The main point from which to build on is the type of its sole. It is she who affects the convenience of using the iron during ironing, the final result and the durability of the technique itself. All other features come as an add-on. It is difficult for a simple layman, who rarely encounters the purchase of irons, to understand the whole variety of soles. In this article, we will suggest which iron soleplate is best to help you choose.

The main materials of the soleplate of the iron

Aluminum for the manufacture of iron soles has been used for a long time. The undoubted advantage of this material is its lightness and high thermal conductivity. These properties make the iron light and maneuverable, it heats up quickly and cools down just as quickly. In addition, irons with aluminum soles are inexpensive.

The disadvantages include the fact that the aluminum surface is easily deformed, and the sole of the iron is quickly covered with scratches from zippers and buttons. Also, a clean aluminum sole leaves a shine on the fabrics of products, which is why housewives have to use gauze and other materials for better ironing products.

Despite the existing disadvantages, aluminum continues to be used in the production of irons, but in the struggle to improve its properties, the material is repeatedly processed and additional coatings are used. So, ceramic is applied over the aluminum layer, which practically equalizes the quality of such a product with an iron with a ceramic sole. The iron also glides easily over fabrics, is suitable for synthetic materials, leaves no residue and remains light in weight.

Iron with stainless soleplate

This type of sole is by far one of the most common. The material is acceptable both in terms of characteristics and price category. The stainless steel used to make the soles makes them durable and resistant to damage. As in the case of aluminum soles, manufacturers use alloys and coatings to improve the properties of materials. For example, one of the companies began to produce irons with sapphire soles. In this case, specialists simply sprayed sapphire powder onto a stainless steel sole. As a result, it was possible to achieve an easy-to-glide, heavy-duty coating that is not afraid of buttons, rivets and zippers. The only drawback of such products is their high cost.

Ceramic soleplate

Ceramics, as a material for the soleplate of the iron, is used by several manufacturing companies. Ceramic soles are easy to glide, they do not wrinkle clothes even when moving backwards and are very easy to clean. But you need to handle them carefully, as ceramics are fragile and a chip or scratch will add problems when ironing.

Teflon soleplate

The Teflon coating makes it easy to slide and iron clothes, but it is similar in strength to aluminum soles. Buttons and metal fittings easily leave scratches on the coating. The soleplate of the iron with Teflon is non-stick, in case

contamination of the coating, it is easily removed.

Composite iron soleplate

In the struggle for the strength of the soles and flawless glide, manufacturers began to use composite materials. They are more durable than aluminum or ceramic and withstand the impact of metal fittings.

Iron with titanium soleplate

Models of irons with titanium soles are not represented by a wide range, due to their high cost. They easily slide over the fabric, but have a much lower thermal conductivity. The titanium sole is very durable, it is not afraid of impacts and the impact of other metals.

When choosing between all types of iron soles, you should focus on your own financial capabilities and needs. You can also give preference to irons with interchangeable types of soles, which are designed for different types of fabric.

The ability to determine which iron coating is better will significantly simplify the task of choosing a model. The material from which the sole of the device is made affects not only its functionality, but also the final result of ironing. It is this factor that is considered the main one, and not additional options like a digital display or wire attachment.

Lightweight and durable aluminum outsole: features

Just a few decades ago, the best coating for an iron was cast iron. Over time, the devices improved so much that cast iron was replaced with lighter, more durable and practical aluminum.

Modern irons iron better than bulky predecessors, not due to weight, but due to the ability to warm up to maximum temperature in a matter of seconds. Aluminum irons - just like that. They not only heat up immediately after switching on, but also cool down just as quickly when turned off.

With all the practicality and functionality, the aluminum sole loses its ability to smoothly slide over the fabric over time, and is prone to dirt. In addition, you need to be careful when using the iron in the maximum mode - it is possible that the fabric will burn.

As an option, you can choose an aluminum sole in an alloy with steel. The material will retain all the advantages of aluminum and acquire additional ones - from steel.

Durable and reliable iron - steel soleplate

When the question arises of which coating to choose an iron with, many pay attention to the most popular models and, as a rule, they are made of stainless steel. The material rightly occupies a leading position, and above all because of a number of advantages. These include:

• reliability;
• guarantee of easy sliding on fabric of any type;
• resistance to corrosion;
• availability;
• convenience in operation.

Of the minuses, it is worth noting only the significant weight of the coating, which significantly complicates the ironing process.

In an effort to improve products, manufacturers are developing various spray options for steel soles. It can be either standard chrome to prevent corrosion, or powdered sapphire for steel soles.

The latter is an expensive, natural material, which, in terms of its characteristics, outstrips even ruby. That is why, making a choice in favor of a steel sole with such a coating, you can be sure of purchasing a durable device with excellent performance characteristics.

Today, devices with sapphire coating are produced by not so many companies. One of them is Brown. The manufacturer's products with sapphire powder treatment are available for both domestic and professional use.

Ceramic and sintered soles - perfect glide

An interesting option is a ceramic coating for an iron. The main advantages of such irons are affordable price and perfect glide. The disadvantages include excessive fragility of the sole and exactingness in observing the rules of operation and care. Even minor damage at first glance can lead to failure of the device with peeling of the coating. In addition, if the soleplate is not regularly cleaned, it will form hard-to-remove burn marks.

As an improved alternative, manufacturers began to use cermets. Such soles are distinguished by wear resistance, close in terms of indicators to steel surfaces. In addition, ceramic-metal soles are lightweight, heat up quickly and evenly, and provide excellent glide.

Teflon sole - No. 1 carbon protection

According to the set of characteristics, the Teflon coating is in many ways similar to aluminum. Irons with such a sole differ:

• ease of sliding;
• high ironing result;
• resistance to soot formation;
• durability.

The disadvantages of Teflon soles include insufficient resistance to scratches.

What is a composite sole and how does it work?

Composite material for the manufacture of iron soles was chosen by manufacturers after analyzing the pros and cons of the materials used before. Even ceramic and aluminum surfaces, compared to composite ones, seem not so reliable and durable compared to composite ones.

The new improved irons guarantee flawless glide, are reliable, durable and comfortable to use. The material of the devices is so practical that it copes with ironing products with an abundance of accessories without consequences.

Titanium soles - a timeless material

Analyzing which iron soleplate coating is better, you should pay special attention to the titanium soleplate. This is one of the latest developments of designers, presented in just a few models. The main reason for the infrequent choice of manufacturers in the direction of titanium for the soles of devices is the high price.

Impeccable performance significantly affects the final cost. In general, irons with a titanium surface justify their cost one hundred percent. Devices serve for decades without requiring special care.

The main advantages of titanium soles include:

• active sliding;
• high level of thermal conductivity;
• reliability;
• resistance to mechanical damage;
• aesthetic appearance.

You can buy models with a titanium sole from Philips, Bork or Panasonic.

In conclusion, we note what are the main requirements for the surface of the soleplate of a modern iron and what to look for.

Today's irons no longer resemble dangerous and heavy projectiles bursting with heat. Modern irons are distinguished by the highest quality, ergonomic design and perfect comfort. Of particular interest are the new soles, which glide quickly and easily over all kinds of fabrics. The design of the soleplate, the material from which it is made, and the location of the steam holes are important for best results.

Iron selenium soleplate!

Originally used for the soles of irons, cast iron is a rough metal that cannot be finely polished. But today the soles of the iron have reached perfect smoothness, in others you can look like in a mirror.

The most affordable irons are those with aluminum soles. These are good irons because aluminum conducts heat very well. Irons with such a soleplate heat up very quickly and cool down just as quickly.

To achieve maximum smoothness, aluminum is polished, such a coating is called aluterm. It is shiny and smooth as glass. But aluminum is a delicate metal. Having “passed” through a metal zipper, button, festoon, hook or rivet on jeans, the sole of the iron acquires microscopic scratches.

Everything would be fine, but villi of fabrics, impregnation of textiles, starch are gradually stuffed into scratches. Under the influence of high temperature, these particles char and darken over time. The shiny surface becomes dirty, untidy, sticky, slips worse.

In addition, it is well known that the aluminum sole leaves undesirable shine on fabrics, especially woolen ones. The fabric looks shiny, so you can’t do without ironing through a cotton cloth, and this is very inconvenient.

Teflon glides well, but peels off over time

To make it easier to iron synthetic fabrics and to avoid the appearance of shine when ironing, some companies, such as Kenwood, produce irons with a Teflon-coated aluminum soleplate. Nothing really sticks to Teflon, but it is afraid of scratches just like aluminum, and over time, such a coating may partially peel off.

The most successful coating for the aluminum sole was the glass-ceramic Supergliss Actif developed by Tefal. The ribbed outsole helps you achieve better results with less effort. Increased pressure in the area of ​​the raised strips makes it easy to smooth out even stubborn, overdried laundry. Braun has also recently developed an aluminum-based Ceramic-jet soleplate. Aluminum for soles is used by Philips, Rowenta.

And stainless steel slides well, but weighs more

A more durable material for the soleplate, but also more expensive, is high-quality stainless steel. Irons with stainless steel soles are offered by Bosch, Siemens, Moulinex, Rowenta. This material is durable and not afraid of scratches. The stainless steel soleplate glides easily over fabric and is easy to clean.

However, these irons can be somewhat heavy and take longer to heat up and cool down than aluminum soleplate irons. After all, steel conducts heat worse than aluminum. In addition, stainless steel is a more expensive material than aluminum.

Rowenta has launched a new iron for professionals P2 with a perfectly gliding stainless steel airglide soleplate that cannot be scratched even if desired.

Irons with inox stainless steel soles are produced by Rowenta, Siemens, Bosch, Philips, Braun. In particular, Braun is releasing a new generation of irons with the super-hard, easy-glide Saphir soleplate. Sapphire is one of the hardest minerals along with corundum and ruby. Of course, the sole does not consist of this precious mineral. He only participates in the technology of its processing.

Philips launches Azur Exel irons with a silver plated soleplate, as well as the innovative Exel Anodium soleplate, which glides on all types of fabrics, is scratch resistant and easy to clean.

Titan removes all problems. For your money

Rowenta coats the soles of some models of irons with titanium. It is a very durable metal that is not scratched by other metals. But it has low thermal conductivity, and even the thinnest titanium film reduces the temperature of the sole.

Titanium irons are prestigious, but quite expensive. But titanium soles have one wonderful property: if, for example, the hostess was distracted, left the iron on her blouse and particles of “melted” synthetic fabric stuck to its sole, you don’t need to scrape anything, trying to immediately clean the iron, you just need to unplug the cord from the outlet, let it cool the iron and easily remove the adhering cloth.

Sole like a decent sandwich

Then the developers of the new soleplates of irons found many other solutions, using combinations of different materials and not disregarding aluminum with its high thermal conductivity.

So, inox soles are based on aluminum, covered with stainless steel on the outside. This outsole combines the good thermal conductivity and lightness of aluminum with the durability and scratch resistance of stainless steel. The inox sole is light, does not rust and is easy to clean (Siemens, Bosch).

Granit glisse is a durable, scratch-resistant stainless steel outsole with a super-hard enamel finish that glides on fabric with great traction. The unique enamel has the appearance of well-crafted granite and is really hard like granite and very resistant to scratching and chipping.

Moreover, the aluminum edge protects the enamel coating from side impacts. This combination of materials ensures perfect glide even on capricious synthetics (Siemens, Bosch). Sole dirt can be removed with a stiff metal brush (no surprise, the super-durable coating does not scratch). And small contaminants are easily removed from a heated iron with a cotton cloth.

Ceraslide-Color is another worthy combination: the aluminum outsole is covered with a heavy-duty baked ceramic that ennobles the lightweight aluminum base (Siemens, Bosch). This beautiful blue sole is scratch resistant, stays smooth for a long time, easy to clean with a cotton cloth.

The sole glides easily over any material, it is convenient to iron fabrics made of synthetic fibers, which are considered capricious and, when interacting with less perfect ironing soles, can acquire unwanted shine.

Ceramic coatings for ironing soles are also used by Tefal, Philips. In addition, Tefal uses a unique Durilium material (Ultragliss Actif series), which provides unparalleled ease of sliding, high scratch resistance and ease of cleaning of the sole from dirt.

Who gets six points for an iron slip?

After all, what is the best ironing sole cover? The independent French laboratory CTTN experimentally compared the sliding performance of various iron coatings depending on temperature.

The French laboratory CTTN carried out a slip comparison test.

At low temperatures, the glide of the soles differs markedly (hence the capricious behavior of synthetic fabrics), but as it rises, the glide improves, and all soles on the corresponding fabrics behave approximately the same.

Teflon-coated soles have the best glide at low temperatures; they are best ironed on synthetic fabrics. But soles with ceramic coating at high temperatures improve glide much more than others.

So choose: strength and durability, easy slip, reasonable price, in the end ... There are no bad ironing soles, each is good in its own way.

Do you like to look impeccable in perfectly ironed clothes, but your iron often does not cope with the task? Perhaps the shape and material of its soles do not correspond to modern parameters, so the ironing result leaves much to be desired.

How to navigate a large selection of household appliances and figure out which iron sole is better, we will tell in this article.

In order to choose a quality iron, you must consider the following parameters:

• Instrument model;
• The shape of the sole and nose;
• Special features;
• Sole material.

Depending on these criteria, the price and capabilities of this household appliance are formed.

The choice of model and additional functions is not fundamentally important, since the quality of ironing depends on the shape and coating of the iron. So, touch control will not help to improve the quality of ironing if the sole does not glide well over the thing.

Video: how to choose an iron?

Form Features

When choosing the shape of the sole, consider what things you have to iron most often.

If there are small children in the house or your husband prefers to wear shirts, and you are cute little things that consist of many ruffles and folds, the soleplate of the iron should be elongated and the nose pointed.

If you mainly iron household items: bedding, kitchen utensils or curtains, then it is better to give preference to a wide sole that ends with a blunt nose.

Important Requirements

Since the soleplate of the iron is an important element of the appliance responsible for the quality of ironing, it must meet the following requirements:

• Reliability and resistance to damage;
• Good glide on fabric;
• Accurate and careful contact with the material without any interference;
• Minimum friction;
• Uniform heating and cooling.

Choosing the right high-quality sole, you will not only improve the quality of ironing, but significantly extend the life of an indispensable home helper.

In order to find out which sole is considered the best, it is necessary to consider the features of the materials from which it is made.

Modern manufacturers produce more than twenty types of iron coatings.

We list the main materials used to make the sole:

• Ceramics;
• Aluminum;
• Teflon;
• Titanium.

The most popular materials are ceramics and stainless steel, but they are rarely used in their pure form, adding other coatings and coatings to the composition.

To figure out which coverage is better, you need to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.

aluminum coating

The first alternative, after heavy cast-iron irons that required a lot of physical effort when ironing, was aluminum soleplates.

They have a number of undoubted advantages:

• Very light;
• Have excellent thermal conductivity;
• Heat up and cool down quickly
• Maneuverable and easy to use;
• They have a democratic price.

Along with these positive qualities, aluminum has a number of disadvantages:

• Scratches quickly appear on the surface;
• It is subject to deformation;
• After ironing, the shine remains on the clothes.

Moreover, the rapid heating of an iron with this coating can go from a positive characteristic to a negative one, since there is a high probability of burning through the fabric if a certain mode is not set.

It is interesting

On sale you can find aluminum soles that are coated with ceramics or other materials to improve performance. Thus, manufacturers practically eliminate the disadvantages of aluminum.

Recently, ceramic coatings of irons are gaining more and more popularity. This can be easily explained, because this material has the following advantages:

• Aesthetic appearance;
• Excellent glide;
• Uniform heating;
• Fast cleaning.

However, ceramics have one significant drawback: fragility. The material is very fragile, so the slightest defects in the form of chips or scratches will make ironing difficult.

Video: which iron is the best?

It is interesting

There are no soleplates of irons that are made of only ceramics. They will necessarily contain steel, aluminum or their alloy.

Stainless steel is not inferior in popularity to ceramics. Among its obvious advantages are the following:

• Strength and wear resistance;
• Resistance to damage and corrosion;
• Fast and even heating;
• Excellent gliding qualities on the fabric;
• Low cost.

The only, but significant drawback of such an iron is a lot of weight.

Despite the excellent characteristics of this coating, manufacturers are trying to make it even better. So, models are popular in which chrome or sapphire is applied to the base, which helps protect the sole from corrosion and prolongs the life of the iron. Naturally, the cost of such equipment will be higher than that of conventional stainless steel irons.

Considering that ceramic or stainless steel irons are the most popular among consumers, many buyers do not know which material is better to choose. In this case, you need to take into account the volume of ironing. If you iron often and a lot, it is better to choose a more practical stainless steel option.

Choosing an iron with a Teflon coating, you will ensure the convenience of ironing and excellent glide over the material. However, get ready to worry about the scratches that will inevitably appear on the sole. In addition, it will not be easy to clean, with the exception of non-stick irons.

Titanium is one of the elite materials. Irons, the soles of which are covered with it, will serve you for a very long time, because they are not afraid of corrosion and are resistant to deformation. However, such household assistants will require a large amount of electricity due to low thermal conductivity. In addition, they are quite expensive, as are the means for processing and cleaning the sole.

If you still find it difficult to decide which coating to choose an iron, it is better to give preference to a model that has several interchangeable soles. They can be used with different types of fabrics.

Other Features

Many customer reviews indicate that stainless steel and ceramic coatings are the most popular today.

However, regardless of the coating, a good modern iron should have the following characteristics:

• The sole should have a small indentation that will help smooth out the material under the buttons;
• A quality device should contain at least 50 holes on its sole, regardless of their size. And they are small (they create an air cushion, but are difficult to clean) or large (they allow you to iron complex fabrics);
• The rounded back of the device will not allow fabrics to break during translational movements.

As a conclusion

Based on the foregoing, it is clear that it is impossible to give an unambiguous answer which iron soleplate is better. Each material has both advantages and disadvantages.

When choosing, you need to be guided by your preferences and financial capabilities, as well as the advice that we gave in this article.

Customer opinion

Lena.

My mother-in-law bought a Teflon-coated iron. She paid a lot of money and is shaking over him, afraid of every scratch. I don’t understand why you need to buy such an expensive thing, then to be afraid to pick it up once again.

Dasha.

And I like my iron. Teflon is perfect!

A guest.

Lera.

I have been using my iron for 5 years and have never regretted it. True, there are already a couple of scratches. If I decide to buy a new one, I will also buy ceramics.

Arina.

Why spend a lot of money on an iron? I'm quite happy with aluminum. Works out and I'll buy a new one.

Inga.

They gave me an iron with an aluminum soleplate. Horror! Constantly burns, and when you put it, the water pours out.

Vadim.

Stainless steel is what you need! 7 years - the iron is like new!

Katia.

Tried several options. I settled on stainless steel. The iron is convenient and practical.

Video: what is the best inexpensive iron model?

An iron is an indispensable item in almost every home. Ironing needs garments, home textiles and much more. Its quality of work, in addition to power and additional functions, is also affected by the material of its sole. Therefore, when choosing a household appliance, it is necessary to navigate which iron soleplate is better.

The number of manufacturers of household appliances is constantly increasing. In order to successfully compete in this market, the world's leading manufacturers strive to develop maximum technological innovations and develop new materials. At the moment, there are about twenty types of sole coatings.

Basic requirements for the sole

Of all the details of the iron, it is the soleplate that smooths out the wrinkles when in contact with the material. The main characteristic that the working surface must correspond to is a good degree of sliding. So, no vaporizing functions and touch control will save the situation if the device does not move well through the fabric and takes puffs. Creating the image of an ideal household appliance, you can identify which iron soleplate is the best by determining the basic requirements:

• maximum strength;
• minimum degree of friction (easy sliding);
• uniform heating of the entire area;
• gentle effect on clothes.

Based precisely on these criteria, it is necessary to consider each individual sole.

Aluminum

Aluminum came to replace heavy iron units heated with coals. This is a very lightweight material that can be sanded. In most inexpensive devices, it is the sole made of aluminum that is used. These irons heat up very quickly and also cool down quickly, saving a lot of time.

In addition to low cost and lightness, aluminum soles have their drawbacks. So, due to the softness of the material, the working surface of such irons is quickly scratched, which worsens the degree of slip. In addition, in case of overheating, such a surface sticks to the fabric very easily, and then it is not easy.

Another caveat is that if an additional protective coating has not been applied to the sole, it can leave a sheen during ironing on many fabrics. Philips began to use heat-treated anodized aluminum in its appliances, which allows you to iron things without fear of damaging them.

The fact that the work surface is covered with anodized aluminum will be signaled by the designation Anodilium or Careeza.

Steel

At the moment, stainless steel is the most widely used material for soles. It has many positive qualities:

• acceptable price;
• resistance to damage;
• good glide.

The only negative is that irons made of this metal have an impressive weight, and some effort will have to be made to iron things.

By producing devices based on stainless steel, many companies are trying to bring something of their own to the production technology to increase sales and attract a new audience.

Platinum

Rowenta presented the Platinum sole, in which stainless steel is processed with a special laser and equipped with an additional coating.

The innovation made it possible to place up to 400 micro-holes on the sole at the same time, which significantly improve the steaming properties.

Saphir

One of the most durable and stable coatings is Braun's innovation - the Saphir sole. It is made of high quality stainless steel, covered with sapphire coating. Thanks to the sapphire powder, the new models of this brand are characterized by an easily gliding and extremely hard sole.

The innovation did not affect the cost of devices in any way - with such a sole, you can choose both an inexpensive budget model and a powerful professional unit equipped with many functions.

In order for the housewives not to ask the question “what is the best material for the sole of the iron?”, but to purchase their model, representatives of Braun, in front of the buyers, run a nail over the working surface of the iron and demonstrate a consistently smooth surface.

Combination of several materials

A peculiar development was provided by Bosch. Using a combination of several materials, manufacturers have obtained a sole that easily slides over all types of fabrics. It is made of aluminum encased in stainless steel.

Based on this development, there are several types of different soles. So, when nickel is added to pressure-rolled steel, a sliding matte surface of a golden color will be obtained. It's called Inox glissee.

Stainless steel coated with a layer of ultra-hard enamel is highly scratch resistant and protected from heavy impacts. A layer of enamel can significantly extend the life of such a surface. The Ceraslide-Color soleplate is very easy to care for – it can be cleaned with a cotton cloth.

No less resistant to scratches and has a novelty from Bosch. To obtain it, a layer of high-strength fired ceramics is applied to the aluminum sole. The undoubted advantage of such a surface is the easy ironing of synthetic fabrics.

Ceramics

Among budget irons, models equipped with a metal-ceramic or ceramic sole should be distinguished. In addition to low cost, they are distinguished by good ironing quality and attractive appearance. It should be borne in mind that the ceramic surface has one significant disadvantage - fragility. The slightest scratch or dent leads to cracking of the surface layer.

This type of sole is used by many manufacturers - Tefal, Philips, Bosch.

Titanium

Rowenta has introduced a novelty in the household appliances market - irons with a titanium work surface. This sole has a very durable surface that is resistant to scratches and chips. It should be borne in mind that, due to the physical properties of titanium, they are characterized by low thermal conductivity.

Teflon

Teflon coating is popular with many housewives. Such irons, even at low temperatures, show a high degree of slip, which makes it possible to effectively iron fabrics made of synthetic fibers. Also, this coating does not allow damage to things - it does not stick to the fabric and does not leave marks.

The only negative is that it is very easy to leave a scratch on its surface, which leads to poor sliding.

Very easy to use irons with a removable sole. The working surface is selected depending on the type of fabric. So, one sole can be used for ironing heavily wrinkled fabrics, the other for delicate ones.

Nozzles made of heat-resistant material are also popular now, allowing you to put the iron in a box or drawer immediately after ironing, without waiting for it to cool.

1. Having decided on the material, you must also pay attention to the area and shape of the sole. So, the larger its area, the less maneuverable the device becomes, but less effort will need to be applied to iron one thing.
2. It is convenient if the rear edge of the device is slightly rounded - then even when the iron is moved back, the fabric will not wrinkle.
3. The sharper the nose of the iron, the more effective it is at ironing hard-to-reach areas of clothing. Many models are also equipped with a special groove with a thin edge, which allows you to smooth out cuffs and plackets without the risk of melting the button.
4. It is very convenient if the nose of the iron is additionally equipped with holes for steaming - this will make it easy to iron small children's things.
5. The more perforated the sole of the iron, the better it will steam the item, which is convenient when working with delicate fabrics.

The criteria for which sole to choose an iron with are purely individual for each. For some, low cost is more important, for others - durability, for others - lightness and maneuverability. Having outlined priority criteria for yourself, you can easily choose an iron.