The best cordless irons to buy in 2024

Ironing is a task that most of us have a habit of putting off until there’s a towering pile of clothing in front of us. So, when it does come time to do the ironing, the ideal iron is one that does a great job getting rid of creases and doesn’t take too long about it. The best cordless irons make this everyday chore a breeze.

They sit on an independent base that charges the iron to its chosen temperature, so you will obviously need a plug socket for the base unit. But, once charged, they allow you to iron without any restrictions or need to continually flick a cord out of the way.

Is this the type of iron for you? To help you decide, we’ve put together a buying guide below to answer some questions. Alternatively, if you’re already set on a cordless iron, scroll down for our recommendations on the best you can buy.

Best cordless irons: At a glance

How to choose the best cordless iron for you

Although there are a number of cordless irons on the market, features vary from model to model and make to make. Here are some things you should consider before buying your cordless iron.

READ NEXT: The best ironing boards to buy

What features should I look out for?

The key to a good iron is a decent steam output. Steam makes ironing easy and helps to get rid of deep wrinkles and creases. The average for sequential steam is around 30g/min, although some models offer up to 120g/min.

Another factor to consider is the size of the iron’s water tank. A smaller tank means more refills, which is going to slow you down. Look for a tank capacity of at least 300ml if you plan to do a fair amount of ironing in one go.

Soleplates are inevitably ceramic on modern irons. Weight may also be a consideration for you – a heavier iron may actually aid in getting wrinkles out faster, but can be tiring on the arms.

An anti-drip feature will stop water from leaking onto your ironing. Some models also have anti-scale and anti-calc features, alongside a self-clean mode – all useful but not essential.

READ NEXT: The best clothes steamers to buy

How we test

We try out each iron on creased clothing, rating the performance, how quickly they get rid of creases, the steam generated and how long you can use it for before it needs recharging. We also ask a professional ironer to trial the irons and pick her favourites.

How much should I spend?

We’ve got cordless irons in our review priced from £30 to £95, with the majority coming in at around £40-£50. So there isn’t a set price you should spend on an iron – different models have different features that may or may not be useful to you. Our guide will give you plenty of options, whatever your budget.

READ NEXT: The best steam irons to buy

The best cordless irons to buy in 2024

1. JML Phoenix Gold FreeFlight Cordless Iron: Best for long use

Price when reviewed: £40 | Check price at Amazon

JML’s cordless iron comes in a very distinctive gold colour, unlike any other cordless iron we’ve ever seen. Instructions are clear and concise and the iron heats up from cold in under 30 seconds. Once charged, we were highly impressed with how long the iron stayed hot, and our tester was able to iron an entire shirt before it needed placing back on its base.

Once hot, the JML iron needs only six seconds to charge back up to full heat but, if that’s too long for you to wait, the iron can also be used corded, simply by locking it to its charging base. We also love the fact that you can stand this iron upright without having to put it on the base. Moreover, it’s incredible light, even with the base attached.

It has a continuous steam output of 48g/min, along with a steam burst feature for stubborn wrinkles. There’s also a vertical steaming function for clothes on hangers – perfect for those of us who want to do as little ironing as possible. The colour may not be to everyone’s taste, but this is an incredibly good iron at an extremely reasonable price.

Key specs – Size: 32 x 15.7 x 15.5cm; Power: 2,400W; Capacity: 370ml water tank; Water jug included: Yes; Continuous steam output: 48g/min; Weight: 1.34kg; Features: Ceramic soleplate, anti-drip, anti-calc, self-clean, auto-off, “ready to use” thermostat light indicator, vertical steam

2. Beldray 150 Copper Edition Two-in-One Cordless Iron: Best for steam

Price when reviewed: £30 | Check price at Amazon

Beldray’s cordless iron celebrates the firm’s 150th anniversary and is a beautifully designed piece of kit. Elegant lines and great design make this an iron you will be happy to have out on display – but it’s more than just a pretty face. The iron is ready to use from cold in just 25 seconds and only takes five seconds to recharge once it’s cooled down, though it can also be used as a corded iron by locking it onto its base. The base also allows for 360-degree charging, meaning you don’t have to line the iron up in a particular way to get it to charge. There’s also LED lighting around the base to indicate charging levels.

Beldray’s big selling point, though, is the steam feature – this iron produces lots of steam. Although its continuous steam is only measured at 30g/min. which is plenty powerful enough in our opinion, the iron has a steam boost of 140g/min, making it extremely good for stubborn creases and wrinkles. Our only niggle? The iron was a little awkward to lift on and off the base, although this may well loosen up over time.

Key specs – Size: 35.2 x 15 x 14.5cm; Power: 2,600W; Capacity: 300ml water tank; Water jug included: Yes; Continuous steam output: 30g/min; Weight: 1.7kg; Features: Ceramic soleplate, anti-drip, anti-calc, self-clean, 360-degree charging base, LED charging lights, vertical steam

3. Russell Hobbs Freedom Cordless Iron: Best for wrinkles

Price when reviewed: £35 | Check price at Amazon

The Russell Hobbs Freedom iron has a pleasing weight to it, alongside a well-shaped and slightly larger soleplate. A larger plate means it’s particularly good at dealing with stubborn wrinkles and creases, and this is aided by a 135g/min steam shot, as well as continuous 40g/min steam.

The iron feels sturdy and is well made, as you would no doubt expect from Russell Hobbs. We particularly liked the base, which illuminates with different colours to display when the iron is heating, ready for use or recharging. It’s also easy to get on and off the base for recharging. As a bonus, it comes with good, clear instructions on the iron as well as in the separate booklet.

Heat up time is just 30 seconds from cold, with an advertised recharge time of five seconds. although we noticed it did take slightly longer than this to recharge fully. It also stayed hot for longer than many of the other models, coming in second only to the JML.

Key specs – Size: 35.9 x 19.1 x 17.7cm; Power: 2,400W; Capacity: 300ml water tank; Water jug included: No; Continuous steam output: 40g/min; Weight: 1.53kg; Features: Ceramic soleplate, anti-scale, self-clean, charging lights, vertical steam, auto-off

4. Swan 2-in-1 Cordless Iron: Best budget cordless iron

Price when reviewed: £35 | Check price at Amazon

Swan’s cordless iron is the most powerful at 2,800 watts and can be used either cordless or corded, making it an ideal choice for those with a lot of ironing to get through. It heats up and charges quickly – 15 seconds from cold and five seconds to recharge – and you will get around 25 seconds of full power before you need to pop it back on its base.

There are variable steam controls, as well as a sliding switch to control the amount of steam you want to use. The 360-degree charging base allows you to dock the iron in any direction to charge back up, but you do need to remember to engage the locking switch for safety purposes.

There’s a light on the base to show that the unit is plugged in, with a light on the iron to indicate charge. While the Swan doesn’t keep its heat as long as some models on this list, it does a great job of removing creases and wrinkles for a bargain price.

Key specs – Size: 30.3 x 15.2 x 13cm; Power: 2,800W; Capacity: 300ml water tank; Water jug included: Yes; Continuous steam output: N/A; Weight: 1.64kg; Features: Ceramic soleplate, anti-calc, anti-drip, self-clean, charging lights, auto-off, variable steam controls, vertical steam

5. Tower CeraGlide 2400W Cordless Iron: Best cordless hybrid

Price when reviewed: £29 | Check price at Amazon The Tower CeraGlide may be the cheapest iron on our list, but it delivers on features and results. It can be used either cordless or corded and, at 1.2kg, it’s an extremely lightweight iron making it easy to lift, even with the base attached. The base itself is one of the most stable of the upright chargers we tested, though it can be a little fiddly to detach from the base, occasionally sticking a little.

For such a small iron, the Tower produces excellent steam with 40g/min of continuous steam and a 180g/min burst. The iron also stays hot for an impressive amount of time, although it does lose steam output quickly. The iron charges from cold in under 30 seconds but, as it stays hotter for longer, it does take around 15 seconds to recharge.

Key specs – Size: 33 x 17.6 x 14.3cm; Power: 2,400W; Capacity: 360ml water tank; Water jug included: Yes; Continuous steam output: 40g/min; Weight: 1.2kg; Features: CeraGlide ceramic soleplate, anti-drip, anti-calc, self-clean, vertical steam

6. Morphy Richards Easycharge Cordless Iron: Best for hard water areas

Price when reviewed: £60 | Check price at John Lewis For those of us who live in hard water areas, the Morphy Richards iron is a godsend, as it has a particularly effective limescale removal system. The iron also automatically cleans steam holes on the soleplate, helping to remove any residue built up there. Of course, we wouldn’t just include it in our list for its hard water capabilities; it also does an excellent job of ironing. The steam output is excellent and we particularly like the fact that you can control the temperature of the steam – ideal for delicates.

The iron’s handle lights up to indicate charging status and takes around 40 seconds to charge from cold. Although it holds its heat for a fair amount of time, it takes a lengthy 25 seconds to recharge once it’s cooled down, which might not be ideal if you’ve got a pile of ironing to get through.

Design-wise, it ticks a lot of boxes. The base offers 360-degree charging and the iron also has a water level indicator, as well as a steam-ready indicator. We also think it’s rather stylish, in neat black and red colours.

Key details – Size: 33.4 x 17.7 x 14.5cm; Power: 2,400W; Capacity: 350ml water tank; Water jug included: No; Continuous steam output: 30g/min; Weight: 1.39kg; Features: Ceramic soleplate, anti-scale, self-clean, charging lights, vertical steam, auto-off, variable steam, temperature-controlled steam

Check price at John Lewis

7. Tefal Freemove Air FV6551 Cordless Iron: Best for stability

Price when reviewed: £45 | Check price at Currys

We absolutely love the design of the Tefal cordless iron – it’s the only one on our list with a horizontal charging base that you simply slide the iron onto. This makes it far more stable than any other cordless iron we’ve reviewed. It also sits well in the hand thanks to a well-designed handle and glides effortlessly over fabrics. The Freemove has a separate button underneath the handle for normal steam and one on the top for a steam boost. Continuous steam flows at 30g/min and there’s an impressive steam boost shot of 190g/min. The Tefal has the smallest water tank at 250ml, though, so will need refilling more frequently.

It’s fully charged in 11 seconds and will give you around 30 seconds of ironing time at once. When power gets low, a smart light and beep will alert you to the fact the iron needs recharging. We felt that the iron’s charge didn’t last quite as long as some other brands, but this is still a high-quality iron that does an excellent job of zipping over fabrics and removing creases, but perhaps just not the best for big loads.

Key details – Size: 31 x 19.1 x 16cm; Power: 2,400W; Capacity: 250ml water tank; Water jug included: No; Continuous steam output: 35g/min; Weight: 1.83kg; Features: Ceramic soleplate, anti-scale, anti-drip, self-clean, charging lights, auto-off

Check price at Currys