Cordless ironing not only gives you free range of movement on your ironing board, it means no tangled cords or snagging on fabrics. It is however only meant for smaller loads and quick ironing sessions.
To enjoy the full benefits of cordless convenience, we’ve compared the most popular machines available online to see which are the most comfortable, the best performing and value for money.
Our absolute winner is the Panasonic Cordless 360 Iron
WARNING: Cordless irons are simply not as powerful as regular irons. They do not offer extended ironing times or consistent heat and steam production. Be absolutely sure that you need the cordless feature or you will be very disappointed.
If you need more perfomance, see the best irons for clothing and home use instead.
1. Panasonic Cordless Iron with Carry Case – Best Portability & Value
The Panasonic 360 Cordless iron is built for convenience and portability. Not only is the iron completely cordless, but the soleplate is also multi-directional, meaning that it has a tapered tip towards the back as well. You can iron almost anywhere and in any direction. It even has a easy-to-carry storage case for quilting and sewing retreats. It has similar anti-calc features of the other irons and a super-long 30 minute auto shut-off time. The only downside is that it doesn’t have the power to handle very large loads. It is however perfect for students, small households and light loads as well as quilting enthusiasts.
- 1500 Watts of Power (Pretty good for Cordless)
- Multi-directional ironing thanks to the double-tip soleplate
- Portable for classes, sewing retreats, and even mobile homes
- Heat resistant carry case means you can pack it away even when hot
2. Sunbeam Corded & Cordless Iron
The Sunbeam Versa Glide can be used with or without the cord. If you feel like you’re lacking performance, you can attach the base and use it just like a regular iron!
From my past experience, Sunbeam build quality average but the Versa Glide does what is needed. It has all the basics like anti-calc system, anti-drip seals, auto shut-offs for safety and it can be used for vertical steaming.
The charging station requires you to place the iron upright which is not as comfortable as the vertical designs and takes a little precision.
- Dual use! Corded or cordless
- Good price
- Medium build quality
3. Cordless Rowenta Freemove with Charging Base
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The Rowenta Freemove provides Rowenta quality, but it comes at a much higher price. But remember, being cordless it does not perform like a corded Rowenta at all.
The angle of the recharging station is perfect and natural to place the iron down when repositioning clothing items on your board. We also love the open grip design at the back of the iron, it just adds that extra feel of freedom. The machine will beep when it needs to be recharged so you don’t waste time ironing with a cool iron.
It’s light and has a stainless steel soleplate so it glides easily while you attack those wrinkles. The soleplate has the signature 400-hole soleplate unique to Rowenta, only the tip of the soleplate does not have the same narrowed precision design which we know from their other steam irons. It has an 8 minute auto shut-off which quilters and sewers generally do not appreciate but as the machine recharges to full heat in seconds, it does not affect the overall experience. The safety feature is a big plus for multitasking home managers.
You can use ordinary tap water in Rowenta irons because they have anti-calc systems that help remove any mineral buildup in the appliance. They also have an anti-leak system to prevent the iron from leaking or spitting.
- An indicator light lets you know when to charge
- Great German build quality
- Expensive
- Annoying audible beep when ready
4. Omaiga Rechargeable Iron
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The Omaiga is where you really start to see the issue with cordless irons. The overall power (even at 1500 watts) is not enough to do a full ironing load. The quality and features like anti-calc and even ceramic soleplate are all there, but it just can’t keep up with other corded irons.
- Relatively affordable
- Average performance
5. PowerXL
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The PowerXl has unfortunately not got the power you need to do any kind of serious ironing. It is highly suggested that you consider a better iron in this list or opt for a fully corded option instead.
- Cheap
- Poor performance
Cordless Ironing Buyers Guide
Power & Steam Output
All the irons above are around 1500 watts so heating time and steam performance is about the same. Because they have to be returned to their changing stations every minute or so, you do not get continuous steam as you would from a traditional steam iron or steamer.
Note: If you sew or iron clothing where you have a lot of start-stop action, a cordless iron is ideal because it during these pauses that the iron reheats to its full power. If however, you do a lot of bedding or iron with plenty of steam, waiting for the iron to reheat may slow you down, in these cases, a corded iron may suit you better. You can check out our home page for more options.
Value for Money
We’ve rated our irons from the best to the least favorite and coincidentally, their prices also align from the priciest to the cheapest. Build quality and performance is definitely improved in our top 3.
Most Comfortable to Use
The top 3 irons which rest vertically on their charging plates are the easiest to place down between ironing. The angle also helps them slide more naturally into the charging point without having to be too precise.
The thing to consider with ergonomics is that repetitive actions can become tiring. If an action with an appliance is even slightly inconvenient, after 20-30 times, it can become a big enough annoyance that makes you hate the job.
Basic Features
There are a few basic features we have come to expect from an iron, like safety shut-offs so we don’t have any accidental fires and built-in cleaning systems to prevent mineral deposits. And of course, we don’t want an iron that leaks so we like a brand that stands behind leak-proof technology. Happily, all the above irons tick these boxes.
Product Warranty and Support
Most iron manufacturers offer a 1 to 2 year warranty. In most cases, this covers manufacturers’ defects which you should pick up in the first few days of owning an iron. We love the added advantage of buying through Amazon because of the 30 day refund policy if the product you order is not what you were expecting.
In Conclusion
Cordless ironing is a pleasure. Our winner, the Multi-Directional Panasonic is an incredible iron to work with. It’s solid, smooth and worth a few extra dollars to invest in a quality product that will last.
To clarify, these irons are not considered “rechargeable” as they need to return to their power station in order to reheat. There are no battery-operated irons that we are aware of at this stage, so until then, these are as “rechargeable” as they come.