Whilst it may be a mundane piece of equipment, and one to which most people would give very little thought, a good ironing board is an essential item for any household. Choose the wrong one and you could wind up with poorly ironed clothes, spend more time than you need to ironing and even give yourself a bad back.

Most people use steam irons these days – or possibly even steam generator irons, which are becoming popular due to the fact that they can reduce the amount of time spent ironing by 50%. For either of these types of irons, an ironing board with an open mesh surface construction is a good choice. This allows the steam to pass through the garment being pressed, through the cover of the ironing board and through the mesh surface of the board itself. When a lot of items are being ironed in one session, this helps to avoid any build up of condensation which might otherwise cause both the garments and the cover of the board to become soggy.

The cover of the ironing board should present a smooth surface to facilitate ironing. It should be secure and not prone to slipping. 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 size and shape of the board that you select will depend, to a large extent, on the type of things that you usually iron. Whilst a smaller board may be easier to store and work around, it will normally mean that the garment being ironed needs to be repositioned more frequently. Ironing the shoulders of shirts and blouses will be easier if there is a marked taper on the “pointy” end of the board.

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 iron support, usually positioned at the end of the board, should be strong enough to take the weight of your iron. For conventional steam irons a wire frame type of arrangement is usually okay. Steam generator irons tend to weigh a bit more as the base unit usually contains a greater volume of water. A heat resistant plate on a slightly extended board surface may be better in this case. Alternatively, many steam generator irons are supplied with hoses which are long enough to allow the iron’s base unit to be positioned on the floor.

Ironing is a monotonous task at best. Cut it down to size with a Tefal steam generator iron – you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how much time you can save.