Argos Home Table Top Ironing Board review: “for £10 it's difficult to complain”

RRP at time of testing: £10 | Check price at Argos

Our verdict

If, like me, your ironing mostly consists of making a crumpled school polo shirt presentable five minutes before leaving the house, this little £10 board makes a surprising amount of sense.

I tested the Argos Home Table Top Ironing Board for three weeks, predominantly on my children's school uniform, using both the Bush ES2475 and my usual Russell Hobbs iron. It was quick to set up on my dining table or kitchen worktop, easy to fold away and compact enough to hang in my boys' wardrobe afterwards.

For smaller clothes and quick touch-ups, I've found it genuinely useful. Creases came out easily and the board felt stable enough in use, albeit with a slight wobble that's perhaps unsurprising for such a lightweight tabletop design.

The Argos Home Table Top Ironing Board measures 75 x 34cm and folds flat for storage 

Its size is also its biggest limitation. Because of the position of the legs, I couldn't pull a larger T-shirt over the end of the board and iron one layer at a time as I would with a conventional ironing board. Even school polo shirts needed a bit more repositioning and a couple of passes on each side.

For £10, though, it's difficult to complain. I wouldn't replace our family-sized ironing board with it - there are four of us and sometimes we simply need the extra space - but for students, small flats or parents who want something they can grab for a quick uniform rescue, I think it's excellent value.

How we’ve tested

I used the Argos Home Table Top Ironing Board regularly over three weeks, predominantly to iron my children's school polo shirts and tidy up uniform before the morning rush.

I initially paired it with the Bush ES2475 iron, which I was testing at the same time, before switching to my usual Russell Hobbs iron. I used the board on both my dining table and kitchen worktop.

Alongside ironing performance, I assessed stability, padding, cover grip, heat and steam transfer, ease of setup and folding, and everyday storage. I also repeatedly folded and hung the board in my boys' wardrobe using its integrated hook between uses.

Argos Home Table Top Ironing Board: design and first impressions

My first thought when I opened the Argos board was that I'd happily have something like this at home because we very rarely do a big pile of ironing these days.

The green and cream country stripe is also much cheerier than the utilitarian grey of many ironing boards. At just 1.6kg, it's light enough to grab when I spot a crumpled school shirt five minutes before we're supposed to leave the house.

Setup couldn't be much simpler. The legs unfold quickly and raise the ironing surface 15cm above the table or worktop, with no complicated catches or assembly required.

The built-in hook lets me hang the ironing board inside a wardrobe when I'm not using it 

Size and setup of the Argos table top ironing board

At 75 x 34cm, the ironing surface takes up considerably less room than a conventional board. I tried it on both my dining table and kitchen worktop and found both worked well.

For children's clothes, I actually really liked the compact size. School polo shirts and other smaller garments fit comfortably enough, making it particularly handy for quick uniform touch-ups in the morning.

Larger clothes expose the compromises. The position of the legs means I can't pull something like a men's T-shirt over the end of the board to separate the front from the back. Instead, I have to lay it across the surface, reposition it and iron both sides separately.

That wouldn't bother me for the odd item, but I wouldn't want to work through a full family ironing pile on it.

The underside reveals the lightweight metal frame and folding legs that support the ironing surface 

Argos table top ironing board: stability and ironing surface

For such a small, lightweight board, I found it stable enough during everyday ironing. There was a slight wobble when I applied pressure, but it never felt as though it was going to collapse or slide away.

The feet gripped both surfaces well and didn't leave any marks behind.

The padding is firm rather than particularly plush. It's comfortable enough to iron on, although I could slightly feel the metal structure underneath when I pressed down firmly. The cover itself stayed securely in place throughout testing.

Creases in the boys' school uniform came out easily. The main frustration wasn't the ironing performance but the size and shape of the board: because I couldn't slide the polo shirt over the end and work on one layer at a time, I sometimes needed to go over each side a couple of times.

I didn't notice any concerning heat or moisture transferring onto the dining table or kitchen worktop underneath either.

The folding legs raise the ironing surface 15cm above the table 

Storage and care of Argos’ ironing board

This is probably my favourite thing about it. When I'm finished, I can fold the board and hang it inside my boys' wardrobe using the integrated hook. There's no ironing board propped against a wall or taking up precious cupboard space, and it's still easy to grab when I need to quickly sort their uniforms in the morning.

The board folds down easily and the hook still feels sturdy after three weeks of regular use. The cover is washable, too, which is always a bonus. 

Argos Home Table Top Ironing Board: is it good value?

For £10, I think it's a bargain - as long as you're realistic about what you're buying.

I wouldn't choose it as our only ironing board because there are four of us and occasionally we need something bigger. Anyone tackling bedding, men's shirts or a large weekly ironing pile is likely to find the small surface frustrating too.

But that's not really how I've ended up using it. For quickly sorting a school polo shirt in the morning, it does exactly what I need it to do. It takes seconds to set up, handles creases well and disappears into the wardrobe afterwards.

I'd happily recommend it to students or anyone living in a small flat where storing a full-size ironing board is a pain. I can also see the appeal for families like mine who already own a larger board but can't be bothered to get it out for one or two small items.

I tested the Argos tabletop ironing board with both the Bush ES2475 and my usual Russell Hobbs iron 

Final verdict: is this the right ironing board for you? 

I wouldn't want to tackle a week's worth of family ironing on it, but that's not really what this board is for.

After three weeks of predominantly using it for my children's school uniforms, I've found it particularly useful for quick jobs when getting out our full-size ironing board feels like overkill. It sets up in seconds, gets creases out effectively and, thanks to the built-in hook, I can tuck it neatly into my boys' wardrobe afterwards.

The small surface and position of the legs make larger clothes more awkward, and I'd stick with a conventional board for bedding, bigger garments or a sizeable weekly ironing pile.

But for students, small homes and parents wanting something for last-minute uniform touch-ups, it does a simple job well. For £10, I think it's a bargain - provided you buy it for the right reason.

About the author

Rebecca Roberts (aka Beccy) is our resident home and lifestyle expert with a practical focus on sleep, wellness and everyday comfort. She’s equally at home tackling frank, NSFW‑adjacent topics as she is road‑testing kitchen gadgets, home appliances and beauty tech that work for real parents. As a mum of two, she writes with the time‑poor, sleep‑deprived in mind - honest product reviews, realistic routines.

When she’s not at her desk, she’s probably product‑testing with her two helpers, corralling a PTA, or walking her two dogs up and down country lanes. 

About Mumsnet reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real people after weeks of research and intensive testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. We sometimes earn revenue through affiliate links in our articles, which helps us to fund Mumsnet's free services.

All prices correct at time of writing.

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