Best ironing board covers 2024: Get crease-free clothes in a flash with our top picks
Need to replace your old and frayed ironing board cover? We’ve found the best on the market for you
The best ironing board covers will make it easier to iron your clothes and potentially even speed up the whole process. With so much attention focused on having one of the best steam generator irons, ironing boards and their covers might seem like a secondary consideration but, arguably, it’s just as important to have a stable base to work on as a good tool to work with.
We’ve already rounded up the best ironing boards on the market, but what about the covers that go on them? A good cover can help your iron glide across clothes, making large piles of ironing vanish considerably faster, so it’s important to pick the right one for your requirements. Fortunately, we’ve done all the heavy lifting and tested a wide selection of covers to find the best ones for your needs.
Best ironing board covers: At a glance
| Best ironing board cover | Vileda Total Reflect Plus (~£20) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best budget ironing board cover | Dunelm Penny (~£6) | Check price at Dunelm |
| Best quality ironing board cover | Minky Smart Fit Premium (~£10) | Check price at Argos |
How we test ironing board covers
All of the ironing board covers were tested on an appropriately sized ironing board and evaluated on several factors. We examined the covers for the quality of their fabric, checked their fit and how easy it was to adjust. We also tested how smoothly the iron glided over each cover.
To make sure our testing was through, we used every heat setting on our steam iron, as well as ironing both with and without steam. Finally, we ironed different fabrics to see if this made any difference to how the covers behaved.
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The best ironing board covers you can buy in 2024
1. Vileda Total Reflect Plus: Best ironing board cover overall
Price when reviewed: £20 | Check price at Amazon
The Vileda Total Reflect Plus is our top pick. With its double-layered construction and the ability to help reflect heat back into the clothes you’re ironing, we found it was able to speed up the ironing, with creases seeming to fall out of clothes a little more quickly. For those who aren’t natural ironers, anything that helps make the job a little easier is a bonus.
The cover has a foam underlay, cut to the approximate shape of an ironing board, with the foil-lined cover on top. It has a simple drawstring with a locking clip to size it correctly, along with elastic at the wider end to make it easy to slip on and off, which made it feel very secure, without any noticeable movement while ironing.
However, the cover isn’t machine-washable and can only be wiped down with a damp cloth. This is understandable given its construction, as the foil underside wouldn’t survive a wash, but still counts as a point against it.
Key details – Fits: Ironing boards 120–130cm in length, 38–45cm in width; Attaches: Adjustable drawstring and clip; Layers: Cotton cover with metallic foil underside, separate foam layer; Other features: Heat and steam reflecting
2. Dunelm Penny: Best budget ironing board cover
Price when reviewed: £6 | Check price at Dunelm
If you’re on a tight budget and don’t want to spend much on an ironing board cover, the Dunelm Penny is a great choice. First, who doesn’t like looking at little cartoon sheep while they iron? Second, this cover is smooth to the touch, such that our iron glided effortlessly across it. The Penny has a decent underlay as well, and the drawstring to size it correctly is fairly sturdy, with a lockable clip. Bonus points for it being machine-washable.
It’s not the thickest cover on our list – you can feel the ironing board ever so slightly when you’re ironing – but, for the price, it does an excellent job.
Key details – Fits: Ironing boards 120cm in length, 38cm wide; Attaches: Adjustable drawstring and clip; Layers: 100% cotton cover with polyester chemical fibre inner; Other features: Machine-washable
3. Minky Smart Fit Premium: Best quality ironing board cover
Price when reviewed: £10 | Check price at Argos
The first thing we noticed about the Minky cover was how thick it was compared to many of the other ironing board covers we tested. You can definitely feel the quality, with the cotton top being smooth to the touch and really letting the iron glide nicely across clothes, while the felt underlay adds to the luxurious feel and helps with the overall smoothness. Overall, it’s very easy to iron on, but Minky has a wide range of Smart Fit covers, so there are plenty to choose from if you’re looking for specific features, such as heat reflection.
All that said, and despite the super-strong elastic, it took a little while for the wrinkles to drop out; however, we suspect this was down to a slightly loose fit on the ironing board, so we recommend buying the Minky that’s closest to your ironing board’s true dimensions.
Key details – Fits: Ironing boards up to 125cm in length, 45cm in width; Attaches: Elasticated; Layers: 100% cotton cover with felt backing; Other features: Machine-washable, felt back for faster ironing
4. Lakeland Blue Tit: Best all-round ironing board cover
Price when reviewed: £20 | Check price at Lakeland
We loved the thick, plush feel of this Lakeland cover – it feels like it could stand up to anything – with double foam padding cushioning the ironing board, while the top cotton cover is nice and smooth.
Lakeland also offers a choice of beautifully patterned ironing board covers – we chose the blue tits, but there are plenty of other pretty options – with most of them available in different sizes, too.
It’s a really good all-rounder, nicely padded, easy to adjust and makes ironing a doddle. Some people might find it a little too thick, but we appreciated the padding.
Key details – Fits: Ironing boards 124cm in length, 38cm wide (larger size also available); Attaches: Adjustable drawstring and clip; Layers: 100% cotton cover with double foam padding; Other features: Stain- and scorch-resistant
5. Vileda Ultra Fresh: Best ironing board cover for antibacterial qualities
Price when reviewed: £20 | Check price at Vileda
The Vileda Ultra Fresh is treated with an antibacterial solution – made with zinc pyrithione and thiabendazole – on both its cotton cover and the foam underside. This helps to reduce bacteria on your ironing board, keeping the cover hygienic and clean for longer.
Handily, this cover can fit many different sizes of ironing board, and is easily adjustable with a drawstring and clip and an elasticated bottom, just like the other Vileda cover in our roundup. Unfortunately, it does seem a little bit thin in comparison to some of the others on the list; while it still ironed beautifully, a little more padding would have been appreciated.
Key details – Fits: Ironing boards 110–130cm in length, 30–45cm in width; Attaches: Adjustable drawstring and clip; Layers: Cotton cover with foam layer; Other features: Antibacterial
6. Argos Home Dalmatian Dog: Best ironing board cover for occasional ironers
Price when reviewed: £6 | Check price at Argos
If you’re only an occasional ironer there’s absolutely no point in spending a lot of money on a cover – all you need is something cheap and cheerful that still performs its designated function. We loved the cute Dalmatian dog print on this cheery yellow ironing board cover. It’s quick and simple to put on and you can buy different sizes, depending on your ironing board.
The foam underlay did seem a tad brittle to the touch and the adjustable strings felt flimsy, as if they could break if yanked too hard; however, at this price, it’s still a decent little cover for those who don’t have to iron huge piles of clothes.
Key details – Fits: Ironing boards 110cm in length, 34cm in width (other sizes available); Attaches: Adjustable drawstring; Layers: Cotton cover with foam back; Other features: None
How to choose the best ironing board cover for you
If you’re not sure how to go about choosing an ironing board cover, these tips should help you narrow down your options.
Do ironing boards need covers?
In short, yes. An ironing board’s surface can be fairly slippery on its own and you’ll have a hard time keeping clothes on an ironing board without a cover as they will just slide off. In addition, the lack of padding could result in damage to delicate fabrics.
A good ironing board cover can ensure the iron glides effortlessly over your clothes, and can even help wrinkles and creases drop out faster, while also stopping your clothes from moving around on the board.
How much should I spend?
If you routinely have to do a lot of ironing, you might want to consider paying a bit more for something a little more hard-wearing, or for specific features that can help speed the whole process up. Around £20 should be plenty to get an ironing board cover that can cope with heavy use.
But if you only have to iron one or two items, every now and then, you can easily get away with a cheap ironing board cover. Our suggestions start at around £6, though you might find you can pick up a budget cover that will still do the job for even less if you shop around.
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What material should my ironing board cover be?
There are two main types of fabric used in ironing board covers: cotton and polycotton. Polycotton covers can be cheaper and more durable, but cotton covers are better at keeping the heat under the cover, allowing you greater control over your iron’s temperature and making it easier to remove creases.
What backing is used for ironing board covers?
The backings of ironing board covers come in a variety of materials. Thick, heat-resistant materials are obviously best, but they also need to offer a smooth surface for ironing. Popular materials include foam, felt, wool and a smooth, heat-resistant foil.
How do ironing board covers attach?
You need to be able to adjust your cover to get a precise fit, as it needs to be snug to keep the heat in. The most common type of adjustment is a drawstring. Cheaper ironing board covers may just have strings that need to be knotted once adjusted, but most have a lockable clip to keep the cover in place.
Elasticated ironing board covers are also popular. However, if you pick this option, make sure you choose one with good, solid elastic as you don’t want it pinging off halfway through the ironing.
Lastly, you might find a few ironing board covers with Velcro attachments, made from microfibre, which allows them to grip to smooth surfaces.