If you're serious about quilting you know that it's very important to have one or several reliable irons for your fabric and projects.

As a quilter or garment sewer, what other tool do you use as often as your sewing machine? Quilters use irons, and they get used a lot.

Leaking, burning and dead irons (within weeks to months) are a recurring travesty of the iron industry. Below we walk through our top four recommendations for irons that will impact the quality of your experience as a quilter.

In this post we will share with you the top rated irons and provide feedback from what we have gathered over the years of selling and using these irons within our very own quilt shop. The goal is to provide you with education on an essential quilting tool to help you save time and frustration when working on your next quilting project.

The Best Irons for Quilters: Our Top 4

1. The Oliso Micro Fine Smart Iron

At Stitchin’ Heaven we have come to heavily rely on the Oliso Smart Iron. Wow have times changed in the availability and quality of an iron. The Oliso has been a go to for many in the quilting industry for some time and are known as the iron for quilters.

At Stitchin’ Heaven a majority of our production staff use the Oliso Smart Iron because of its reliability, safety and smart features. Our favorite part is the automatic release feature. When you let go of the iron it automatically lifts itself up from the ironing mat.

Just read the product description:

“The TG1050 Steam Iron prevents scorching, accidental tipping and burns. It makes quick work of laundry piles and, best of all, reduces strain on wrists and shoulders caused by repetitive lifting. 1600 watts and powerful steam make this a perfect tool for everyday pressing and ironing. Other features include digitally controlled temperature for consistent precise heating, continuous steam for crisp results with horizontal and vertical bursts of steam, premium stainless steel soleplate with more steam holes for consistent steam flow, a large 12.7 ounce side fill water tank, ergonomic design, and a rounded detailer tip to squeeze in tight corners and cuffs. Eight-minute auto shut-off. Must only be used in the United States and Canada, will not work even with an adapter in Europe.”

The Oliso Iron is smart, powerful and reliable.

Every year hundreds of countless fires are caused because people simply forget to turn off their irons.

While you should continue to do this with the Oliso, there are some safety features added in that help with our forgetful nature. This iron can prevent the accidental burning of your materials, your ironing mat, and or your floor.

If you're an avid ironer and multitasker the Oliso is an absolute must have.

Pros:

• 1600 Watts of Power

• Automatically Lifts to avoid accidental scores and burns

• Auto Shut off after 8 minutes of inactivity

• Large 12.7 Ounce side fill water tank

• Known as the best iron for sewing and quilting

Cons:

Expensive - If you want to have the best of the best providing you with reliability and security you may have to pay more. As of May 2020 Stitchin’ Heaven sells the Iron for $129.99. But it may just be the last iron you ever buy.

2. Panasonic 360 Cordless Steam Iron

The Panasonic Freestyle Cordless Iron makes for a versatile quilting iron. When there is no cord restricting your movement, you are (removing the cord your) provided a sense of freedom which allows you take your iron wherever your fabric is.

Eliminating the cord from ironing is a blessing to quilters and to those that have to iron in general.

The Panasonic Iron also provides some unique safety features with its auto shut-off feature allowing you peace of mind after 10 minutes of non-activity. You only need to wait 10-15 seconds to reheat the iron once it has shut off.

Steam! This iron puts out steam.The steam provides the perfect amount of heat and moisture to properly remove unwanted wrinkles, while preventing calcium buildup within the iron. The iron also contains steam settings for low-medium-high. You can also steam garments vertically.

The anti-drip features in this iron help to eliminate or reduce spotting on fabrics.

The 360 Freestyle Cordless Iron is great for quilters, especially since you can iron in any direction effortlessly allowing for free movement with our worrying about snagging your cord.

Don’t let me forget to mention the heat-resistant carrying case that allows for simple storage and travel.

Pros:

• Cordless

• 1500 Watts of Power

• Detachable Water Tank for Easy Filling

• Power base with retractable cord reel

• 360-degree multi-directional for smooth ironing in any direction

• Comes in several different colors.

 

Cons:

• Some folks have complained that the iron is shaped weird, however many have been able to look past that as it provides great multi-directional ironing.

3. Mighty Travel Iron

Quilters are travelers and enjoy coming together with other quilters. Oftentimes quilters are at retreats, quilting cruises and local quilt shop classes.

If you have ever been to a Stitchin’ Heaven retreat, class or cruise you will see a majority of participants have brought their travel iron. While we carry a number of different travel or mini irons many customers rave about the Mighty Travel Iron.

Why? Because it's reliable, heats up to 140-428 degrees, fits in any travel bag and its relatively inexpensive.

The iron heats up quickly allowing you to stay on top of your ironing projects without waiting. Get to your destination, plug it in and you're ready to go.

While it may be small, it has an effective ergonomic handle that allows you to work for hours and it comes with a non-stick sole plate providing a simple layer of protection(s) for your fabric.

Pros:

• Small and LightWeight

• Easy for Travel

• Quickly Heats Up to 140-428 degrees

• Contains a storage bag and measuring cup

• Ergonomic handle

• Perfect for applique projects

Cons:

• Does not have an auto-shut off

• Small Water Reservoir

4. Laurastar Ironing System

If you're into luxury and simplicity the Laurastar Ironing system is like owning a BMW or Mercedes of Irons. If you own a Bernina you will understand the quality, reliability and technology that has been invested in the Laurastar Ironing System.

Laurastar is a Swiss Company (sister company of BERNINA) and is dedicated to ironing technology.

Laurastar is the new way of ironing - especially if you are quilter.

At Stitchin’ Heaven we have tested the number of 100% cotton layers that the Laurastar system can press at one time, effectively. As Quilters you deal with lots of fabric and oftentimes it's wrinkled.

The Laurastar system allows you to iron up to 8 layers of 100% cotton at one time, increasing your productivity and decreasing the amount of time you spend at the iron.

The iron only weighs 2.2 pounds and is very easy to hold and is sleek.

When speaking of safety one should never actually touch the hot plate of the iron, but the steam is not hot to the touch and does not burn the user. Another added bonus, especially for quilters is that the unit shuts off after being idle for 10 minutes. It also heats back up pretty quickly.

Steam to keep germs away

The ultimate iron for quilters and for people in general. If you have not seen a demo of this amazing iron you have missed watching quality in action.

Did you know that you could own an iron that not only helped you as a quilter but that also allowed you to sanitize surfaces throughout your home with its unparalleled steam capabilities.

Steam that can reach temperatures greater than 265°F can sanitize a multitude of different surfaces.

Experts advise taking extra steps to keep your home free of germs and bacteria, slowing down the spread of unwanted illness.

The Laurastar Dry Steam is a perfect and safe solution in purifying your home and all the fabrics in your sewing room.

Laurastar offers two different versions, the all-in-one which includes the ironing board, iron, and steam generator.

The other version just includes the iron and the steam generator.

While the Laurastar Ironing system does cost a pretty penny, anyone that has used or bought the system raves about its reliability and seamless ironing technology. This iron system is beautiful and makes an excellent addition to your home and or sewing space.

Pros:

• Heats up in just 3 minutes

• Auto shut off function after 10 minutes of being idle

• High quality and excellent versatility

• Large water storage capacity

• Safe Steam Functionality

• The steam kills up to 99.999% of bacteria

• Durable

• Comes in a variety of colors

Cons:

• While heating up the unit makes some noise but stops after 3 minutes of heating

• Expensive

While the Laurastar Ironing system isn’t cheap the Swiss product is beautifully designed. This product is great for your sewing room and increasing your productivity as a quilter. The Laurastar will also reduce your dry cleaning because of its ability to unwrinkle most garments and purify them in the process.

Conclusion

 

Irons are one of the two most used tools that quilters use when completing a beautiful quilt. Investing in a good steam iron will make your ironing projects safer and easier. At Stitchin’ Heaven we carry a number of irons for every occasion, project and opportunity. We hope this post provides you with some clarity when shopping for your next iron.