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Best ironing boards
Cheap ironing boards go up against pricier ones from Minky, Brabantia and Joseph
Joseph in our tests, to see if it's worth spending extra to get the best
The best ironing boards are stable and easy to adjust. We've found two that impressed above others on both counts to be named Which? Best Buys.
Our testing found that, although most ironing boards do a decent job, paying more will get you better. However, read on for our favourites, 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 | |||||
| Average | |||||
| Good | |||||
| Average | |||||
| Average |
Dates tested: April 2022 and June 2023. Page last checked: February 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
Dunelm Ironing Board
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Most recently tested April 2022
Board size 120 x 38cm
Weight 4.5kg
Size when folded (HxWxD) 152 x 39 x 5cm
Need to know 7 height levels (highest 90cm, lowest 66.5cm); covered by Dunelm's 28-day returns policy; 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
See our steam iron reviews and the best heated clothes airers.
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
John Lewis Classic Ironing Board
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Most recently tested April 2022
Board size 122 x 38cm
Weight 5.1kg
Size when folded (HxWxD) 159 x 40 x 7cm
Need to know 7 height levels (highest 90cm, lowest 67.5cm); child safety lock; 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 and thermo-reflect technology cover which claims 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 infinite adjustment height levels (highest 92cm, lowest 0cm); moveable flex guide to prevent iron cable tangling and heat reflective spots on cover which claim 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 infinite adjustment height levels (highest 93cm, lowest 0cm); 1-year guarantee
Vileda Total Reflect ironing board
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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 and foil undercover which claims 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.
We paid 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 assess 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 pressing hard.
The worst moved like jelly on a plate with the lightest of touches. Some even had wonky feet straight out of the box.
Ease of use
A panel of testers – ranging in height, gender and age – assess each ironing board on how easy it is to carry, set up, adjust the height and iron on.
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 claim to have 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 marked.
The best ironing boards leave no imprint or discolouration to the cover.
The worst ironing boards 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.
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?
After spending hours testing ironing boards, we've found it is worth paying a bit more for an ironing board – this gets you a more stable ironing surface.
We've also found that some pricier boards are easy to fold and unfold, and can be smoothly set to a wide range of heights for a comfortable ironing session.
So 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 board.
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.
So if you struggle with lifting heavier items or don't have a ton of storage space, a lighter board that still offers a good level of stability may be better for you.
These are standard ironing board sizes, though it's always best to check dimensions before as manufacturer's 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
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. 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 to put finished clothes.
- Hanger space, usually under the board, where you can hang garments to keep items crease-free once you've ironed them.
- Heat-reflecting ironing board covers have a metallic, reflective coating. They claim to create a hotter surface and get rid of creases more effectively.
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