How To Choose A Good Ironing Board

Whilst it may be a mundane piece of equipment, and one to which the majority of people would give very little thought, a good ironing board is an essential item for any household. Choose the wrong one and you could wind up with poorly ironed clothes, spend more time than you need to ironing and even give yourself a bad back.

The large majority of people these days use steam irons – or even steam generator irons, which are becoming more popular due to the fact that they can cut the amount of time required for ironing in half. In this case you definitely want to get an ironing board which has a mesh construction. This lets the steam flow through the fabric of the garment being ironed, through the cover of the ironing board and through the top of the board itself. It helps to prevent the ironing board cover becoming soggy due to condensation after a few garments have been ironed.

The cover of the ironing board should present a smooth surface to facilitate ironing. It should be secure and not likely to move. An elasticated cover, maybe with a couple of cross-ties at the centre, is normally a good design which won’t move around too much when you are ironing. A metallic cover will reflect a good deal of the heat from the iron and this will help to smooth the underside of the material whilst the top surface is being pressed.

The size and shape of the board will be governed by the type of items you intend to iron. A small board may be easier to manipulate and store – but it will usually necessitate more frequent repositioning of the garment being pressed. A good taper on the pointed end will be useful for getting into corners – the shoulders of shirts and blouses for example – and will also be good for collars.

Scissor action legs are pretty much the norm. It should be possible to set the height at a level which suits you and doesn’t cause any pain or discomfort in your back, neck or shoulders. If you prefer to iron sitting down (many people do) then legs which have a bend in them – so that you don’t bang your knees against them – are a good choice. The legs should be sturdy enough to give adequate support. A broad T-piece, or legs that splay to a good width and have a connecting bar, are usually good options.

The support for the iron itself should be sturdy enough to take the weight of the iron. Wire type extension platforms are usually okay for standard steam irons. The additional weight presented by a steam generator iron may mean that a longer board which just incorporates a heat resistant plate on a slightly extended surface is desirable. Alternatively, you can position the base unit of a steam generator iron on the floor – as long as the connecting hose between base unit and iron is long enough to allow this.