The soleplate of the iron is an important part of the device. The sole becomes damaged due to friction, becomes damaged and becomes unusable. Over time, even the most durable iron sole wears out, which leads to the formation of creases, scratches, stains and other mechanical damage.
There are several types of iron soles:
- aluminum sole;
- stainless steel sole;
- ceramic sole;
- titanium coating;
- composite sole.
Aluminum sole
Aluminum sole is the basis for an iron made of aluminum, aluminum with the addition of copper, chrome. The aluminum sole is durable and strong, but requires special care , as it has high electrical conductivity properties in an oxidizing environment.
Coverage features:
- ease of ironing;
- high temperature resistance;
- plastic;
- low thermal conductivity;
- corrosion resistance;
- not susceptible to deformation;
- ease of manufacture.
But in reality, aluminum conducts heat poorly and is also poorly processed. Therefore, an iron with such a soleplate is suitable for ironing light fabrics (such as silk).
Pros:
- ease of care;
- light weight;
- strength;
- low cost;
- long service life;
- durability and high wear resistance;
- high temperature resistance;
- insensitivity to high temperatures;
- plastic;
- low electrical conductivity;
- resistance to high temperatures;
- ease of care.
Like any other iron soleplate, the aluminum soleplate requires special care.
Minuses:
- instability to deformation - the aluminum sole is easily deformed , which is noticeable during the operation of the iron when ironing dense fabric;
- high coefficient of thermal conductivity - this leads to rapid cooling of the iron after ironing and does not allow the fabric to be heated evenly;
- non-shock resistance - the iron may break if dropped ;
- fragility - even with careful handling of the iron, the aluminum surface wears off over time and loses its appearance.
What are our irons made of?
More precisely, what material is used to make the soles? There are only 5 most common ones. These are:
- aluminum;
- stainless steel;
- ceramics;
- Teflon;
- titanium.
These coatings should provide uniform heating, easy sliding over the fabric and a gentle effect on the product itself.
In addition, it is optimal when it heats up quickly and maintains the set temperature for a long time, and ideally when the material of the iron sole is damage-resistant and lightweight. Let's find out how well the listed materials meet our needs, and try to find out which sole it is better to buy an iron with. See also -
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Titanium
This is a record holder for strength and durability. The first to present such soles were the developers from Rowenta. Irons with titanium soles well over the fabric, take a little longer to heat up, but maintain the temperature well, and they do not tire the hand too much. This material is considered the most durable and resistant to damage. But the disadvantage of a titanium working surface is its high cost, since this material is expensive.
Irons with titanium soles are found in the product lines of Bork, Philips, and Panasonic.
What else affects ease of use?
In addition to the above properties, you should pay attention to some features of working bases. A platform with few openings for steam release will not be able to effectively process textile fibers with it. The more holes, the more intense and evenly the steam will be released.
Particular attention should be paid to the nose part - several holes should be concentrated there to effectively smooth out textiles in hard-to-reach places.
Sole shape
Every garment has areas that are difficult to iron out. The foot needs to have a narrow spout to reach everywhere. When choosing an electric iron, do not forget to pay attention to the presence of steam holes in its nose.
Depending on which items are ironed more often - bed linen or children's clothes, blouses or shirts - choose a wide platform with a large area (for linen) or a narrower one (for clothes with a complex cut).
The more the platform is rounded on the back side, the easier it is to move the iron across the fabric in the opposite direction without creating scars or folds on the surface. From this point of view, the best shape is the platform in the photo below, pointed on both sides.
Another feature that few people pay attention to is the thickness of the edge of the foot and the size of its protrusion. You should choose a sole that can iron the area of fabric under the button. To do this, it is necessary that the edge of the platform can fit between the button and the material.
Aluminum
This is a light and cheap material. Manufacturers of small household appliances often use it to make soles. Such a device will heat up very quickly and cool down just as quickly. Quick heating will save energy, and the fact that the iron will quickly cool down after use will save your time.
Smooth, undamaged aluminum glides smoothly across the canvas and heats up evenly. It is easy to clean at home - with special pencils or improvised means - peroxide, salt, ammonia, soda, etc. But this material is quite soft and sensitive to scratches and damage. If such an iron sole is scratched by buttons, zippers or other decorative elements, then it will be almost impossible to correct the situation, and at the point of damage, sliding on the fabric will worsen significantly.
To avoid this annoying drawback, the best manufacturers coat the aluminum bases of devices with various coatings.
The simplest and most effective is the use of anodized aluminum, or more precisely, coating the aluminum with an oxide film. Philips calls this coating Anodilium, while Braun calls it Careeza or Eloxal. Gorenje engineers produce work surfaces with sol-gel coating – Nano Tech technology. These measures improve and complement the advantages of aluminum platforms. Such irons also heat up quickly and glide easily over the product, but they do not overheat the fabric, do not scratch, and in general, they last longer and are more productive. Which brand to choose is up to you. See also -
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Teflon
This is the most cost-effective material option for the working area of the iron. Even a classic of the genre. The vast majority of non-stick coatings from brands such as Philips, Kenwood, Tefal and Maxwell are made of Teflon.
The advantages of this material include ease of sliding over the fabric, uniform heating, delicate effect on the fabric, and low cost. Let's not keep silent about the shortcomings. Teflon is extremely easy to scratch. Such a coating will begin to iron your things much worse and longer, but you can easily buy a new iron with a more durable surface.
Main characteristics
The main indicator is the quality of the surface itself. There should be no visible protrusions, depressions, chips, cracks, scratches, burrs, darkening or white spots. A non-smooth surface will tear delicate fabrics and leave puffs on dense materials.
On a note!
You can evaluate the quality of the surface by examining the edge of the part. If the coating on it is even and the metal base is not visible, it means that the entire element was produced in good faith. In cheap models of irons and fakes, burrs and delamination of the coating are visible here.
The main criteria for assessing this element include:
- uniform heating;
- ease of care;
- ease of gliding without effort.
Some manufacturers also indicate that their models are most delicate in contact with any type of fabric. That is, the fibers do not melt, do not shrink, do not tear, and the fabric structure itself does not deform. Outwardly, all this is expressed in stretch marks, shiny areas on ironed things.
The ease of sliding depends on the material, the method of its processing, and the precision of grinding. The base of the iron should heat up quickly and evenly, and also quickly release heat if the temperature drops. If certain areas heat up faster than others, the iron will get stuck on the surface and the ironing process will be delayed. If the material has insufficient thermal conductivity, when the temperature drops or switches to another mode, there is a risk of simply melting more delicate fabrics.
Stainless steel
Compared to the previous material, the stainless steel iron takes a little longer to heat up, but it also maintains the glow temperature longer, which is convenient during the ironing process. The undeniable advantage of this material is its strength. The stainless steel platform cannot be scratched by a button or zipper. Stainless steel is not afraid of corrosion. The smooth, polished surface will glide over any surface like butter. This iron will not make your clothes shiny, and cleaning stainless steel will be easier than ever. It is this platform that is considered perhaps the best sole for an iron. However, such devices are heavier, and women’s hands especially feel this weight.
Reputable manufacturers are coming up with new coatings based on stainless steel. This is done to further improve the advantages of such a working surface. Particularly popular and well-known are Saphir (Braun), Platinium (ROWENTA), Inox (Bosh), SteamGlide (Philips) or chrome-plated surfaces from Moulinex, enamel-coated surfaces from Siemens, and nickel-plated surfaces from Panasonic. These are not just marketing ploys to increase sales, but an effective way to increase the thermal conductivity of stainless steel, slightly reduce its heaviness and extremely increase strength and ease of sliding.
It is worth noting that the leaders in the price-quality category over the past couple of years of sales are equipped with stainless steel platforms, and this says a lot.
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Manufacturer technologies
Many brands offer their developments to improve the quality of the sole. Iron coatings are different, but their task is to ensure high-quality ironing and extend the service life of the equipment. When purchasing, you can choose one of the following options.
"Eloxal"
A coating that improves the performance of the ironing device was developed by Braun.
Irons with Eloxal have an anodized aluminum sole, to which expensive alloys are additionally added, which ultimately increases wear resistance.
During production, the aluminum plate is treated with an electrolytic composition, which gives it anti-corrosion properties and increases resistance to deformation and elevated temperatures.
"Steamglide"
A development from Phillips that increases the wear resistance of the iron base and makes it easier to use.
A special feature of the technology is that additional holes are added to the sole to supply steam.
During ironing, an air cushion is created that facilitates sliding and ensures gentle handling of the fabric. The main material is alloy steel, but glass (“Steamglide Plus”) or cermets are also found.
"Durilium"
Tefal is responsible for the development. Durilium is a metal base with a ceramic coating that provides a light, soft glide.
There are practically no scratches on such a sole, the fabric is smoothed out effectively, without leaving stains.
Due to the fragility of the coating, this iron should be used carefully, not forgetting about maintenance.
By what criteria do we choose?
As the most important element, the soleplate of the iron must fulfill the following requirements:
- act carefully;
- have little friction;
- have protection from damage;
- be durable;
- heat evenly.
Which iron soleplate is better? Let's find out by considering one more criteria.
There are two criteria for the sole of the iron:
- correct, practical and comfortable form;
- high-quality material that ensures easy sliding on things.
When considering the shape of the iron, you need to pay attention to the sharpness of the nose and the area of the sole.
Spout sharpness
If you often need to iron small children's clothes, men's shirts, women's blouses with a beautiful finish, then choose an iron sole with a sharp-looking nose. If you have a lot of large items in your wardrobe, then it will be more convenient to iron with an iron with a blunt (rounded) nose.
The large (wide) soleplate is well suited for ironing bedding sets. The wide sole allows you to save not only ironing time, but also electrical energy.
The iron sole material is more difficult to choose than the shape.
