10 Best Soldering Irons 2020 [Buying Guide]

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Heather
Patton

Jennifer
Trimbee

Samantha
Dewitt

How to Choose the Best Soldering Iron

Do you make jewelry or fix small computer parts? You are going to eventually need a soldering iron. These irons get really hot and are able to melt wire and other small parts, well enough to maintain an electrical connection. We’ve put together a soldering iron buying guide to help you choose a device that’s right for you! But first, let’s check out some of the things you should know before you start shopping for an iron.

Power: This is how the iron is powered. Some run on butane and some run on battery, but the soldering irons on our list are all electric, so they plugin in order to get you solid power and temperature.

Wattage: How many watts the iron is determined by how much power it conducts – and therefore, how hot the iron will get. Some smaller irons with low wattage amounts get to lower temperatures and aren’t suitable for certain projects.

Pieces: This is the number of extras and accessories that come with the iron. Some of the ones on our list come with kits, so this would be the number of pieces, including extra tips, that come in the kit.

Temperature Range: This is how hot the temperature gets. Some temperatures are better suited for different tasks. Higher temperatures are going to make computer and electrical repair easy, while jewelry can be made using lower temperatures.

Size: The size of the iron. This is important because you’re going to be using it for delicate work. A large iron is going to be more difficult to use for smaller projects when you have to get into tight spaces.

Warranty: A warranty protects you, as the consumer, from defective or malfunctioning products. If your iron doesn’t work when you get it, most companies will refund or replace the product if it’s under warranty. A longer warranty is better.

Top 10 Products

Now that you know what to look for, let’s get to the products! Our soldering iron reviews are the product of a lot of research and review to find the best devices for you. If you’re in a hurry, check out our top pick and budget pick first: they’re the best and most affordable choices we found. But if you can make it to the end of the list, we’re sure you’ll find the right soldering iron for you!

X-Tronic Soldering Iron

The X-Tronic soldering iron is our top pick due to the number of features it comes with. The iron itself has an ergonomic grip that makes it comfortable and easy to hold, as well as a heat-resistant grip to keep the heat away from your skin while you’re soldering. The temperature range is extremely high, and you can choose which temperature you’d like with a knob on the side. There’s a 10-minute sleep timer built in, so if you aren’t using the device it shuts off for your safety. The LED display on the soldering iron station shows how hot the iron is getting, so you can know precisely for more delicate work. You can toggle this display between Celsius and Fahrenheit. The cord from the iron to the unit is 60 inches long and made of silicon to help prevent melting due to high temperatures. The kit comes with 6 pieces, so you have everything you need!

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Hobbico Soldering Iron

This Hobbico product is the best cheap soldering iron on our list. It costs a fraction of the price and it still comes with all of the features you need. This iron is made more for hobby crafting, but it can be used for heavy-duty jobs as well. The handle won’t roll, so the iron stays where you put it when you put it down. It heats up quickly as has a higher degree of thermal stability – meaning that it’s more likely to stay the temperature that you want. The handle is heat-resistant, ribbed so you have a better grip and allows for better fingertip control without getting your fingers near the heat. We can’t get over the affordable price! And for the price, you also get two flat chisel tips, so you don’t have to run out and buy replacements when the tip it comes with needs to be changed.

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Weller Soldering Station

The Weller Soldering Station is a huge, useful station for keeping your soldering iron and all of your tools safe and together. The iron itself has a foam grip, so your hand will feel more comfortable with longer periods of work. The controls are variable, meaning that you can change the power setting (how many watts it uses) as well as the temperature by a knob on the base of the machine. The workstation is compact and will fit on any crowded work area. It comes with a stand to keep your iron in so it doesn’t ruin your tabletop or another workspace. Also included in this kit is a screwdriver tip for all of your less delicate work when you need to solder larger areas together. The pencil iron, or the centerpiece of this device, is high-quality and functions well. We can confidently name this one of the best soldering irons for sale for jewelry making.

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Vastar Soldering Iron Kit

The Vastar Soldering Kit has unique technology in the form of its chip-fixed resistor. This allows the iron to get hot and dissipate its own heat. This ventilation system keeps your device running longer because it isn’t having to absorb all of the heat it makes, which will eventually damage the ceramic core of any soldering iron. With this ventilation, this iron will last longer! It comes with five different tips, so you have one for everything you could possibly need to do, as well as a stand, tweezers to remove old solder wire, and new solder wire for all of your projects. There’s no need for a station like some of the other models on this list because the stand-alone stand and plug-and-play design make this iron versatile. There’s nothing to plug the iron into – no middleman. Just plug it into a power source and get soldering! We love how simple this device is to use!

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Tabiger Soldering Iron Kit

This soldering iron kit from Tabiger is powerful! It heats up in about two minutes, and the temperature range reaches an astonishing 840 degrees Fahrenheit. The iron itself is made of steel piping, so it dissipates heat quickly and efficiently. You won’t have to worry about damage to the internal components of your iron in the long-term with this technology. It comes with a desoldering pump, which is a vacuum tube that removes old solder quickly and easily, so you can get to fixing what needs to be fixed! It also comes with a case to hold all of the small parts and tools that come with this 12-piece set. This iron is small enough for watch repair, TV capacitors, or even small electronic work. There are even five different tips included so you always have the application you need to get things done. The temperature gauge can be adjusted to a specific temperature, which is an invaluable tool for specific uses!

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Magneto Tools Soldering Iron

This Magneto Tools iron gets hot! So hot, in fact, that among the tools we looked at it’s probably the best soldering iron for stained glass. Working with those materials requires an iron that’s going to allow you to work on fine details while also getting up to the temperature you need. This is the device for you! It comes with a case, extra wire, tweezers to get rid of the old solder wire, and 5 extra tips in all sizes for all of our purposes! The temperature is adjustable, with advanced heat dissipation technology in order to keep your device working well for longer. There’s a stand included to keep your iron upright and avoid damaging your workspace. This iron is small enough that you’d be able to get it into some very small spaces. This makes it ideal for smaller electrical work and jewelry making purposes. It’s an extremely versatile tool at an affordable price!

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SOAIY Soldering Iron

The SOAIY Soldering Kit comes with a full set of tools, perfect for getting things done on your own terms! The iron heats up quickly, but the temperature is adjustable, so you can use the knob on the side to get a lower temperature if you need to. This iron will be perfect for heavy-duty work as well as lighter work because the temperature range is so huge! You can get this iron up to almost 900 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s pretty amazing. Make sure you don’t touch the metal parts! The handle, however, is made with anti-slip materials so you can work on projects for longer and your hand will stay put the whole time. With the kit and all of the accessories ( plus the carrying case to put it all in), this is the best value soldering iron we saw! There’s even a plunger to help suck up all the old soldering wire!

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XOOL Electric Soldering Iron

The XOOL Electric iron has a ceramic core, which only features in a couple of other irons. Being ceramic, the core has a 500-hour lifespan, so you can keep soldering for a good long while with this iron! The induction technology allows the ceramic parts to heat up really quickly – as well as venting and dissipating that heat instead of keeping it locked in the device. The cord has a protective sleeve to keep it from being melted or causing an unsafe condition. This thing heats up better than even the best butane soldering iron, that’s for sure! The handle is insulated against heat and made of comfortable silicone. It’s small enough that it works well for delicate work, such as electronic assembly, that needs higher temperatures to work. The dial on the side makes the temperature variable. You control all of it! All of this together makes the XOOL shine on our list.

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Sywon Soldering Iron Kit

The Sywon Soldering kit can create temperatures up to almost 900 degrees Fahrenheit! Even the best cordless soldering iron can’t do that! There are ventilation holes on the tip head that help dissipate the heat it creates, but it does come with overheat protection, so it won’t get much hotter than the hottest temperature in order to preserve the life of your tool. There’s an LED indicator to tell you when it’s on, as well as an onboard on-off switch and temperature adjustment knob. Now you don’t have to plug it in and unplug it to get it to turn on! The small gauge makes it perfect for hobbies as well as electronic trinket construction and repair. It even comes with five extra soldering tip types for all of the purposes you could possibly think to use this iron for. Now you won’t have to spend hours shopping for that special tip, as it’s all here!

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Whatnot Widgets Soldering Iron

The Whatnot Widgets Soldering Iron is a great beginners kit that includes everything you need to get started. If you find out that you don’t like soldering work, or that you need a different kind of device, you can return this unit in 90 days with no questions asked. By why would you? This iron is pretty amazing for jewelry work, cell phone repair, as well as motherboard repair in all types of electronic devices. It comes with a stand to protect your surfaces, extra tips for when you need to change them out, and a magnifying glass so you can see into those smaller spots. The sides of the magnifying glass are equipped with clamps to keep wires that you don’t need out of your way. It also comes with cleaning flux to keep your device in awesome shape, and a case to keep all of these parts in. This is an awesome deal for beginners!

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About the Author

Jennifer Trimbee

Expert Researcher and Writer

Jennifer Trimbee, a lead researcher and writer at GeekWrapped, is an expert writer with many years of experience. Jennifer writes about technology, sports, outdoor, and gear products.

Best Soldering Irons

Top 10 Buying Guide

Our Recommendations

X-Tronic Soldering Iron

Hobbico Soldering Iron

How to Choose the Best Soldering Iron

Top 10 Products

X-Tronic Soldering Iron

Hobbico Soldering Iron

Weller Soldering Station

Vastar Soldering Iron Kit

Tabiger Soldering Iron Kit

Magneto Tools Soldering Iron

SOAIY Soldering Iron

XOOL Electric Soldering Iron

Sywon Soldering Iron Kit

Whatnot Widgets Soldering Iron

About the Author

TOP PICK

X-Tronic Soldering Iron