, silk, wool and denim. What sets this pick apart—aside from its portability—is its ability to steam or iron both sides of a garment at the same time. Best of all, you don’t need to use an ironing board, so you can perfect your wardrobe anywhere that has electricity. Just bear in mind that this model doesn’t have the wattage or the weight of standard irons.
Power: 1,500 watts | Special features: Cordless, vertical steaming, carrying case | Weight: 4.4 pounds |Water tank capacity: 4.7 ounces |Auto shut-off: Yes
What you’ll love:
Cord-free convenience
Can steam vertically
Detachable water tank
Cons:
Works better on thick fabrics than thin
Doesn’t get as hot as some other irons
This clothing iron has something that none others on the list offer: cord-free convenience. Featuring a nickel-coated stainless steel soleplate that’s pointed on both ends, this model has a plug-in base for charging—and the base’s cord is retractable for easy storage. When it comes time to iron, this pick offers a 360-degree range of motion, which makes it especially useful when ironing quilts and other large pieces of fabric. While the water tank capacity is on the smaller side, as it can only hold 4.7 ounces, the reservoir detaches, so you can bring just that part to refill at the sink.
One more nice feature: You can steam vertically with this pick, though it’s worth noting that it weighs over 4 pounds, so your arm might get tired if you try to steam all the curtains in your house at once.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
Forbes Vetted’s experience team of home and kitchen editors has researched, tested and reviewed a large variety of laundry-room staples, clothing irons included.
How We Chose The Best Clothing Irons
To determine the best clothes irons, we considered each model’s overall construction, from the design of the soleplate to the size of the water tank, as well as the number of settings, wattage and additional features.
Our home and kitchen team is familiar with all the trusted brands in the clothing space, so we looked at best-selling from Rowenta, Black + Decker, Panasonic and more.
We made sure to include options for a variety of purposes. For example, The Nori Press is great for travel, while the Rowenta Steamforce Pro is a higher-end splurge pick ideal for ironers who don’t need a vertical press.
We considered each model’s wattage, weight, water tank capacity and special features like continuous steam and automatic shut-off.
We combed through dozens of customer reviews, ensuring each pick earned no less than a 4-star rating.
How To Pick One Of The Best Clothing Irons
In need of a new iron to combat wrinkly clothes? Here’s what to look for when you’re shopping.
Materials
The most important part of a clothing iron is the soleplate, which is typically made of ceramic, aluminum or stainless steel. There are some models, however, that feature a nonstick coating of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). While the latter works well, it tends to be less durable, and high-quality stainless steel and ceramic models should glide over fabrics with just as much ease.
Weight
The weight of an iron can make or break it—in other words, it’s an important factor to consider. Generally speaking, irons weigh between 2 and 4 pounds when not filled with water, though some models fall outside that range. Most people are happy with ones that weigh around 3 or 4 pounds, as heavier irons do a superior job of smoothing out wrinkles, since the weight of the device does some of the work for you. That said, if you have wrist mobility issues or frequently steam your curtains and clothes while hanging, then you might be happier with a lightweight model.
Fabric Settings
While some irons have very basic settings and controls, others let you dial in a specific heat temperature. If you want something intuitive, look for an iron with fabric settings (like polyester, silk and cotton), which correspond to different temperatures. (For what it’s worth, Richardson—a laundry expert—prefers models with fabric settings.)
Also, if you own a lot of clothes made from fabric blends, “set the iron to the [fabric in the] blend with the lowest temperature,” says Richardson.
Additional Features
At minimum, you want an iron with automatic shut-off, which is the most basic safety feature. You might also look for overheat protection, a stable stand and cool-to-the-touch handles.
Other nice-to-have features include vertical steaming capabilities and anti-calc settings. The latter collects limescale scale in water, so you don’t have to worry about mineral deposits getting onto your clothes. Just note that this feature comes with some periodic maintenance.
