The Best Soldering Irons

Editor Signe Brewster has spent a decade writing about makers and engineers, plus topics such as robots and 3D printers. Although she spent a lot of time writing about technology created with soldering irons, she’d never used one before working on this guide—she was a true beginner.

James Austin is a staff writer who’s been covering games and hobbies since 2022. He’s been involved with robotics teams since 2006 and has done basic soldering work related to those projects in addition to the testing for this guide.

For this guide:

• We consulted a number of experts who routinely work with students and amateurs learning to solder for the first time. These included:
• Donald Bell, a former projects editor with Make magazine, who helped develop our testing criteria
• Becky Stern, a content creator, teacher with Instructables, and former director of wearable electronics at Adafruit Industries
• Caleb Kraft, senior editor of Make magazine
• John Edgar Park of Adafruit Industries
• We referenced the helpful “Adafruit Guide To Excellent Soldering.”
• We assembled dozens of electronics kits with various soldering irons to gauge their real-world abilities.
• In accordance with Wirecutter’s standards and to avoid any conflict of interest, we don’t own stock or have any other financial interest in a company or industry that we cover or are likely to cover.
• Like all Wirecutter journalists, we review and test products with complete editorial independence. We’re never made aware of any business implications of editorial recommendations. Read more about our editorial standards.

A soldering iron is an essential tool for creating, modifying, or repairing electronics. By applying heat and solder, you can fuse together conductive metal elements (such as wires) to create durable, permanent connections. Hobbyist soldering iron users might be interested in building a keyboard, repairing their headphones, or assembling an electronics kit designed to teach how devices are put together, for example.

Soldering is easy enough that you can learn the basics in a few minutes. We recommend reading SparkFun’s guide to soldering and Adafruit’s guide to diagnosing common soldering problems. You also need a pair of wire cutters—we suggest the Channellock 337CB Diagonal Cutting Plier—to snip solder or wire leads.

Be aware that you should take safety precautions anytime you work with solder.¹ Work in a well-ventilated area and wash your hands thoroughly with soap after soldering. Don’t eat near your work area, and wipe down all surfaces with a damp cloth to remove any residue when you finish. Keep children and pets away from the area where you solder.

We focused on adjustable pencils and entry-level stations for this guide because they’re the most affordable and straightforward. Adjustable-pencil soldering irons include a temperature dial on the iron’s handle, striking a balance between the simplicity of a basic pencil and the flexible temperature control of a soldering station.

Soldering stations come in two parts: a base (typically with a holster, a temperature dial, and a sponge) and an iron that plugs into the base. These systems tend to have precise temperature control, quick-heating irons, and rugged designs.

Though you could pay more than $100 for a soldering iron, the experts we interviewed told us they still used basic, entry-level soldering irons, and many of them said they never felt the need to upgrade.

However, you should invest in one that is made well enough to last, and has the features necessary to be useful for years. We found that you can expect to pay $25 to $60 to get a sufficiently equipped soldering iron station, and you can pay a bit more for an iron that heats up faster and holds its temperature more reliably.

We searched popular retailers such as Adafruit and Amazon for soldering irons that met our criteria, asked our experts to name their favorites, and evaluated our finalists on the following features:

• At least 30 watts of power: Low-wattage irons take longer to heat up and longer to recover when the heat dips during solder work.
• Consistent temperature: The iron should be able to hold an adequate, consistent temperature. Fluctuations in temperature can be frustrating while you wait for your iron to get hot enough to melt solder—or devastating, if your iron gets too hot and damages your circuit board.
• Temperature adjustability: The soldering iron’s heat should be adjustable for different types of wires or electronics. Delicate electronics, such as in some home appliances or gadgets, may call for a lower temperature, and some projects may require solder with a lower melting point. Other types of solder—including lead-free varieties—require a higher temperature. If you are planning to use a soldering iron for repair work, always look into what type of solder the manufacturer originally used and the proper soldering temperature.
• Tip compatibility: The iron should work with a range of tips, which ideally are replaceable, easy to find, and affordable. You may need a thinner, conical tip for delicate electronics work or a thicker, chisel tip for through-hole projects that need even heating—it depends on the project.
• Comfort: The iron’s grip should be thin and padded to allow control for delicate tasks, and it shouldn’t get uncomfortably hot while you work.
• Portability: Most beginners don’t have a dedicated electronics workbench, so they end up soldering in a makeshift, well-ventilated area. An iron should be easy to pick up, small enough to store when not in use, and equipped with long enough cables to reach an outlet.
• Extras: A sturdy stand for holding your hot iron while you work, a sponge to clean the tip, and a spool for the solder are much-appreciated extra features, especially for beginners who don’t want to buy a bunch of accessories piecemeal to get started.

To test our finalists, we first measured how long it took to set up each soldering iron. Whereas some required zero assembly and some had simple pieces to snap together, other models had poorly cut components that made setup take much longer.

Next, we used a Hakko FG-100B to test the temperature range of each iron. Although it didn’t align with the stated temperatures on the soldering irons’ gauges—its measurements appeared to be consistently higher—it allowed us to make a consistent comparison across the irons we tested.

We also used the Hakko tester to measure how long each iron took to reach 700 °F, which is hot enough for electronics work. We measured the temperature at each marker on their control knobs, as well.

In our original round of real-world testing, we used each soldering iron to complete a Larson Scanner Kit from Evil Mad Scientist. This through-hole kit includes a microcontroller, a battery holder, and nine LEDs that you must solder to a circuit board. For subsequent tests, we used a variety of soldering projects including a digital alarm kit.

While putting together these projects, we evaluated how well each soldering iron held its temperature, as irons sometimes drop in temperature after prolonged contact with components and then can’t melt solder onto the board, requiring you to wait a few seconds (or longer) for the iron to heat back up. We also considered how comfortable each iron was to hold, including how thin and padded the handle was and whether the handle felt hot.

We evaluated the sturdiness of all the stands, too. We found that stands that were too light and prone to sliding around on the work surface felt less safe to use. Finally, we looked for longer cords and useful accessories.

Top pick

X-Tronic Model 3020-XTS LED Soldering Station

The best soldering iron

The reliable 3020-XTS heats up fast and offers a safe and sturdy stand, an ergonomic grip, and a digital temperature display—features you usually have to pay twice as much to get.

Buying Options

$55 from Amazon

$55 from Walmart

The X-Tronic Model 3020-XTS LED Soldering Station offers the best experience for beginners and hobbyists who want to jump right into working with electronics kits. The 3020-XTS reached 700 °F quickly in our tests, and it comes with a conical tip that’s useful for electronics projects like the Larson Scanner Kit. Plus, the iron felt easy and comfortable for us to use, and its included station is sturdy, with a place for every accessory.

It heats up to 700 °F quickly. A faster heat-up time means you get to start soldering faster, and it also means that the tip will return to its working temperature more quickly between each joint. The 75-watt X-Tronic iron got up to temp in 47 seconds. We didn’t mind waiting up to a minute for irons to heat up, but waiting any longer (like upward of four minutes for the Weller WLC100) tested our patience.

The temperature range is fine and good enough for most projects. Although the 3020-XTS’s maximum temperature was average in our tests, that max—863 °F—is plenty hot for most basic projects. Its lowest temperature was also average, though a lower temperature is necessary only for more delicate electronics.

It only comes with one tip, but it’s versatile. Like a lot of the irons we tested, the X-Tronic soldering iron came with only a single conical tip, but it was thin enough to work well with the Larson Scanner Kit. (A different tip may be better for some repairs, as well as for kits that don’t involve through-holes—your choice of tip depends on the project and your preference.) X-Tronic sells additional tips, and our pick is compatible with Aoyue and Hakko tips, too.

It’s comfortable to hold and use. The handle’s thin shape and padding made the 3020-XTS the third-most comfortable of the models we tested. We preferred the even-thinner handles of the Weller WE1010NA and Aoyue 469.

The heat from the X-Tronic 3020-XTS’s iron tip was barely noticeable while I held the iron. Other models I tested—including the Atten SA-50, the Hakko FX-600, the Vastar Full Set 60W 110V Soldering Iron Kit, and the Velleman VTSS5U—were warm enough at the base to force me to shift my grip higher up, and as a result they were less comfortable, harder to use, and less safe-feeling.

The 3020-XTS was the cheapest station we tested that’s equipped with a digital temperature display. It allows control down to the degree and offers peace of mind, as you won’t fry your project with a too-hot iron. The display made it especially easy for us to track whether the iron was hot enough for use and to tweak the temperature accordingly. For our projects, we kept the irons we tested around 700 °F.

It includes some nice accessories. The 3020-XTS comes with a thin blue sponge for wiping the iron’s tip, plus a brass sponge for more thoroughly cleaning the tip—a feature that was rare in the models we tested.

It’s nice to have the choice, though such accessories are widely available as add-ons for around $10. And although they have different advantages and disadvantages, you need only one or the other: A regular sponge is cheaper, but a brass sponge doesn’t need to be soaked in water before use, which means it doesn’t cool the iron as much.

This soldering station also includes two “helping hands” clips that can hold pieces in place while you work on them.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• It’s relatively expensive. But even so, it surprised us with how well it performed compared with models that cost twice as much. Considering that the experts we interviewed said they stuck with their first soldering iron for years, it’s worthwhile to invest in the right one at the beginning instead of starting with a less-capable model just because it’s a bit less expensive.
• Its temperature dipped a few times during use. This was due to heat dissipation while we were soldering, and we had to wait for it to get hot enough again to melt solder. Each instance was annoying but passed within a few seconds, and the 3020-XTS recovered about as quickly as the other inexpensive models we tested. If you want an iron that rebounds faster, consider paying more for the Hakko FX-888D.
• It took longer to set up than most irons we tested. We clocked its setup time at a little over two minutes, mostly due to the solder holder that attaches to the side of the station, which proved particularly stubborn. Only one of the models we tested took longer than a few minutes to set up initially—and that’s something you have to do only once.

Upgrade pick

Hakko FX-888D Digital Soldering Station

If you solder frequently

Its quick heat-up time and temperature recovery, solid build, and polished aesthetic make this a go-to soldering iron for hobbyists who plan to solder often.

Buying Options

$99 from Amazon

$122 from Home Depot

The Hakko FX-888D Digital Soldering Station heats up fast and quickly rebounds in temperature while soldering, allowing you to solder continuously without waiting for the iron to get hot again. It comes with a digital display plus a thin pen that is easy to hold and stays cool to the touch.

Its molded metal-and-plastic soldering station and stand feel heavier and more durable than the other options we tested. We also like that the station and stand are separate so you can free up space in your work area.

But it typically costs around $50 more than the reliable X-Tronic Model 3020-XTS LED Soldering Station, and it’s worth that extra cash only if you plan to solder frequently.

Since our most recent round of testing, the FX-888D has been discontinued and replaced with the very similar FX-888DX. The new model simply swaps the original’s temperature control buttons for a knob. We’re testing it and will update this guide with guidance soon, but in the meantime the FX-888DX is a safe bet if you want the FX-888D and can’t find it.

It got up to temp fast and was quicker to rebound after use than our top pick. During our second round of testing, the 70-watt Hakko FX-888D reached 700 °F in 35 seconds, faster than the X-Tronic 3020-XTS but not remarkably so; any iron that took less than a minute felt fast enough to us.

We also noticed that its tip returned to temperature slightly faster than that of the X-Tronic model, so we had to wait less between soldering joints. That could be an important feature if you’re a frequent solderer.

It has a low maximum temperature. The Hakko soldering iron reached a maximum temperature of 738 °F, high enough to melt solder but the lowest max of any of the irons we’ve tested. It’s not an issue for general electronics work, but you should consider looking into what temperatures you need your iron to reach for other types of projects.

The included tip isn’t as versatile as others. The iron we bought came with a small wedge-style tip, which worked okay for the Larson Scanner Kit. Hakko also sells many compatible and inexpensive tips for the FX-888D; we recommend picking up a thinner conical tip for even more precise control.

It is comfortable and safe to hold. The Hakko FX-888D’s handle looks and feels similar to that of the X-Tronic 3020-XTS; it’s thin and padded, and in our tests using it felt similar to holding a pen. We preferred even thinner handles like the one on the Weller WE1010NA but still found the FX-888D’s comfortable enough. As was the case with our pick from X-Tronic, it always stayed cool to the touch.

The user interface has some annoyances. The Hakko model’s soldering station has a small digital display and two buttons you can use to flip through a menu or preset temperatures. Changing the temperature takes several button presses—in contrast to the X-Tronic model’s straightforward knob—but if you program a few temperatures, you can scroll between them much faster. The station also gives you the option to set passwords if multiple people are using it.

It’s easy to set up, and the modular design was useful in our testing. Setting up the FX-888D took 22 seconds, one of the fastest times among the stations we tested. It is the only station we tested that separates the soldering iron stand from the station. That allows you to keep just the stand in your immediate work area, freeing up more space for your project and supplies.

Both the stand and station are heavy, with grippy feet that hold them firmly in place. They’re made of molded plastic and metal with well-placed spots for a sponge and cleaning wire. We also appreciated the fun blue and yellow color combination.

If you decide to buy an FX-888D, be alert for counterfeits, which are rampant at online retailers like Amazon. Hakko publishes a page of retail stores and authorized partners that stock its products. It could be worth the effort of going to a store in person to make sure you get the real deal.

Best for

Hakko FH-300 Soldering Iron Stand

Best for holding your standalone iron

This stand is heavy enough to be stable on a work surface and has a small footprint.

Buying Options

$20 from Amazon

$19 from Home Depot

If you have a soldering iron pencil and need a sturdy stand for it, get the Hakko FH-300 Soldering Iron Stand. This 16.8-ounce model stayed in place during our testing, unlike the 6.5-ounce Elenco WeMake Soldering Iron Stand. Plus, it has a small footprint and comes with a sponge and tip cleaner. It also sets up in seconds and looks the nicest out of the stands we tested.

Soldering iron stands don’t have to be fancy—they just need to hold a soldering iron and a sponge. But during our testing, we found that stands needed some heft to prevent them from sliding when we set down a hot soldering iron.

The Delcast WST-2 is the heaviest stand we’ve tested, at 21.2 ounces, but the 16.8-ounce FH-300 was also heavy enough to tolerate our manhandling. We once recommended an older Delcast model, the SL-WST, but it has a longer and clumsier setup process than the FH-300 and the largest footprint of any stand we’ve tested. The FH-300, in contrast, strikes the right balance of weight, design, and ease of use.

In September 2024, iFixit announced the FixHub Power Series Portable Soldering Station. The portable USB-C powered iron can draw up to 100 watts, and iFixit claims it can reach working temperature in five seconds. It comes with an automatic idle mode, plus sensors to turn off the iron if it’s dropped. The iron by itself will cost about $80, but iFixit is also selling a bundle that includes a 55 watt-hour power bank for $250.

Our upgrade pick, the Hakko FX-888D, has been discontinued. You can still pick the station up at some stores, but stock is dwindling. It’s a great buy if you can find it, but we’re currently testing its replacement, the Hakko FX-888DX Soldering Station, and will update this guide with our findings.

Soldering irons

We skipped basic pencils that plug directly into a wall socket and don’t provide adjustable temperature because adjustable pencils offer more versatility and are still affordable. We also skipped cordless irons, which are useful for their portability but require trade-offs that aren’t worth making for beginners: They heat up more slowly, consume batteries quickly, and can damage delicate electronics. Butane-powered soldering torches are prized for their portability and high heat, especially for jewelry metalwork, but they’re too difficult to use for beginners.

We tried two smart soldering irons: the Pinecil V2 and the Uy Chan TS101. These are standalone irons without a connected station that regulate their heat via internal computers, which can be adjusted and fiddled with if so desired.

In our testing, they were quick to come to temperature, and we found their ability to use USB-C laptop power banks interesting, but their temperatures fluctuated a lot more than conventional stations. They also got warmer in the hand than conventional irons.

In general, irons like our picks are better for extended soldering sessions at a bench or table, but these newer models could be useful for smaller jobs in tight quarters—say, when working on car electronics.

The Yihua 939D+ III EVO is a 110-watt station with a bevy of accessories like helping hands and an illuminated magnifying glass. Its center temperature control knob is simple and easy to set the temperature with and the display is bright and easy to read. However, in our testing the display would say it was fully heated to 700 °F in about 40 seconds, but it wouldn’t immediately melt the solder we were using. Instead it took about a minute to start working properly. It also seemed to lose heat quickly when soldering, despite the displayed temp never dipping.

The Yihua 926 III is a 60-watt station that, like its more expensive counterpart, has a loose relationship between the temperature reading on the display and how hot the iron is. The station itself is also quite light, meaning it almost always slid around while using the iron.

Now that we are confident in the X-Tronic Model 3020-XTS’s long-term performance and availability, we no longer recommend the Weller WLC100 as a runner-up pick. It took more than four minutes to heat up in our tests, and it lacks a digital display. This model also has a bulky handle, though it’s designed in a way that prevents your hand from slipping down and touching the hot part of the iron.

The Weller WE1010NA is a newer soldering station with two popular predecessors. We had some difficulty connecting the soldering iron cord to the station and wondered about the connector’s build quality. The station does not feel as solid as the Hakko FX-888D, either. Still, we plan to keep an eye on the WE1010NA to see if reviews indicate that it performs just as well over the long term as Weller’s former models in the $100 range. We liked a lot about it—it was the most comfortable model we tested and the fastest to heat up at 28 seconds.

The popular Hakko FX-600 Soldering Iron got a bit warm during soldering, felt less comfortable to hold due to a lack of padding, and doesn’t come with a stand or accessories. The FX-600 is also difficult to obtain from a reliable retailer. We did find that it heated up quickly, held its temperature well, and produced one of the highest maximum temperatures.

The Vastar Full Set 60W 110V Soldering Iron Kit, our former budget pick, has been discontinued. It’s still a great value iron if you can find it in stock, but we’ve removed it as a pick due to availability issues.

The Atten SA-50 is a bit larger and warmer than the most comfortable irons we tested. It performed okay on the Larson Scanner Kit but didn’t stand out against other models.

In our tests, the Aoyue 469 tied with the Weller WE1010NA as the most comfortable iron to hold, and it came with a nice collection of accessories, but it had the longest setup time at nearly 10 minutes and one of the lowest maximum temperatures.

The Weller SP40NKUS is solidly made, comes with extra trips, and has a built-in light that we found useful for illuminating small electronics components. However, it lacks temperature controls; we measured its tip at 531 °C, far hotter than the 371 °C (700 °F) we prefer for electronics soldering. It also had one of the slowest heating times.

In our tests, the Xytronic 258 had a long heat-up time and a low maximum temperature. In addition, its handle was plain, with no padding or ergonomic features, and the included tip—a small chisel shape—was a bit too large for the Larson Scanner Kit.

The Velleman VTSS5U had the longest heat-up time (7 minutes 25 seconds) and a low maximum temperature. The stand didn’t feel stable, and the iron’s handle felt wide and hot. However, it came with a nicely sized conical tip and held its temperature during testing.

Stands

The 6.5-ounce Elenco WeMake Soldering Iron Stand is cheap, but it’s so light that it has a tendency to skate around a work surface if you’re not gentle about replacing the soldering iron.

The Delcast WST-2 is the heaviest stand we tested, which is great for adding stability. But we found it difficult and confusing to assemble, with a clumsy design that lacked the simple utility of our preferred stand, the Hakko FH-300.

This article was edited by Ben Keough and Erica Ogg.