Best Cordless Irons for Quilting (2023)
When it comes to ironing large pieces of fabric for a quilt back, or many teeny tiny seams while piecing, a high-quality, cordless iron can come in extremely handy.
You don’t have to mess with trying to maneuver yourself around power cords. Instead, you can easily grab the iron, do your thing, and be done.
When it comes to irons that you use for quilting or other crafts, having a good iron is essential and there are lots of types of irons to choose from.
Let’s narrow all of your choices down to just a few of the best quilting irons for your projects!
Table of Contents
Best Cordless Irons for Quilters
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Keep in mind there may not be one perfect iron for every quilter so have a think about the criteria that are important to you – are you looking for a steam function that gives a powerful burst of steam? Or are you looking for the most lightweight option or perhaps a smaller iron?
Do you need a range of temperature settings, or are you only interested in pressing quilting cotton and quilt blocks?
Do you want to iron on an ironing board, or do you like the flexibility of moving around the room away from the base plate and using a wool pressing mat for example?
All of these criteria will make a difference in terms of which of these irons is just right for you.
Panasonic WL600 Cordless
So I’ve seen this iron on various YouTubers channels, and always wanted to try it.
The Panasonic WL600 cordless design can iron in every direction because of the freestyle soleplate.
It has a double-tipped soleplate design to ensure natural movement so that you can seamlessly go over the fabric.
The only thing I’m not 100% convinced about is the carrying case it comes with – I don’t see myself using that and then you would have to store it somewhere!
Also, this iron is on the pricier end of this list.
OMAIGA Cordless Iron
On the cheaper end, this OMAIGA cordless iron is the closest thing I could find to the iron I currently use (which I can’t seem to find for sale anymore!). It looks so similar I am wondering if it was just re-branded.
I like that it takes up less space on my table because it stands up on the charging base. I keep it on the side flap beside my sewing machine on my Horn Quilter’s Delight Cabinet.
Other things I like about this one are the large water tank area and the choice of a spray or steam at the touch of a button on the handle. It also has a ceramic soleplate and several heat settings. I have used it as a dry iron often as well and it is great for flattening seams. It’s what I used for my Denim quilt-as-you-go quilt.
I’m not sure if the tip of this qualifies as a precision tip or not but the pointed tip definitely helps with ironing seams open.
It also has some good safety features such as an automatic shut-off feature if I leave it on too long on the base, which is good for energy saving as well as not burning myself by accident!
Panasonic 360 Ceramic Cordless Freestyle Iron
The Panasonic Freestyle iron is great for larger fabrics as well as garments and has a double-point design, allowing you to iron more smoothly and efficiently.
It is billed as lightweight and non-stick, which are of course, essentials for any great iron.
You can find it in a few colors but this rose gold one is awfully pretty!
MARTISAN Cordless Steam Iron
The MARTISAN Cordless Steam Iron heats up quickly and can help you quickly remove stubborn wrinkles and creases.
The entire soleplate is ceramic-coated and scratch-resistant. It’s also built-in with an anti-drip feature and an anti-calc function to prevent mineral deposits.
It also has a handy retractable cord function to prevent tangled cords and a locking system that allows for easy storage. This is an important feature that allows you to place the hot iron on the base press the lock and put it away for storage without waiting for it to cool down!
Because of this storage feature, this iron just might win the portability contest.
The Martisan is more expensive than the Omaiga but cheaper than the Panasonic and Rowenta so it’s a good mid-range option with lots of features.
Sunbeam Cordless Iron
This Sunbeam cordless/corded iron is actually a hybrid.
It can be used either cordless or with a cord giving you the best of both worlds.
While cordless, the steam iron provides up to 40 seconds of heat and quickly reheats on the base charger in 45 seconds.
It also features an automatic shut-off function which is always useful!
Best Corded Irons
If you prefer to have a corded iron for your quilting projects, here are some of the most popular options.
Oliso TG1600 Pro Plus
Probably one of the most raved about irons for quilting, the Oliso ProPlus smart iron has an ultra-smooth ceramic non-stick soleplate that is diamond ceramic infused. It has 1800 watts of power and steam vents that provide horizontal, vertical, and variable steam settings.
This is the iron they use in all the Missouri Star Quilt Company videos!
Although it isn’t cordless it has a long cord that swivels making this Oliso iron just as good as a cordless.
Rowenta Professional DW5280
The stainless-steel soleplate on this Rowenta DW 5280 iron has plenty of steam holes distributed on the soleplate so that the powerful steam is distributed perfectly.
I hope this list has helped narrow down the choices of all the irons on the market today, and help you pick the best quality quilting iron for you.
Happy sewing!
Top Tips
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions with regard to whether to use distilled water or tap water in your iron. If not you may cause the warranty to be void.
- It is best to press seams open when lots of seams come together in one spot.
- An iron with an exaggerated pointed tip will ensure you have crisp and precise piecing.
FAQ
Ironing the fabric ensures you will have the most accurate cuts and piecing. You may have seen me in my videos from time to time not ironing first – but it’s not really best practice, it’s just me cutting corners!
The use of steam allows you to reshape or square up a quilt block that is slightly skewed.
But there are definitely two schools of thought on this and some quilters swear by steam while others never use it. The best thing to do is try with and without on a couple of test blocks and see what works better for you!
A pressing spray like Best Press or similar can really help to get out stubborn wrinkles from fabric that has been folded to long but it isn’t 100% essential.
A spray bottle of water can also help in some instances.
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- Horn Sewing Desk Review
- AccuQuilt Go! Fabric Cutter Review
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- Why I Traded in my Bernina 770QE!