Ironing Board Selection - Points To Consider

An ironing board is, without doubt, a mundane item of household equipment to which most of us give very little thought. However, it is an essential item for any household and, if you choose the wrong one, then you might end up with badly pressed garments, take more time than you need to when ironing and even put unnecessary strain on your back.

Most people today use steam irons – or even steam generator irons, which are becoming ever more popular. In this case, you will certainly want to go for a board which has a mesh construction. This allows the steam to pass 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 avoid the board cover becoming wet or soggy during longer ironing sessions.

The ironing board's cover should be as smooth as possible to make ironing easy. It should be solid, secure and not prone to unwanted movement. An elasticated cover, possibly with one or two cross-ties at the centre, is generally a good design which won't move about as you iron. A metalised cover will reflect some of the heat and this will help to smooth the underside of the garment whilst the top surface is being ironed.

The shape and size of the board will depend upon what you generally iron. A smaller board may be easier to manipulate and store – but it will generally require more repositioning of the item being ironed. 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 adjust the height to a level that suits you and doesn't cause any back strain. If you like to iron from a seated position then legs which have a curve on them – so that you don't bang your knees on them – are a good idea. The legs should provide good 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 extra weight presented by a steam generator iron may mean that a longer board which just features a heat resistant plate on a slightly extended surface is better. Alternatively, the base unit of steam generator irons may be positioned on the floor – as long as the connecting hose between base unit and iron is long enough to permit this.