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When you’re shopping for an iron, the soleplate is one of the things you look at first to make the decision on which iron to buy, but do you really know what you’re getting?

With all the different kinds and types of soleplates out there, it’s hard to know which is right for you. Black & Decker wants to help you find the right iron for what you need by taking the mystery out all the different soleplates available.

Material Type
There are a number of different materials used for soleplates. The main three are aluminum, stainless steel and ceramic. The lowest priced irons usually have aluminum soleplates, which can cause a problem with sticking as you iron (i.e. you don’t get a smooth glide as the iron moves across the fabric).

The other two—stainless steel and ceramic—are both always nonstick, whether they specifically state it or not. This can cause confusion when you shop, because you may choose something that states nonstick over another model that doesn’t, even though both are actually nonstick.

As for the difference between ceramic and stainless steel, it’s actually a matter of glide, rather than durability. Ceramics are usually thought of as more delicate, but in truth, ceramic soleplates provide better glide and are just as durable as their metal counterparts, because it’s really a ceramic coating over metal. With normal usage both types offer good durability over time.

Number of Holes
Typically when you’re shopping, more holes on the soleplate equals a better iron, but in reality the number of holes doesn’t actually affect performance unless there’s a reason for them.

It’s more about the amount and pressure of the steam coming out of the holes than the number of holes there. If you have a hundred holes on a soleplate but it delivers weak bursts of steam, you’re not going to get the results you want. Often on many irons, you can actually see once you take it out of the box and use it that not all of the holes actually produce steam.

Instead of simply looking for the number of holes, you want to focus on how much steam you’re getting and if the number/pattern of the holes serves a purpose. For instance, a heavy-duty wrinkle fighter may have more holes towards the tip of the soleplate, because that’s where you want the most steam.

Beveled for Buttons & Zippers
The final piece of the soleplate puzzle comes in any special design details or shaping it has for things like buttons, zippers and pleats. Some irons have a slimmer design or at least a slimmer thickness at the tip to help you maneuver around special design details on your clothes.

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