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Best ironing boards
Cheap ironing boards go up against pricier ones from Minky, Brabantia and Joseph Joseph in our tests. Is it worth spending extra to get the best?
The best ironing boards are stable and easy to adjust.
Our testing found that, although most ironing boards do a decent job, paying more will generally get you a better one. We've found two that impressed us above others to be named Which? Best Buys.
Read on to find the best ironing board for you, whatever your budget.
The best ironing boards
Only logged-in Which? members can view the ironing board test results below.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
| Ironing board | Price | Board size | Weight | Stability | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent | |||||
| Excellent | |||||
| Good | |||||
| Good | |||||
| Average | |||||
| Average | |||||
| Poor |
Dates tested: April 2022 and June 2023. Page last checked: September 2024.
The ironing boards we tested
All the ironing boards we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best ironing boards from our tests.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
Argos Home medium ironing board
Available from Argos (£18)
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Most recently tested June 2023
Board size 110 x 34cm
Weight 3.8kg
Size when folded (HxWxD) 150 x 37 x 6cm
Need to know 4 height levels (highest 94cm, lowest 80cm); 1-year guarantee; other cover designs available
Beldray ironing board
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Most recently tested June 2023
Board size 137 x 38cm
Weight 5.0kg
Size when folded (HxWxD) 166 x 39 x 6cm
Need to know 7 height levels (highest 96cm, lowest 69cm); 5-year guarantee; other cover designs available
Brabantia Ironing Board C
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Most recently tested June 2023
Board size 124 x 45cm
Weight 7.5kg
Size when folded (HxWxD) 159 x 48 x 9cm
Need to know 7 height levels (highest 98cm, lowest 75cm); child safety lock; 'always taut' cover and lock to keep legs in place when folded; 10-year guarantee; other cover designs available
Brabantia Ironing Board D
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Most recently tested April 2022
Board size 135 x 45cm
Weight 7.3kg
Size when folded (HxWxD) 164 x 47 x 8cm
Need to know 25 height levels (highest 102cm, lowest 62cm); child safety lock and clips to secure legs when folded; 10-year guarantee; other cover designs available
Ikea Ruter ironing board
Available from Ikea (£22)
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Most recently tested June 2023
Board size 108 x 33cm
Weight 3.6kg
Size when folded (HxWxD) 140 x 37 x 5cm
Need to know 4 height levels (highest 91cm, lowest 77cm); 1-year guarantee
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Joseph Joseph Glide ironing board
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Most recently tested June 2023
Board size 108 x 38cm
Weight 6.5kg
Size when folded (HxWxD) 134 x 44 x 7cm
Need to know 7 height levels (highest 98cm, lowest 77cm); heat-resistant silicone iron rest; hook on the board's underside for hanging when folded; 2-year guarantee
Leifheit Airboard Compact ironing board
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Most recently tested June 2023
Board size 110 x 30cm
Weight 3.6kg
Size when folded (HxWxD) 144 x 41 x 10cm
Need to know 5 height levels (highest 87cm, lowest 77cm); cable holder on foldable metal arm; thermo-reflect technology cover, which is claimed to reduce ironing time; 5-year guarantee; other cover designs available
Minky Ergo Ironing Board
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Most recently tested April 2022
Board size 122 x 38cm
Weight 5.4kg
Size when folded (HxWxD) 159 x 45 x 7cm
Need to know Loads of adjustment height levels (highest 92cm, lowest 0cm); moveable flex guide to prevent iron cable tangling; heat reflective spots on cover, which is claimed to reduce ironing time; 5-year guarantee; other cover designs available
Minky Neptune ironing board
Available from Argos (£30)
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Most recently tested June 2023
Board size 110 x 35cm
Weight 3.9kg
Size when folded (HxWxD) 166 x 39 x 6cm
Need to know Plenty of adjustment height levels (highest 93cm, lowest 0cm); 1-year guarantee
Vileda Total Reflect ironing board
Also available from: Argos (£41.25) and Vileda (£64.99)
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Most recently tested June 2023
Board size 120 x 38cm
Weight 5.3kg
Size when folded (HxWxD) 163 x 38 x 5cm
Need to know 6 height levels (highest 95cm, lowest 75cm); child safety locking system; hooks on underside of board for hanging clothes; foil undercover, which is claimed to reduce ironing time; 3-year guarantee
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How we test ironing boards
The best ironing boards are stable, easy to carry, set up and put away.
We expertly test a range of ironing boards from popular retailers. The test includes using the boards for ironing to find out what kind of experience they give.
We pay for all the boards we test, so you can be sure our results are reliable and unbiased.
Stability
- We set each board to its maximum height and use a pulley system to measure the force needed to tip over each ironing board.
- We measure the force needed to drag each board along a smooth floor, and how much the height of the board drops with a heavy load placed on it.
- A panel of testers also assesses how stable each board is while ironing on it.
The best ironing boards provide a solid surface to iron on that barely budges, even when you're pressing hard.
The worst move like jelly on a plate with the lightest of touches. Some of the boards we tested even had wonky feet straight out of the box.
Ease of use
A panel of testers assesses each ironing board on how easy it is to carry, set up, adjust in height and iron on. To make the test as representative as possible, we ensure the testers in this panel are of different ages, sexes and heights.
The best ironing boards were loved by everyone and are easy to put up and down. Our tallest tester (6ft 1in) could even get the boards up to a comfortable height.
The worst have controls that are difficult to reach, folding mechanisms that are unintuitive and surfaces that are a pain to iron on.
Heat test
In theory, the hotter a board's cover gets, the easier it should be to get rid of creases. We take repeated temperature readings of each board after ironing a shirt on it.
We've found no noticeable difference between any of the ironing boards, even those that are marketed as having special heat-reflective covers.
Our testers also found no difference in how fast they could iron, or how non-creased the laundry was, when using a board with a heat-reflective cover versus a standard one.
Scorch test
We put an iron face down on each board to see if it gets marked. The best ironing boards have no imprint or discolouration on the cover. The worst are left with a permanent iron imprint on the cover.
We've found that cream-coloured covers discoloured in our tests, so go for a different colour to avoid this issue.
We carry out the scorch test on the cover provided with the board.
Find out more about how Which? is not influenced by product manufacturers or retailers and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent.
Are expensive ironing boards worth it?
How much should you spend on an ironing board? Our testing has found you'll want to spend at least £30 to get a decent one.
Lower priced ones were less stable in our tests. But if you don't care about a bit of wobble to your board, or you only iron occasionally, then a cheaper one will still get the job done.
However, our tests also found some pricier boards that didn't quite hit the mark. So the quickest way to make sure you're getting the best ironing board for your money is to read our reviews.
Is a bigger ironing board better?
Our testing found that larger ironing boards tended to be more stable and easier to iron on, especially for larger items, such as suits and dresses.
Also, bigger ironing boards typically extend to a taller maximum height. Our tallest tester was 6ft 1in and found that ironing boards with a maximum height greater than 95cm were noticeably more comfortable to iron on.
But big ironing boards are trickier to manoeuvre, and need more space to store.
These are standard ironing board sizes, though it's always best to check dimensions before buying, as manufacturers don't always stick to these:
- Size A: 110 x 30cm
- Size B: 124 x 38cm
- Size C: 124 x 45cm
- Size D: 135 x 45cm
- Size E: 135 x 49cm
What is an active ironing board?
Even something as simple as an ironing board gets techy innovations. An active ironing board will have extra features designed to help make ironing easier. These can be anything from heating the clothes to 'sucking' on them to stop them moving around.
However, the cost of these innovations does mean that active ironing boards are pretty expensive, with some models setting you back £300.
None of the models we tested are smart or active ironing boards.
For more tips on how to make ironing easier, read: how to iron your clothes
Types of ironing boards and accessories
- Tabletop ironing boards can be placed on a table. They're a good choice if your storage space is limited, and you only iron the odd garment or two.
- Wall-mounted or built-in ironing boards are usually installed within a drawer or wall cabinet. These can be a great space-saving option, but are usually more expensive and are fixed in one place.
Some boards have extra accessories that may be of benefit to you:
- Child locks will stop your board collapsing unintentionally and keep it closed when you're moving it around.
- Iron cord guides are screwed or clipped to your ironing board and prevent the cord from snagging or getting tangled.
- Sleeve attachments are a smaller board that can be used to iron sleeves, collars, pleats and other fiddly items.
- Storage racks are a built-in shelf or storage unit where you can put finished clothes.
- Hanger space, usually under the board, where you can hang garments to keep them crease-free once you've ironed them.
- Heat-reflecting ironing board covers have a metallic, reflective coating. They are claimed to create a hotter surface and get rid of creases more effectively.
How to iron without an ironing board
In a word – don't! It's possible, but getting the right ironing board is a much better option if you want to be safe and get the sharpest-looking clothes.
When ironing, the last thing you want to do is cut corners. You need to consider the stability, flatness and heat-resistance of the ironing surface, which is why an ironing board is so important.
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