Everyone knows that ironing can be a hassle sometimes. Why not make it a little easier on yourself by choosing a cordless iron? These are great for many reasons.
First, if you’re left-handed, you’ll be familiar with the frustration that comes with the ironing cord always getting in your way. Also, cordless irons are great for ironing in hard to reach places, far from a plug socket.
We have a comprehensive list of the five best cordless irons on the market to share with you.
- Easy temperature selection
- Powerful steam
- Design features
- Compact design
- Durable stainless steel
- Self-cleaning
- Good steam power
- Vertical steaming
- Easy to use
- Iron smoothly
- Easy to use
- Vertical steaming
- Heats up fast
- Spray & mist steam buttons
- Large water tank
How Do Cordless Irons Work?
Cordless irons function quite differently from regular corded irons. They look quite similar in design: they have a heated plate, handle, temperature dial, water tank and steam holes. However, they work differently.
Please Note
Cordless irons sit on a base that’s plugged into a nearby outlet. When your iron is on the base, it heats up to the temperature you’ve selected. Once you take it off the heat base, it will stay hot for a couple of minutes before cooling down again. You will need to return it to the base for its next charge.
So while these are great for left-handed folk, or ironing in hard to reach areas, some people don’t like the function of these irons. They require extra patience, as they need reheating every few minutes. Keep in mind, however, that reheating these irons doesn’t take long at all. Some irons can heat up in only 10 seconds!
Are Cordless Irons Any Good?
We definitely think so! They don’t trump corded irons just yet, since they don’t stay hot for too long, but they are a cool invention.
- Good for left-handed and right-handed people.
- The cord doesn’t get in the way of your ironing.
- Similar watt power to regular irons.
- You have more freedom of movement when ironing.
- They don’t stay hot very long.
- Needs to be recharged often.
- You need space nearby for your charging base.
- Limited choice — not as many cordless irons on the market yet.
Are Cordless Irons Less Powerful Than Corded Ones?
In terms of watt power, no. Cordless irons can definitely match the watt power of corded irons. The main issue with cordless irons is heat retention. The cordless irons gradually lose heat as soon as they are removed from their charging base. After a minute or so, you might notice the iron is not hot enough to remove stubborn wrinkles.
So overall, yes, cordless irons are less powerful than corded ones. It will take more time to iron your clean clothes with a cordless iron. So make sure to weigh up the pros and cons before choosing a cordless iron to prevent disappointment.
How to Choose the Best Cordless Iron
If you’ve decided you’re after one of the top cordless irons out there, make sure to look at the finer details. There are some elements to note when shopping for a cordless iron.
Heating Time
It’s important to look at the heating time of a cordless iron. The shorter, the better. In fact, if the heating time is quick enough, you won’t notice the recharging time at all.
A lot of cordless iron users put the iron back to the base while they reposition their clothing. By the time they’re ready to iron the next part of a garment, the iron is hot again.
Ironing Time
Of course, you have to look at the ironing time of a cordless iron. How long does the iron retain heat? The longer, the better. Some irons might allow you to get through a few garments before needing to recharge it.
Power
You want a cordless iron that will offer you the same power as a corded iron. We recommend you look at the watts of an iron to see how powerful it is. This will determine the ability to get out stubborn wrinkles, which is a top priority in ironing.
Size
You’ll need to make space for your best cordless steam iron. It may come as a surprise that these irons can actually take up more space than a corded iron. This is because the bases are usually quite large.
So make sure to check out the size of the iron and the base. Determine whether your ironing board or a nearby countertop can accommodate the size.
Weight
The weight of the iron is important. Some people with hand or wrist issues may prefer a lightweight iron. Others like a heavier iron. An iron with extra weight means they have to put less elbow grease into ironing their clothes! The weight of the iron is great at pressing out wrinkles and creases.
The Best Cordless Irons of 2021
It’s time for our product reviews on the best cordless irons on the market. We’ve spent hours gathering these recommendations based on real customer reviews and our own insight. Read through the descriptions, pros and cons, and specs to make sure the iron will suit you!
1. Panasonic NI-WL604-S Cordless Steam Iron
Cordless irons that stay heated for longer are always better. This will save you frustration since you don’t have to return it to the base for charging as often. The Panasonic Cordless Steam Iron holds heat for 180 seconds — a whole three minutes!
It takes the iron about 90 seconds to heat to high, but only 10 seconds to heat to low. So if you return your iron to the base more frequently than 180 seconds, your iron will reheat quicker.
Why We Love It
Iron in Any Direction
One of the coolest things about the Panasonic cordless iron is that you can iron in any direction. The soleplate is a unique design, allowing for 360 rotation. It’s symmetrical, with a pointed tip at both ends. Get ready for some freestyle ironing.
Easy Temperature Selection
The base of this iron has a guide to help you choose the right temperature depending on the fabric you’re ironing. You can set the iron to high, medium or low. It takes between 10 and 90 seconds to heat to your selected temperature.
Powerful Steam
The great steam button on this iron allows you to get powerful steam. It emits 13 grams of steam per minute, which is great! You can also use this iron vertically. It’s amazing for use on curtains, upholstery and furniture. Plus, the cordless feature makes that task way easier so you don’t need to be near a power outlet when doing so.
Design Features
One more reason we love this is because of three specific design features. One, it has a removable water tank. This eliminates burns and makes it easy to refill the iron. Two, it automatically shuts off if unused in its base for 10 minutes. And three, the cover snaps into place and has a handle for easy portability and storage.
Keep In Mind
Base Is Bulky
For quite a small iron, the base is quite bulky. The soleplate itself is only five by eight inches. But the base is pretty bulky — so make sure you have space for it. If you use a tabletop or over-the-door ironing board, this might be inconvenient.
No Corded Options
Some cordless irons have a corded option, too, but this Panosonic cordless iron is completely cordless. So if you end up not enjoying this function, there’s unfortunately no other way to use this iron.
Additional Specs
| Heating Time | Up to 90 seconds |
| Ironing Time | 180 seconds |
| Power | 1500 watts |
| Overall Size | 7 x 8.2 x 11.4 inches |
| Weight | 4.4 pounds |
2. Sunbeam (GCSBNC-101-000) Versa Glide
For cordless iron shoppers on a budget, check out the Sunbeam Versa Glide. This is a popular choice of cordless iron — and it’s a good one, too! What’s even better is that this is a hybrid iron. You can use it cordless or corded, like a regular steam iron!
The base is super light and compact. It attaches to the bottom of the iron. So if you’d like to use it corded, you can lock the iron to the base, pick the whole unit up and use it regularly.
This is a powerful iron with a leak-free design. You’ll be able to zap out wrinkles quickly and effectively.
Why We Love It
Compact Design
We love that the Sunbeam Versa Glide rocks a compact design. You don’t need a lot of space if you’re in the market for a cordless iron, because this one is modest in its size.
Durable Stainless Steel
We can’t emphasise enough how much we love stainless steel as a soleplate material! It’s durable, glides easily and can sustain super high temperatures without wear and tear. The Sunbeam cordless iron has durable stainless steel so it should last for many years.
Self-Cleaning
This cordless iron comes with the bonus of a self-cleaning and anti-calcification system! If you live in a hard water area, this is great since mineral build-up is common. This iron gets rid of limescale and other dirt with the touch of a button.
Keep In Mind
Short Ironing Time
Compared to other cordless irons, the Sunbeam Versa Glide has a shorter ironing time. It only retains heat for about 45 seconds before needing to go back to its charging base. However, it takes less than 10 seconds to reheat between use.
Additional Specs
| Heating Time | About 10 seconds |
| Ironing Time | 45 seconds |
| Power | 1500 watts |
| Overall Size | 5.6 x 13.4 x 6.5 inches |
| Weight | 3.65 pounds |
3. Panasonic Compact Cordless Steam Iron
Cordless irons can be quite heavy. Some users love that, because they have to put less pressure to get out wrinkles and creases. However, it’s nice to have a lightweight option — like the Panasonic Compact cordless steam iron.
This iron only weighs 1.98 pounds making it super easy to use. It’s a high power iron, coming in at 1400 watts. That’s pretty amazing for such a compact iron! You can heat this up in a short 50 seconds for 120 seconds of use. This is the perfect amount of time to iron one side of a garment, then rearrange while the iron recharges.
Why We Love It
Good Steam Power
The Panasonic Compact cordless iron has good steam power. The steam area is large and applies steam evenly. There are 18 steam holes which is generous for a cordless iron. It lets out five grams of steam per minute, giving you a good amount to penetrate the fabric and vanish those wrinkles.
Vertical Steaming
You can steam vertically or horizontally with this cordless iron. If you have hanging garments or furniture you’d like to steam, it’s easy with this iron. The two minutes of heat time gives you time to properly smooth out wrinkles from curtains or dresses.
Easy to Use
This iron is pretty basic. There are only two temperature settings: high and medium. This obviously isn’t ideal for clothes that need ironing at a low temperature. But if you’re looking for something simple for small amounts of laundry and mostly cotton items, this is a good pick.
Keep In Mind
Titanium Soleplate
Stainless steel is our favorite soleplate material. However, this iron has a titanium soleplate. Titanium is good because it’s easy to clean, doesn’t stick to fabrics and evenly transfers heat. However, it can melt fabrics, so keep that in mind when choosing this iron!
Limited Options
The basic interface of this iron is both a pro and a con! If you are on the hunt for lots of temperature settings, you’ll be pretty disappointed with this iron. It only has two: medium or high. If you are ironing delicates, there’s no option for low heat.
Additional Specs
| Heating Time | 50 seconds |
| Ironing Time | 120 seconds |
| Power | 1400 watts |
| Overall Size | 11.5 x 8.7 x 6.8 inches |
| Weight | 1.98 pounds |
4. Panasonic NI-WL600 Cordless Iron
Can you use a cordless iron for quilting? Absolutely! The Panasonic NI-WL600 Cordless Iron is a great choice.
If you’re a quilter, you will love the convenience of this iron. It has a double-pointed soleplate so you can press fabric from any direction. It’s tailor-made for quilting and sewing. Plus, you can easily bring this with you to classes or retreats.
Also, the anti-drip function prevents water leaking so you can protect your quilts! Enjoy 360° ironing with this cordless iron.
Why We Love It
Iron Smoothly
The Panosonic NI-WL600 is a dreamy, breezy, easy iron to use. The stainless steel soleplate can be used on any fabric. It’s made with a contoured and elliptical design so it glides seamlessly over fabrics. No tugging, no pulling, no wrinkling. The pointed tip makes it easy to navigate around buttons and other minute details.
Easy to Use
Switching to a cordless iron shouldn’t be a huge learning curve, and with this iron, it’s not. Just set the temperature, allow it to heat up in a minute or two, then iron. While you readjust your garment, the iron will heat up on its base.
You can set the temperature with the touch of a button. The handy guide on the base tells you which temperature setting to use depending on your fabric!
Vertical Steaming
The Panosonic cordless iron works as a 2-in-1 device. You can use this as an iron or a clothes steamer. Just charge it up and use it vertically to steam hanging clothes, upholstery or furniture.
Keep In Mind
It Begins to Leak
You can’t expect this cordless iron to last that long. Because unfortunately, a common customer complaint is that the water tank starts leaking after a year or so. It is subject to wear and tear because the quality of the tank is not that great.
Only Three Temperature Settings
While the temperature settings are easy to navigate, the low temperature is almost a bit too low. The highest temperature also might not be hot enough for some folk. Keep this in mind, especially if you iron a lot of cotton and linen which require high temps.
Additional Specs
| Heating Time | 1-2 minutes |
| Ironing Time | Up to 5 minutes |
| Power | 1500 watts |
| Overall Size | 11.2 x 6.9 x 8.3 inches |
| Weight | 4.4 pounds |
5. Black+Decker Light ‘N Go Cordless Iron
For us, the base of a cordless iron can be as important as the iron itself. Each base is unique — and the Black + Decker Light ‘N Go cordless iron base is pretty magic!
It comes with an illuminated charging base. Each light means something.
- Red = heating up.
- Green = ready to use.
Flashing red is a recharge warning; flashing red and three beeps means a recharge is needed; slowly pulsing red means auto shut-off is activated.
If you need a little extra guidance with your cordless iron, check out this option!
Why We Love It
Heats up Fast
Black + Decker irons heat up super fast. It only takes 10 seconds to recharge. It’s designed to recharge in the amount of time it takes to readjust a garment.
Just remember that it only stays hot for 25 seconds. Still, the 10 second recharges make up for that — in our opinion!
Spray and Mist Steam Buttons
This iron can get out the toughest of wrinkles. The spray button allows you to dampen a fabric which can make getting out wrinkles a lot easier. The steam button gives you a generous burst of steam whenever you need, too. You can even use the iron vertically by applying the steam burst button onto furniture, curtains and upholstery.
Large Water Tank
This iron comes with a large water tank. While you may have to return the iron to the base every 25 seconds, you won’t need to make frequent visits to the tap. The 12-ounce water tank allows for large loads of laundry without the inconvenience of refills.
Keep In Mind
It Doesn’t Retain Heat Long
With only 25 seconds of ironing time, this is definitely the biggest drawback to Black + Decker Light ‘N Go. It’s not enough time to iron a whole garment. You might even find it’s not enough time to even iron a sleeve.
It’s Heavy
This iron is one of the heavier irons on the market. It weighs 4.55 pounds which is quite bulky! You might find this iron makes your ironing experience more annoying than it’s worth.
Additional Specs
| Heating Time | 10 seconds |
| Ironing Time | 25 seconds |
| Power | 1500 watts |
| Overall Size | 6.2 x 11.6 x 5 inches |
| Weight | 4.55 pounds |
| Product | Best | Heating Time | Ironing Time | Power | Overall Size | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panasonic NI-WL604-S Iron | Heat-Retention | 90 sec | 180 sec | 1500 W | 7 x 8.2 x 11.4″ | 4.4 lbs |
| Sunbeam GCSBNC-101-000 Versa Glide | Budget Pick | 10 sec | 45 sec | 1500 W | 5.6 x 13.4 x 6.5″ | 3.65 lbs |
| Panasonic Compact Cordless Steam Iron | Lightweight | 50 sec | 120 sec | 1400 W | 11.5 x 8.7 x 6.8″ | 1.98 lbs |
| Panasonic NI-WL600 Cordless Iron | Quilting | 1-2 min | 5 min | 1500 W | 11.2 x 6.9 x 8.3″ | 4.4 lbs |
| Black+Decker Light ‘N Go | Iron & Base | 10 sec | 25 sec | 1500 W | 6.2 x 11.6 x 5″ | 4.55 lbs |
Go Cordless
Cordless ironing is a great way to free up your movement when ironing. You can use cordless irons in any direction, spin them around, move them in any way. So if you’re looking for some freestyle motion when doing household tasks, these are a great choice.
Keep in mind, though, that they have limited heat retention times and need to be charged frequently.
If you’re looking for an iron with a long heating time, go for the Panasonic NI-WL604-S. If you want something with a fancy base, then the Black + Decker Light ‘N Go is the way forward for you.
On that note, these are the best cordless irons out there and we trust, you’ll find your true match!
