If you do a lot of ironing – like most quilters and seamstresses, you might own an iron cover, or be in the market for one. Recently, I reviewed the Clover Press Perfect Iron Safe Iron Cover here on Craft Test Dummies. You can check out my full review – but the end result was that as an experienced quilter, I decided it wasn’t a product I need in my sewing studio. I decided to test a second iron cover to see if my opinion extends to all iron covers, or just the Clover Iron Safe.
I compared the Clover Iron Safe (on the right) to the Dritz Iron Apron (on the left).
In the package, you can see there are some differences. The Iron Apron has a single spring in a fixed position, and is relatively flat. The Iron Safe has 3 options for placing the spring, and does not lie flat.
I had already tried the Iron Safe. After waiting for my iron to cool, I removed it, and attached the Iron Apron.
My Hamilton Beach iron, that I’ve used regularly for almost two years, is very wide. Too wide for the iron apron, it seemed. The thin plastic started to rip at the rivet. I removed the iron apron, and pulled out another, thinner iron.
Here you can see that the iron apron fit fine on my older iron. You can also see the difference in steam holes. The Iron Apron has a pattern for the steam holes, which excludes the center of the iron, whereas the iron safe has holes throughout. I like to iron with steam – and lots of it. I don’t understand the reasoning for excluding steam holes in areas the way the Dritz Iron Apron does. I prefer the steam holes on the Clover Iron Safe.
In my review of the Clover Iron Safe, my main complaint was the nose. The rivets in the nose create a stiff point, almost a beak, that rubs the fabric. I also have concerns about dust and lint settling there. This problem doesn’t exist with the Dritz Iron Apron.
I performed similar tests with both iron covers – starching fabrics, steaming fabrics, using fusible adhesives, and pressing seams. They performed very similarly. The only noticeable difference was that the Clover Iron Safe felt like the tip was scratching my fabrics, and I would be concerned about using it on more delicate fabrics like satins or silks.
After using both iron covers, I am still not a fan. As an experienced quilter, I prefer my iron without a cover on it. If I was a new quilter, without experience using fusibles, I might invest in the Dritz Iron Apron to make it easier to clean adhesive residue from the iron. I don’t think it is worth the extra cost to upgrade to the Clover Iron Safe. While the Dritz Iron Apron is clearly made of less expensive materials, and might rip completely after 6-12 months of use, I think that a new quilter could get enough experience or develop enough confidence in that time that it wouldn’t need to be replaced.
The Clover Iron Safe retails for $27.95. The Dritz Iron Apron retails for $9.99.
Disclosure: the Clover Iron Safe was provided for review purposes but the Dritz Iron Apron was purchased for comparison purposes. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own and based on my first-hand experience with the products.
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