Top 5 compared
The best soldering irons
Mend a broken lead, rewire a guitar pickup or build a circuit board yourself, with neat joints that hold.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How this works
The top 5 at a glance
A soldering iron melts solder to join wires and components together. A pen iron plugs straight into the wall and suits the odd repair; a station adds a base with a temperature control, a display and a stand, for regular bench work. Adjustable heat helps with lead-free solder and fine boards, while watts mostly decide how quickly the tip recovers its heat on big joints.
A soldering iron runs at several hundred degrees on mains power, so it’s worth buying from a maker that says what plug and safety marking it has: the UK Product Safety Database lists several unbranded or little-known soldering kits stopped for unsafe plugs, live parts or poor earthing. Keep it well away from children and always rest it in its stand.
What matters
- Spare tips in finer and broader shapes.
- A stand with a sponge or brass wool for wiping the tip.
- A sleep mode that turns the heat down between jobs.
#1Antex XS25 Soldering Iron (25W, silicone cable)
£30–£50
A light 25W pen iron with nothing to set: plug it in, let it heat and get on with the job, with a long-life 2.3mm bit that suits most wiring and circuit work. Antex has been making soldering irons in Devon for more than 70 years.
What owners say: Owners say it’s up to heat quickly and stays at a steady temperature, and the soft silicone cable makes awkward joints easier to reach; how long it lasts varies, from years to under two.
A closer look: Replacement bits are Antex’s 50 series, including finer points than the 2.3mm one fitted, and they swap once the iron has cooled. The silicone cable is burn-proof, so a brush against the hot bit won’t harm it, and with no temperature to get wrong it makes a good first iron for a beginner or a classroom bench.
- Burn-proof silicone cable
- 1.5m cable
- Suits lead-free solder
Best for: Plug-in-and-go soldering
- Type
- Pen iron
- Power
- 25W
- Temperature
- Fixed (no control)
- Display
- No
- Tips
- 1 (2.3mm, 50 series)
- Stand and cleaning
- Metal stand
- UK plug stated
- Yes, and CE marked
#2Weller WE 1010 Digital Soldering Station
£150–£200
A 70W workshop station that Weller says reaches 350°C in 28 seconds, with an LCD, a password-protected temperature lock and a standby that turns the heat down when the iron isn’t in use. Carl Weller came up with an instant-heating soldering tool in 1941, and the brand still carries his name.
What owners say: Owners treat it as a proper workshop tool: it comes up to heat quickly, holds its temperature well and feels solidly built. The standby splits opinion, handy to some and a nuisance to others.
A closer look: Tips twist off by hand, even hot, with the knurled nut on the iron, so moving from the supplied 1.6mm screwdriver tip to a finer one from Weller’s ET range takes seconds. The password lock suits a shared bench, where the temperature should stay where it’s set.
- 350°C in 28 seconds
- Password-protected temperature lock
- Tips twist off hot
- Standby turns heat down
Best for: Regular bench and repair work
- Type
- Station
- Power
- 70W
- Temperature
- 100–450°C
- Display
- LCD
- Tips
- 1 (1.6mm ET)
- Stand and cleaning
- Safety rest and sponge
- UK plug stated
- Yes, UK version
#3HANDSKIT 90W LCD Soldering Iron Kit
£10–£20
Everything for a first go in one carry case: an adjustable 90W iron with an LCD, five spare tips, a stand with sponge, solder, a desoldering pump and tweezers. It remembers the last temperature used.
What owners say: Owners like having a complete kit in a carry case, and find it quick to heat and easy to get going with; a few find the temperature control less steady than they’d like.
Heads up: HANDSKIT doesn’t state the plug type or a CE or UKCA safety mark, on its listing or anywhere else we could find, so check for a fused UK three-pin plug and the marking when it arrives.
A closer look: Hold the plus and minus buttons together to switch the display between °C and °F, and use the calibration offset if a tip thermometer reads differently. The tips are the common 900M type, so spares are easy to find, and everything packs back into the case afterwards.
- Desoldering pump and tweezers
- Heats in about 20 seconds
- Remembers last temperature
- Sleeps after 15 minutes
- Packs into a carry case
Best for: Repairs and hobby projects
- Type
- Pen iron kit
- Power
- 90W
- Temperature
- 180–480°C
- Display
- LCD
- Tips
- 6 (900M type)
- Stand and cleaning
- Stand and sponge
- UK plug stated
- Not stated
#4Preciva 927II Soldering Station (130W)
£30–£50
A digital station with PID control that Preciva says keeps the tip within 2°C of the display, and two helper arms that screw onto the base to hold the work.
What owners say: Owners like the two screw-on helper arms and the decent reel of solder included, and say the spare tips cover most jobs.
A closer look: Left untouched for 10 minutes it drops into standby, then climbs back to the set temperature as soon as work starts again, which saves the tip on long sessions. A brass tip cleaner and a sponge come with it, and the iron sits in its own holder between joints.
- Two helper arms on base
- Tip stays within 2°C
- 300°C in 15 seconds
- Standby after 10 minutes
- 30g lead-free solder included
Best for: Fiddly joints that need holding
- Type
- Station
- Power
- 130W max
- Temperature
- 90–480°C
- Display
- LCD
- Tips
- 5 spare
- Stand and cleaning
- Holder, sponge, brass wool
- UK plug stated
- Yes, UK plug
#5YIHUA 926LED-IV EVO 110W Soldering Station Kit
£50–£75
A hobby bench in one box: a 110W station that stores three favourite temperatures and shows the set and actual heat side by side, with four helping hands, an LED magnifier and a solder dispenser that fix to the base.
What owners say: Owners find it simple to use and well equipped, with the extras in the box making a complete hobby bench, though some say it’s slow to reach working heat and opinions on the build differ.
Heads up: If joints seem slow to take, its calibration setting lets the display be matched to a tip thermometer (not included).
A closer look: The helping hands fit to points around the base, so a board can be held at whatever angle the joint needs, and the solder dispenser goes on the left or right to suit the working hand. Spare tips are YIHUA’s 902 series, and brass wool and a sponge sit in the base for wiping the tip.
- Stores three favourite temperatures
- 4 helping hands
- LED magnifier
- Solder dispenser, either side
Best for: Circuit boards and kits
- Type
- Station
- Power
- 110W
- Temperature
- 90–480°C
- Display
- LED, set and actual
- Tips
- 5 spare (902 series)
- Stand and cleaning
- Holder, sponge, brass wool
- UK plug stated
- Yes, Type G, 230V
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Antex XS25 | #2Weller WE 1010 | #3HANDSKIT 90W kit | #4Preciva 927II | #5YIHUA 926LED-IV EVO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best budget | Best value station | Best for hobbyists | |
| Picked Rating | 8.9 | 9.2 | 9.0 | 8.7 | 8.5 |
| Price | £30–£50 | £150–£200 | £10–£20 | £30–£50 | £50–£75 |
| Type | Pen iron | Station | Pen iron kit | Station | Station |
| Power | 25W | 70W | 90W | 130W max | 110W |
| Temperature | Fixed (no control) | 100–450°C | 180–480°C | 90–480°C | 90–480°C |
| Display | No | LCD | LCD | LCD | LED, set and actual |
| Tips | 1 (2.3mm, 50 series) | 1 (1.6mm ET) | 6 (900M type) | 5 spare | 5 spare (902 series) |
| Stand and cleaning | Metal stand | Safety rest and sponge | Stand and sponge | Holder, sponge, brass wool | Holder, sponge, brass wool |
| UK plug stated | Yes, and CE marked | Yes, UK version | Not stated | Yes, UK plug | Yes, Type G, 230V |
| Best for | Plug-in-and-go soldering | Regular bench and repair work | Repairs and hobby projects | Fiddly joints that need holding | Circuit boards and kits |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
Photos are illustrative, some computer-generated. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided ‘as is’ and is subject to change or removal at any time. How we pick · How this works.
