Travelling irons for holiday or hotel use appeared almost as soon as standard domestic irons became popular. General Electric of the USA sold a travelling model, weighing 3.25lbs, in 1909. A great variety of designs followed, some having specific functions, as with the non-electric iron. Often, other functions were built in to justify the expense of buying an additional iron with added benefits for the tourist. Some had a socket in the back for heating curling tongs, others could be mounted upside-down on the trivet so that the sole became a hotplate. Some ingenious methods were employed to warrant the 'travelling' function: handles either folded sideways or were totally removable, heels could be folded up or the iron itself was tiny. Travelling also required good packaging and most travelling irons were delivered in either sturdy cartons, wooden boxes, or (later) zip-up leather or PVC cases. Some, such as the post-war HMV model, were exquisitely presented and their resulting expense probably relegated them to the wedding present list.

Early models had a provision for switching between 110 and 240-volt, by arranging the connector pins or changing the insertion point of the connector. After 1950, a voltage selection dial refined this process. The design of travelling irons tended to mimic standard domestic irons: Bakelite handles, use of lighter alloys, thermostat control and permanent flex connection were features of some travelling irons a little later than they appeared on standard irons. Some designs, however, showed a greater degree of freedom, displaying a separate and innovative consideration of the traveller's requirements.

• 1913 Universal Tourist
• 1919 GEC Magnet Universal D5844
• 1919 Rowenta
• 1925 GEC Magnet Universal D5828
• 1930 Baby Boudoir
• 1930 Chesterton
• 1938 GEC D5827
• 1938 Prilect 2027A
• 1945 Clem
• 1945 Prilect 2027B
• 1946 Lucas Holder Smoothie
• 1951 Morphy-Richards
• 1955 Falk Stadelmann Globe Trotter
• 1955 Rowenta
• 1958 Pifco

1913 Universal Tourist USA Produced 1913-c1938. Three functions: travelling iron, heating stand, cavity in back for curling tongs. Inverted iron with handle removed slots into trivet as hot plate. Aluminium trivet. Black removable wood/nickel handle. US and UK patent dates up to 1913. Click here to see how the curling tongs insert.
1919 GEC Magnet Universal model H5844 UK London Early universal voltage/travelling iron (possibly GEC first?), ranges 100/125 and 200/250 volts, 220 watts. Simple slab-sided design with nickel-plated cast iron sole and flat cowl, asbestos pad and coiled element sandwiched between. Thin, flat steel handle with rafia covering. Weight 2.5lbs, cost 15/- in 1919. Basis for later 'travelling set' (c1922) with tall trivet to convert iron to heating plate, sole-shaped pan for heating water (with similar rafia-covered handle) and minature vertical kettle.
1919 Rowenta Germany Second Rowenta iron, first Rowenta travelling iron. Flat, slab-sided sole-plate (no cowl), nickel-plated. Removable, sculptured varnished wooden hoop handle. Individual marble flex connectors. Packaged in leather case.
c1925 GEC Magnet Universal model D5828 UK London 'Universal voltage' iron with rotating connector on back for different voltages, used on later model D5257, 1938. Three-quarter size domestic iron with removable handle via knurled nuts. Polished aluminium trivet with black-glazed ceramic ball feet, black painted wood handle. Nickel-plated pressed steel cowl and sole-plate. Power 300 watts, weight 3lbs. Entry in 1926 Harrods catalogue. Click here for the instructions leaflet.
1930 Baby Boudoir UK Electric version of a trio of travel irons 'for boudoir, hotel or ship' - others use methylated spirit or heat blocks - 'Boudoir Climax' (1926) with curling tongs and 'Boudoir Turnover' (1927) double-base version. Tiny, slab-sided iron, nickel-plated sole and cowl. 110/240 voltage range. Aqua-blue enamelled wood handle. Permanent flex connection with spring support. 7 feet of fine, twin-core blue cotton-bound flex (no earth) and light socket plug. Fold-down blue display carton. Also available in red (handle, flex and carton). Cost 5/11 or 7/11 with leather case and 9 foot flex. Similar to German 'Travella' iron and UK 'Chesterton'.
c1930 Chesterton UK Tiny, slab-sided iron, nickel-plated with green ceramic handle (also in primrose or black wood). Flip-up wire stand at rear. Permanent flex connection with spring support. Similar to 'Baby Boudoir' iron.
1938 GEC model 5827 UK London Designed in 1938 by Douglas Scott in US industrial designer Raymond Loewy's London office (as other late-30s/40s GEC appliances). Produced c1945-c1962. Large format, slim sole-plate/cowl (nickel-plated), side-folding black phenol plastic handle, locked by insertion of flex connector (rotates to change voltage, as model D5258, 1925c).
c1938 Prilect model 2027A UK Popular and common travelling iron, produced c1935-c1965: included in 'Which' irons test, 1962. Small-scale standard iron with removable cream or black-enamelled wooden handle. Earliest models have single nut fixing, later, more common ones have two. Thick wire rear stand. Black phenol plastic flex connector. Chrome-plated steel cowl, chrome-plated cast iron sole-plate. Cowl also in coloured vitreous enamel finish, e.g. cream (with black handle) and terracotta (with cream handle). Packaging: earliest, plain cream tin or red carton with illustration: later, red and black tin with silverstripes.
1945 Clayton, Lewis & Miller (Clem) UK Glamorgan Neat and popular design, thick chromium-plated sole-plate, red anodised aluminium slim cowl (also blue, turquoise or green), black phenol plastic integral handle in style of larger thermostat irons. Later versions have voltage adjustment. Asbestos pad supplied. Permanent flex connection with spring support. Supplied in a zip-up case or box.Exhibited at the 1946 'Britain Can Make It' exhibition, London. Click here for the instructions leaflet.
c1945 Prilect model 2027B UK Updated, additional version of Prilect model 2027A, with removable streamlined black phenol plastic handle (other colours available, e.g. brown and rare multi-coloured) in style of larger thermostat irons. Sole and cowl components identical to 2072A but with shortened rear wire stand. Permanent flex connection to handle, unusual 3-core flat vinyl flex. Packaging as for model 2027A.
1946 Lucas Holder Smoothie UK Coventry Radical streamlined design (reminiscent of non-electric 'Boudoir' travelling iron) with strong US design influence. Produced 1946-1958. Thick chromium-plated sole plate (some versions solid brass), aluminium cooling fins and full-width black phenol plastic palm-grip 'handle' (also in cream urea plastic or natural wood). Later versions (post c1950) have voltage adjustment. Registered design numbers 848,149 (1946) and 850,220 (1948).
1951 Morphy-Richards model GU/1 UK St Mary Cray First MR travel iron, available in 3 voltage versions. Strongly influenced by pre-war US folding GE travel iron: full-size, but very slim sole plate and cowl (chromium-plated). Generous thumb rests creates arrow-like styling for long, streamlined handle, black phenol plastic - hinges at rear and folds flat, reducing height by less than 30mm. Themostat control from full-size MR irons - possibly first auto travel iron in the UK? Interesting US-influenced 'Belden'-style rubber two-pin plug with MR iron logo moulded in. More expensive (55/-) than other MR irons and not as popular. Discontinued by early 1960s. Click here to see the iron folded.
c1955 Falk Stadelmann Globe Trotter UK Medium format, slim sole-plate/cowl (chromium -plated), smaller than Pifco and GEC folding irons. Side-folding black phenol plastic streamlined handle with locking device. Two sets of connector pins for 110 and 240 volt. Very fine twin-core flex. Earlier 'Gad-About' model with folding wooden handle.
c1955 Rowenta model E5049 Germany Small scale version of standard Rowenta iron. Chromium-plated cowl/sole-plate, sculptured black full-width phenol plastic handle with distinctive ivory inserts, thermostat dial mounted on cowl. Twin voltage adjustment.
c1958 Pifco model 940 UK Manchester Produced into 1970s. Large format, slim sole-plate/cowl (chromium-plated), side-folding black phenol plastic styled handle with locking device. Brown PVC pouch with press-stud flap cover. Sliding shield to access different voltage pins. Click here for the instructions leaflet.