Buying guide · Use case
Best Soldering Iron
Published:
Last verified 9 August 2026
For general soldering work where you don't need a separate control base, a smart USB-C iron gives station-level temperature control in a single handheld tool.
Our pick
~£25–35 · up to 65W (USB-C PD)
Open-source firmware and up to 65W from USB-C PD power, at roughly a third the price of a comparable Hakko or Miniware smart iron with the same digital temperature control.
Also consider
~£55–65 · up to 65W (USB-C PD)
A more polished, ready-to-use alternative to the Pinecil's DIY firmware, with an OLED display and the same USB-C PD flexibility, for a higher price.
A soldering iron and a soldering station do the same job, melting solder at a controlled temperature, but split the electronics differently. A station keeps the heating and control electronics in a separate base with the iron on a lead; a smart iron like the Pinecil V2 or Miniware TS101 puts that control inside the handle itself, powered by any USB-C PD source.
That makes a smart iron the better pick when bench space or portability matters more than raw wattage: no base unit to find room for, and it runs from the same USB-C charger or power bank as a laptop. For sustained bench work at higher wattage, a full station still holds an edge, see our best soldering stations comparison for that use case.
See the full spec comparison in our best soldering stations & irons guide.